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New to kiting

shaggs2riches - 4-10-2009 at 09:33 AM

Hi! I'm new to the sport and just ordered my first kite a 6m 2010 ozone access xt. Getting really anxious to get it out for its first fly. Just a few questions though. I weigh 190lbs which brings me towards the top end weight for this kite according to the brochure; so, I was wondering if anyone could give me what to expect when I do get out there and try it. I will be using it on dry ground to get flying skills up to par, then on lakes with a snowboard once the snow flies. Any tips to make things easier in the beginning. I live in Lloydminster sk/ab bout 2.5 hours east of Edmonton. Thanks for your help.

WELDNGOD - 4-10-2009 at 09:55 AM

shaggs, get your insurance up to date. You should have been asking before you bought ,what will probably hurt you.
If you are new to this sport ,that is WAY too much kite. Rookies start w/ 2-3M kites and work up.
See if you can find somebody in your area to help . WEAR SAFETY GEAR!! Do not try this alone,or more than likely, you will be sorry. Have fun ,be safe
WG

shaggs2riches - 4-10-2009 at 10:10 AM

Okay now I'm nervous. I actually talked to two salesmen from two dealers who both recommended this kite to me. I then bought it from the third because of a better deal than the first two. Do you know of any places in my area that I can get lessons from, as this is my first objective from the start?

WELDNGOD - 4-10-2009 at 10:16 AM

shaggs, try
http://forum.kitecrowd.com/index.php
It used to be the flexifoil forum, there are way many more UK/ Euro kiters there. You will find someone close to you , I'm certain of it .

furbowski - 4-10-2009 at 10:24 AM

best thing is to find a local kiter who can guide you along a bit, most are happy to help.

it's not a great kite to start out on, the learning curve will be really steep at first, and the frustration can make things risky.

with a little guidance and the right conditions you could be up and figuring out the wind window in a few minutes, tho.

shaggs2riches - 4-10-2009 at 11:14 AM

Thanks for the advice guys! I just found a place in Edmonton Alberta called Pipeline Surf. They are closed on Sundays though, so I will have to wait till tomorrow. Website looks a little out of date, they still have the same phone number though. Site says they offer lessons year round for $150. Hopefully they can help me out with that, or at least point in the right direction to someone who can help me out. Don't want to hurt myself while trying to learn.

macboy - 4-10-2009 at 11:27 AM

Shaggs, give me a call ANYTIME. 970 0334. You know the area code. I'm in Edmonton and would happily lend you an ear for an hour or twenty. Don't be too scared of the Access (but always, as with any kite respect it). They are super forgiving kites with a top notch safety release that you can pull in a blink and reset really easily as you're learning so don't be afraid to use it. If the winds in Lloyd are anything like ours you'll be fine getting to know your kite. (we rarely get 20km/h winds) You'll find that the Access will become your high wind toy once you fill up your quiver with 12's, 15's and 19's ; )

Kelly

mougl - 4-10-2009 at 11:27 AM

Hi Shaggs!

I did the same thing when I took up this addiction we call a sport. My first kite was a 5.6m twister II. Sounded like a good idea at the time even though I was cautioned against it. Luckily I didn't hurt myself but I can say the kite was a LOT more than I could handle in higher winds. Take it easy with that beast at first! Keep it under 10-12 mph, launch at the edge of the window, and don't be afraid to use those kite killers! Kks were my best friends when I started

I still have to kill it when the winds gust over 20ish. If you have the extra funds, invest in a good 3ish meter like a hornet or a beamer, or even check out the vipers. I have a 2.6m viper that is an absolute blast in higher winds! If not, then just baby steps man! 5m and up can put a serious hurting on beginners

furbowski - 4-10-2009 at 11:52 AM

you have a brand new basic but very solid first depower kite, some of the advice above may be more oriented to fixed bridle kites.

your kite is capable of nearly the same power but will require a bit more wind to get going than a FB of the same size. a kite that size is potentially very risky to fly, common sense is good but quite often not enough to keep folks safe, esp. at first.

macboy's your man. take him seriously. make that call..... :thumbup:

yes if the winds are 15 mph or below the risk is much less, the kite will not fly that well below 10 mph.

