Tomo Vanguard Trex angry swallow style boards

Hi all

today going to talk about the new tomo style or surftech vanguard slingshot trex angry swallow- style kite surfboards

recently there has been allot of new kite surfboards that have a "chopped nose" and they are available in quads, five fin and thruster setups.

I hate to say it but these boards are bordering back to the traditional "mutant" style made popular by Robbie Naish and Flash Austin back in the days when kiteboarding just started.

There are still some "directional" mutant style boards some people like the option for the surf.
They also like the way that you can boost big with a smaller board that still goes upwind and is fast.

I tried the Slingshot 2014 Trex for a season, great up wind fast and very good fun in the surf,
The 2015 version is called the angry swallow and uses the new FCS2 fin system

These boards follow the tomo or vanguard style shape
parallel rails
wider tail
front nose is squared off about 10-11" back
A 5'4'' is close to riding what a 5'10 would feel like
and usually work best quad fin setup.

Of course the surfboards and the kiteboards are varied in the dimensions
The kiteboards may have less rocker and a big concave throughout the bottom
This helps planing and upwind too.

If too much rocker is added it may not be as good noticed that the vanguard has little if any rocker in the tail and nose.

So rider feedback?
There are some people that think that these are the greatest shapes ever. I guess it's all about preference of course.

The chop nose board has less size so will work good for those un strapped airs where you are grabbing the rail and throwing down some skim wakeskate inspired moves.

How do they fare in the waves?
They surf pretty good and if you transfer your weight to the back  (back foot)for the turns are snappy and fast, they also float good on floaters and snaps.

Going up wind? No problem move your back foot to the middle of the board just in front of the back foot strap a bit or push down on your front foot more.

In my opinion if the wave is clean and not too choppy they work just as good at the larger counterparts that have a nose.
Even in windy conditions the face of the waves are usually fairly clean.
There are times when the chop is on it and in the way out or into the waves it is sure choppy sometimes so have to be careful not to "pearl" or nose dive with the short squared off boards
They do have some nose rocker and the nose has a "V" see picture so that helps

They also do go upwind very well and are super fast, I was flying on my 2014 Trex very fast with nice epoxy carbon fins too so that is exciting to be flying upwind 20+ !

In bigger waves and or choppy conditions you may want to go back to the more traditional shape kite surfboard. I prefer quad fin setup and like the future fin boxes too.

The FCS are okay easier to fix sometimes just stay off the reef with the futures for sure, if you hit too hard you can break the fin box out.

Your results may vary.
 Ride what you like but try different styles shapes and boards for a change to widen your riding skills.
Remember with surfboards you generally don't want too much volume for your weight it's a delicate balance.of {weight-volume-surface area}
unless you are a bigger guy or riding light wind then more volume or  "floaty" may be better.

2014 Slingshot T Rex board above
Five fin setup with FCS fin boxes

Ocean Rodeo traditional kite surfboard surf series 2015 model

Five fin setup future fin boxes

Circa 2006 Naish Mutant Kiteboard classic piece of history!

Kite surfboard verses regular surfboard

I wanted to go over some of the differences between the kite surfboard and the regular surfboard.

Kite surfboard-
Usually epoxy or heavy glassed polyester
Straps for strapped riding

Bargain board-
A regular surfboard off of craigslist is fine for learning, get one with enough length and volume and preferably a quad fin setup.

The polyester surfboards for surfing are not as durable as the epoxy ones.They are made light for performance and speed

There is durability:low to high

Low- polyester thin made light for surfing may get pressure dings in deck from edging
full deck pad may help it last longer
would have to add inserts to mount straps if you want to ride with them

Medium to good-epoxy surfboards
depending on your weight a regular epoxy surfboard may last you a while, try to find one with less rocker and enough volume for the conditions

High durability- Kite surfboard
Specifically made for kiteboarding
Laminated construction usually epoxy or heavy glass polyester
Has foot strap inserts and most come with straps and pads
re-enforced deck for jumps and reduce pressure dings

Adding foot straps for kitboarding-
Options

Easiest-
Stick on mounts (dakine and others)
Clean area and sand wipe with adhesive primer stick on
 can mount the foot strap to the mounts

Epoxy the mounts below the deck
Rout out the area, insert the mount to ensure fiit, put tape or surf wax over the holes, put epoxy in hole and around, insert the mount level with the deck allow to cure and sane additional layer of glass over this is better for strength

Foot strap mounting styles
One hole insert, or several hole insert plastic wood or metal inserts

Foot strap location-
Make sure that the area that you are putting the inserts is correct, ride the board first if possible or copy a production kiteboard in general for mounting areas.

