Power Kite Forum

First Time - Need Advice

krokonoster - 29-12-2010 at 12:14 PM

I bought my first kite today (2.5m RadBasic) after checking out some ppl flying them on the beach and just *had* to try it out.

Ended pretty disappointing though with the lines getting all tangled up and me not having a clue how to fix that in the wind on the beach.

Anyone know some video/article/tutorial or whatever giving some tips on getting started? how de hell do one keep the ropes in place and not make the thing behave like a plane propeller that came loose.

DHKITE - 29-12-2010 at 12:23 PM

handles or bar?? I use 5 lb sand weights and a water bottle to weigh it down while I lay the lines out.. leave them on the trailling edge as you pull the kit up to inflate it and a final big pull to get airborne.

If you are using a bar then just remember that when wrapping the lines that the hand holding the bar NEVER lets go of the bar while wrapping... Since there is no way the lines can Cross they will unravel nicely next time. other than that TIME is your friend ...

krokonoster - 29-12-2010 at 12:29 PM

Thanks for the quick reply.

Hmmm...I got to get used to the lingo.
Got two seperate handles (guess that's what you mean)


The weights idea sounds like a plan (wind can be crazy here in Cape Town)

When you say "inflate" it I figure you mean let the wind blow into that "holes" on the side? (I think I was trying to fly the thing upside down.....go figure)

Just been watching this movies on YouTube...seems others are using thicker lines? (mine is tihs really slim nylon type...took me an hour to get them seperated afterwards)

Todd - 29-12-2010 at 12:30 PM

Go here


Huge amount of information for just getting started. Don't be disappointed, you’re out there to have fun! Welcome to PKF!

krokonoster - 29-12-2010 at 12:41 PM

Just what I was looking for, thanks!

Todd - 29-12-2010 at 12:47 PM

No problem, Angus has a very useful site along with Popeye and many others that are out to help.

krokonoster - 29-12-2010 at 01:02 PM

just checked the weather ... guess the wind was too strong earlier at over 40km/h for a n00b?

Found a dvd in the bottom of the backpack I got. No really..those lines they are using are much thicker than mine. Does this matter? (Was a mission to get them all seperated after flying...I mean, attempt to fly)

ragden - 29-12-2010 at 01:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by krokonoster
just checked the weather ... guess the wind was too strong earlier at over 40km/h for a n00b?

Found a dvd in the bottom of the backpack I got. No really..those lines they are using are much thicker than mine. Does this matter? (Was a mission to get them all seperated after flying...I mean, attempt to fly)


Yeah... Generally wouldnt recommend you fly in more than 15mph of wind while learning. Even with a small kite...

Might also be helpful if you can find a local who has some time to teach you a thing or two about flying that kite...

What are your goals? Buggy? Landboard? Kitesurfing/kiteboarding? Just curious...

Best of luck!

krokonoster - 29-12-2010 at 01:21 PM

Naah, guess I'm on my own.

Since back home (been abroad a long time) I wanted to get something to do after work and weekend that involve outdoor, some action, dont cost a fortune or need to much planning and I can do by myself.

The okes kite surfing near my home look awesome, but I never surfed nor flew a kite. When I saw these ppl on the beach flying the power kites I just *had* to do it too.

Really would like kite surfing, but let me start out with doing this first.

John Holgate - 29-12-2010 at 01:45 PM

This is how I land/launch/pack 'n wind:

krokonoster - 29-12-2010 at 02:07 PM

Thanks. You guys have been awesome.

Will try again tomorrow..apparantly wind will be around 30km/h (It's Cape Town...just got to live with the wind)

kiteetik - 29-12-2010 at 02:52 PM

be careful with the wind--small kites can kill ya, just like the big ones.......

DHKITE - 29-12-2010 at 06:46 PM

30 K can be extremely dangerous if you are getting large gusts... beach wind ca be much more stable and safer to fly in, On a 2.5 M kite 30 Kmh will be fun but You shouuld know how to launch land and fly your kite before you try in too much wind.

