I really want to get myself a power kite and a board so i can get some drag and air down the beach. I am a bit of a "ill get myslef a 5meter the biger
the better" i cant seem to listen to people telling me to get a smaller kite as a 3meter first. Because i want as much speed and air as possible. If i
do go ahead and buy say a bullet 4.9m what do you rekon.Tigger - 26-6-2006 at 10:30 AM
Do you like trips to the hospital? Are you a masochistic? There are far cheaper ways to injure your self, try them. The sport of Power Kiting does
not need the bad publicity.:flaming:coreykite - 26-6-2006 at 11:20 AM
Geez... I wonder why folks who probably know a bit more about the sport than you would suggest such a thing?
As a self-proclaimed non-listener, why are you asking our opinions?
Not knowing what you're getting into makes the decisons much easier, doesn't it?
I have the feeling that trying to use logic or reason isn't going to do the job.
Please post your used gear to the For Sale forum after you are discharged from the hospital.
Why learn from others?
Safen Up! Buggy On!
"Often wrong... Never in doubt"
the coreylamanew-air - 26-6-2006 at 02:52 PM
hahah well i am willing to listen from some experienced guys... so what do i need to use to get small air and pull on a landboard, im coky and want
the most out of extreme sports, im scared i will get injuredbut its all part fo the fun snt it, anyway give me some suggestions bearing in mind that i
have only flown a 2 meter before it was crap and acted like a stunt kite i crave pull........coreykite - 26-6-2006 at 03:06 PM
Pay attention to the wind.
That's where the power comes from.
I fly 2m foils and they are among my fastest kites.
By that I mean I achieve greater ground speed than with my bigger foils.
I don't know what you mean by "acted like a stunt kite".
Both are steerable.
Do you know what kite it was?
Not all are created equal.
What winds did you fly it in?
In all this you fail to mention any awareness of wind speeds.
I'll assume you've just learned how to fly.
I'd suggest more field time with what you have as you discover all you don't know.
Then listen to those around you who seem to know.
Smaller rather than larger.
Don't take it as an assault on your manhood.
This ain't motorcycles.
Traction requires a balance between power and grip.
Too much power, you're simply ballast being drug downwind.
Don't really need a kite for that.
Just hold up a sheet.
One does not start as an expert.
One begins and learns skills.
Those skills allow more opportunity.
Once you truly know what you're doing...
Safen Up! Buggy On!
"Often wrong... Never in doubt"
the coreylamaBucky - 26-6-2006 at 06:20 PM
So a guy walks up and says "I saw some guys doing these huge aerial stunts on his skateboard on the halfpipe!! Boy, I'd really like to do that!!
Yah, he was doing flips and 720's, it was soo cool!! I want to learn how to do those things!"
So his friend says: "Great! Have you ever skateboarded before?"
And the guy says: " No. But I really can't be bothered with learning that stuff!! I just want to know how to do cool aerial tricks!!"
Don't get the cart before the horse. Practice on a 3 or 4 meter before you move up.new-air - 27-6-2006 at 03:34 AM
great bit of advice korey kite, well the kite i have that is 2m was purchased from next, the make is next probably a load of crap, was 50 pounds down
from something like 120. I would fly in calm winds and feel no drag whatsoever, i then took it out in very strong winds..... still no drag ended up
snapping the lines. This may be the reason for my #@%$#!yness as i have had a 2m kite and feel that a 3m wouldnt give much more drag. I would settle
for a 4m hahaha.. have u heard of the epik 4m. I get the impression that this is a very heavy kite and maybe a little tough for a 16 year old like me.
Anyway i appreciate the response and advice. I rekon i am a little more ready to llisten... does age above 15ish make any difference really?
Cheers agen Owennew-air - 27-6-2006 at 04:00 AM
Ok i have my eye on the ozone samurai 4.0 and a beamer tsr. Waht you guys reckon. I am worried about getting a quad line.. as i dont realy think i
could set up a bar is it easy?????new-air - 27-6-2006 at 04:28 AM
epik 5m on ebay im temptedtedsfoils - 27-6-2006 at 07:17 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by new-air
I would fly in calm winds and feel no drag whatsoever, i then took it out in very strong winds..... still no drag ended up snapping the lines. Cheers
agen Owen
As I was reading this post this caught my attention and I have to ask.
What was the wind speed when your lines snapped?
What kind of lines were you flying with?
What was the braking strength of the lines?coreykite - 27-6-2006 at 10:39 AM
Cool Owen.
Gleening from what you said, I also assume you have that 2m on a bar.
One of your problems.
Put it on a pair of padded straps.
Foils fly better on handles.
More control, more manueverability = MORE FUN.
The more fun it is the more you will fly it.
Skills come from practice.
That bar is always in front of you and keeps you from really flying the kite around the sky, and the length limits your control.
The bar has almost become a gimmick in the marketplace... Used to assure newbies there isn't much to learn.
Au Contraire!
