http://switchkites.com/headquarters/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2856
Per previous posts I have been on the Method V1 9m for three years and also have Method V2 7m & 5m. Really loved these kites. I'm 155 lbs and ride a strapped 5'5'' Trespass mostly C St. Ventura area. Style is waves - throwing and following kite through turns and cutbacks. Also like to boost big. I was set to order a new Method V2 9m not knowing they'd been discontinued. I was told the new Element3 was probably the best kite to replace the Method. The term " All Terrain " aka " Do It All " kite made me wary and a bit suspect being the skeptic that I am. I exchanged emails and phone calls w Felix , as well as a good friend in my area that just got the E3 and had been on a Method prior. The feedback I got was very positive so I ordered a 9m E3. It arrived a couple weeks ago - timely as my 9m Method ripped in half after crashing it hard on the water after a botched jump.
Out of the bag it looked great, Orange and Black - My Halloween colors. I could tell the construction was first class. My friends were interested to see how it would perform. I tried the middle setting at wing tip and rode it. Initial impression was good overall but wind was a bit light. I changed next session to end of wing tip to try that. I liked it better - even quicker turning. Bar pressure a bit lighter than 9m Method. Low end power seemed about the same. Conditions that day were again pretty light. Next issue was my center line was getting really frayed so I replaced it. I made a big mistake and did not tune my lines after. It was pretty windy, around 23 mph. E3 was flying really squirrely. Landed it and got all my lines perfect and equal - THIS IS CRITICAL !
After that was done I rode for two hours- In Love. Kite is super responsive and turns like my 7m. Really more controllable , floaty , hang time on big jumps. Kite reacts quickly to accelerate board speed. Wind condition was really steady this day. Came in stoked with the performance I'd just experienced. Others noticed. "Looks like it's working good for ya! " Yup...
Last Saturday we had a cold front pass with strong clearing winds as a result. 15-30 and GUSTY. I wanted to see how the E3 would work in these conditions. I tacked up to where I ride in Carpinteria on clearing winds. There were head high waves to ride but because of wind shadow of cliffs there it can be challenging. Risk of kite dropping from sky increases the closer to beach you are depending on tide. I have rolled the dice many times with my Method there and paid the price of dropping it in the water. The E3 handled gusts super well. Very stable. The clincher was being able to ride waves in pretty close to beach. Where the Method would stall and start to fall , the E3 would stall a bit but did not drop . Super stoked with this trait. I rode for an hour and a half like this. Didn't dump it once. Also, there was no one around to catch my kite as is the case lot's of times. It seems the E3 is easier to self land than my Method was.
So, as I told Felix yesterday, I hereby retract any skepticism , doubt , wariness about going for the new Element 3. So far it has exceeded my expectations and for me , my style, and conditions, truly is an improvement on the Method. It really is an " All Terrain " " Do It All " kite. Props to ya Switch ! And my deep thanks to Felix for taking the time to talk to me about the E3 and allay my fears of " Different not being better." Awesome customer support !
by TonyGring » Sun Oct 05, 2014 8:36 pm
