hier nog een hele mooie!
Rider Weight: 80kg's
Level: intermediate
Style: Freeride and Surf
Weather: 12 - 35+ knots
Build Quality: 9/10
Satisfaction: 9/10
Disclosure: i am a rep for this brand and a few others!
My Comments:
i have been riding prototypes of Fluid kites for the past year, honestly the early proto kites needed a lot of work IMO but now after a lot of hard work the gear is very good. Fluid is one of those rare companies that listen to the feedback given which is a breath of fresh air. i have held back on writing a review on the kites because they were not ready for sale until now, the last kites i received i have been flying for the last few months and have put them through their paces and been really critical about them.
Bar and lines
the bar is a very simple affair with a comfy red grip one side and grey the other, basic bar ends do the job that are the standard hard plastic types. the bar has a long throw similar to the newer cabs and airush kites, the throw can be limited by a sliding stopper that is easily moved to set a position but will not move when the bar is pushed onto it (good for those lazy dudes!)
there is a ball on the side lines for re-lauching, it took me a while to work out what it was for, once i was told i like the fact you wont get rope burn again!
there is a heavy duty swivel on the centre lines that seems to work well, as with most swivels it does not un-swivel well enough if you are throwing down lots of loops or rolls so you may have to give it an unwind if you are going crazy. the ends of the lines are all kook proofed and even have plastic sheaths sewn onto the attachments to reduce wear (awesome attention to detail).
moving down to the chicken loop Fluid have spared no expense with full molded loop with intergrated chicken finger. this is an awesome part that is heaven for riders who un-hook, there is heaps of space to allow easy hooking back in. the safety is a very easy to use pull towards the rider type, the parts are all non wearing and will more than likely outlast pretty much everything in the whole package!
trim is below the bar and due to the long throw on the bar can be used as a point to attach the safety. the attachment is super strong and has a stainless ring, upon releasing the loop the centre line extends 2X and the kite falls out of the sky with little to no power.
Canopy
as with most of todays good kites the ATV has a one pump system, Fluid have opted for a Cabrinha fill valve. when i asked why they answered, " it is easier to pump up the kite and deflate the kite with this bigger valve!" after testing a similar size kite with a smaller fill valve i have to agree.
the rear lines are a direct attachment to the kite with two speed settings (fast and slow) the front bridle has two pulleys, it is a hard part to describe so i will leave it to some pics. there are two points of adjustment on the bridle that give you light or heavier bar pressure.
upon pumping the kite the canopy is a weird shape, it is a low aspect style with 5 struts. the best way to describe it is a cross between a delta and a "C". the leading edge and struts on the ATV are bigger than the usual kite, this seems to give the canopy a good ridged feel.
the build of the canopy is heavy duty, it's a full dacron frame with scuff pads and good stitching in all the loaded areas.
Flying
i have a 9.5m and 7m, i have flown the 9.5m most of the time. initially i found it to be a little slow but after changing the settings to the fastest attachments its started to come alive! in the air it is very very stable and absorbs gusts. the bar pressure on the lightest setting is light but still enough to feel what the kite is doing without having to look at it.
loops on the ATV are amazing! slowish at the start and fast through the end when you want it exciting, the yank is good and the kite can turn very fast on the spot so you can control if you want it wild or tame.
hang time is good and the kite likes to be sent hard for big jumps. lazynes will get you only medium height. the kite turns well when floating so you can try things and correct if needed.
relaunch is not auto like some of the delta style kites seem to do but is very easy, just pull on one line and it comes out of the water quick smart.
i am using the 9.5m as my main kite and can get going on a standard twin tip when most of the other guys my weight are riding 11's and 12's., low end grunt is good and it seems to have plenty of range.
the shape of the ATV is promotes smooth flying characteristics with a lot of range, multiple attachment points allow the kite to be tuned to how the rider wants the kite to feel. overall the ATV is a very easy kite to fly that will suit beginner to someone who wants to push themselves, it is a really fun kite to fly not something that you have to fight with to get performance. the ATV has worked well for me in flat water and the waves, the tough construction has withstood some pretty bad abuse in the surf being pounded in shoreys, released in big surf and going through washing machine hell!
i have tried the 7m in the gustiest westerlies, it is truly the only kite i have felt safe on in 15-35knts. it is not twitchy and soaks up gusts better than a well worn in wettex! even in the lulls it can keep me up and riding.
i gave the ATV's a 9-10 as i think there is always room for improvement but so far these are my favorite kites to date
bron:
http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=51270
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