Bigger kite trend at Sherman

[dracop]

Ive done SI on 20+ in an ebb, all in all, I love SI.

Go ride whatever rocks your boat bro, you dont have to defend it lol. The OP created this post as he/she was very preoccupied about what others were riding. Dont worry about others, go ride what works for you. The only complainers should be the ones who dont know how to pick a kite/board for the conditions on hand without referring to others choices.

Yesterday was fascinating - everything on the water from a lightweight lady on a pink 7m to a couple of 17ms myself incl. Most TT riders were rigging up 12-14s altho they headed back early due to the lulls leaving them hanging.

Thats the way it should be imo, with a smorgasboard of different gear combos on the water instead of everyone trying to ride a 9m-12m range of the same kite/TT setup.

[jjm]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgWCUP0QBLE[/video]
Ahh bro, I was out on my 9, but really, my 9 pulls like a 15 almost.. but like, when I pump it up it's like pumping up a 4, it relaunches like, so easy, my kite pulls like a truck.

[ozchrisb]

[dracop]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgWCUP0QBLE[/video]
Ahh bro, I was out on my 9, but really, my 9 pulls like a 15 almost.. but like, when I pump it up it's like pumping up a 4, it relaunches like, so easy, my kite pulls like a truck.

That was beautiful bro, I had not seen that before!

[Aloha]

Also re: surfboard question since you're powered up you don't need wave momentum to build up enough speed to throw tail, all you need is a ramp - and there's plenty of that on big river swell days

[kitecrazy]

lol

To the OP: Do you have kite size envy for some reason? So looking at the date of your original posting, I went to SI for a few days immediately preceding your post. I was pumping a 17m Blade Fat Lady v3. For me, at 245 pies before my water logged wetsuit and impact vests are taken into account, it worked great! I like working the Fat Lady :P Note that most people are surprised at my weight as I am not fat, just built courtesy of 15+ years of weight lifting.

If you weigh a buck forty, you need a very different kite size. Doubly so if you are on a directional or surfboard. Working a 9m to death and riding a 165+cm board (light wind TT, directional, or surf board) is not my idea of fun. On a TT, give me the larger kite in that scenario, I'll go DOWN in board size, and I'll do lots of flat water tricks :D I urge you to try the approach especially at SI and especially if you go behind the islands, as it allows for long, floaty jumps that are ideal for practicing tricks (altho low vis from any crowds - so again, perfect for PRACTICING tricks more than showing them off).

dracop-
No kite size envy here. I've been kiting Sherman for 8+ years and ride TT and surfboards and I ALWAYS prefer to ride a bit over powered. 14m is as big as I need. If that wont work, beer is better.

My original post was more to highlight the stacking of the situation. I'm on a smaller kite and weigh much more than others on larger kites. That'd be me with boost-worthy wind on a 10m and a TT and someone 50lbs lighter on a 14m and TT or Surfboard constantly riding with their bar all the way out and their riding posture in the shitter position. They have no margin for wind increase.

If you like that, fine. I'm not judging...that's not worth my time. I don't care what you ride.

When it comes time to enter or exit the water, that's when people's kite decisions and skills come to play. We've seen people airlifted almost every year from Sherman Island because they couldn't handle entry or exit from the water with their chosen kite size.

Most of us don't want to see it happen again.

[sloughslut]

Amen