WELDNGOD - 4-10-2009 at 12:27 PM

shaggs, sorry I didn't notice you are a canuck. :dunno: Looks like you found the right guy. Macboy will hook you up

shaggs2riches - 4-10-2009 at 12:36 PM

Thanks guys! Wow! I am really anxious to get out there. I definitely will be taking extra caution when first going out. I will keep the wind down to 12mph or less till I get my bearings straight and have full control or the kite in this area. I've heard of guys getting badly hurt and I sure don't want that. The kite is coming with a Dakine Fusion seated harness as part of the package. I don't know if that will help my situation more or hurt more. Before I go out I will be investing in a good helmet and pads. Macboy once I get my kite and have it unpacked I will surely be giving you a call with some questions. The only other question that I have right now is if a wind meter is necessary right off the bat. I have been looking at some; however my wife wants to get me one for Christmas, so if I can wait then I will do so. Also has anyone watched the "How to Snowkite" dvd? Was thinking of getting it, if it proved to be helpful. Once again thanks a lot guys! I feel much better about my purchase and am more aware of how dangerous things may get if I'm not careful with a kite this size.

mougl - 4-10-2009 at 12:46 PM

I probably should had read your original post a bit more carefully *doh* yeah, toss what I said to the side, didn't realize you were going depower lol! My bad :p

shaggs2riches - 4-10-2009 at 01:06 PM

Just in case anyone was wondering. This is the kite package that I ordered. I never did talk to this guy other than e-mail confirmations, I just found his deal to be better than the ones from the other guys that recommended this kite to me.

http://www.kitesnowboarder.com/index.php?page=shop.product_d...

furbowski - 4-10-2009 at 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mougl
Hi Shaggs!

I did the same thing when I took up this addiction we call a sport. My first kite was a 5.6m twister II. Sounded like a good idea at the time even though I was cautioned against it. Luckily I didn't hurt myself but I can say the kite was a LOT more than I could handle in higher winds. Take it easy with that beast at first! Keep it under 10-12 mph, launch at the edge of the window, and don't be afraid to use those kite killers! Kks were my best friends when I started

actually, after chucking the KS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s for the ozone safeties (gotta be nice on a new model) and maybe not worrying about launching at the edge until 15-20 mph or so, the rest of the advice is solid.

:thumbup:

macboy will tell you much more!

PBKiteboarding - 4-10-2009 at 01:22 PM

You'll be fine on it... I'm teaching a Customer/Student in this vid (who had flown his 3m for a while) here 150lbs like myself...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE8hebTbpFk

Just fly it in about 12-15kms to start on land then build up... Always better to fly a smaller kite first either way...
We switch back from the 10m Access to my 11m Frenzy since he needed more power for a while.

I've been flying and selling Ozone for 5 Years... Great Kites... They also have a great manual that comes with new kites. Also the online manual... Read before flying.

Also there is a great DVD Called

How to Snowkite DVD Vol 1 featuring Ozone Kites....

Lessons can be helpful...

Have fun...

heliboy50 - 4-10-2009 at 03:41 PM

Make sure to be familiar with the safety systems and go with the lower end of the spectrum on wind and I think you'll be fine. The harness will allow you to use the de-power function of the kite, without it you will just have full power all the time.

Jellikin - 4-10-2009 at 03:43 PM

Imho i think a wind meter is essential when you first start out and learn the Beaufort Scale too.

macboy - 4-10-2009 at 06:54 PM

If you want to wait on the wind meter start paying attention to Environment Canada and comparing that to how the wind "sounds" and feels. Study the Beaufort scale (should be in your Ozone manual. It's a good "situational" wind reading and uses things like leaves blowing, branches moving etc. Basically though if you are just able to "hear" the wind it's a safe bet to go play. That should be 12-15 km/h.

