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Smallest kite for Hood River?
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dobermankby

Since 07 Jul 2021
23 Posts

 



PostSat Mar 12, 22 6:11 pm    Smallest kite for Hood River? Reply with quote

I am a beginner (10+ sessions so far), getting as much water time as I can, hoping to call myself "intermediate" this spring/summer.
I'm just wondering what everyone's smallest kite for Hood River is. I am planning to be there most of next summer. My smallest kite is an 8m switchblade. Should I get a smaller one? Maybe a 6m? Or should I just sit it out if it's too strong for an 8m? Will I miss some epic sessions without a smaller one? Thanks!

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moondog

Since 15 Aug 2007
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PostSat Mar 12, 22 6:35 pm     Reply with quote

Twin tipping 75% on 9, 15% on 7 , 10% on 12. Foiling 75%on 6, 15% on 8 , 10% on 3
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moondog

Since 15 Aug 2007
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PostSat Mar 12, 22 7:01 pm     Reply with quote

You will definitely need a 6
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Singlemalt

Since 21 Jun 2015
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PostSat Mar 12, 22 7:18 pm     Reply with quote

Depends on your weight. I’m 205 lb. At your experience level, learning to twin tip and kite in HR, I used my 10 most, 8 for windy, and had a fair number of 12 sessions. It’s more fun if you are well powered.

Also depends on what you want, super powered up jumping? More drifty swell riding?

Second season, on a surfboard, I was more on the 8 and the 6 started seeing some use. Still using the 10 and 12 a fair amount.

Foiling, mostly 6, or 4.5, with some 9. Once or twice, the 3.5, but conditions were so gusty it was not much fun. Strong easterlies tend to be steadier.

You can always go to less wind. Gusty, strong westerlies at HR too much or not fun? Head to Stevenson for steadier wind.

Check out the HR swaps and NW kite classifieds. You’ll be able to pick up a deal on a smaller kite.

Make sure you have warm gear. Water temps are still below 40. Be prepared to survive a long immersion. Water is cold until July, and river reaches peak flow in June. July is when it gets to be shorty weather.

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moondog

Since 15 Aug 2007
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PostSat Mar 12, 22 7:27 pm     Reply with quote

I weigh 153.2 so quite different than Singlemalt
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McLovin

Since 11 Sep 2017
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Corbett
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PostSat Mar 12, 22 10:51 pm    Smallest Kite for HR Reply with quote

Hmm 10 sessions in...

Quiver questions are always intriguing does often help to know your size and weight but lets assume you are somewhere between 85 and 300 pounds to narrow it down a bit.

That 8m is pretty sweet for easy turning, light to carry, not so bad for self rescuing etc. and you will likely get lots of days on the 8m, yeah an 8m kite is the best for kiting in HR in spring and summer.

That said, a 10m is o-so nice too especially when the wind is just right and you are blasting around at Stevie and showing off to all the tourists on the Sternwheeler dock. The 10m just has that extra something the 8m is often missing. I think it's the extra 2m but can't be certain. The 10m just feels so stable and solid especially as you start to jump and want to have a soft landing while keeping the power on as you point your board downwind like a butterfly with broken ankles landing ever so softly...yeah the 10m is the best kite for kiting in the gorge in summer and pretty good in the spring too.

Except on some of those spring days when its gusty the 9m is just a little less and does turn so quick, how do you not love your 9m? It's just like the perfect size just like all those King of the Air guys are always raving about the 9m - you most definitely want to have at least one 9m kite for kiting in the gorge.

As spring rolls on and you get invited to join your new pals out east you may find yourself at Rufus or even Arlington these new and foreign lands have many delights to entice you. Never go to 3 mile its too scary. The BIG EAST winds could be too much for that trusty 8m so you kinda have to think about and then actually go get yourself a 7m. On BIG days that 7m will just slip through the wind and turn so cleanly you will think you just fell through the looking glass and into the latest Noe Font video - that said don't fall prey to the illusion and be tempted to unhook that shit is not safe yet especially not on a 7m day you want to be fully locked into the 7m goodness as you find yourself riding the backs of massive gorge swells that don't feel at all like you are in a river. Yeah a 7m is a must for kiting in the gorge.

