Stevo - 28-2-2007 at 03:34 PM
Hey guys, I have read alot of your comments and find this site very useful but I have a few questions as someone who is about to embark on a new
hobbie and all going well and enjoyable one.
I have no idea where to start apart from the views of other users on this site.
I want to but a power kite for scudding intially, and then be able to use it for landboarding or buggying after. I have read alot about the Beamer III
and was wondering if thiswould be suitable to start with, and what size also. I was thinking of either 3m or 4m. Which would be better?
If not the Beamer III what would you recommend? Bearing in mind the budget.
I am 28 and about 13.5 stone.
Also can you advise of what else I would need to buy. e.g backstrap or handles. Obviously I will get helmet and knee pads.
Any advice would be of great help from any of you guys.
Cheers in advance
awindofchange - 28-2-2007 at 04:34 PM
The Beamer is a great kite and will be a good choice for you. I would recommend staying in the 3 and 4 meter sizes for you to learn on. After you
get better at flying the kite you will have a good idea as to what your next kite will need to be - either larger or smaller depending on the current
conditions you fly in.
The 3 to 4 meter size will be perfect for buggying or boarding with in winds from around 12 to 20 mph. As far as which size would be better....I
suggest starting out with the smaller.
Don't worry about any harness's or backstraps right now. Start out with handles and learn the kite. After you get more experience you can then start
thinking about strapping into the kite. The Beamer III comes complete, ready to fly with handles already so no need to purchase anything else.
Good go on the helmet and pads, safety is always first.
Start out in lighter winds and be safe. After a couple good flights you will have a better understanding of the kite and the conditions and will be
able to fly in more winds.
Hope this helps.
Stevo - 28-2-2007 at 04:38 PM
Thanks for that, hope to get to shop a the weekend a have a chat about some other in the same range. Any other kites you wouls suggest would helpful.
Thanks again.
code - 28-2-2007 at 04:49 PM
If the shop you go to has the Beamer II series kites still, you may be able to get a better deal. Otherwise, the Beamer III serieis is a great
starting point and will definitely supply you with enough umph to use with a buggy, board, etc. Definitely recommend starting off with handles as
oppose to a bar as well, will give you chance to feel out the kite and you'll have more control over it. Like Kent said...the sizes you picked are
about right on and more then likely you'll end up keeping whatever you purchase in this size range throughout your kiting as they make awsome high
wind kites once you get more proficient at flying them. So don't think that you'll out grow your first kite due to the size.
Price wise, you can't really go wrong with the HQ kites....they're very durable, etc. and definitely priced to sell. If you look at Flexifoil and
Ozone kites you're going to pay quite a bit more for the same size kites.
Joe
Stevo - 28-2-2007 at 04:52 PM
Good to know Code. Thanks. I'll bare that in mind when I go browsing. It seems alot of people recommend the New Beamer III, hich makes it all the
better.
code - 28-2-2007 at 05:07 PM
Hq did a few tweeks to make the kite more beginner user friendly, but the Beamer II really wasn't far off from being one of the best beginner kites
either. Really don't think you can go wrong with either. If you pick up a Beamer III, let me know. I've been considering picking up a 4m myself and am
interested in hearing what someone entering the sport thinks of it.
I've got a Beamer TSR and have never had a problem with how it flies or handles..it's actually been my favorite kite thus far. However, the Apex may
take that place once I get it dialed in and adjusted. Guess we'll see.
~Joe
Bladerunner - 28-2-2007 at 05:42 PM
It sounds like you have a shop. If that shop offers lessons I HIGHLY recommend you spring for the first one at least. The 1st lesson will probably be
mostly on a 3m foil. You will learn all the important things about flying and self rescuing. If you think you will be riding mostly on land let them
know and they will probably modify the lesson with that in mind. Then you will have had your hands on a 3m and if you had any wind you'll probably
choose to buy that size. Usually they hook you up to a larger kite in the 1st lesson so you'll also get a feel for the difference.
After the lesson you will have a much better feel and will make a better more informed choice. Your instructor will know you and your skills so will
be a HUGE help making a choice. I promise you that after a lesson you will look back and count it as the best money you ever spent on kiting !!!
acampbell - 1-3-2007 at 06:25 AM
Good thing to go with a local shop. You mentioned budget. I'll add my vote for the Beamer series but if your shop has the Peter Lynn Pepper,
consider it as a bargain. It is a well made kite and perfect entry level. It comes in a plain stuff sack so you do not have to pay for a novely
backpack. OTOH the Beamer offers a nice instructional video CD and is a nice overal package. tough choice.
awindofchange - 1-3-2007 at 01:20 PM
Other kites that I would suggest.....
