Hey guys, I posted this on another forum and was directed here for info specifically related to Utah. I'm glad we have a decent community going here.
Had a bad experience being stupid a number of years ago and took about 6 years off. Just spent a week taking lessons on Kite Beach and I'm eager to get back into it again.
I was thinking I'd get a 2012 Cabrinha Switchblade, but not sure on the size. Recently I've been told that if I'm planning on using it in the snow I should consider North, because of the rugged construction. Now I'm not sure between the Switchy, Evo, Rebel, or Vegas.
Height -- 6'0"
Weight -- 170lbs (been losing weight )
Preferred style -- Wakestyle/Freestyle
Location -- Northern Utah
Conditions -- Flatwater
Wind -- 7 to 20 knots and gusty (mountain winds sometimes thermal)
Elevation -- 6,000 feet
Temp -- 70-100F
I've been looking at the 12M Switchblade but not sure how much the elevation and other conditions are going to affect the ride. Unfortunately, there really isn't a way to test out any gear here. Down on Kite Beach I used several different kites. The most common was Bandit V 9M, but I also used a couple Liquid Force 7M kites on the really heavy days and once I used a Best. The Bandit was ok but for some reason it really felt unresponsive to me. That might have been because I naturally prefer a bit more bar pressure and I frequently found myself pulling back on the bar too much and stalling the kite, or pushing out too much and that kite doesn't handle well when de-powered.
I have a wakeboarding background. Nothing extreme but I can do some fairly technical stuff like backrolls, tantrums, raleys, etc... So I'm right at home with unhooked conditions with a bar really tugging on me.
Is the 12M gonna suit me ok? I'll be getting into snowkiting this winter as I can ride right behind my house on an open mountainside. Afternoon wind picks up to around 10-15 knots almost every day as the sun starts to set, and some days is really gets moving.
Thanks