Selecting the right first kite for kiteboarding

There are allot of people that only had one choice when learning how to kiteboard years ago, although different brands and 4 and 5 line most kites before 2006 were "C" kites.

They are not recommended for learning but you can learn with them, but they are less forgiving and have a smaller wind range.

Also the safety systems on the kites were sometimes not very good.
If you do plan on using an older C kite make sure you use it with a modern control bar with a good safety release system and in non gusty winds, and the right kite size for the wind conditions.
If learning better to go with smaller kite and big kiteboard.

Foil kites were around even before the "C" kites and have advantages for land use as they don't have an inflatable bladder and can handle hard crashes better on land.

Inflatable Bow kites came along somewhere around 2006 and improved along the way.
The early ones were sometimes less efficient and had poor flight characteristics such as back stalling and not stable in the air. Some of them were better than others.

Bow kites have a massive wind range compared to the old C kites.
They also have a great de-power which is safer, when you let go of the bar the kite de-powers quite a bit.
This is good for safety, let go of the bar and the kite quits pulling!
So now instead of having say three or four C kite sizes to cover the wind range you can now just about have two or three kites for most conditions.

Bow kite safety-
You can easily go out above the rated wind range if you are a bigger guy or very careful, but in gusty conditions could get into trouble when the even higher wind gusts hit you or if you accidentally move the kite fast through the window or get lofted on land with the kite at 12:00.

Safety systems on the control bar improved along the way as well, with better quick release and better safety on the chicken loop as well.

Bow kite re-launch
In most conditions the bow style kite will re-launch easier and if the bridle is shorter will not get tangled as easy.
*(except of course with super light wind below 12 mph)

Kite shopping-Things to look for

Easy re-launch
Delta shape (or other bow round shape)
Short bridles
Durability
Warranty (if new)
Spare parts, availability


Warranty-

Most kites are covered for one year from the date of purchase

Warranty only covers normal wear and tear, no abuse.

If you drop your kite into a tree or super hard on the beach and pop it, that is probably not the manufacturer fault and that is clearly stated on the policy.

At kitemiser.com we use only 2013-15 gear which has all modern safety features.

Buying a used kiteboard

Well your getting a new kite and want a new board but are short the extra $

Your options are getting a used kiteboard
"Wow I just saw one for $75 what a deal" Old adage you get what you pay for
Ask someone who is already a kiteboarder for an opinion.
Some of these "bargain boards"may not be that great to use.

Sometimes there may be some great deals on slightly used newer kiteboards
Again if a newer rider ask for advice and a board for the conditions you will be riding in.

Beginner riders usually want a wider kiteboard for stability and a board that has some flex.

The size of the kiteboard (length and width) will ultimately depend on your weight and the wind conditions where you are riding at.

Or another option look for some newer demo kiteboards or school kiteboards.

Things to look for in a used kiteboard

Generally newer kiteboards now days are made of epoxy and will last a while.
There are a few things to look for

Watch out for-

Worn out bindings-
usually at the base where the straps attach look for wear
Velcro can get worn out as well
They can be replaced but cost from $100-160 new

Cracks-
long wise or across the deck of the board
This board may be getting ready to break soon
Some cracks can be repaired which is fine for l;earning
 but for jumping and landing hard they may come back

Stripped binding inserts in deck-
 (where the screws hold down the bindings) or broken off screws
Sometimes this may not be an issue if the board has two sets and you can use the stance that has inserts that are not stripped
Example "wider stance" has a set of inserts and the narrow has a set

Missing hardware fins and or bindings-
these can cost almost as much as a complete kiteboard buyer beware
some deals on "kiteboard only" or "deck only" can be misleading
by the time you purchase fins (4) and the straps(2) you are looking at $200-300
plus what you paid for the kiteboard
If you have some old fins and or bindings then it may be a deal
otherwise avoid these if possible

So let's look at the progression of the "twin tip" or wakeboard kiteboard.