I picture you unknowingly Kitelooping the kite and getting really Tossed, Have you ever flown before ??

this site is an awesome source for info and the guys on here are really helpfull, And I dont mean to come off sounding like i'm trying to dis-suade you, but take time to learn and stay safe.. the wind is a powerfull powerfull force.

in 30 K my first advice will be to not run after the kiter, instead, lean back and let the kite pull, sit down if you feel like the kites becoming uncontrollablle. :wee:

krokonoster - 30-12-2010 at 03:35 AM

Wind not too strong today, but cannot go to the beach yet. (Dentist visit).

Spend a few minutes just now in the park behind my house. Not much wind, and hooked that stuff you hook your lines onto, onto my fingers.
Pretty good to get used to the lines and not be intimitated by the spaghetti attached to the kite. Can just stand there and get a feel of things. Think a good thing for beginners, for incase another dumbnut like me come ask. :-)

Hope the wind light like this later and take things a step futher on the beach.

Thanks again for everything

krokonoster - 30-12-2010 at 03:36 AM

As for the "have you ever flown before". - Yes. Yesterday before posting here. :bigok:

WELDNGOD - 30-12-2010 at 05:35 AM

as for the lines , they are prob Dyneema/Spectra which is VERY strong and will slice through human flesh like a knife through butter . Do not fly over people or grab the lines of a crashed kite it can power back up and remove your fingers.Take it in small steps,so you don't get hurt or worse. Take it from me ,I have been flying almost 6 yrs. now,and I have a fractured shoulder socket from flipping a 120lb buggy over doin "kite loop power slides" for fun.
It is an extreme sport,remember that.

DHKITE - 30-12-2010 at 09:58 AM

I asked if you'd flown before Cause I am also Rocking a titanium Ankle after a massive overjump with a 3.5 M kite.. pilot error for not respecting the wind, Something I wont do again .

just walked again yesterday for the first time in 2 1/2 months.

:eekdrull:

krokonoster - 30-12-2010 at 01:02 PM

Geez....these things can hurt huh?

Will take it easy....myself got tons of old injuries from being a nutcase when younger, and don't need more.

krokonoster - 31-12-2010 at 06:09 PM

Second try today and went 10 times better (mostly thanks to the links and videos you guys posted).

Draw my first blood....wearing long pants next time.

Still having issues with twisted lines. I followed the advice in the video John posted (complete with sock and all) and it worked great.
While I managed to keep the left two lines on the left, and the right 2 lines on the right, one way or another the lines on each side (flying line + brake line) get twisted.
Isn't there some kind of accessory that allow you roll all 4 lines seperately? Or is this just a normal beginner issue. Seperating the lines each time (which take long than the time I spend flying) is a pain.

Speaking about flying....wowowo...was pulled head first through some mole heaps twice, twice hand the kind plucked out of my hands, but had it in the sky for a few seconds several times. Until the wind blew the kite into the river. Dirty Dirty now.

krokonoster - 31-12-2010 at 06:10 PM

twice hand the kind plucked out of my hands = twice had the handles plucked out of my hands (Why this forum dont have an edit option for your posts?)

InvertedForce - 31-12-2010 at 06:27 PM

It does... see the little tab on the post in the top right with two orange notepads and a pencil? Click that, it'll allow you to edit.

furbowski - 31-12-2010 at 06:38 PM

The lines will get much easier to handle as time goes by... One trick is to keep a little tension in the lines as you wind them up. If the lines are laying loose on the ground it's harder to wind them well.

If you're getting the handles plucked out of your hands you are not taking small steps there bro! But you're at the mercy of the wind....

Use the search (top left corner) to check "kite killers" and "parapacking", might be of help to you.

krokonoster - 1-1-2011 at 03:42 AM

Stupid me..did not notice the edit button (and I'm a programmer!)

Seems i'm in for a tough time learning. The wind here not smooth...speed change by the second. (But then, when it got plucked out my hands I was dead tired allready).

