Nitro V2 Review

Nitro V2 Review by Rando 1994 on Kiteforum.com

http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=2381039

I just got my new Nitro II and wanted to share my thoughts and opinions... 

I am 6'4" tall and weigh 215 lbs. I've been riding 4.5 years and have ridden and owned: Liquid Force Havok 16m and Session 12m , Ocean Rodeo Rise 13m, Flysurfer Speed 3 21m, Latitude 10m, Ozone Zephyr 17m and Edge 15m, Cahrinha Crossbow 18m and 11m. I currently have an Edge 15m, crossbow 11m and my new nitro II 12m. 
I was researching a replacement for my 11m Crossbow and thinking I was going to go to an edge 11m as I like the Ozone performance. But they are almost 2k new. Crazy. I saw a Switch kite at our local spot and looked it up online since I'd never heard of Switch before. Turns out, Switch kites are very highly reviewed and regarded. So after extended research, I pulled the trigger and bought my Nitro 2 12m. Having never ridden one prior.

I saved almost $1k over buying an 11m edge.

The kite arrived in four days from the Hong Kong warehouse. Pretty fast considering. 

Construction quality: Bomber. It's the only way to describe it. The kite is built like a tank and I've seen a lot of kites. Seams are straight, true, and thoroughly stitched. Graphics are subdued and tasteful.
Everything about the bar, lines, and hardware is impressive. No shortcuts were taken anywhere in the build and fitting of the components.
The bag is nice with extra touches to appreciate. 

I could not wait to get to the beach.

I like to ride overpowered. Boosting high and floating long are my goals. When I launched the Nitro 2 it was blowing maybe 17-18mph. A bit light for my weight and riding style, but I had to get the Nitro 2 some water time.

Wow. Pulls like a truck, especially once the kite gets some apparent wind going. Bar pressure is perfect. Light but not too much so. Sheeting effort is easy. Trimming the kite is a simple cleat within easily adjustable reach. Nice.

Kite turns fast for a 12m but feels very, very stable. 

And it looks good up there as you're cruising along.

Then the wind picked up. 19-23mph or so.

Boosting. To the moon. Hangtime. Oh, yes. This kite is perfect. Huge boosts. Nice loft and hangtime. Settles down light as a feather. It was easy to get my timing down and just launch. I'm not sure what the aspect is or whether it's a C / Bow / Delta / Hybrid, but it boosts awesome!
Two hours of riding fully powered up and I have no complaints.

Bottom line: I'm selling my 11m Crossbow and filling in my quiver with Nitros. Amazing kite! Thanks Switch for helping me become a believer.

Rando