Again, start noticing wind speeds.
Notice how the kites act in different conditions.
Notice how your actions increase or decrease the power you can make.
Try this: I call it "Kite Chi"
As your kite does a loop in the sky, raise your hands over your head and spin around, untwisting your lines as the kite twists them.
It's not about your lines.
It's about how our eyes have gotten so loud, our brain sometimes forgets we have other senses.
Turning around distracts our eyes for a moment and allows our fingers to begin to learn the tactile language the kite uses to tell us: "Where It Is"
and "Where It's Going".
Very critical information... And available to us non-visually.
Pretty obvious how important it is to be looking at where you're going, not where the kite was.
This technique allows a very quick way into this tactile world.
Try it... You'll like it.
Safen Up! Buggy On!
"Often wrong... Never in doubt"
the coreylamaBucky - 27-6-2006 at 11:53 AM
First off: You took the scolding well... Kudos. . No one means to be rude here. Its just that we all have developed a real healthy respect for
that power. (Everyone will get off our soapbox now.)
Secondly: All the best advice in the world won't be as good as hands-on experience with an acomplished pilot to show you the ropes (or lines)
Most power kiters are a fairly gregarious bunch of people, and love to see others interested in their sport. Post where in the world you live, and
see if someone near you is going out. Most of us are more than happy to give a few pointers.
Lastly: Quad-lines on handles (not a 2-line bar) is what you need to learn to fly. This will allow you to really grasp all of the aspects of how to
control your kite (i.e. braking, turning, landing, upwind trim, etc...). The learning curve is really not that much more complicated, and the
benefits are enormous.new-air - 27-6-2006 at 01:47 PM
Cheers guys.. im learning more and more.. who needs manuals. Well after taking in your advice like a breath of fresh air i am now browsing ebay and
shops online to see where i can get the best buy. How much am i looking at to spend for a first kite i would idealy like to spend 200 on kite and 150
on board seems possible on ebay. Listed at the moment are these possibilities
epik 5m seems to have been slated in reviews but decent price?
flexi blade III at 220 gd name decent price decent size 4.0m
there is a flexi blade 7.0m for only 189 mmmmmmm
radsail pro
flexifoil bullet 5.5 for 169 seems like my best bet but bit on big size
blaze 5m s this a good amke seeme similar to the epik
so much choice help me out guys,
any clubs in the north wales areanew-air - 27-6-2006 at 03:38 PM
the bullet 5.5 is only 169 i could buy this and use it in very light winds to get the feel then gradually move up in wind speed. waht you reckonawindofchange - 27-6-2006 at 06:27 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by coreykite
The bar has almost become a gimmick in the marketplace... Used to assure newbies there isn't much to learn.
Have to disagree on this comment, although handles do give you the best control of the kite, there are quite a few kites hitting the market place now
that are designed to be flown on a bar and it is not possible to use them with handles. The Ozone Frenzy & Access, Peter Lynn Phantom, Venom,
& Bomba, and the HQ Montana are just a couple examples of these. Trying to rig these kites onto handles would be nearly impossible to do as well
as very dangerous. Handles do not give you the proper safety releases and depower that these kites have incorporated into them. Another reason why I
have to disagree with this is that in some of the other forms of power kite sports, control bars make kiting much easier to do. Kite Ground Boarding
(Land boards) for one is much easier to do with a control bar as well as Snow Kiting. The control bar allows you to twist your shoulders for better
edging and board control where handles would make it very difficult to do. Riding toe-side with handles is about impossible. Hooking the bar into a
seat harness also lowers your center of gravity, making it easier to direct the power of the kite to the board. I am sure that control bars are here
to stay and are far from being a gimmick.
Now on the buggy I use handles 99.9% of the time and agree that on kites that are not "bar specific" handles give you the best control as well as
teach you the best way to fly your kite.
I also agree that it would be best for you to hook up with other kiters in your area. They would have the most knowledge as to what size kite works
well for the winds in your area as well as the possibility of you trying out some of their kites.coreykite - 28-6-2006 at 10:43 AM
To Clarify...
My comment concerning the "gimmickry" aspect of bars in the marketplace was directed specifically at fixed-bridle foils, particularly at two-line
fixed-bridle foils sold as "trainers".
As if the Bar was what one needs to learn.
Variable-bridle foils (Led by the Ozone Frenzy) are now making a show in the marketplace and the confusion will only get more intense.
There already exists such confusion in the differences between sails and foils, between handles and bars, between steering and de-powering and between
the differences in land and water traction power requirements.
With all the differences, the need to be even more specific in our recommendations becomes obvious.
Safen Up! Buggy On!
"Often wrong... Never in doubt"
the coreylamaBucky - 28-6-2006 at 11:44 AM
About the kites you were asking about(keep in mind this is only my opinion):
The Flexi Bullet 5.5 is a great kite (fly in low wind at first) Not a lot of lift, but then again maybe you shouldn't have that at first.