Will keep trying with the lines...will get it sorted out.

Missus loves it (she tried once, but at 50kg it's just too strong for her). Thinking about going later and get her a smaller stunt kite.

acampbell - 1-1-2011 at 06:32 PM

Once you get your own rhythm and method down, you will not have any problems with twisted lines. I lay out the folded kite, unwind the lines and stake the handles by the brakes, unfurl the kite, and launch. Maybe one twist that is easily identified and rectified, but usually not. Just make sure you set up in the exact reverse order you pack down in. Same hands, same motion, just reverse.

Only when you have a "helper" pack your kite for you will you have problems because they have added a motion to the process that you do not know to un-do. Especially if they are right handed and you are left handed, etc..

Good luck, have fun, stay safe and happy New Year.

krokonoster - 3-1-2011 at 03:09 AM

yah!!! Got it right for the first time (mostly thanks to your help,advice and pointers here)

Wind was just about right (Guessing about 20km/h according to that beufort [spelling?] scale). Flew like a pro (ok..exagerating) twisting lines, untwisting it in the air, etc etc.
Yeah, the lines are just a beginner thing. One get intimitated by it being twisted and think it's all a mess, and mess it up further...actually it's a minor issue to correct.

Got some sore muscles here but it was awesome! Back tonight!

acampbell - 3-1-2011 at 06:51 AM

The hooks are in, heh heh. Rock on.

krokonoster - 3-1-2011 at 07:34 AM

Oh yeah!

The wife also like it, but seems 2.5m is a bit tough for her weight and strenght.

Borrowed sis's kid's stunt kite and let her see later if she like that more or a power kite. If the latter, I think a 1.8m is ok for her? What you think?

furbowski - 3-1-2011 at 09:04 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by acampbell
The hooks are in, heh heh. Rock on.


Yep, he's ready to buy another one already! :singing:

@ OP: this can be an expensive habit.... consider buying used from the forum, feel free to ask for advice / guidance on that front.

:thumbup:

krokonoster - 4-1-2011 at 11:40 AM

Don't see too many south africans here. But will be on the lookout.

yeah, I agree it's not cheap. But nearly every "hobby" I had cost a bit (Scuba Diving, Ski, Motorbikes.....all which left marks on me and my wallet), and compared to the amount of fun this is actually the cheapest so far.

Naah...second kite for the wife. She's cool with stuff like that, but don't fancy seeing her being dragged head first over the field, glasses on nose with my "bigger" kite again. Figured a 1.8 one should be ok for her. (and for me to play in strong winds :singing: )

Now..anyone got advice for a near broken tailbone? (who said lean back? got me a stone in the butt)

lives2fly - 5-1-2011 at 08:19 AM

Yeah buy some armour! downhill bike or motocross stuff -

You seem to have the same problem as me. I'm off the North West coast of Scotland and its almost always windy. It was a steep learning curve picking up the basics.

Anyway, a pair of knee pads and a helmet should be minimum for safety sake but armour shorts will take the most impacts and save the pain of regular falls.

John Holgate - 5-1-2011 at 04:28 PM

Sounds like you could be flying in pretty gusty conditions. Stay hundreds of yards (downwind) clear of any trees or buildings - they will cause lots of turbulence - picture the wind as water flowing and any trees or buildings as rocks in the stream - you'll get the picture!

Actually, the wind reacts pretty much the same way to the ground as the water in a stream or river reacts to the bank/obstacles. The higher you go, the smoother it gets (and faster).

I'm on a small farm and if the wind is in the right direction, there are no obstructions for miles. Even so, sometimes the wind here is so gusty it is literally unflyable. The kite hits a gust, surges forward, then there's a lull, kite folds up and drifts back into the power zone, unfolds then pow - another gust.

If I look outside and see the trees waving madly back and forth, I'll keep the kites in their bags. If the trees are bending but not waving around.....:smilegrin: Not as good as a seabreeze though. If you have kited on the beach with a late afternoon seabreeze, you'll know what I mean. If you haven't, then you should!

