Airush Flow FAQ
What type of rider is the Flow aimed at?
We developed the Flow to cover a broad range of riders from entry level
Freeride to advance freestyle and wave riding. The focus was on reliable
performance and ease of use. First time riders should consider the DNA
while more advanced freestyle riders might consider one of our C-Kites
or the Halo for maximum hang time.
Why do you call the Flow a Hybrid/SLE, isn’t the Flow a BOW kite?:
Technically the Flow is not a BOW kite, in order for a kite to be a true bow
kite, the trailing edge needs to be concave and be curved enough that it
runs over a vertical line drawn from the two rear attachment points,
which does not occur in all Flow sizes. Secondly true bow kites have 2:1
pulley on the bar, which the Flow does not feature. Typically BOW kites
should fall within the original patent which covers these two points so we
decided to go with the term SLE or Hybrid.
What is the difference between the Flow (SLE/Hybrid) and the Halo (BOW)?
· The Flow is lighter on the bar and the steering on the flow is
more direct with more feel – This is due to the reason that the wingtips of
the flow are less swept back, this allows us to use less struts, moves the
center of effort further forward. Most importantly this allows an increased
depower range for the same given bar movement, therefore we could
avoid the 2:1 pulley configuration on the bar.
· The flow offers increased stability over the Halo - As flow has
a slightly deeper foil with the center of effort further forward. In addition
the canopy curve is not as flat as the Halo. This does have an effect on
low wind performance and glide rate when jumping.
Why does the flow have such a long depower?
With the development of bar release safety the traditional role of the
depower range of the kite has changed. The lower part of the depower
line (closest to the rider) can be viewed as “useable depower”, while the
upper part can be view as “bar release safety travel”
Why is traditional strap replaced by a cleat on the trigger release?
The role of the depower strap has changed, traditionally riders using C-
Kites would use the strap for micro adjustments while kiting. Due to the
extended Depower range of the Flow bar system and the increased
effectiveness of the depower function, it is seen more as a one off setting
to find the sweet spot of the kite in given wind conditions. In the end this
allowed us to offer a significantly simpler configuration.
Why are there no Pulleys on the bar?
The Flow does not have outside bar pulleys this gives a more direct “C-
Kite” feel to the steering and bar feedback. More info on this is covered in
the question “What is the difference between the Flow (SLE/Hybrid) and
the Halo (BOW)”
Is the Flow Suitable for unhooked riding?
Yes, Most definitely one of the original parameters of the design was to
make the Flow as versatile as possible for all styles of riding. One great
outcome of the new design was the unhooked performance.
What is the performance differences between the Flow, a C-kite and a 5th line “BOW” kite?:
The focus on the Flow is safety, simplicity and all round performance.
From our perspective bridles give the highest level of what we term “Bar
Release Safety” as the pivot point on the kite can be higher up the
leading edge through the use of bridles. A 5th line bow kite falls
somewhere in between a standard c Kite and a bridled SLE or BOW
design (see Below for an explanation on these). We still offer 5th line C-
Kites for the performance-oriented rider who is not as safety focused.
Could you convert the Flow to a 5th line style kite without the bridles?:
Technically you could set the Flow up in the 5th line configuration with a
very limited bridle or even no bridle. However during our design process
the kite was optimized to run with bridles. We felt that for the target
customer they would be looking at safety and simplicity, and knowing that
the kite was always running in its optimum configuration.
How do you Relaunch the Flows?:
Should you have a sufficient amount of wind in the canopy the Flows are
best relaunched by NOT swimming towards the kite and waiting for the
kite to roll along their LE and relaunch. In light wind condition you can
also launch the flows in a traditional C-Kite method, by swimming towards
the kite and allowing it to move to the side of the window on its back.
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