Once the air turns crisp and you see some fall color touching the edges of the many trees along the riverbank by Rooster you will feel the heavy heaving of that cold dense EAST wind that will have sand blasting you on the beaches with the VS running for cover in the brambles, and liquid smoke spraying into horizontal rainbows on the oddly small swell running the same direction as the swift fall currents. These are the days for a really good 6m as its just too damn windy for that 7m anymore. Make sure you have a heavy sandbag to hold down that 6m while you rig up and bring a strong and reliable launch buddy just to be safe. There is really nothing like being fully lit up on your 6m and just pulling in a few inches of bar as you travel sideways at full speed but you are gliding at a low earth orbit of 8-10 feet. A 6m will be your favorite kite for sure.

Unless it gets hot which is does every year usually mid-summer then on those days you are gonna want more cloth overhead. As HR valley shuts down you will have to look west to Jones or even the coast where the winds blow but they just seem to not push very hard - I think it's the wider molecules as you head west things start to spread out and get looser, this is also true of the wind. For these days you want at least a 12m maybe even a 14m but some of the smoothest winds you will ever find fall into this range and you will love you Biggest kite the most when you are trimmed and dialed into your 12m / 14m on barely capping water - it's a perfect magic carpet ride just for you.

So hope that answers your question and gets you STOKED for summer and spring and fall and you will find winter kiting to be another treat left to unwrap. So much kiting and so little time, where o where did my __X_m kite go?

Good winds

Mc


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knotwindy

Since 25 Sep 2011
598 Posts

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PostSun Mar 13, 22 6:41 am     Reply with quote

Everyone is going to give a different answer. I’m about 170 lbs and spend, by far, most of my time in the gorge under a 7m & on a small surfboard. Occasionally a 9m & a 5m.
So the answer to your question for me is a 5m and those few days are crazy special. To be completely honest there have been a couple of days I’ve been maxed out on the 5 and thought about a smaller kite. But as a beginner I don’t think those are days you should be on the river. It’s a different skill set, you’ll need some time on bigger gear to get used to the mayhem of swell, chop & blasting gusts.
Sunny & 35-40 is SO MUCH fun it can not be explained. Has to be experienced when ready, willing & able.

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Jonpnw

Since 22 Jul 2010
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PostSun Mar 13, 22 6:49 am    It all depends Reply with quote

My pint size wife has a 3m Rally GT she keeps stashed away for those super nuker days . If you need a 6 , I have a couple of Slingshot demo kites you can try .

Jon !

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dobermankby

Since 07 Jul 2021
23 Posts

 



PostSun Mar 13, 22 9:53 am     Reply with quote

Thanks for the responses. Sorry I forgot to share that I'm around 180 lbs. I am also thinking of learning how to ride a surfboard which I think requires slightly less power. I will park this idea and get back to it later once I'm more confident.

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hilton

Since 15 Aug 2008
787 Posts

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PostSun Mar 13, 22 12:41 pm     Reply with quote

At 180 lbs you will definitely want or need a kite smaller than 8m for the big days, but as a beginner you may want to avoid the really big days and work your way up to those conditions. The windier it is, the faster things can go wrong on the water, but it is better to be on a smaller kite when the really big gusts come through.
Once your skills are there, you will really enjoy the bigger days with a sufboard since you need the strong winds to make the big swells, and you'll need a 6 or 7m kite to take full advantage.

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eric

Since 13 Jan 2006
1803 Posts

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PostSun Mar 13, 22 4:31 pm     Reply with quote

http://www.nwkite.com/forums/t-51243.html

Good kite being sold by a good guy

Eric

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Sasquatch

Since 09 Mar 2005
2053 Posts
PNW
Bigfoot



PostSun Mar 13, 22 10:35 pm    Get a 6m Reply with quote

dobermankby wrote:
Thanks for the responses. Sorry I forgot to share that I'm around 180 lbs. I am also thinking of learning how to ride a surfboard which I think requires slightly less power. I will park this idea and get back to it later once I'm more confident.


You're going to want options. Get a 6m, you won't be disappointed.

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dobermankby

Since 07 Jul 2021
23 Posts

 



PostMon Mar 14, 22 9:02 am     Reply with quote

Just picked up a brand new 6m Switchblade (2020) for 700 bucks. Very Happy The deal was too good to pass, also it would suck to sit on the beach because my 8m is too large. (I remember, one of my lessons was on a 6m last year.) Plus I figured I want to get into surfboard this summer too anyway. Oh also I mistyped above, I'm 170 lbs, not 180 Very Happy
Thanks for all the input!

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Sasquatch

Since 09 Mar 2005
2053 Posts
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PostMon Mar 14, 22 1:20 pm     Reply with quote

dobermankby wrote:
Just picked up a brand new 6m Switchblade (2020) for 700 bucks. Very Happy The deal was too good to pass, also it would suck to sit on the beach because my 8m is too large.