Some sessions will be great, some sessions will be crud. The wind is fickle! Cold winds are usually denser and will pack more ooomph than warm winds (well, at least here they do!).

Txshooter38 - 5-1-2011 at 05:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by krokonoster
Oh yeah!

The wife also like it, but seems 2.5m is a bit tough for her weight and strenght.

Borrowed sis's kid's stunt kite and let her see later if she like that more or a power kite. If the latter, I think a 1.8m is ok for her?


Careful now....the sport is about to cost you twice as much if your wife likes it!!!!! Welcome!!

My wife flies and is hooked too....bring your wallet!!!

krokonoster - 6-1-2011 at 04:22 AM

Good idea bout the shorts and kneepads (since I hurt both knees and butt in 3 hours of kiting!)

Will see if they sell here, and what it cost of course.

krokonoster - 6-1-2011 at 11:43 AM

This armour pants...can you give me a link to some good product available where you are?
Trying to find where I can buy it here, but all I seen so far just look like my underpants actually.

Strap a pillow on my butt? :eureka:

ps: 5th time tonight and seems I perfected it (for a beginner). Never got twisted, hardly crashed (only cause I tried to fly / turn as close possible to the ground), etc. :singing:

Plan to go to a beach where I first saw some dude fly this stuff this weekend. Not sure I'm ready cause the wind there is strong. Luckily that must be the widest beach in the country and nearly no people. Or should I rather wait a bit?
It's a small kite compared to you guys anyhow (2.5 sqm) :dunno:

acampbell - 6-1-2011 at 07:59 PM

Sounds like you are having fun. Go for the beach for sure unless the winds are just stupid. 15 mph and under is good for now. Later you will be able to fly that 2.5m in 30 mph winds and feel safe (and smiling)
Good luck

lives2fly - 7-1-2011 at 08:27 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by krokonoster
This armour pants...can you give me a link to some good product available where you are?
Trying to find where I can buy it here, but all I seen so far just look like my underpants actually.

Strap a pillow on my butt? :eureka:

ps: 5th time tonight and seems I perfected it (for a beginner). Never got twisted, hardly crashed (only cause I tried to fly / turn as close possible to the ground), etc. :singing:

Plan to go to a beach where I first saw some dude fly this stuff this weekend. Not sure I'm ready cause the wind there is strong. Luckily that must be the widest beach in the country and nearly no people. Or should I rather wait a bit?
It's a small kite compared to you guys anyhow (2.5 sqm) :dunno:


This shop is in the UK but they ship worldwide.

Powerkite shop

krokonoster - 27-1-2011 at 01:10 PM

A few weeks passed and after go flying 2-4 times a week (in various windspeeds) it's pretty funny reading back my original post. Thanks guy, really owe that to you.

Ok, before anyone preach, I read over and over that jumping is dangerous. Point taken, and not planning to go bananas and get myself hurt (90% of the time I go fly where I got hundreds of metres open space, sand or grass around me)

Would like to upgrade, but curious about sizes. So what size of kite would you recommend for someone with a bit of experience, wanting some serious pull (great excersize isn't it?) and well....would not mind to jump now and then when wind/space/confidence are all lined up?

4m sounds (Wont know) a bit small. 6m....that sounds scary.

Oh...been flying a 2.5 until now.

Btw. Plan to buy from the online shop you posted. Seems cheaper than buying the same stuff locally. Much more choice for sure.

Txshooter38 - 27-1-2011 at 06:28 PM

Lots of variables to kite jumping but the standard rules are not under 5m and LEARN SLOW!!! I have a 7.7M Twister that is awesome to jump with but I would absolutely not recommend it to you starting out. Depending of your weight/experience/wind/etc. you might look at the 5.6 m Twister in time.

