I am 200 lbs or so, and would like a power kite for light jumping. We have normal winds in the 8-15 mph range, often gusting in that range. I.e. 8
gusting to 15.
Have been playing with a small $12.25 china foil 200x70cm = 1.4m2 kite. Tore the nylon lines, so now it is on 150 lb dynema. I also fly Revolution
style quad kites, and has skydiving experience (500+ jumps). So I am looking for a quad line with handles.
What would be a good buy for me as a beginner ? Peter Lynn Hornet or Twister ? 4 or 5.6 m2 ? Something else ?
I also have a chinese 3 m2 Albatross brand on the way for $35. They are known for making fair quality kites. And a 2 m2 2-line Albatross for $28.sadsack - 25-3-2015 at 08:24 AM
I would go back to jumping or take up something else with flying kites. You have no control over the kite when kite jumping. It is not like a
parachute that you can control. I have over 5000 jumps in the last 57 years, the few time I was airborne with a kite I found out very fast that the
kite is in complete control. You maybe bull headed like me, you are going to jump on matter what. If that is the case, then pick a very stable kite
and not to big. I am sure their will be a lot on here that say it is fun and safe. I think you looking for some broken bones.
renny hiaguy - 25-3-2015 at 09:42 AM
My two cents:
"Beginner Jumping Kite" is an oxymoron.
3) spend as many hours mastering a "beginner" foil kite - they're completely different from a Rev or cheap imports. (Most around here recommend
something in the 3m range. and, yes, I realize that they're all imports if you live in north america)
4) make sure you can fly it with yours eyes closed
5) re-consider the entire topic of jumping with a kite
still game?
6) buy a helmet
Then again, there are several accomplished jumpers on this forum that love getting big air that'll be less biased than I am (and can provide medical
plan advice).
Good luck :wee:BeamerBob - 25-3-2015 at 09:43 AM
Asking for a good jumping kite for a beginner is like asking where to get a good F1 car to learn to drive in. abkayak - 25-3-2015 at 10:55 AM
welcome aboard!!
dont be put off...you too can jump like the pros..just got to go thru the crawling steps first
imo...1st stop buying that ebay junk and get a proper 3m 4line and fly the snot out of it (hornet=Fine)
when you finish that kite off buy another 3m...repeat...get use to scudding and really understand whats
going on up there w/out even looking...than we get a 5m and continue right along w/ the process
take small bites out of bigger winds and grow into this sport proper...get good and comfy w/ your kites
when you understand both your and their ability...we throw caution to the wind and go up intentional
maybe pick up a 7/8m at that time if your still wanting real air...you can cover your bbq w/ the old kites
be safe have fun!!
pblm solved.flyguy0101 - 25-3-2015 at 12:26 PM
So far I agree with most- if you want to jump get a big kite- I don't like to have my feet leave the ground on any thing smaller than a 15m and could
not agree more with hiaguy- make sure your insurance is good and you have a fair amount of money saved for when you get hurt. To prove the point- I
actually know what I am doing and last March after having made several 10-12 ft jumps on my mtn board got a freaky gust that pulled me much higher and
then decide to end/change direction, really not sure how high (spectators said 40+ ft)but when I started free falling from the treetops (estimate is
that I freefell about 25ft after several redirects) it happened fast and resulted in a broken back- chance fracture of my t-11 true through and
through break. I still kite and am stupid enough to still jump (much more selective of environment though) and probably always will but please note-
You have been warned
SJohn Holgate - 25-3-2015 at 03:17 PM
Quote:
often gusting in that range. I.e. 8 gusting to 15.
Trying to jump in gusty winds will most likely end badly.
Quote:
I also have a chinese 3 m2 Albatross brand on the way for $35. They are known for making fair quality kites. And a 2 m2 2-line Albatross for $28.
Exactly how much quality are you expecting for $28? LOL! A quality 2m or 3m foil (Peter Lynn, Ozone, HQ, PKD, Felifoil, Zebra) will be a hoot to fly
and last you many years (providing you don't slam it nose first into the ground too much).
