Power Kite Forum

Best kite for air time

Jonnysoper - 23-12-2015 at 12:58 PM

Hi all I'm not planning on getting one yet but what kite would you recommend to get air I'm 5ft 2 and about 10 and half stone I've read a few things a the blade seems to get mentioned quite a bit this would be to use in a field

Windstruck - 23-12-2015 at 01:09 PM

Brand spanking new to Power Kiting and already looking to see the inside of a hospital emergency room! :evil:

Is that weight with or without your kid strapped to your chest?


abkayak - 23-12-2015 at 01:11 PM

sorry dont go there...you really dont want to think like that yet

Jonnysoper - 23-12-2015 at 01:11 PM

Lol just interested I'm not going to attempt yet 😆

ssayre - 23-12-2015 at 01:58 PM

I don't know if your inland or not but the truth is if your inland it's really not a safe option. Jumping that is. I got into kiting to learn how to jump then realized it's not a good idea unless you have clean wind. Even then I would recommend a depower and only after you have logged many hours.

Bladerunner - 23-12-2015 at 05:27 PM

Check out past posts from folks in the same spot.

The condensed version will read " Get a good quality 3m 4 line fixed bridle kite and learn to fly it without looking at it ".

Jumping is a skill you build up to.

Folks on here are great with help on choosing the right kite / location etc.. You found the right forum :thumbup:

volock - 23-12-2015 at 09:18 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Jonnysoper  
Hi all I'm not planning on getting one yet but what kite would you recommend to get air I'm 5ft 2 and about 10 and half stone I've read a few things a the blade seems to get mentioned quite a bit this would be to use in a field


Assuming that you're related to Wile E Coyote and that ragdoll and cartoon physics and healing apply, the largest Pansch Ace they make in super gusty wind high-ish wind. Please don't film it or mention me in the lawsuit after...

Starting out, because of bad re-directs, gusts and general characteristics, a large kite isn't a good fit. However you don't want to try and get air on anything under 5m, so air is out for yet another reason. Jumping, especially not on the water, is one of the most dangerous aspects of our sport and requires the highest skill level, along with clean wind, to stand a chance of making it down safely. Plenty of videos showing the bad aftermath of not.

There's a fair number of lifty kites, depower kites in general are better for getting air safely. Most LEIs provide lift, as do (in my limited experience) arcs when it's wanted. Depower foils and FB it's variable by the model, and there's no consistent way to be positive a kite will be lifty (AR being the closest, but too many other factors being involved). A high AR kite can be a pain to fly in shifty winds and harder to fly to begin with.

http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=26608#pid25... is a thread about a local kiter getting lifted by a not super lifty kite (but it can generate it due to high speed across window). Late on that year he got lifted with his buggy by a rogue gust, and shattered his wrist, bone coming out through it. It was over a year before he could consider putting a kite up again, and he was lucky at that. When the time comes for air, the big thing will be to start with a large kite in low wind, and concentrate on float, but it's going to be a bit until then.

FYI KiteCrowd has a much larger UK following, so may be a better source of finding flyers nearby to help teach you, and show you the difference in person between a few kites.