First generation kiteboards-
sky pirate and others
Generally long and narrow surf shaped have surf fins
not as stable for learning due to narrow stance
Usually super heavy not epoxy and old school
Unless you like riding something that feels like a slalom ski stay away from these

First and second generation twin tips-
Built out of polyester resin some epoxy
generally stiff and have little or no flex at all
bindings are usually not as comfortable
may be good for learning but you will outgrow them quickly
larger versions may work for light wind kite board

Avoid narrow kiteboards-
 These tended to be narrow
great narrow if it's super windy or your 120 lbs
otherwise stay away from them

Newer "discount" or entry level kiteboards-
Some have little flex and are sometimes not very good to ride
will beat you up in choppy conditions due to lack of flex
Are not very good kiteboards when you progress
and you will outgrow them quickly

Cheap new kiteboarding kites discussion about build and quality and used kites

Is there such and thing as good and cheap or cheap and good for kite boarding gear?

The quality control of the top four or five kite companies is a little bit higher than the cheaper bargain branded kite brands.You also get a better customer support and warranty as well.

So yes you can get a new bargain brand kite boarding kite that is 30-40% off and it's new but some brands have better quality control and better warranty as well.
Also some of the bargain brands are the same every year, selling say the 2014 model in 2015.

Suggestions to save money on the top kite brands:

At the time when the next year's kite model comes out, all of last year's kites will be marked down.
There is only a short time here that the inventory will be available, then they will sell out, leaving only the smaller sizes left.Some dealers may have the last year kites available.
Example when the 2015 kite comes out or before, the 2014 and 2013 will be on sale.

So timing is everything, and when the new kites come out both the dealer and the retailer will be marking down the last year model.

So yes you can get a top brand name kite for about the same amount as one of the knock off's that they sell.

I am deliberately leaving the names of the brands out, because everyone has their own idea of what is a great kite, great control bar and great wave kite great wakestyle kite and so on.
I could never win here recommending that "one brand I like" or "one brand does this."

Just wanted to give some options on how to save money on a new kite here;

Next option :Used kites

Some of the last year's models will be in excellent condition and still have many sessions left on them.
I would try to avoid a school kite though as it would have been crashed allot.
Some school kites may have little or no use due to the kite being too big or small for the wind in the area.
At the end of the year or the season they will usually sell these to get the next year's model.

Demo Kites
Dealers have some demo gear that is discounted and may have only been used a few months or weeks or even only flown a few times.
 They give kite demos or demonstrations to show of all of the new gear, then they have to sell it at a discount since the gear is not new anymore. Discounts can range from 20-30% up to 50% off of a new kite.

Team rider kites
Team riders sell kites for allot less than what you would pay new (about 50%) but the ones that they use the most may have allot of sessions on them.
In other words if the team rider lives in a 7-9 m kite size area, most of the other sizes would probably be like new, and some team riders get two quivers a year and upgrade quite a bit.

If you want a used slingshot kite there are specific sites that have quite a bit of used gear.
But caution advised as with any used gear buyer beware.

Disadvantages of buying used gear:

No warranty you are on your own may leak air may need repair
Buying gear without knowledge and  that is not safe to learn on (old C kites)
Team riders are trying new tricks and may have many crashes on the gear
Kites take an abuse and after so many crashes may be prone to blowing up or coming apart
Possible damage to the kite (repairs stretched canopy trailing edge or bladder damage)
Kite behaves incorrectly (turns to one side)

Guideline to buying used gear

Generally stay within three years old at the most, with exceptions.
These kites if not used much and taken care of may be in serviceable condition.
Once a kite has gotten over a year or two old you may have some air leakage problems but not always.

If your handy and don't mind making some bladder repairs
or kite in an area that a collapsed bladder is not going to leave you stranded in a bad situation then go at it, there are deals to be found.

Inspect the gear if possible
Buying locally you can check out the kite, pump it up and sometimes even fly it if you are an experienced kite pilot.. This is not a "demo" so if you know what kite you are looking at do not expect them to let you "try it before you buy it"

Do not buy old C kites to learn on
They will be possibly dangerous especially if you live somewhere that has gusty or changing wind conditions and it will take you longer to learn how to kite board with them.
There are many of these on craigslist and eBay avoid them at all costs unless you know what you are buying!