Stay away from the blade 7.0 Too much kite for a first kite for ANYONE!! This kite will hurt you BAD
The blade 4.0 is a better option but kinda lifty
Radsails are great inexpensive beginner kites. Not the highest quality, but very useable.
The Epik, I've not flown, so someone else will have to give you info on that one
For beginners, I prefer a larger low performance kite over a smaller high performance kite . (slower and much more forgiving)new-air - 28-6-2006 at 03:23 PM
I think il go for the 5.5 bulletstryker2 - 17-7-2006 at 09:32 AM
Lot's of good advice, however I'm still very confused and cautious. As a complete newbie to power kiting and with so many kites and
information/misinformation out there, I still have no idea what to buy for my 1st recreational power stunt kite.
Age 45, weight 175lbs, Looking for a dual line "power kite" that is easy to control and has the abilty to drag me a little along the beach in moderate
winds. I don't want more kite than I can handle but do want some excitement and a challenge and also be able to do some relaxed flying in low winds.
There are 2 models in the HQ Symphony range that interest me: Symphony 2.2 and Symphony 2.7
and 2 models in the Prism Stylus Range: Prism Stylus 2 meter and 3 meter.
Could you please advise is these kites are suitable for my needs and which in your opinion would be the better all round choice, or if you have other
kites that would be more appropriate.
Thanking you in advance for your suggestions and advice.awindofchange - 17-7-2006 at 11:48 AM
Personally I would recommend the Prism Stylus over the Symphony. The Stylus will produce a little more power than the Symphony will and is better
quality (my opinion only).
If you are serious about getting into the power kite sport, I would suggest going straight into a quad line kite. The added control you get from 4
lines over 2 is tremendous, plus the ability to reverse launch and simple landing is a huge benefit.
Learning to fly a quad line kite is not any more difficult than learning to fly a dual line kite, and in some instances it is easier to learn than a
dual line (especially when it comes to re-launching and landing). Quad line kites also produce a lot more power than dual line kites. This comes
from quite a few different factors but the main one is that you can change the angle of attack of the kite while it is in flight with the simple
rotation of your handles - not possible to do with a dual line kite. The Prism Stylus P3 and P4 are dual line kites but they have the ability to be
converted over to quad line with the addition of two more lines and handles. Problem with this is that by the time you pay the extra money for the
handles and additional lines, you are fairly close to the cost of the Ozone 1.5 LD Stunt or the Ozone 2.0 Fury - which in my opinion are a ton better
quality kites than the Prism Stylus in both construction and power delivery. The LD stunt and Fury are already quad line kites and come complete -
ready to fly right out of the bag.
As has been mentioned several times on this forum and many others, find yourself a good quality quad line kite from a known manufacturer in the 2 to 3
meter size to start out with. The kite may seem small but they produce tons of power in the right winds. They are also a lot less expensive than
kites in the 5+ meter sizes and you will have a ton of fun learning on them. After you have it mastered you will know exactly what size your next
kite should be.
Hope this helps you out.stryker2 - 17-7-2006 at 01:30 PM
Thanks for your valuable advice. I had discarded the idea at first of a quad line, however it's now under consideration. When 1st looking I was
considering the smaller 54" parastunters, one of which comes in quad and one 2 line with a bar instead of straps. I gave these a miss as I thought
they might be a bit erratic to fly and probably judging by their price, are pretty much junk and made more for younger kids.
Naturally I want to get the best quality product for the best possible price. Now the two products you recommended are obviously of a much higher
quality and durability than the kites I mentioned and just a tad more than I wanted to spend. So now my delema is do I go ahead and get the cheaper
54" quad parastunter (which I have seen no reviews on) or do I go for a dual line slightly larger foil like the Prism Stylus 2 or 3?
Just a very confused beginner who wants to have some fun and challenge on the beach.BobHarbison - 17-7-2006 at 01:55 PM
Is there someplace on the board I can find a comparision of the various HQ Kites? I'm also starting out, and trying to compare the Beemer, Crossfire
and Symphony models.
For example, I like what I've heard about a Beemer 3.6 for a starter kite, but I'm curious as to how a Crossfire 4 would compare to it. Is a 4 still
small enough to be reasonably managable?DON321 - 17-7-2006 at 03:31 PM
ALL I CAN SAY IS GOOD LUCK AND HOPE YOU HAVE INSURANCE.....stryker2 - 18-7-2006 at 07:13 PM
Thanks for all the advice and comments. Today I took a plunge into the ahallow end, and decided on a quad line trainer kite to start with.The Kite I
chose as a beginner was the Ballistic Phoenix 2.2 quad with handles.
I've only heard good news about this kite and the manufaturers products for entry level power kites.
When I get delivery I will certainly fly immediately, and once I get used to the kite after a week or so of intensive flying (providing the universe
brings breezy weather) and I will get back with my "beginners review" in the reviews section of the forum.
Thanks again guys.
