Power Kite Forum

Is a Symphony 2.2 a reasonable first kite that travels well?

nickbuol - 16-4-2010 at 01:20 PM

Hello everyone. First post here.

I have an opportunity to get a Symphony 2.2 for a really good price, but I am wondering if it is a smart choice for what I want to do.

I am not some 130 pound 19 year old stunt junkie (although I used to be), and I don't think that I will ever do any kite surfing, carting, etc. I am just looking for something a little different than a "fixed wing" delta type stunt kite.

One thing that really interests me in the foil kites is that they can pack down so small and travel so well. I want to get something that I can take with me on some of my business trips to LA, Florida, North Carolina, etc where I can hit a beach in the evening and do some kiting.

Will a 2.2 be good for that? The trick is good size yet still something I can cram into my suitcase.

If I like it as much as I think that I will, I will look into getting something bigger for when I am at home since I won't have to pack it up.

I was reading here that some people look at 4m Beamers and such for good beginner kites for a 6'1" 250lbs guy, but again, I am looking for something to travel with.

Thanks!

BeamerBob - 16-4-2010 at 01:37 PM

I flew a symphony in about that size for 5-6 years before getting a Beamer III 3m. It packs down tight with no spars and you can be flying in minutes. Not the control of a 4 line kite but quite a lot of fun for the small package you can always fit in the suitcase.

nickbuol - 16-4-2010 at 01:48 PM

Yeah, the guy that is getting me a deal only is making a wholesale purchase from HQ to refresh his stock for his side-business, and owes me a favor, so he offered this one up as a free gift to me. He does sell other brands as well, but thought that this might fit the bill for what I want to do. I just wanted a second opinion. Thanks!

powerkiter82 - 16-4-2010 at 06:22 PM

The Symphony kites are nice, but stay away from the Symphony Beach, they have very cheaply made bridles. The other kites in the symphony series are decent kites, though. They will all be great kites for traveling.

cheezycheese - 16-4-2010 at 06:25 PM

great kite, it wont be your last..... :spin:

bobalooie57 - 16-4-2010 at 06:30 PM

When you get the feel for the wind with the symphony, and the bug(addiction,mania,whateveryoucallit), the 4M will be a good choice!:yes:

arkay - 16-4-2010 at 06:35 PM

agree completely. It'll get you started and get you a feel. you'll eventually want another kite, but you'll keep this one forever as it's fun to play around with and use to teach others!

BigMikesKites - 16-4-2010 at 08:22 PM

It is perfect for what you are wanting to use it for. It will be easy to trasport and quick to set up.

nickbuol - 16-4-2010 at 08:34 PM

Sounds like the Symphony 2.2 will work out pretty good for me. So I should look into if he will "upgrade" from the Symphony Beach 1.3 to maybe the Symphony 1.2 for my kids? They probably won't fly too much, so I was just going for something really small and portable for the most part.

Txshooter38 - 17-4-2010 at 08:06 AM

I just bought a 1.3 VIBE from BigMike and it is real blast to fly. It may also be an option for you. Very small package.

BigMikesKites - 17-4-2010 at 04:14 PM

The symphony beach 1.3 flies....crummy. The 1.7 is fine, but not the 1.3

The PL Vibe 1.3 is an absolute HOOT especially in high winds. Even in light winds it is much much better than the symphony. I prefer the PL Vibe over any of the symphony kites. Unless you want all the colors that make the symphony attractive. Also the bag is better on the symphony.

tobytobsen - 19-4-2010 at 12:10 AM

I just bought a 1.5m Elliot Magma for my wife - its a 4 liner with handles, got it for 80€ - great kite!

Good quality. can be packed small. Might be better, because itsa a 4-liner.

Oh, and with 12knots i was able to slowly roll on my landboard on cobblestone with very aggressive flying. A lto of fun, bc its so fast. (i'm 220#)

nickbuol - 17-5-2010 at 09:09 PM

Finally got the kites out this past weekend after what seems like months of rainy weather.

The kids started with the Beach 1.3's and were having fun. The wind was fairly light, so they didn't always want to stay aloft, and they were a bit "squirrelly". Really, to me they just seemed really "responsive."

Then, after about 45 minutes, we got out the Symphony 2.2. WOW, what a nice flying kite. As the small Beaches struggled with the low wind, I was getting some pull on the 2.2... It was a lot more stable and controllable. My youngest daughter (11 yrs old and weighing next to nothing) was really pretty good with the Beach 1.3 and wanted to try the 2.2. She did great with it too. She kept wanting to jump, and I had to tell her not to try. Too many "face plant" videos on YouTube for a newbie kid to try it. I think that I may have just "lost" my 2.2 to my daughter.

I think that we will keep taking them out a few more times before looking seriously at the next step. She would be good with the 2.2 and I could jump to a 4 meter or something.