Purchasing a kite
Try to use a credit card or if using pay pal use with credit card as payment to buy online
That way if there is a problem possibly you can file a claim through the credit card company if Pay Pal
will not honor the claim.

How many sessions on the gear?
Usually you can tell from the bridle and the canopy condition how much use the kite has had but not always. People always ask to see pictures of the pigtail connections thinking that this will show if the kite has been used allot but if the bridle was changed the use would not necessarily show up here. The pig tails would look...new because it is a new bridle.
The canopy may have sun fade or stretching from many crashes on a used kite, generally you don't know what the kite has been through and buying gear unseen has it's disadvantages of course.

I had an idea to gauge how many sessions that a kite has but so far the idea has not been very practical but who knows maybe one day a demand would arise.
We like to keep kites simple light and strong.

Kite and SUP gear

Shop Location:

Wetfeet Hawaii
540 Ward avenue
Honolulu HI 96734  808 255 6255
www.wetfeethawaii.com


Online sales:
www.offdalip.com  customer service@offdalip.com

Lessons
www.kitemiser.com
808-428-1865

Key words:
Wholesale discount kite kiteboards kitesurfing gear on Oahu
free shipping to US 48 states on some new gear
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11-2-14 Wind and surf report Kitemiser.com

Good trade winds return Thursday and Friday  were the best, still had some winds over the weekend.

Friday evening after the squalls the winds were in the 25+ range

WetfeetHawaii and Slingshot Sports  Kite demo on Saturday went well.

Surf was big on the East side and some wrap in other places as well.

Ripcurl pro on hold at Sunset beach due to smaller surf

Saturday and Sunday had some good winds still, in the 15-17 mph range  with 20 at times

Looking forward to a new swell to get some waves out on the North Shore!


Kite and SUP gear on Oahu Hawaii and Online

Shop Location:

Wetfeet Hawaii
540 Ward avenue
Honolulu HI 96734  808 255 6255
www.wetfeethawaii.com


Online sales:
www.offdalip.com  customer service@offdalip.com

Lessons
www.kitemiser.com
808-428-1865

Key words:
Wholesale discount kite kiteboards kitesurfing gear on Oahu
free shipping to US 48 states on some new gear
markdown kites kiteboard clearance kiteboarding gear on sale
demo kite demo kitesurfing gear flysurfing gear on sale discount kitesurf

10-25-14 Wind and Wave Report: wind report websites and apps

Trade winds were fun out at the north shore on Sunday 17-20+
Kailua typical light wind victory
and there was a south swell the other day in town, still had a few left on Sunday

Today trades were light in Kailua got up to 14-16 then back down.

Forecast is for 15-20 Thursday through Sunday!@
Looks like some wind headed our way


For Oahu wind forecast:

www.windalert.com

www.ikitesurf.com

www.iwindsurf.com

 Go to the full site you do not need to download the "app"

Then put your zip code (For your island) then read the free sensors

For windward Oahu can see the bellows sensor and subtract 2 mph for Kailua depending on the wind direction.

For the North Shore look at the sensors that are close to the beach park, at the North Shore
Also sometimes Honolulu Airport Sensor will mirror out there at times, depending on wind direction.and clouds.

For wind report apps mobile

Wisuki is okay and free version or full version.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.coolz.wisuki&hl=en

For wind meter:

I'm using the Zephyr pro

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=b4a.zephyr&hl=en

It uses your microphone to read the wind in real time pretty cool!

Kite and SUP gear on Oahu Hawaii

Shop Location:

Wetfeet Hawaii
540 Ward avenue
Honolulu HI 96734  808 255 6255
www.wetfeethawaii.com


Online sales:
www.offdalip.com  customer service@offdalip.com

Lessons
www.kitemiser.com
808-428-1865

Key words:
Wholesale discount kite kiteboards kitesurfing gear on Oahu
free shipping to US 48 states on some new gear
markdown kites kiteboard clearance kiteboarding gear on sale
demo kite demo kitesurfing gear flysurfing gear on sale discount kitesurf