Power Kite Forum

Floatiest kite

ikemiester - 5-5-2012 at 03:40 PM

As I am now have the money to increase the size of my quiver, I was wondering, what is the floatiest kite ya'll have flown. More float=more stuff in the air=:wee:

PHREERIDER - 5-5-2012 at 03:51 PM

FLYsurfer/ matrix , below 20 these units are sublime easy to handle. once you get the bar feel wired ,, all you need is breeze!

B-Roc - 5-5-2012 at 03:57 PM

While I didn't like my flysurfer (pulse 2) from the vids of those who have connected with them, they seem to own the world of float.

PHREERIDER - 5-5-2012 at 04:03 PM

i def want to get into one.

flyjump - 5-5-2012 at 04:04 PM

HQ matrixx 15m. That kite has tons of float!

Seanny - 5-5-2012 at 05:44 PM

FS Speed kites are renowned for their grotesque amounts of float. But that comes at a cost… They are also renowned for being extremely expensive. Also, their top end can be edgy (especially on the earlier models) and they do not fly well with inland, unsteady breezes. Other than those two factors, it's a high quality, high adrenaline float machine.

Hope that helps :)

Chicagokitejumping - 6-5-2012 at 01:27 AM

Flysurfer speed3 ...paragliding ...when jump

Feyd - 7-5-2012 at 05:23 PM

PL Phantom 2 24m, Flysurfer Psycho4 19m, Speed 19m, Slingshot Ranger 12m are the floatiest (sp?) kites that I've flown. I have to admit that what Peter Lynns possess in stability the Flysurfers possess equally in float. You could fall asleep and those things still land soft.

I'm going to wait until we have a good snow event next winter or until I get some water time this summer before I really try to boost on th 24m P2. But in the short jumps I've had I got a little freaked out by the hangtime.

:crazy:

erratic winds - 7-5-2012 at 07:00 PM

I swear, every time I hear feyd mention the ranger12 as an excellent kite it makes me think I got a friday afternoon special. Kite's given me a lot of good times, but I don't have 1/10th the love for it he does. Perhaps mine is...wrong somehow....


EDIT: LOL burned my 1000th post talking bad about the kite I've got the most time on in my quiver. Such is life.

kitedelight - 8-5-2012 at 01:24 PM

Pretty sure you'll be looking at foils if you are wanting a float machine...my psycho4 12 is nice and floaty without much input, I am pretty sure the speed3 has even more float, and its range is even better than the psycho4 and the gust handling seems really good on it.

With the right technique, I've gotten some pretty decent float out of a 9m switchblade I've tested - I was surprised actually.
My buddy always gets reasonable float out of him 12m switchblade. But, with FS, it's not technique dependent, it's 'float on demand' unless you really do something wrong.
I am assuming the matrix is like this too.

ragden - 8-5-2012 at 01:34 PM

My 12m Speed3 has the most float of any kite I've flown. In its prime winds, that kite is simply the most fun I've ever had.

Now, for when the winds are really cranking, I love the 8m PsychoIV, that is insane to jump with... but that is also on the water at 30-40mph winds.
;)

kitedelight - 8-5-2012 at 03:36 PM

that's some nice upper end on your 8m psycho4, wasn't sure how comfy it was above 30 knots.
I heard the 8m is particularly good size in the psycho4 lineup. gotta find one around here to test sometime.

Feyd - 8-5-2012 at 05:09 PM

Hey ER, is your Ranger bone stock or modded? If she's bone stock then she'll fly like absolute garbage IMO. Also did you buy one of the closeouts? Some of them, especially the ones that backcountry.com was dumping came with the short bar which really slows the steering.

But yes, I love that thing. Puts a smile on my face everytime I fly it. A bunch of people here have picked 12m's up.

erratic winds - 8-5-2012 at 05:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Feyd
Hey ER, is your Ranger bone stock or modded? If she's bone stock then she'll fly like absolute garbage IMO. Also did you buy one of the closeouts? Some of them, especially the ones that backcountry.com was dumping came with the short bar which really slows the steering.

But yes, I love that thing. Puts a smile on my face everytime I fly it. A bunch of people here have picked 12m's up.


large bar, have done the pigtail mod to extend lines, still flies like a pig and likes to flatten out. It's like I traded tip-tuck for the kite acting like it's a quadrofoil XL and turning from a curve into a plank. It ain't right. It works, but ain't the machine so many say it should be. Have access to 3 ranger12's, none of them are as good as I think they should be whenever I read your posts about it.... I've had some sweet sweet floaty air with it, but always accidental. When I go for air, I don't ever get the float.

Since I'm on injured reserve this month, perhaps I should send it to someone to repair the failing repair from a prev owner and tune it up?


Guess I should have just bought yours all those years ago, Feyd.

ragden - 9-5-2012 at 04:26 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by kitedelight
that's some nice upper end on your 8m psycho4, wasn't sure how comfy it was above 30 knots.
I heard the 8m is particularly good size in the psycho4 lineup. gotta find one around here to test sometime.


If you like flying flysurfers, then that is a size that you definitely need to give a shot. I've flown it in over 40mph winds and felt fine on it. Ridden in the buggy in 30+ and felt fine.

Really fun kite to throw around. Responds fast, drives forward, and when you jump well... not sure what to say besides "holycrapwowcanicomedownnow?"

Feyd - 9-5-2012 at 01:32 PM

Jeez that sucks ER. I don't know why it's not flying well. I sold my 12m and missed it so much I bought another and modded it and it flies just like the first one. The guy I sold the first one to uses it as his light wind rig when the FS boys are on thier 15m SAs. He bought it to replace his Sabre 2 12m. I sold my 9m fairly recently and now I have seller's remorse and have been trying to get a friend to give up his 9m.

I don't know why, I never flew my first one but they fly awesome when I do fly them so I guess that's the deal.

Anyway, too bad you live so far away and I don't have any snow. I'd love to see what's wrong with you wing.

Sorry about the Ranger hijack of this thread.

Seanny - 9-5-2012 at 01:42 PM

I weigh less than 130 pounds, a shopping bag might as well be the floatiest kite for me

ikemiester - 9-5-2012 at 04:01 PM

Thank you all! This has been very useful.

Bladerunner - 9-5-2012 at 04:52 PM

The 2 kites you are using ( 12m Frenzy and 19m Syn ) are already pretty floaty.

I haven't seen you ride for a couple of years but I was impressed with what float you were getting off that Frenzy even back then. You must be soaring by now ! :cool:

Have you Demo'd any of the newer ozones from Eli ? Might be good for starters at least?

kitedelight - 10-5-2012 at 12:11 AM

ya Ragden, couple the 12's jump with the speed of the 8m on the sendback..and I can imagine. Gotta track down the loan 8m that is floating around this area... pardon the pun. ;)

good call Bladerunner, kinda passed up looking at the kites already owned. Lots of guys ride the Frenzy around here and it's no slouch for float. I would say if you are looking for more..it's pretty much the speed3.

I know its more personal experience and opinion you are looking for..but can't help it...I'm always amazed when watching the speed3 jumped in powered conditions...so much float!