What a blast though...

silvereaglekiter - 18-5-2010 at 04:59 AM

:lol: yep your hooked welcome to the wonderful world of Power Kites :D ;)

bassboi - 18-5-2010 at 06:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by arkay
you'll eventually want another kite,!


i think he already wants another kite, lol

nocando - 19-5-2010 at 03:59 AM

is lots of fun looking, you will enjoy your next steps

and that is which one will I buy:dunno:

nickbuol - 19-5-2010 at 11:01 PM

I'm really leaning towards a Beamer IV 5m. I don't have a lot of really open space to buggy, or easy access to water to wind surf, or any of that, plus I can surf, snowboard, or skateboard anyway.... Adding a kite to that mix would just be stupid. LOL

So I think that the 5m Beamer IV will be good. Not sure if I would ever really use anything bigger on any sort of regular basis.

teelzy - 19-5-2010 at 11:10 PM

I am new to the kite scene as well. I started my flying with a Prism Snapshot 1.9 That was a great starting kite for me. I had a blast figuring out how to control the kite in all kinds of different winds. You end up paying more for a Prism generally but the kites are very good quality. My Snapshot has been drilled into the ground and caught in a few trees by a number of people (I'll never know why people tend to drift towards the closest obstacle). Even after being beaten up fairly well it still looks and flies great. It still has it's bright colors and not even a single tear or pinhole.

Seeing as you are flying with your kids, the bright colors and ability to withstand a walloping may be beneficial :) Everyone crashes their kite sometimes! You may need to take your family to therapy in the future as kiting can become quite the exciting and enjoyable addiction. It's great to hear that you are getting to enjoy it alongside your kids. Have fun!:wee:

Also, have you ever flown a 4-line kite before?

nickbuol - 19-5-2010 at 11:25 PM

It would be my first 4-line kite. I was told that it is better to go from a 2-line to a 4-line sooner rather than later. Not sure if that is because you can develop "bad habits" of some sort or what. With the 2-lines able to pack small for a trip on a plane, they will still get some good use for quite a while.

teelzy - 19-5-2010 at 11:47 PM

From what I found, you fly the 2 and 4 line kites completely differently. With a 2 line it is a simple pull and extend to turn. With a 4 line it is tilting your handles to apply more tension to the individual lines that you want to use. Some of my friends have had some trouble adjusting to tilting rather than pulling the entire handle back without paying attention to the angle that they are holding the handle.

As long as you remember that it is going to be something different you should be okay :) Go out prepared to have the kite do some loops until you get the hang of controlling it. 2 liners are great for figuring out the wind window and such, but the turning and how you get power change when you add the other 2 lines. When I fly my Snapshot now I always enjoy the extremely simple turning but find myself wishing I could use the non existent brakes.

The others on here will be able to help you more with finding a good size but I'm going to guess that for the most part they will try to talk you down a little bit in size. However, depending on your size, the characteristics of the wind in the area, and how comfortable you feel, things can change. Have fun!

nocando - 20-5-2010 at 12:36 AM

Hey Nickbuol go and scope this site out there is heaps of great information on handling both 2 and 4 line kites plus a mile of other info.

www.coastalwindsports.com


:wee:

nickbuol - 20-5-2010 at 05:21 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by teelzy

The others on here will be able to help you more with finding a good size but I'm going to guess that for the most part they will try to talk you down a little bit in size.


Yeah, I think that I will start a new thread about selecting my second kite since a lot of the other posts here are about people getting into something that combines a kite and a mode of transportation.

I'm not a small guy by any means. 6'2" and 245 lbs, but if people tell me than a 5m kite like the Beamer IV is going to be more for people that want to start moving with a buggy, board, etc, then I am sure that I'd be happy with a 4m. I just didn't want to get into a 4m and feel like something was still "lacking"...

powerkiter82 - 20-5-2010 at 07:47 AM

Most people move up a size or two whenever they get their next kite, which is fine if you take into consideration the different aspects of powerkiting. Body size is only 1 part to consider though, for example I weigh right around 290 lbs and even a 2 or 3m kite can give me a good work out or an @$$ whoopin in the right winds. Another part to consider is are you planning on only static flight or using a buggy, landboard, etc? As a larger flyer you may be able to handle a larger kite for static flight than most others would be able to, however it is a fine line to think about. You may have more weight than the other guy, but using a buggy or land board, the lighter guy can use up some of the energy from a larger kite just as well. It's not that people are trying to talk you down a size to keep you from getting the larger kite, it's the fact that everyone on here looks out for one another. Powerkiting is a lot like bicycle riding, you have to start with training wheels and advance as your abilities increase. For example you would not let a young kid who has never ridden get on a fully equipped mountain bike and turn them loose. Even at my larger size I am still limited on the winds that I can static fly my 5m and 8m in. If all you ever do is static flying than a kite from 2 to 5m is all you will ever need. If you go any bigger the amount of flying time that it will see is going to be limited even more. I myself only recently got into landboarding and buggying, but before that I static flew for about 3-4 years and all I ever had were kites smaller than 5m. Hopefully this will help you a little.

nickbuol - 20-5-2010 at 03:43 PM

Thanks for the tips. I was looking at average winds here in Iowa, and then realized that it really doesn't mean squat. I mean, it was barely breezy earlier today, but some weather has blown in and the winds picked up quite a bit this afternoon.

Another example is that this past weekend it was pretty much no wind (maybe 2-3 MPH) at our house, but we drove a couple of miles away to a park next to an elementary school and there was about 4-6 MPH more wind there.

I'm thinking that on light breeze days, the bigger kite will be fun, and if it gets too windy, I can pull out one of the smaller ones. I'm just not sure if, as someone put it today, my quiver of kites will include a 4m or a 5m next.