ANSWER'S impressions so far.....

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WindRider
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ANSWER'S impressions so far.....

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Here's some info on our impressions so far.

The conditions were +-12kts to begin with, and in the later sessions picking up to around 18/20kts.

Turning is super fast. Noticably faster than a 12m Spitfire III and probably around similar speed to a 10m. You can move the rear attachment points inward as with a C kite to slow down the turning if this is what you want.

Bar pressure is comparable with 12m Spitfire III. You can happily feel where the kite is thanks to the great feedback, but certainly no major bar pressure.

Bridles are noticably shorther than on other flat kites. Rear lines attach directly to the kite.

Whilst there is less "pop" than on the Spitfires, there is still reasonable pop on offer and freestlye/wakestyle moves are no problem. This would seem to be a big difference from other flat kites in the market at present?

The conditions didn't test the upper wind range at all but we both felt that we were really anticipating a good powered up session to see how it goes in that. It feels like there's lots of potential lurking in there.
When it was hovering at 12kt I was able to get out and ride, but certainly not shred/boost big etc. I am a touch over 100kg though, so I guess that's pretty good anyhow?
Rob (75kg) was able to go upwind and do freestlye transitions etc at the same time as others were out on 16m C and doing about the same.

Like all flat kites it handled the gusts well. More feedback on this though after more sessions.

The construction is superb as per Caution's usual standard and it's even been improved by with the addition of a 2" dacron trailing edge strip. The LE seams and strut attachments are the beefiest in the industry.

The bar is a standard Caution 4 line bar, with extended de-power line and strap. The bar is 100% carbon and includes Q.R, leash, re-launch toggle, de-power strap & line, swivelling C-loop, removable D-dick, & Laser Gold Pro flying lines.

More later......
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The Answer is the newest Bow / Flat Kite design from Caution, that brings about an all new level of kite performance!
Caution’s goal was to achieve the safest possible kite, with the largest projected area and largest wind range, while still delivering high performance! The Answer is the answer when it comes to the question of what is the smoothest, safest, most efficient Flat Kite on the market today.
The kite achieves these goals by ridding itself of all the negative points of previous Flat Kite designs, starting with the design of the very simple pulley-less bar.
The Answer is built with Caution’s unique bomb proof seam construction and top materials from Industry leaders such as Ronstan, Teijin and Cousins!

Features and Benefits
Performance:
• Incredibly stable
• Huge wind range
• Flat kite design allows for largest projected area
• Safest Style kite on the Market
• Low bar pressure (adjustable from low bar pressure to fixed bar pressure)
• Adjustable stopper balls
• Spinning Leash
• Quick Turning (multiple attachment points in the rear to control turning speed)
• No Pulleys on the bar
• Simple user friendly 4-line bar
• Shorter bar travel allows more normal range and feel to the kite

Durability and materials:
• Quality materials from industry leaders such as Ronstan, Teijin and Cousins
• Caution’s quality bullet proof construction
• Glued and triple stitched seams
• Double ply trailing edge
• Low stretch panel layout

Kites come complete with:
• Repair kit
• Simple high performance Carbon 4-line bar
• Largest aluminum shafted pump in the industry • Back pack carrying bag, with mesh extension

Sizes: 9, 12, 16

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http://gallery.kiteforum.com/gallery/vi ... me=albut92

http://www.kiterevue.de/pod/20060314193856/

Got to demo the new Caution 12m Bow kite. One day blowing 10-15mph, the other day in the morning blowing 15-25mph, then in the afternoon blowing 20-35mph.. Here are some comments:

Bar setup: Like this a lot. Chicken loop covered in plastic coating, spinning chicken loop, nice leash attachment option(kind of like hooking into a 5th line leash setup). Looks and feels solid. Has two "slingshot style" locking balls on it. One above the bar, one below... very nice.

Kite looks: Looks good. Seems pretty solid. Some stitching a little off with the scuff guards, but other than that, looks good.

Speed: Good speed. Definitely faster than some of the other 12m Bow kites(turbo diesel, cabrinhas, liquid Force assault, Shockwave). About the same speed as the Waroo 12m.

Power through the turns: Good...lots of power through a bottom turn..one of the things I liked best about this kite

killing the power for riding waves, or safety: Not the best compared to the other Bow kites...probably the worst of them all, but I think they designed it like that. The chicken loop rope length is short..as short as any normal 4 or 5 line bar setup. When you push the bar all the way away from you(or let go of the bar) it doesn't kill all the power of the kite. Feels about the same as if you did that with a normal 4 or 5 line kite. I personally liked that alot about this kite, because I still prefer C shape kites.... for those who prefer the instant depower or power kill switch, they probably won't like it as much... all a personal preference thing. But, for dropping in on a wave where you want to push the bar out to kill most of the power...it wasn't that good...

Jumping: Very nice..super high jumps and holds you up there...very similar to a normal C-shape kite in terms of technique and how to jump it...

Bar Pressure: Very light..one of the lightest..probably about the same as the Sonic..maybe a little less than the Waroo...WAY less than the Crossbow, Shockwave, etc...

