grogamanda Posted January 17, 2009 Report Posted January 17, 2009 Wow, I went to StKilda today for my first outing in 6 weeks with a view to trying my recently procured 13.5m naish cult. Generally there arent too many sigma shaped kites out at this beach and as I arrived I noticed a single Alliance being put through its paces. As my son didnt want to go in the water and wanted to just do some jumping, I thought I would rock the boat and launch a peter lynn on StKilda beach.......SACRILEDGE I know......I then trundled off to prepare the Cult....This took a while to get myself organised....beer, wife, daughter, mother, kites, board, wetsuit etc etc etc (about an hour). When I turned around to focus on where I was going to kite there appeared to be a mass of Naish Sigma shaped kites all over the place. Obviously their $1999 for two kites is working out....For once on StKilda beach there were more Naish than cabrinha! From My perspective, my first flight of the Cult (08 model 13.5M) was erratic. Excellent power, good low end and pulling the depower really has a dramatic impact. It turns fairly quickly, but not as fast as my Rhinos. IT is pretty grunty as this is the first time I have been launched bodily from the water into a huge faceplant. Stability was a little questionable as the kite wandered in the window quite a lot. When I changed boards later on the kite seemed to come into its own a little. Good upwind, solid performance. I didnt try the hitting the jumping as yet as this would be frowned upon by my surgeon. All in all I think with a little perseverance on my part I will really like this kite. However, I dont want to appear to be part of the noob scene and have the same kites as everyone else! So A couple more goes, if I dont like it I will be selling it and returning to my beloved North 5 liners...... It was great to be back on the water today....very tired today though! Have fun everyone... Grog Quote
koma Posted January 18, 2009 Report Posted January 18, 2009 Damnit! You mean now every nooblet and their dog has an Alliance. Gone are the days i can put my Alliance up and have everyone try and figure out what it is. I even had the question 'why did you put a 5th line on your Helix?' Quote
grogamanda Posted January 18, 2009 Author Report Posted January 18, 2009 mate, I thought they were breeding! There was Naish kites all over the place. There was me thinking, Ha, I will have an oddly shaped kite which every one will wonder what it is.......Time to move kitey spot again I think. Grog Quote
koma Posted January 19, 2009 Report Posted January 19, 2009 Yeah, there's still only a handful of sigma's over at Altona so i'm usually the odd one out there. I'm so glad that the original batch of '08 green & yellow Helixes have disappeared. The first month after they were released last year there were about 4 or 5 of the horrible colour scheme at St Kilda. What kind of genius at Naish thinks... ooh, green & yellow - the Aussie's will love them! Quote
.Joel Posted January 19, 2009 Report Posted January 19, 2009 What kind of genius at Naish thinks... ooh, green & yellow - the Aussie's will love them!The same kind that offers Emu and Kangaroo as part of the menu at an "Australian" restaurant. Quote
vipar Posted January 19, 2009 Report Posted January 19, 2009 I have to step in, I have one of those Cults with a yellow/black canopy and green struts, I am an Aussie and I love it. Sure the colour was not my first preference but it is now my kite and it is pretty damn cool because it facilitates my doing some pretty damn cool things. It is that pink and blue scheme that I just cannot get my head around. Insert passive aggressive smiley face. And on the Naish offensive, and Koma I am sure you would agree with me....they are damn good kites. I have only flown a few kites in my time but none has matched the Cult for where I am at in my progression and its ease of use. So if everyone is raving about them, and they continue to deliver, then why wouldn't there be a heap of them at the beach (and remember this is St Kilda, the laws of probability say there is going to be a heap of ANY kite). Now one brands popularity I just cannot get my head around is that of Cabrinha.................... Quote
grogamanda Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Posted January 19, 2009 Vipar, It was the prevalence of Naish on Saturday that actually caught my attention! Zero to hero in a matter of weeks. Oh yes, Green and yellow would be the colour of my newly acquired Cult..........I didnt need another kite but the price I got this for was just too little for me to refuse........ From a flight perspective, I still need to dial in on the Cult. Having been used to 07 Rhinos grunty kites are the norm, However the cult needs a little more delicacy when first flown. I managed to face plant a number of times before I got the power under control. For those who say the cults dont turn fast, I dont know what you mean.....turned fast enough for me albeit I wasnt doing kiteloops with it. Roll on Altona at the earliest opportunity. Richard Quote
vipar Posted January 19, 2009 Report Posted January 19, 2009 Grog, did you have the Red/Yellow Venom up on Sunday? If so the power of that thing in the pitiful wind was impressive! I went down in vain hope but didn't even get the gear out of the car. I would be interested to have a go of the 13.5 to get a comparison against my 12, I am putting it on slightly longer lines to try and get a bit more out of it on those initial power strokes. I weigh in at 100kg and have been amazed at the power the kite has on 20m lines but to have a little bit more flexibility in such a great kite would be sweet. Cheers Vipar Quote
koma Posted January 19, 2009 Report Posted January 19, 2009 It is that pink and blue scheme that I just cannot get my head around. Insert passive aggressive smiley face. Hehe, if you were trying to take a stab at my Alliance you missed by " this much - It's blue and orange. I think alot of people are still unsure about the sigma shape being of any benefit to the kites. From my experience i can't pinpoint exactly what i like about the sigma's - just that i do like them. The Alliance's and the '08 Helixes weren't without their faults however (heavy leading edge); but the 5-strut sigma's like the Cults seem to not suffer from this. Quote
grogamanda Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Posted January 19, 2009 vipar, I should be around in Altona on Sunday and Monday. I didnt get to St Kilda on Sunday but it was my son with the 13m Venom on the Saturday down there.....He loves the fact you dont need to hold the bar when its above your head! Happy to let you compare the 13.5. richard Quote
