Setting up: The kite feels lighter out of the bag, (crazy bright orange bag btw) more efficient use of dacron and some of the tapers seem thinner. Theres 3 attachments for steering tune, we left it on middle out of the bag, likewise we did not touch the bar settings either main depower or underfloat knots. The bar is further streamlined with a snazzy moulded F-one part at the top of the depower loop, and the 1' line connecting that to the lower center flying line has no knots, so it looks and feels much cleaner and less prone to hookups. Neon Bumper strips stand out nicely. Self launch needed to be back a bit in the window due to kite being so light it will otherwise slide, and once in the air the kite was tuned perfect straight out of the bag!!
1st flight: It was super light and onshore so very testing conditions but the B9 proved to have awesome speed and acceleration so it got going surprisingly early. It is very light on the bar but by depowering slightly we avoided the typical oversheeting of light bar pressure with light wind. What was really noticeable was the kite floating really well without any sign of hindenberg whenever a wave took us with the wind. Exceptional response and precision. Very refined flight characteristics. We absolutely found the B9 an improvement over older models.
November Ongoing: Its true what F-one say, whatever discipline or style we all seek the same from our kites, more range, more responsive feedback, more stability and more durability. And of course more kudos.. So it is with the Bandit, Surfing, freestyle, simplicity, presentation, everything is awesome. And all from the ONE kite. Try it, you will be amazed.
Summary: This kite is without a doubt the kite of choice for those in the know. 9 years of consistent committed focus on ultimate versatility and performance. And the superb quality of materials and construction are icing on the cake. Don't settle for anything else!
Here is a review from shop owner and competitive kitesurfer Scott from SA.
I had the chance to finally put my new 9m Bandit 2016 to the test, and I really thought they couldn't get much better than last year. No flutter , awesome solid hangtime bringing you back down to the water softly and even throwing loops when you wouldn't think you could. Unhooking this year seemed to me a lot easier as the kite just sits perfect and stays in its forward direction so passing the bar became easy. Absolutely no back stall even in it's lower wind range which was a lot lower than I thought due to the Bandits efficiency through the sky. I frothed even more in the waves where I could forget about the kite a lot more , it drifted perfect and didn't once look like dropping out the sky when I thought it would in certain situations. In the cross off shore conditions other kites were showing the gusty conditions but the solid build of the Bandit never once pulled me off the wave. Year after year F-one surprise me and this year my stoke for this brand continues , it surely shows that bringing out the bandit 9 years ago was the best decision they could have ever made...9 years of amazing evolution. Have been riding F-one for 15 years and tried the rest but sticking to the best !! Easto - Xtreme Kites & Paddle .
With Regards
Scott Easton
Xtreme Kites & Paddle
xtremekitepaddle.com.au
0402842944
To be updated as reports come in. Please send yours to email@f-oneaustralia.com
9-Sep-15 1:11PM