I also agree with nearly everything said above and would add that if you really want to jump as safely as possible then consider some kite boarding
lessons.WELDNGOD - 25-3-2015 at 04:05 PM
Here we go again..... Jumping is the fastest way to see the inside of your femur. And contrary to what has been previously said about control of
the kite . YOU DO /AND BETTER HAVE CONTROL OF THAT KITE. Or you are going down hard when you fly out of the window.
I guess this guys video was just dumb luck ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SByMBqQVYlM It wasn't, he flew the fecal matter out of that kite. That is why he is still alive.
Get a small 3-4m foil(not from ebay ). And fly it until you can put it anywhere, anytime without looking at it. Then MAYBE, you will be ready to
intentionally leave the ground and return intact.
Words to live by. WG Ramij22 - 25-3-2015 at 04:21 PM
Hahahaha.... That's what got me into the sport of kite buggy and where I met a bunch of cool crazy people. watched a video on youtube on kite jumping
and the rest is history.povlhp - 26-3-2015 at 06:27 AM
When people laugh at the sub-$50 kites on eBay, I can add that they are without lines + handles. That would be another $50 or more on eBay. From what
I know from stunt kites (Rev clones) the Albatros is not bad, but not Rev quality. Other chinese Rev-like kites are better workmanship than the US
made ones.
So we are talking $100 for a set from China, vs $200 for a set in the US, and with this being slow moving goods, the reseller in the US probably takes
a fair cut. And the 2-liners are still fun stunt/power kites.
All hat being said, I can probably get a used Hornet III 3m2 for half price of new. But I am afraid it would be too small to have much fun. But at
least it can be resold later without much loss.
As for not being in control when jumping with kites, that surprises me. Thought you could control direction and speed, like I do with smaller kites.
And like I have been doing when flying CRW with parachutes.
I live in a country where healt insurance is no issue. Free healthcare, and a pretty high skill level. ssayre - 26-3-2015 at 06:57 AM
You can and must control the kite when jumping. Once you've mastered the hornet, you might look into depower kites for jumping. I would only
recommend fixed bridle kite for jumping if close to the beach. Even then, I'd rather jump with depower.skimtwashington - 26-3-2015 at 07:33 AM
There is a lot to learn in power kiting...It takes time, actual experience, having an open mind, asking questions, listening and accepting the
answers....and most important may be humility.
People on here collectively have a ton of experience and knowledge and are kind enough to help.
It's fine to have an interest in jumping. Understand that learning to fly power kites thru steps, with complete control and proper amount of
experience in a spectrum of (wind)conditions is catamount to doing it with any chance of not getting hurt with the sport as a whole... and especially
with the pursuit of jumping
As you heard or may not have.... even experienced or expert power kiters have gotten seriously injured from jumping. This is why most Don't jump. They
Buggy or board or just move horizontally as their pursuit.
The no name cheaper Chinese kite makers have been experienced and visited long before you. People here know what's good or bad if you listen.
If you don't buy a quality(name brand) kite, one that has been tried and known by people on this forum...... the possibility and probable good chance
is that you will have bought a kite that does not fly right-and never will..whose lines break...and you'll be frustrated and progress poorly on the
learning curve.
Comparing Stunt kites to power kites is not appropriate. Apples and oranges. Throw Chinese stunt kit quality vs American Stunt kites out the window.
Nothing to do with Power kites.
Don't compare power kites to stunt kites, or parachutes, or anything. Learn about power kites thru power kites only.
What abkayak said is proper advice and steps to learn powerkiting . ...
If you think getting a Hornet 3m is too small or will not be any fun(have you tried it in higher winds?) .....or you just rather not ascend through
the proper learning steps...then you 'haven't got it' YET....
Best way to learn is meet up w/experienced power kiters in your area. Getting tips...maybe even letting you try their kite.
All here welcome you and want you to have fun and be safe. WackyWindsurfer - 26-3-2015 at 07:49 AM
In my case I progressed from having no kite experience at all, to jumping with kites over the cause of 3 seasons.
Started late in the year 2012 with a small 1.4m foil kite like you had, the typical beach kite. I found out I was hooked and wanted more, and jumping
of course.
I started reading and followed all the good advice offered on this forum and like you are getting now in this thread.
Early in the next 2013 season I bought a 3m Ozone Flow, to learn the needed muscle memory and reflexes, followed by a PL Twister IIr 4.1m. A smaller
2m Flow for the 20+ knot days and my daughter to start on 4 line kites.