Low End: Seemed pretty good...I rode the 12m Switchblade and 12m Waroo right after this one, and they definitely fealt more powerful than this kite. Still more power than a normal 12m C shape, but not as much as some of the other 12m bows...

High End: Pretty good. Again, not as much total range due to the shorter chicken loop rope. More than a C Shape kite, but not more than other bows of equal size... We had a few stray strong gusts probably in the mid 30's if not stronger, and when I edged hard against them, the wing tips folded in a few times...I didn't like that, but when I brought the kite down, it was a little soft...may have had a slow leak, because it was rock hard when I took off earlier...so, not sure if that was due to it being soft, or if in extreme winds for that size, it will do that.... more to follow on that...

Overall: This kite was really fun to ride and I liked it a lot. Like any kite, there are positives and negatives. For those C shape guys/gals (like me) that have been holding back on getting a Bow kite because it feels totally different, this may be a good choice for you. For those who want complete depower with just a quick push of the bar away from you, you may not like this kite as much as some of the others. I would say this is very similar to the Waroo in terms of how it flew, fealt, etc.., but the Waroo has a little more depower because of the longer chicken loop rope. So all in all, closer to a C shape than the others, but with some of the advantages of a bow kite... A good mix in my opinion....

http://www.oceanextremesports.com/phpBB ... ?p=555#555

http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopi ... tion+kites


I don’t ride the big waves but the riders from and around the Caution area do. This Answer kite is the bomb and the big wave riders and wake board riders are loving it. I would not theorize about depower. Anyone selling a Caution will have a demo for you. Caution wants you to demo. Test this kite for a couple hours. It takes a little time to get use to the change from a C to a flattie. I have been out on the 12m Answer in winds from 10mph to 40 mph and it was fun threw the entire range. I would not recommend taking it out in the 40 range I just got caught out there and waited for it slow down be for I came in. But please, Demo the Answer.


Windbreaker, You can make it fully depowerable untieing one of the knots on the back line leaders and moving the center lines down a knot closer to you. You can get full depower that way but the factory setting is was perfect for my preference. I've tried full depower bows and the sacrifice for them is consistent bar pressure to maintain power. An 80-85% depower factory setting will work fine for most experienced kiters. The ease of use of this kite is nice even for a beginner. So to anser your question right out of the bag factory setting you have 85% depower but can be tweeked for 100%. It's a nice bow kite and you wouldn't be dissappointed in choosing the Answer.

Hope that helps.

Daud



Well after a week's wait my Answer 12 came in last week. With the winds blowing an average of low 20's and gusts to 30 I got my first taste of the Answer 12 meter by Caution on Friday. At first impressions of flying it static it I seemed to be perfectly matched for the conditions of this kite and is the main reason I got it for above 20's to 30's for my weight.

The kite is well constructed and has a solid frame. I pumped hard for maximum stiffness and kite response. The bridal is very simple as well as the attachement points. No problems or complaints there. The bar and swivel c-loop is a simple and effective for the kite. I thought it was a little small for a twelve but after flight and turning speed of this kite felt fine but definitely faster than a Crossbow. The reach to the bar meaning at full depower is very much the same as a C-kite standard bar set-up and I wear a seat harness most of the time but for this test used my seat harness. I was able to reach the depower/power adjustment with no problems. It was perfect for my taste and arm length which is about 60cm from my armpit to the center of my palm. The grip on the bar was fine for my hands.

First Launch: This kite climbs faster than a Crossbow, Turbo Diesel and is about the same as a GK Sonic 11m. The depowering in comparison to the Cross bow is roughly about 85% right from the factory setting. I was able to get the full depower by untieing a knot off the outside leader lines for the back lines and bringing the main flight lines down closer to me a knot setting. So basically this kite can be fine tuned to the rider's preferences and is a major benefit to the rider. The factory setting was perfect for my taste since I usually want a little more power for my weight but you have the option to fine tune it to your preferences.

Bar pressure is the main thing. Well it is significantly lighter than a Crossbow or pulley bar. The turning of this kite is faster and I had no complaints of any extra strain on my arms. It was a pleasant surprise.
Turning the kite felt very easy and it responded very much like a C-kite. Jumping in the air was also like a C-kite feel as opposed to a Crossbow where some of you may felt there was a timing issue but not with the Answer. I felt very at ease and this kite does have power and airtime even for a heavy fellow like me. I was making nice floaty jumps and was able to throw in a few spins before I landed. Nice!

Relaunch is about as easy as I expected for an experienced kiter. It was simple for me but may be a different experience for a beginner but none-the-less easier than a c-kite. In the major gusts the kite was solid in form and I was able to depower the kite. No jellyfishing at all. The guys that were riding c-kites said the conditions were gusty as hell. I didn't notice. I let a few other people try the kite out and they loved it's smooth power delivery and feel. A guy who tested just about every bow kite said it was the best he's used so far.

What I've tried for bows so far where the Crossbow, GK-Sonic, Ocean Rodeo-One, Best-Waroo and Switchblade. This felt the best for my needs.

Hope that helps in your decision but I am very happy with mine and will be placing my order for a 16 Answer today.

Daud

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