Need some advice

First off... Hey guys! Glad to have found a site like this.
I'm newish to power kiting and am ready to get my first "real" power kite. A little background info first.

I'm an avid outdoor enthusiast, particularly rock climbing, but pretty much any extreme sport or anything that gets me outside will do (snowboarding, mountain biking, photography, fighting she bears, etc.). About 3 months ago I shattered my leg into 15 pieces and have been recovering ever since.

I tried buying a PS3 and taking it easy... That lasted about 3.4 hrs before I had to get outside. Pretty sure you all understand that at least to some extent. So in trying to figure out a new outdoor hobby that I could do with minimal mobility but would still serve up a bit of a thrill I remembered the stunt kite my dad bought me years ago. Dug that bad boy out of the closet and shortly was reminded it was in need of repairs (it was my learner kite after all). Ummm... About $600 later I'm now the proud owner of 4 Prism stunt kites, and I love them all :wee:

Bringing this story full circle... My recent landlord in Utah was a sponsored paraglider, base jumper, aerialist by Ozone named Carson. The guy was a stud and just talking to him got me excited about flying. So couple that with my recent re-discovery of stunt/power kites it's time to get serious. Oh yeah... And the cast comes off Thursday.

So it's time for the real deal. I've been flying my symphony 2.2 nearly every day, and other fellow kiters 4 strings up to a 6.something meter, doing the butt scuddles 50 yards across the park providing entertainment for many. I'm sure it's quite humorous to see the guy in a hot pink cast being dragged across the grass. Let them laugh, I'm laughing too! :roll:

I have my decision down to 2 maybe 3 kites and this is where I need your guys' expert help. The options thus far: Ozone Manta M3, Ozone C4, or Slingshot Fuel. All of them in the 8m-10m range. My main issue is the sport. I want to do snow, water, and land so I kind of need an all a rounder. I figure I'll probably be doing snow the most since I currently live in Colorado and will definitely be going back to Utah from time to time.

I know the larger sizes are dangerous if you don't have the kite control or the discipline to keep the kite put away on the wrong days or out of the power zone when it's getting a bit gusty... Errr not to mention the recovering broken leg. I just want to get a kite that I can really be happy with and grow with as I have a tendency to out grow my gear pretty quickly.

Anyway thanks for sticking with me on this not so short post and I hope to get some solid responses. Happy winds guys/gals!

dump the manta if you want an all-rounder. It's an open celled foil kite iirc, and you'll need either a close celled kite or a tube for all environments (read: water). The manta is one of the tops, if not the top, for snow, though.

The C4 and the fuel for sure are tube kites, and OK allrounders, but may not survive the first bit of the learning curve as you begin to ride... You'll go through the crash phase all over again for a bit, and those craches are hard on tubes on land. Also much harder to self-launch / land than foils.

You could add a flysurfer pulse to your list as an all-round machine. It's a close-celled foil, good performance in the lower winds (sub 12-15 mph) in the 10m and up sizes.

Also could add the peter lynn arcs. The older arcs are good in higher winds (15 mph and up) and the auto-zenith helps out a lot as one learns. They're tops for gust resistance as well, a consideration if you are inland. They're among the safer (well, less risky) kites out there as well, could be useful for your recently broken leg.

and buy used if you can... Plenty of solid kites on the market.

And that's as far as i can go....

....wait for the experts, good luck with your choice, and of course no kite purchase is ever the last one...

Awesome thanks for the advice guys.

I actually went ahead and got the Manta because I got a great deal on it. I also picked up the Prism Tensor 5m for something more tame to be playing for awhile and then I think I'll get an 8m or 10m inflatable Slinghshot or Flysurfer.

It's been raining here for the past 2 days since I got my kites so I haven't been able to play with them yet But I have pulled them out and looked at them. I'm so excited to go play with the Tensor once I get some good conditions I think the Manta isn't going to fly for a bit while the leg is healing, the thing is HUGE.

Hi there,
I believe this is my first post so I am all nervous
Good to hear that you went for the Manta. I got my manta the day before yesterday and it is fantastic. It is big. Very big indeed and it is very powerful even in no winds (I flew it yesterday).

Anyhow, I am after a solid review of the kite and could not find any. I could see that maven454 has written something in the past but still, a real review of how it is like in "big" winds I could not see.
Would you guys be so kind and post some news on here once you got to fly the manta in more powerful conditions - well yeah, and when your leg is ready to go...

I am also slightly worried that it is too big for me: I am just 60kgs and I got the 12 meter manta - thats why it would be brilliant to get feedback before I die all the best from Luxembourg and thanks ever so much.

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Originally posted by bengrass Hi there, I believe this is my first post so I am all nervous Good to hear that you went for the Manta. I got my manta the day before yesterday and it is fantastic. It is big. Very big indeed and it is very powerful even in no winds (I flew it yesterday). Anyhow, I am after a solid review of the kite and could not find any. I could see that maven454 has written something in the past but still, a real review of how it is like in "big" winds I could not see. Would you guys be so kind and post some news on here once you got to fly the manta in more powerful conditions - well yeah, and when your leg is ready to go...

Yeah, I never really got back to that partial Manta review. Observations... It's big (obviously). It's very lifty. It has almost no bar pressure. The Manta is fairly powerful, though not great in low winds, because it flies much better when it's well powered. It goes really, really far upwind. By the time my buggy stopped, I'd be pointed directly up wind. And the Ozone depower bar is my favorite bar ever (particularly for snow kiting) as it is really well designed for use with gloves on.

Quote:

Originally posted by bengrass I am also slightly worried that it is too big for me: I am just 60kgs and I got the 12 meter manta - thats why it would be brilliant to get feedback before I die all the best from Luxembourg and thanks ever so much.

Yeah, a 12 Manta is a bit big for someone of your size. I'm 72kgs and got dragged pretty good at one point. Start slow (low wind), and get comfortable with the kite. And be careful with the kite sitting at zenith, that's what got me :D

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I'd actually recommend the 8 Manta instead of the 9 Frenzy. Not because there is anything wrong with the Frenzy (it's a fantastic kite and I loved the one I flew), but to make the behavior of your two snow kites as close to the same as possible.

Hmm... 8m Manta instead of Frenzy... Sounds like a good idea to me

hi there,
thanks for your input on this one.
anyhow, i went out and tried the manta 12 and now i am off sick for at least 3-6 weeks......
i broke my bones guys. my left arm is pretty much out of the normal shape
it is just a powerful monster beast. you can fly the 12m manta up to wind speeds of 2, max 3, but there is where its getting very dangerous - for me. i have to say that it was because of my lack of experience. now i am trying to get a smaller version of it that can also be used in "normal" winds.
any recommondation on a good kite - shall i stick with the manta in 8 meters?
all the best,
ben

I stand by my advice to get a set of lessons. It and learn to fly your trainer kite blind before moving up.

Sorry to hear about the accident ! I hope you don't get turned off of the sport. Sharing your experience with others who want to bypass the trainer kite / lesson part is good.

Speedy recovery !