Review Gaastra Jekyll 2012

Kite

High performance 5 strut SLE kite

Designers goals

For five years now, our kite designer Urs and his team have been working on the Jekyll, The impressive result gives speed, power and performance in a high-end kite.
It is not for pro's only but casters to less experienced riders as well. The quick response time combined with direct response to the angular momentum make for a perfect flight companion.

Bar

The new bar system X from Gaastra is designed for precise flight controle and safety. After extensive research and development the whole team tested it for more than a year every day and put every last little tiny detail under the microscope.

features

• auto swivel
• depower adjuster
• compact design
• 4-5 line setup

Windrange Gaastra Jekyll 2012

Gaastra Sneekmovie 2012

Kitetest Gaastra Jekyll 9m 2012

Kite designers goals

For five years now, our kite designer Urs and his team have been working on the Jekyll, The impressive result gives speed, power and performance in a high-end kite.
It is not for pro's only but casters to less experienced riders as well. The quick response time combined with direct response to the angular momentum make for a perfect flight companion.

Test Conditions

Wind: 12/27 knots
Water: flat/chop
Setting: Backline settings standard and setting with shorter backlines (best one)

Detail Photo's

Conclusion

The Gaastra Jekyll is very well balanced kite.  It is suitable as an all round kite for performance riders, but can just as well be used by a starting kitesurfer with ambitions. The Jekyll does not have a lot of boost, this in combination with many other good characteristics makes the Jekyll very suitable as an entry level kite.
But there is more to the Jekyll, we found it to be a good wave kite also.  It is quick, reacts fast, can be totally depowered and drifts very well (downwind float).  In the high end the Jekyll can give you some big air, but with the lift not being very explosive a bit of timing is required from the rider. But once you are up there you can expect a good glide phase.  As said before, the reaction of the kite is good.  This allows you to find the best pressure without losing control, there is feedback everywhere.
Being honest, the only thing that we can think of where the Jekyll could use some improvement is the finish, which is quite simple for a kite with so much potential.