Although you should be able to jump with the Twister, I did not dare to because of the size being to small fo save landing. Jumping itself should work
ok with enough wind.
Next step was learning to kite hooked in to a harness and I used my Nasa Star 2's for this on a bar during the most of 2014 season. At the same time I
started searching for 2nd hand PL Arcs, or Twinskins to progress to depower and open the way to safe(r) jumping.
Fall 2014 I started getting to know the Venom II 10m Twinskin and finally felt 'comfortable' enough to take the first jumps end of the season with the
Venom II 13m.
2015 has already been lots of fun jumping with both my 15m and 12m Synergys...
:wee:
So natural progression all the way!
Oh, and I jump on a beach with soft sand in more stable onshore winds!
[edit] My 2nd time ever jumping with a kite:
RedSky - 26-3-2015 at 09:19 AM
Jumping with a kite can be dangerous even for those with a high level of experience. The problem is that the wind is just too unpredictable and a kite
isn't a parachute.
Most of the time you'll be able to jump and land just fine, so long as you know the correct techniques and are weather smart. Jumping is a lot of
fun!!
But be warned...
I include a link and a video that may shock, but a healthy dose of fear is no bad thing.
Consider this scenario - Particularly in gusty wind you'll find that every now and then you'll get lofted. This is a scary thing to happen. In such
a situation what would you do ? 1) Let go and fall 10ft to the ground or, 2) let the kite continue to pull you into the air with stomach churning
force ? You have a split second to decide.
Let go, ride it out or avoid gusty wind ?
Consider that you may not only be lofted vertically but also horizontally. Your landing is therefore carrying speed and this can sometimes be faster
than you can sprint. You'll mess up your landing and lose control of your kite, so consider what is downwind of you before jumping.
This exact scenario happened to me many years ago. I was flying a 4.9 meter kite in 30mph winds and was lofted 20ft into the air and landed with about
25-30mph horizontal speed straight onto exposed bedrock. Thankfully I only busted my ankle wide open. I limped back to the car and drove myself to
hospital. What the hell was I thinking! The wind speed was way too high to fly that kite static. You live and learn.
Also be aware that your body may twist mid air, you'll then find yourself coming in to land backwards, there isn't much you can do about it, so
therefore consider the possibility that you'll hit the back of your head on landing. A skate style helmet might be a good idea.
Buy a kite known for its lift. You'll need a kite size of between 6m-8m, why? Because a larger kite will produce less power in low wind than a smaller
kite in high wind. You'll notice how much slower a large kite fly's, giving you more time to react to it and having more canopy above you will also
offer you more float on the way down but you MUST use the kite well within its wind range and use it in 'as clean a wind as possible'.
Jump on a surface that is soft or better still, one that can disperse your energy on landing such as a pebble beach.
Be weather smart. Study the local weather forecast before heading out, what's the gust range and look around when you arrive at your chosen site. Feel
the wind on your face. Do you think it's safe? What's downwind of me? Are those dark clouds heading my way? Are you happy? Is the kite happy? Is the
kite flying smooth or does it snatch suddenly? Avoid flying a kite on a steep hill as updrafts can loft you without warning.
I hope this has helped you. You sound like you have more experience than most and I guess weather is paramount to your skydiving activities but you'll
understand that I have to down play kite jumping for anyone else who might be reading this thread who is also considering jumping.
Thanks for all the good replies. Will stay with smaller kites for now, getting the Hornet III 3 sqm, and then time will show. Will not be jumping as
that seems too dangerous on small kites.Bladerunner - 27-3-2015 at 05:19 AM
You won't regret it for a minute!
Almost all of us come in to this sport wanting to jump and jumping is great when you do it right. Nothing worthwhile in life comes easy. That doesn't
mean getting there can't be fun! Going about it the way that folks on here will guide you will get you to jumping form faster and safer than just
going big!
Static jumping is sort of a road to the hospital in my opinion ( as an old guy ) . The greatest thrills in this sport come from getting and jumping in
motion. Not that you won't get hurt jumping in motion but ..... :D abkayak - 27-3-2015 at 07:25 AM