Seanny - 28-1-2011 at 10:17 AM

A Twister II is, for the money, the most fun, lifty, easy to fly kite you can buy, IMHO. A 5.6m should suit you just fine, but keep in mind that it's more than twice the size of your kite, and this model in particular packs a huge punch for it's size. The 7.7m Twister is a bit big, and you can't take it out in as wide of a range of wind speeds as you can with a 5.6m. I will assure you that your first time on the bigger kite, and the first time you get hangtime (intentionally or not), you WILL have the #@%$#! scared out of you :wee: but it's all part of feeding the addiction. :D

Ummm, several fixed bridle kites from Peter Lynn are sold out completely, including the Twister II. It may be hard to find one, but they come up for sale on this forum periodically.

Protip: If you decide to buy a Twister and the option comes up for a bar/handles, GET THE HANDLES. This kite doesn't like being flown on a bar. Also, if you're willing to spend a little more, get a harness (totally worth it; you will need it later anyway if you decide to move to depower [which you probably will]) and a Flexifoil strop line (or equivalent), then rig a quick release to the strop so you can bail if you get in trouble. There is a website that has short how-to guides for making useful things out of stuff found around your house...

here's the link: http://kiteboarderz.piczo.com/projects?cr=6&linkvar=0000...

I find the Twister in particular flys extremely well with a strop line because it keeps tension on the front lines, and the kite almost flies itself. Super stable. Plus, it takes the weight off of your arms and you can fly it for much longer. However, with a standard strop, you compromise the safety of the setup, as the kitekillers are rendered useless if you let go of the handles. If you let go, you would have to manually yank out the strop line from the spreader hook in your harness, which is hard to to with the kite pulling you. So again, rig a safety release. It's super easy to do.

Have fun!

furbowski - 28-1-2011 at 10:39 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by krokonoster
6m....that sounds scary.



In the bottom of it's wind range, a good 6-8m is like a gentle giant, smooth and a tad slow.... If the winds are smooth. still pulls like a truck though!

fwiw, I've broken my tailbone twice... once on a landboard doing a downhill run when one of the rims sheared off (effin vegas hubs!) and then again a few months later landing hard on just the right spot from a badly timed jump.
They can take a while to heal....

small blades are good as well, pansh ace worth a look if you are blessed with onshore seaside winds, inland forget about them. 4m would be wisest, 6m if you have good winds and trust your judgement... you need to be able to walk away from winds just that little bit outside your comfort zone!

TRP - 9-2-2011 at 07:11 PM

As a newbe myself, I'd like to hear what you end up getting.

Quote:
trust your judgment..you need to be able to walk away from winds just that little bit outside your comfort zone!


Truer words have never been spoken. I've only been flying for a few weeks, and I can attest to this, and I've only been flying my 3m Beamer.

DHKITE - 10-2-2011 at 04:58 PM

A thing I learned the hard way was that if the winds become gusty DO NOT rest the kite at zeinith or try to jump... know when to pack it in.

Walking fairly normally now after several months out... the metal has assimillated itself to my ankle. :wee:

remember a gust that pulls you horizontally will hurt you, one that lofts you will break you.

Bladerunner - 10-2-2011 at 05:39 PM

I have a feeling that you will find the winds on the beach may be stronger but less gusty so easier to manage?
It sounds to me like you may want 2 or 3 things out of your next kite. Something to handle your gusty winds. Something to learn to jump with. Something to take the step towards the water.

Open cell foils don't work ( don't relaunch ) on the water. The 5.6m Twister or similar seems like a good size for your winds and desire to jump. It is the same handle / 4 line fixed bridle set up as you have now.

I suggest you look into depower kites. You have sort of got 3 choices. Closed cell foils such as Flysurfer brand and the HQ Neo. Twin skin arcs by Peter Lynn and a ton of different inflatables.


I suspect that you can pick up some good deals on used inflatables with the huge kitesurf crowd there ? U2U Kiteboyza on here. He is a South African transplant that may have some local knowledge to help you out?

Having the wife fly doesn't mean you need 2 of each kite but that you can buy twice as many ! Odds are she will fly 1 size down from you on any given day. Still get her ANY kite she wants !!!!!

+ 1 for wearing a helmet at least.