Blade III 10.5

by Brine Boy on Thursday 07 October 2004

I was after more power and more lift!!!! I have a Blade III 6.6 and love it!! Why not try a 10.5 someone said so I did!!!
After picking the kite up from Airboss, I was desperate to have a play, mainly to see if the bad reports I had heard were true, things like it lufts a lot, turns like a bus, is too slow for land boarding.

The wind was 8mph when I got to the field which was great for a first fly.
When unpacking the kite you realise how big it is: huge! Kite killers on and sitting down not knowing what to expect, I give the handles a firm tug to inflate and up it goes. I was amazed, even my 6.6 does not launch straight to the zenith in one tug.

The power is immense. It’s not just a tug, it feels like your lines are connected to something solid and when you pull on the lines, you move not the kite – it just sits there. Turning the kite is very slow: I had to use the brakes to turn just so I didn’t clip the ground.

However 8mph is towards the lowest wind you would want to fly the 10.5 in. As the wind got up to around 12mph it did turn slightly quicker. I also started planning my moves a few seconds earlier which helped. I think with a few hours of flying it will fly just like any other kite. I clearly remember flying my 6.6 for the first time after a Bullet 3.5 and thought that turned like a bus! Now I don’t think about it, it goes and does exactly what I want when I want. I am amazed how stable the 10.5 is, it just sits where ever you put it. Power it up to the top of the window and the lift is immense.

Jumps on my board were so easy but I felt safe, a lot safer than a smaller kite due to the kite being so large when you jumped you stay up for longer and come down a lot slower.

Upwind performance is excellent, flying with two other boarders with different 12 & 12.5 kites the 10.5 excelled itself tacking upwind.

As the wind dropped off it did luft once or twice but only because a kite that large has a fair weight, the bridal alone must weigh around the same as a 3m complete kite!

My recommendation would be don’t fly it in less than 8mph.

My first impression? Wow I’m getting one!!

KIT USED ON THE DAY
Flexifoil Blade III 10.5
MBS Comp 16 Pro Board
Maui Magic Dragon Shield Seat Harness
Cebe Lid