If your bar setup is that same as my Access you'll have a strap joining the brake lines about 2 or 3 feet from the bar. That's a good "Oh S#!t" handle. It won't completely drop the kite's power and could flip it and make it fly upside down but at least gives you a little bit of a power reduction should things get hairy and you don't think of pulling the top hat safety. Use them all - a lot. I do, routinely to practice, and I think everyone should.

Oh, BTW....the reason the "start small" argument changes a bit for you is because you're flying a depower. Most of us started out on fixed bridles which are significantly more powerful per sq meter than fully sheeted out depowerable kites (in case you were wondering). I weigh 175 (on a good day) and my 10m doesn't start to fight back until the winds go over 30km/h and trust me....where you are at with your development I'm sure commonsense would keep you at home.....heck, even 20-25km/h winds would keep you at home likely.

I look forward to hearing from you. What help I can't provide will be covered by the great group of fliers here - you've come to the BEST place for all things kiting IMO.

Kamikuza - 5-10-2009 at 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by shaggs2riches
I weigh 190lbs which brings me towards the top end weight for this kite according to the brochure ...

The more I think about that, the wronger is seems to me ... like the thinking is that so long as your weight is "in range" then wind speed is irrelevant :shocked2:

If you're on the land only then you need to know the wind ranges of the kites you got and how they feel when you put them up in that X amount of wind. Design kite designs will fudge with how much pull or lift it generates but they'll be about the same ...

Basically IMO the bigger the kite, the smaller the wind range - the wind speed needed to over-power you gets lower and lower as you go up in size ... more sail doesn't really add that much low wind usability ...

furbowski - 5-10-2009 at 03:04 AM

given enough wind your weight will actually add to your risk when flying small kites, their speed of flight in high winds makes them difficult to fly safely, and with your weight the kite will be moving faster by the time you get overpowered.

in other words, your being at the high end of the weight scale for the kite doesn't really do you any favours safety-wise in higher winds.

of course in lower winds you'll be more secure than a lighter guy with the same skills.

Bladerunner - 5-10-2009 at 11:11 AM

A 6m Access isn't too much more powerfull than some advanced 3m fixed bridle kites I have flown. That said, Macboy got spanked pretty good by His 10m 1st time out and he had plenty of fixed bridle experience. Just respect it and you'll be fine.

That was a good kite choice. It will serve you well as a high wind kite as you grow in to it.

ragden - 5-10-2009 at 11:31 AM

That SOUNDS like a lot of kite, but with a depower, it really isnt. Add in your weight, and you are probably fine with that. As noted above, just take it easy and you'll be fine. Get familiar with your safeties and you'll be fine. Macboy will take good care of you.

PBKiteboarding - 5-10-2009 at 02:01 PM

For sure there is a huge difference between fixed foil and an Ozone Access... A depwoer kite is like having 2 kites in one.. More cost but far safer in gusts... I teach on the 4m Access in the higher winds and many kiters end up surprised at the ease of use, forgiving...

Even for myself. I would have to ride underpowered on a fixed foil on a gusty day to be careful...

On the 4m access, I've never had a day I couldn't go out because of high winds... at 150lbs advanced rider so I take it up to 80kph gusts or so.

This shows it's easy... kiting with one hand 30knots. Love those days.... Wouldn't want to be without it....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB6zsUnxvJA

And to the other extreme. I still need a 19m some days...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_tfbCkAApU

Experimenting helps me to teach better and better support, knowledge for customers...
So pushing the gear, see what it does..

So looking forward to snow. Easier than Kiteboarding to learn and more fun for a broader range of People and ages...

shaggs2riches - 5-10-2009 at 06:13 PM

Kay! Now I'm feeling better bout this thing all round. I hope it arrives this week so that I can get out there on the weekend. Either way when I do get it out I will post some videos and pictures (hopefully not of me getting dragged around too much)....lol yeah like I said before I appreciated all the comments and advice. Truly happy that I got on this forum. Definitely seems to be full of experienced fliers who are willing to help a guy out.:D