vipar Posted January 19, 2009 Report Posted January 19, 2009 Hehe, if you were trying to take a stab at my Alliance you missed by " this much - It's blue and orange. Ooooo, I may never get another chance. It is a kind of pinky-orange right? Right? I have not flown enough kites to be able to pin-point handling characteristics based on design. The sigma shape is supposed to increase stability when sheeted out right? If you sheet out quickly the kite can flutter but I guess this is the case with most kites, progression is the key. As for outright, low-end power, it does not come anywhere near my 14m Contra but its speed allows quick re-power which is great, particularly in the surf. In hindsight I probably would have gone for the 13.5 with a higher-wind kite as my two kite quiver, however we will see what the line extensions due for its versatility. Quote
SoutherlyBuster Posted January 19, 2009 Report Posted January 19, 2009 Wow, I thought I would rock the boat and launch a peter lynn on StKilda beach.......SACRILEDGE I know....... Grog Perhaps some more Peter Lynn kites should turn up and rock the boat some more . Norman, (Peter Lynn Venom II 13m^2) Quote
Exarch Posted January 20, 2009 Report Posted January 20, 2009 i might bring my g2 down for a lark, i have not had it out of the bag since i got the cult speaking of Naish i was tinkering with the idea of adding a 9m to the quiver giving me a 12 + 9 i come in at 85ish and am looking to increase my wind range up to 30 kn what are the current thoughts on supplimenting my cult with a 9 helix?? or should i stick with the cult (which i love to bits) Quote
grogamanda Posted January 20, 2009 Author Report Posted January 20, 2009 defo get a 9m (any type). I hate not having the right kite for the conditions. I now have a suite of kites from 5m through to 20m (just in case). I also tend to take all kites with me when I go to the beach as I can guarantee if I take big kites the wind is howling, small kites the opposite. Never again! Ah well, its windy outside and I cant go kiting till Thursday! Cya Richard Quote
koma Posted January 20, 2009 Report Posted January 20, 2009 speaking of Naish i was tinkering with the idea of adding a 9m to the quiver giving me a 12 + 9 i come in at 85ish and am looking to increase my wind range up to 30 kn what are the current thoughts on supplimenting my cult with a 9 helix?? or should i stick with the cult (which i love to bits) Ooooh, a 9m Helix would be a scorcher! I'll definitely roshambo you for it! I've got a 9m Ozone Instinct Lite as my high-wind (and my gf's main kite) which is a great kite but really clashes with the style of my Alliance. That said, putting her on a 9m Alliance is probably a bit rough for her starting out. edit: Oooh... there's a couple of 6/8m Naish Alliances, 9m Cult & 9m Helix's floating around second hand. Anyone want a 9m Ozone Lite in spanking good condition? Quote
vipar Posted January 20, 2009 Report Posted January 20, 2009 I too am looking for a 9m kite as a high wind/surf kite. I have had the 12 out in conditions 30 gusting 35 in the surf at Sandy Point and while the Cult was nice to me and I felt secure, the handling characteristics made everything a little difficult and a small mistake had you off your edge and heading downwind/towards the next wave at high speed. I also had the seemingly unlimited de-power sheeted in a silly amount and the rope was giving me the irrites. Once I got in from that session I knew had to add a smaller kite to my kit. I reckon with the 9 and 12 with some line extension sets a near-perfect 2 kite quiver. Oh yeah and when the wind hits 45 knots I will just use my mates 7m. Haha. Having said all that, a Cult would be perfect but I am also keen to check out other brands, most likely a bow for the depower-on-hand. Has anyone had any experience with a Best Waroo? Quote
Exarch Posted January 20, 2009 Report Posted January 20, 2009 i was thinking of getting a waroo for my brother, but i have never tried one. as for the helix i'm leaning toward an 09 Quote
vipar Posted January 20, 2009 Report Posted January 20, 2009 Yeah, the response to the 08 Helix was not great and the hype is telling us it is an all new kite. Personally, if I could afford it I would go for another Cult, hands down. Exarch, are you going down tonight? Quote
Exarch Posted January 20, 2009 Report Posted January 20, 2009 yeah i'm actually doing a ride with a few people from work, we are eventually making our way to hampton and back, i'm thinking of doing all that, stopping at elwood, grab my stuff and get there, so i'll be a little later than normal, which is generally pretty late Quote
Exarch Posted January 20, 2009 Report Posted January 20, 2009 i also think either an 08 cult, 09 cult or 09 helix in 9m i'll just keep my eyes open. Quote
koma Posted January 20, 2009 Report Posted January 20, 2009 Whats everyone got against the '08 Helix? Quote
vipar Posted January 20, 2009 Report Posted January 20, 2009 I don't think many were saying they were a bad kite although some did (but then some said the smartloop was a bad piece of design), I just remember a few people writing that they were not the 'pick of the bunch' and required precise input to get the most out of it (as opposed to the Cult), which in itself is not necessarily a bad thing. The way I see it, Naish would have changed the majority of the kites characteristics for one or both of two reasons. 1. They felt as though the kite could do with some genuine improvement and they knew what to do. 2. It did not sell well, so through marketing and some tweaking they are attempting to re-invent it. Koma, have you flown one? Does anyone here have one? Quote
Exarch Posted January 20, 2009 Report Posted January 20, 2009 also note they have dropped the aliance from the 09 series, so the big question is how much different is the 08 aliance to the 09 helix??? Quote
vipar Posted January 20, 2009 Report Posted January 20, 2009 A lot I would say, two quite different styles of kite. The Alliance was/is a hybrid based on the Torch. Read Koma's review on the Alliance and you will get a pretty good idea of what it is all about. Quote
Exarch Posted January 20, 2009 Report Posted January 20, 2009 with the cult on the market would any of you bother with a 9m torch? Quote
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