u/Ok_Wonder_8600

Hey everyone,
I’m currently looking to pull the trigger on a 15m lightwind kite and have narrowed it down to two options that sit at a very similar price point. I just need a kite that stays in the air in marginal wind and provides a smooth, direct feel without stalling. I'm quite focused on structural integrity and material fatigue, which brings me to my dilemma.
The first option is a 2021 Duotone Juice D/LAB. Since it uses Aluula, the extreme stiffness, direct feedback, and ridiculous light wind capabilities are exactly what I'm looking for. However, it suffers from the classic early-generation crazing and delamination on the leading edge, meaning the gold coating is cracking. The white structural woven layer underneath is apparently 100% intact, it holds pressure perfectly, and there are no tears in the canopy, but visually it looks heavily used. It is also being sold privately with no warranty.
The second option is a 2025 Harlem Thrive. On the plus side, it's a 2025 model in pristine condition with absolutely no visible damage, and the seller includes a 1-year warranty. The downside is that it uses a standard Dacron frame. To keep the weight competitive for lightwind, I know these kites often use extremely thin TPU bladders, so I'm slightly worried about long-term durability and the dreaded pinhole risk from sand or packing.
Which one would you go for? Does the pure aerodynamic performance of a visually beaten-up D/LAB outweigh the peace of mind (and 1-year warranty) of a practically new 2025 Thrive? Any long-term experiences regarding the Thrive's thin bladders or the structural reality of peeling Aluula would be hugely appreciated! Thanks!

I need a new harness. Do you have any recommendations for a harness around 250€?
So far I found the Ride Engine Contour V2 with the Unity Kite Mega Spreader Bar. What do you think about this setup?

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share the current state of a massive project my university friends and I are currently pushing through: We are building a fully functional, 3D-printed 5'4" "Fish" shape directional kiteboard!

The base design is from this awesome project on Thingiverse: 🔗 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7150205

To make it fully ready for the unique forces and conditions of kitesurfing, I slightly modified the original files in CAD:

• The Tail/Fin Upgrade: Standard fish shapes are twin-fins. To handle the massive cross-load while edging against the wind, I reinforced two of the tail segments to feature an 18mm solid PETG block. This allows us to drill straight through and mount a rock-solid, M6-threaded 3-fin (Thruster) setup.
• Internal Pressure Equalization: Since the board is split into different airtight compartments, I added internal ventilation holes in CAD between all segments. This ensures that the entire 5% Gyroid core can "breathe" through a single GORE pressure relief valve on deck, preventing the board from delaminating or bloating in the hot summer sun.
• The Backbone: The board consists of 4 longitudinal segments on stoß. This allows us to laminate three heavy-weight carbon fiber layers vertically directly into the seams during assembly, acting as massive internal I-beams.

The core is currently being printed on a 4-Bambu-printer taskforce using Sunlu PETG. The total core weight will land at a sharp 2.3 kg. The print quality of the segments is looking absolutely mental so far (see attached picture)! We are finishing the right side and upper left parts this weekend, then the big laminating marathon begins (starting with a tight 50g/m² contact layer to prevent pinholes, building up to a bulletproof 390g/m² armor on deck).

Let me know if you have any questions about our slicing profiles, the structural carbon integration, or the upcoming epoxy glassing!

Cheers!

https://preview.redd.it/lplzlqk1skbh1.jpg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d18ac7c3616371aa6f152da966ac9e8f7029129

https://preview.redd.it/9lr7sqk1skbh1.jpg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=45491a4370d4fad008fe44dbb088adb7329ead65

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share the current state of a massive project my university friends and I are currently pushing through: We are building a fully functional, 3D-printed 5'4" "Fish" shape directional kiteboard!

The base design is from this awesome project on Thingiverse: 🔗 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7150205

To make it fully ready for the unique forces and conditions of kitesurfing, I slightly modified the original files in CAD:

• The Tail/Fin Upgrade: Standard fish shapes are twin-fins. To handle the massive cross-load while edging against the wind, I reinforced two of the tail segments to feature an 18mm solid PETG block. This allows us to drill straight through and mount a rock-solid, M6-threaded 3-fin (Thruster) setup.
• Internal Pressure Equalization: Since the board is split into different airtight compartments, I added internal ventilation holes in CAD between all segments. This ensures that the entire 5% Gyroid core can "breathe" through a single GORE pressure relief valve on deck, preventing the board from delaminating or bloating in the hot summer sun.
• The Backbone: The board consists of 4 longitudinal segments on stoß. This allows us to laminate three heavy-weight carbon fiber layers vertically directly into the seams during assembly, acting as massive internal I-beams.

The core is currently being printed on a 4-Bambu-printer taskforce using Sunlu PETG. The total core weight will land at a sharp 2.3 kg. The print quality of the segments is looking absolutely mental so far (see attached picture)! We are finishing the right side and upper left parts this weekend, then the big laminating marathon begins (starting with a tight 50g/m² contact layer to prevent pinholes, building up to a bulletproof 390g/m² armor on deck).

Let me know if you have any questions about our slicing profiles, the structural carbon integration, or the upcoming epoxy glassing!

Cheers!

https://preview.redd.it/xgb0e8l3rkbh1.jpg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e24513054308e7fdb465550c40ce5fa4d0734f9a

https://preview.redd.it/17hzy9l3rkbh1.jpg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f606a1dd60052ae4d8aab0f4e38a6d78301e9559