Words and photos: Weston Thayer

I got to fly this kite decently in Puerto Rico. I flew it in a variety of conditions (super-light & raining, super-gusty & raining, 18 knots and sunny), including flat water & waves.

The Package

It comes in a tough red and white bag made out of thick nylon. The bag is expandable to store it with the struts still inflated. The bag has straps for the pump on the bottom, a place for the pump tube in the top pouch, and a strap for the bar. Very nicely thought out. Its very sturdily sewn. I don’t fear for it ripping and its comfortable on my back. Also plenty big for the kite.

The Kite
The HiFi is marketed as LF’s answer to a wakestyle c-shape. It’s 5 line, 5 strut, and one-pump. The LEI is made of very thick fabric, looks to be very scratch resistant. It’s definitely surf tough. I downed it and had to swim in several times in an overhead shore break without any damage or air leaks. All the lines connect straight to the kite, with the exception of the 5th line, which connects to a central bridal.

High-res @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/8263226@N08/4286421786/sizes/l/
& http://www.flickr.com/photos/8263226@N08/4285678375/sizes/l/

It’s easiest to see the bridal in the above image. It’s not very big, and is focused towards the center of the kite. Not long enough to tangle around a wingtip.

The kite flies like a c. Lot’s of grunt, and a very “direct” feel. Coming with the c-shape standard is:
- better pop
- loops on a wingtip, not a point in space
- worse depower
- harder relaunch
One thing this kite does exceptionally well for a c is depower. The bar has considerable throw, although I highly recommend pulling the stopper ball in as close as comfortable. When I was riding on the gusty & rainy day, I really got to use the depower. The kite is not meant to fly well depowered, just to save you from getting sucked downwind when a gust does hit. It did this very well. Sheeting out puts most tension on the 5th line and two front lines, allowing the gust to pass the kite without powering it. I think this is going to be a huge plus to have a Terrapin.

The looping was very nice as well. Since it’s the 13m, I wasn’t able to try any high loops, but I did some F-15’s and looped while riding frequently. It has a very consistent pull throughout the loop, and doesn’t power up again until it has finished the loop. It turns exactly on it’s wingtips. This was a welcome change when landing jumps, and you can land with the kite heading towards the water and save it without a huge power stroke. It’s hard to explain, but landing jumps powered or in a down loop was much more comfortable.

It’s pop is also perfect. Raileys were so comfortable. Just a lot better pop comes with the c-shape. I can’t wait to use it in a slick.

Also, the relaunch was pretty standard for a c-shape. In light wind, you gotta use the 5th to roll it onto it’s belly. This was very easy. I did it when there was barely enough wind to fly very quickly (considering it was in a wave break). In heavier wind, just pull on a steering line and it’ll come around.

One noticeable con that comes with the kite is its tendency to hindenburg in light wind (14 - 16 knots). If you’re on the beach with the kite in light wind, keep it moving to avoid this. Sitting down quickly or running a few steps downwind is plenty to make the kite drop out of the sky. This must also be considered in waves. If a wave pushes you towards the kite in light wind, it will drop, extremely undesirable in the break. I coped with this by just teaching myself to keep it moving. I made sure to not leave it directly overhead while standing on the beach, and in waves I would loop or steer when one was pulling me. This fixed the problem, and the only time it happened from then on was when I would majorly screw up in the shorebreak.

The Bar

In a nutshell — I’ve got no complaints. It wraps up nicely, as two elastic bands that hide in the floats come out to hold the line on. Simple kook-proof connection system. Depower at the chicken-loop. Easy disconnect. 5th line at the chicken loop too. Never had any problems with it.

That’s about it. I liked it very much. I like the fast turning, because I don’t like parking the kite when I’m riding. I’m almost constantly pumping, even in heavy wind. Personal preference. F-15’s pulled in all the right spots, bar pressure is there, but not super-heavy like the old c’s.

In short- it’s everything I was looking for to push my wakestyle riding.