Nice decision! It will pay for itself in no time with less reverse-skunkage (too much wind). Just think about the time and gas you will save not chasing wind. Or extending your day on the water when you started out on an 8m, but need to come in to rig down.

6m, 8m, 11m quiver or 6,m 9m, 12m are the going quivers to have of kites for the gorge and most of the OR coast.

Sure, more is always better, but find a locale/s that compliments your quiver/sizes of kites.

Welcome to the addiction!

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shred_da_gorge

Since 12 Nov 2008
1251 Posts
Local, not Low Cal
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PostSat Mar 19, 22 9:19 am     Reply with quote

Good call, 6m should be good for you, especially as you start to surfboard. You also bought the same kite you're already used to.

As I started reading the thread it was easy to eliminate that you're foiling, and probably not surfboarding. Learning strapless you'd want the smaller kite to not get pulled off the board, but you will need to work it harder to get going (which helps improve your kite skills anyway). So if you'd be TTing on your 8m, your 6m will be a little small and frustrating as you start surfboarding but the right kite.

At the risk of a thread hijack I'll offer my experience learning to surfboard. I started with my old 7'2" thruster surfboard. Frustrating. I had a hard enough time getting surf experience with waves but the kite was a different story. Bought a North Bullet (~09?) and headed out with straps. Perfect!

This is my opinion: at the very beginning use straps, ride on one tack, switch in the water, ride back again. Work on going upwind, learn quickly it can actually be easier on a surfboard, then start finding swell to slash around in. Then you'll learn the bigger the swell and faster you drop downwind your kite handling experience will change as you try to keep the lines taught while depowered and balance wave versus kite power. It's at this point the word "drift" joins your vocabulary in every ensuing kite conversation...

Lose the straps relatively quickly... on the Columbia that'll be when the spring current backs down into typical summer flow. This is when you start playing with foot placement and jibes and maybe even tacks.

Oh, carry a second (long) kite leash for securing the board in case your kite is down, but make sure you have a loop to connect strapless... not like me who relied on the straps that I had just taken off when I had an unexpected kitemare.

See ya out there!

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markamcclure

Since 20 May 2011
164 Posts
Portland, OR
Stoked



PostMon Mar 21, 22 7:21 am     Reply with quote

I like riding my 5’8” Celero surfboard in HR, most days I go are 8m. About a third of the time I am on my 6m, and occasionally I will fly my 10m. Last year I never used my 12m and only flew my 4.5m once. 155lbs.

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dobermankby

Since 07 Jul 2021
23 Posts

 



PostSat Mar 26, 22 12:00 pm     Reply with quote

shred_da_gorge wrote:
Good call, 6m should be good for you, especially as you start to surfboard. You also bought the same kite you're already used to.

As I started reading the thread it was easy to eliminate that you're foiling, and probably not surfboarding. Learning strapless you'd want the smaller kite to not get pulled off the board, but you will need to work it harder to get going (which helps improve your kite skills anyway). So if you'd be TTing on your 8m, your 6m will be a little small and frustrating as you start surfboarding but the right kite.

At the risk of a thread hijack I'll offer my experience learning to surfboard. I started with my old 7'2" thruster surfboard. Frustrating. I had a hard enough time getting surf experience with waves but the kite was a different story. Bought a North Bullet (~09?) and headed out with straps. Perfect!

This is my opinion: at the very beginning use straps, ride on one tack, switch in the water, ride back again. Work on going upwind, learn quickly it can actually be easier on a surfboard, then start finding swell to slash around in. Then you'll learn the bigger the swell and faster you drop downwind your kite handling experience will change as you try to keep the lines taught while depowered and balance wave versus kite power. It's at this point the word "drift" joins your vocabulary in every ensuing kite conversation...

Lose the straps relatively quickly... on the Columbia that'll be when the spring current backs down into typical summer flow. This is when you start playing with foot placement and jibes and maybe even tacks.

Oh, carry a second (long) kite leash for securing the board in case your kite is down, but make sure you have a loop to connect strapless... not like me who relied on the straps that I had just taken off when I had an unexpected kitemare.

See ya out there!


Thanks for the useful hijacking and the suggestions. Interesting to know the second leash idea. Is that pretty common? do people do that with TT as well? I remember one time it was such a PITA trying to relaunch while trying to hold onto my board, it would have been much easier to be able to use both hands and not try to hold the board while relaunching.

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