I'm looking to make the move to depowers, so far I've only got an 11m frenzy (plus a bunch of FBs) I was looking at basically getting a 2 kite depower quiver that will cover me for the majority of the winds. I love my frenzy, and it is good from about 7mph to about 20mph. So I want a kite that is good for ~20 upwards, ideally 35ish.

I've said it before, but if you don't know I'm only buggying at the moment, on beaches. Happy cruising around, but starting to get into freestyle / jumping, so I want a kite that is good and safe for cruising around, and wont constantly lift me when I don't want it to. But as I progress I want the boost/ lift/ pop/ float etc etc that you need for jumping.

I was thinking about a 7m Frenzy. I like my 11m, and a bit of continuity would be nice! However a 8m Gin Eskimo IV has just come onto ebay. The starting price is £200, which isn't low, but I'm assuming as they are a lesser known make It wont go too high.

A few questions,
-Can someone (B-roc, kober ??) give me some more info on the kite ? I've read the Gin write up many times and it sounds good, but if possible I'd like some proper user info.

-Is the Eskimo a good kite for my general needs ? (Cruising + freestyle/jumping).

-How do you think the Eskimo 4 8m will sit along side my 11m frenzy ? I am a bit concerned there will be a bit too much overlap, and I won't be able to get the most out of the high winds with the 8m. Do you reckon this will be the case ? I've seen the theoretical wind range, and that goes up to ~30mph if i remember rightly, which is good, but I'd like a little more than that realistically, as this will be my only kite purchase for the foreseeable future.

Thanks all,
Tim

IMO Eskimos are great for jumping and cruising. You may need to shorten the rear lines about 3 inches to get the most out of the kite or you may not depending upon how the 4 series was set up (you did need to do that on the 3 series and the Yetis). The 4 series had a recall on its safety system. It was a super easy fix that involved a ceramic o-ring and zip tie but it was necessary to make sure the kite released to the 5th line under pressure. You might want to check on that before buying a kite you can't release under heavy load.

How much do you weigh? When I step down from my 10m Eskimo I step down to a 6m Yeti or a 4.5 yeti depending upon how dirty the wind is. There are times when the 6m is not enough and I’d appreciate an 8 and other times when the 4.5 is too much because its not as forgiving as an Access. I weigh 145#s.

Eskimos are more Frenzy like than Yetis. Yetis were a hybrid to kill both the Eskimo and Inuit line so they are more of a cross between a Frenzy and an Access. I can’t remember what they did to the bridle on the 4 series but I do know they changed it from the 3 series and they changed it again with the Yeti. Either way, its going to be more powerful than my 6m and I don’t think I could hold my 6m down in 30+ so an 8m would be out of the question for me.

I do think it will sit nicely below your 11 and likely fly somewhat similar but I do think if you want to enjoy real high wind you are still going to need something like a 5m Apex or 4m Access to step down from the 8. It’s a higher aspect kite so its going to fly to the edge of the window and generate speed and lift you may not want in its upper limit and it will be more punchy than an Access like kite.

I don’t think it’s a bad choice for you I just don’t know if it will cover the entirety of the range you state unless you like flying on the edge.

Here is the bar recall / fix link http://www.ginkites.com/gin-tv/update

The kite on ebay likely has little use as the lines that run through the bar chaff a bit almost instantly and then don't chaff much at all with additional use and those lines still seem very clean in the picture.

Thanks B
I weigh around 200 pounds.

I'll ask the seller about those mods. I'm assuming even if he hasn't done them, and I choose to buy, it will be simple for me to do it ?
It does sound like a nice kite. I do wonder whether it's worth sticking it out for a 7m frenzy though. It would be easier to have kites that I know will behave the same etc. But I've been after one for a while with no luck, and I think this is a nice kite, and will probably go for a good price..

Wind range wise, the smallest (usable) kite I buggy with at the moment is a 3m FB, so I'm not going to loose too much by going to an 8m Depower am I ?

Thanks again,
Tim

How good is that safety mech ? I've not seen one like that before!

And to be fair there is summer coming soon, so I don't reckon there will be many days of really high winds..

The safety system is bullet proof and while it makes the bridle look complicated it works really well.

The 8m should be equivalent to a 3.2 - 4.8 mid to high aspect FB so if you have a 3m to drop down to then you are probably good to go and while I agree its best to fly kites in the same family to assure you are stepping down or up to appropriately sized / performing kites but if this kite goes for a better price than you can acquire a Frenzy for then I don't think you'll be disappointed and I do think it will fit the bill.

Okay thanks What do you reckon is a good price for one ?

And how fast is the kite ?
Sorry for all the questions, I don't know much about Gin kites !

I'm thinking I'll just put in a low bid, and if I don't get it hold out for a frenzy.

Tim

I haven't flown the 4 series but I know it was Gin's intention to speed up each kite and I know the 3 series is faster than the 2 series and the yetis faster than the 3s.

I like slower turning kites and I know some say the 3 series is slower than they like (but not me). The 4 series will be quicker but may be slower or faster than the frenzy which I can't compare it too since I haven't flown a frenzy since 2005.

In good condition, I would think the 8m is worth around $500 USD. I was asking $550 for my 6m.

Cheers ! :D