SLINGSHOT KEY KITE REVIEW

We have had the Slingshot Key kites in the shop for just under a year and to be honest were told they were beginner kites so have never bothered with them. We have been looking for a cheaper kite for our shop to complete our range when I figured it was time to actually fly the Key kite as it is a cheap kite at under £800 for a complete 13 m set up to see what it is actually like! It was at first marketed as a perfect beginner kite as all the other Slingshot kites in the range were no good for learners at all. Over the last year the marketing has changed pushing the fact it is just a safe hybrid delta kite suitable for free riding and waves.

Today was the day for the first flight with the 13m straight from the bag. No frills, the bar was very simple but had all the important bits like quick release brain, central safety system and usual quality bar and lines. No swivel at all! It makes a change from trying bars with swivels that don’t actually work anyway! It is not aimed as a freestyle kite so there was no need for a swivel…I would have to remember to back roll and loop even amounts…Me remember..Downer already! Slingshot standard below the bar de power system, I have never been a fan of this but it works.
The kite looked nice and as you would expect from Slingshot was well made. It looks like the same quality materials and once pumped she was ready to go.

Very easy self launch with the kite going straight off the beach and it felt quite solid in the air. The kite turned reasonably quickly, no way near as fast as the Rally or Airush one but a lot quicker than most. It was fast enough to keep up with me, that’s what counts! Now the fun bit…I love new kites, it’s the not knowing if it will make or hinder your session!

Board on feet dip the kite and off! Jumped the first wave, not the best jumping kite I have used for height but stable floaty jumps and with a good redirect over the head the kite produced a very soft landing. Once I dialled into the kite I was getting better height but it was the floatyness of the jumps that stuck in my mind. Unhooked and it back stalled straight away, you have to trim the kite more than the Rally. Once trimmed and unhooked it flew really well, better than I thought it would. Sat in a nice place in the window and the chicken loop was so big on the bar it was very easy to hook in and out. So far it was what I would expect from a good delta kite.

Out back next on my twin tip. Surf was 4-5 feet with some one and a half overhead faces to be played on. A bit nervous at first as I hate kites that aid the surf trying to pummel me and give me a good spanking! What an absolute pleasure. No a real absolute pleasure. Going down the faces and playing on them, off the lip and wherever I wanted to go…No problems. The kite was there. Head towards the kite and it would slowly turns towards the water once the lines were slack but it didn’t fall from the sky, you get plenty of warning and the kite goes straight back once the tension is back on the lines. It doesn’t pull you off the wave faces and if you push the bar out the kite just follows you until you need it. I was impressed, in fact by this time my smile was starting to appear!

It was okay with the freestyle and did everything asked of it. It isn’t a C kite so it was wrong of me to expect it to handle like one but it didn’t let itself down. The surf it excelled in, really excelled in. I was truly happy with its performance in the surf never letting me down once. I had a magic time weaving up and down the walls of water and the kite was just there if I needed it. Fantastic.

It was quite gusty today, 10-18 mph winds and the kite handled it really well. You could absorb the gusts with the power bar without the need for depowering the kite. I flew for a while de powered to see if it made a difference to the performance of the kite…Not a bit!

Would I use this kite again? You bet!
To sum it up I would say okay for freestyle but outstanding in the waves. A good free ride kite as it feels very safe and sturdy but also absorbs the gusts well. I had a fantastic day on the kite and will be using it again tomorrow. It is one of those kites that if you have had a few near misses with other kites this one will help to get your confidence back again. It is a kite you can trust in and would be a fantastic first kite that you would never grow out of.
Would I use it instead of the Rally? Probably not as the Rally is faster and much better for freestyle, the Rally matches my riding style better but I will be taking this one out when the surf is good.
 
Is it value for money? You show me where else you can get a kite for under £800 that would make me smile as much as this one did. I am writing this with those good aches and pains from a classic session still grinning to myself…Cool kite!

As can be seen above, the wind range of the Slingshot Key is very good. They only produce three kites in this range but you can get away with only a two kite quiver if required.
The Key kite due to its Delta shape can really handle the gusts too!

We only sell kites we have in stock so you get them quickly and we gain a spanking reputation! Follow the links below for our kite wall- This is photos of the kites we have in stock so you know exactly what you are buying.