ok here it is first thoughts on the ''sabre'' open the bag [nice bag] great construction my first thoughts were fu... bridles all over but once set up they seem to be ok but pack them up nice or tangle heaven.

the wind was only 4/5 knots gusting 9knots the sabre shoots up so smooth and with ease.

it sat at 12 great but as it was low wind it did want to over fly a little but for 4/5 knots the sabre still sat up there . as the slight gusts arrived it pulled quite nice as this wind was still only 4/6 knots but gusty at times. to get it back in the air after crashing' it was a breeze .so easy and to land it also ' :wink: but you do have to secure it to the ground from the landing line with some stick or something flexifoil should have suplied something that was retractable and safe to cary my only problem was this .

over all the sabre to me after first flight in low winds would be it is not for the learner more towards int /adv flexifoil have done a great job here and i look foward to flying it in more wind. / cheers kiter/ paul

ill come check it out on a high wind day and watch you BOOSTING it up. that kite has got insane lift!!i watched a video of a kiteskier flying one and he jumped off the top of the mountain and paraglided all the way down!!
well good luck with the new kite.
later
Southie

hi there' i dont think you would be jumping off to many mountains with a 7m and as the sabre are said to be one of the most user friendly foils around if this foil has so much lift and a unsafe ride TIM'' AT KITESPORTS will have some quick talking to do . i guess you are only going on what videos you see and have not had a fly of a sabre . :roll:

It is a user friendly kite.it was designed to be stable but powerful and that exactly what they achieved but when used right it can be a jumping machine.ive flown the ozone frenzy which is very much the same and it was awesome but once the wind gets to strong the upward pull of the kite gets pretty scary as found out and ended up with the hugest sand graze up my leg.

later

I think you are both right...

The Sabre has a reputation of being a very stable, manageable and capable kite, and I am sure that one day it will give the Ozone Frenzy a run for it's money..... :wink:

But like any kite, in the right hands and in the right conditions you would be surprised how much power and lift it will generate, as I am sure many of us know from experience.

A depower kite will not instantly make you a better flyer. Remember the kite is just a tool, it's your experience with that kite and how well you use it that determins the results.

Well said. There's nothing like just getting out & flying your kite, whatever it is. Paul, the 7m Sabre is perfect for you, now stop talking & get out there flying it! Any new kite is going to be a bit frustrating at one point or another for someone who's new to the sport. The way to get over all the down time/frustration is 'practise'. No one else can fly the kite for you, & they don't flt themselves.

Here's to lots of windy days, so many that your body aches, your heads a buzz & wind blown, & your think'in twice weather you could manage another session tomorrow.

Cheers, Tim 8)

ok ok ok i have used 3 times and only once have i had any kind of real responce out of this kite as it is recomended to be able to fly in low winds eg/ 5/8 knots with out traction i would say with out a second thought BULL SHIT BUT in 12 and up good but as i bought this kite on the idea of flying depower in lower winds when not on the water was my idea but as the sabre only flys in 12 and up this idea is out the window so for when i get back into the water i would say the sabre wind range is the same as a tube kite meaning they will cross each others wind range in turn making the sabre RIP .

so as my main aim is to kite surf water wise i wouldnot be able to use the sabre for light wind days as i thought the flexifoil sight had said so i guess ill have to take this one on the chin :roll:

after 3 flights my responce to this kite is CRAP IN WIND BELOW 12KNOTS

above this great smooth easy to use and gives confidence but in a strange way my radsail 5m has a better ride in the low wind range.

over all at this stage i would say verry low maybe 4 out of 10 but will be testing out in more wind as i know it will be great in 12 and above but as flexi point out able to use in low wind total crap. :shock:

Sounds like a tuning problem to me - any foil should work well in 6-12 knots.

How is the bar setup?

Did you have too much break line tension?

Maybe you need to check with Tim on how to tune the kite for the winds you will be flying it in?

Have you read this review at all:

www.flexifoil.com/products/reviews/Sabre_PowerkiteMag.pdf

Cheers,

DK

Hey Decay

I think part of the problem that Kiter, (Paul) is experiencing is the compromise between the direct power of a fixed bridle kite & adjustable power of a de-power kite.

Having flown an aggressive 5.0m fixed bridle kite in winds from 8-18 knots for a couple of months, Kiter is disappointed that with the somewhat spongy feel of the 7.0m Sabre in low (8-12 knot) wind conditions. I dont really think that this is unexpected, regardless of what Flexifoil say on their website, as there will be some loss of power through the give in the pulleys in the bridle even on full power, making the 7.0m foil feel more like a 5-6m foil.

I agree that any foil kite should fly in 6-12 knots, but Flexifoil themselves dont rate the 7.0m Sabre for traction below 9.6 knots, (11mph). All-in-all, maybe Kiter should have been advised to go for a 9.5m (traction at 8.7 knots) or 11.5m (traction at 7.8 knots) Sabre instead if he wanted that low end grunt for sub 12 knot winds. Its anyones guess what Flexifoil really mean when they say superior light wind performance..?

As for tuning the kite, there certainly looks like there is a lot of slack in the (coloured) flying lines when flying in low winds, whilst the (grey) center/brake line look quite tight. Certainly a demo/lesson from Tim at Kitesports on how to set up and tune a complex de-power would be very useful, and something I would have expected with a $1,300+ kite.

i could not have said it better'' but as for flying in 9 odd knots spig' NO NO NO you have seen it your self it will not do it sure you can more than likely adjust here and there but i would say it is not recomended a bit like spanking a bull on the ass .

Bro,
A depowerable 7m kite of any kind is gonna find it hard to pull you round in sub 10 knots. What you need for this sort of range is a 12m or a 10m.
Just as a guide, The rough wind ranges for my depowerables (Frenzys) as i fly them, are, 12m... 8 to 15knots, 10m.... 15 to 25 knots 7m ...25 to 35 knots , 5m.... 35 -50knots .
Depowerable kites are alot more wind hungry than a fixed bridle, as has been said, and because of this are not the most powerfull in light wind. Wait till you get the 7m out in 20 plus. Theyre sweet!! Jus had a session yesterday, 38mph gusting 61, fully maxed on a depowered 5m frenzy, Yeehaa!!!

Che

Butch

Cheers Butch, your input & hands-on de-power experience is much appreciated...

And of course anyone that goes out when it's gusting 61 mph (or 53 knots), gets my respect...!!

hi butch'' i can see now where i have gone wrong i guess i should have been told to buy a bigger size . gusting 61' u bloody mad''

i guess the best thing here is for the dealer to come to the party and try to come up with a sulution both partys are happy with.

Depower is definately the way forward for ease of use and performance for freestyle. I would recommend a 10m Foil, (preferably a Frenzy :wink: ) for your first depower. They cover the best windrange for beginners/intermediate, from bout 12 knots onwards, right on the edge at 25 or so. Lighter than this is a struggle,and when learning, windier than this is crazy. Know your limits and push them a little more every session, soon youll be a legend. My fave kite last year was the 7m. They jump higher and turn faster than all the rest. If ya got big kite balls, take the 7m out in 25 knots, its such a rush bro!!

Ride hard

Che
Butch