I love the Ozone kites. IMO, they are one of the best built, best performing kites on the market. I suggest looking into the Fury, Samauri's, or the
Riot's. The Riot is the highest performing kite of the bunch but still pretty stable for a "near" race kite. I don't suggest a full race kite as
your first one, they can be quite fickle for the inexperienced flier and may give you more frustration than fun when learning. The race kites would
be the Razor and Yakuza. Flexifoil also makes one of the best built kites on the market and they perform as good as any. As has been mentioned
above you will play quite a bit more for either of these two brands over the Beamer.
A couple alternatives....
The Radsail is a very good bargain kite and is built pretty well. Peter Lynn kites are also built pretty good and perform excellent. I think that
when you do your research you will find that the Beamer, Radsails & PL's will all be in the same price range. The Beamer gives you a couple
extras that the other two dont including the DVD and ground stake which IMO is a deal maker.
Again work with your local shop and try to get them to let you fly everything that you can before making up your mind. You can't go wrong with any of
the kites I have listed. If you are serious about getting into the power kite scene, I would highly suggest staying away from the two liners and
sticking with the quad line kites. The extra control and usability you get from quads is the only way to go. Quads are very easy to fly and not
really that much more difficult than the duals. In some cases the Quads are easier to fly than duals (relaunching, landing, turns, etc...)
Remember tho......kites are like cars when it comes to suggestions. Some like Chevy's, some like Ford's, others are stuck on the Dodge's, and then
there are the mass of imports. If you get one of the name brands it does come down to a personal preference. Fly them all and when you find one you
like, enjoy.
Hope this helps.
Stevo - 1-3-2007 at 01:26 PM
Cheers guys. Great feedback from yu all. keep it coming. Hope to get out and take alook at some this weekend. Getting excited already. Maybe sounds a
little childish but who cares. I can't wait to give go. Thanks again.
code - 1-3-2007 at 02:04 PM
Kent, I hope you didn't take offense to what I said about the Ozone and Flexi kites... You're correct..Ozone makes an awsome kite. Loved my Little
Devil 4.5 a ton and was hard to see it go. Very durable, great flying characteristics, etc., however, Ozone and Flexi also seem to be more costly
kites then say HQ or even the Radsail kites. That's not to say that HQ's kites and Radsail Kites are worth any less... just don't think they've been
on the market as long as Ozone or Flexi, therefore they're competing with others by making their kites more affordable. Pansh kites seem to be in the
same boat as far as cost. Haven't flown Radsail or Pansh kites, but every HQ kite I've owned has been nicely sewn, etc.
~Joe
ps. I second what Snowbird said though...if you can get lessons, they're worth every cent.
awindofchange - 1-3-2007 at 02:53 PM
Code,
No offense taken at all. In fact I totally agree with what you said. The HQ and others that I mentioned in my latest post are excellent kites and
for the money you cant go wrong with them at all. I was stating that my personal preference is the Ozone's. My association with our shop allows me
to fly everything so my access to kites is a little different than others and I am of course a little bias on my decisions.
There is a difference in the construction and materials used in kites that do determine the end cost of the higher end manufacturers. Along with the
construction techniques and materials, you do pay a little more for the name. It would be the same a comparing a Subaru to a Mercedes. You will pay
more for the Mercedes but you will expect a bit more from it as well. Things such as better seat foam and seat heaters, better quality leather,
thicker floor carpeting, quieter ride and better sound absorption, smoother engine, headlight wipers, etc....all very little things but that is what
differentiates the Mercedes as a high end luxury car.
These same small things can be found in the Ozone kites. They are produced out of their own factory with their own custom materials, better quality
control, millimeter precision (from their paraglider technology), stitched lines on the bridles and flying lines to reduce snags, high quality
dyneema bridle lines that are pre-heated and stretched, double stitching with mylar reinforcements on all the edges including the leading edge,
reinforcements in the ribs of the kite, cross bracing, etc... These little things do cost a little bit more to produce than the mass-produced kites
that are exported from China but they are things you can expect from purchasing a high end kite. This is not to say that the mass-produced kites are
junk (some of them are), most of them are in fact very good flying kites that perform very well and in the hands of the right pilot should be able to
stand heads-up against the Ozone and Flexi kites. The Ozone and Flexi kites may last a bit longer, will hold their shape a little longer, may have an
edge in performance and/or stability, and will usually hold their value a bit longer than some of the less expensive brands (depending on how they are
cared for) --- but you would expect that from a kite that costs more.
So....do you want 2 Subaru's or the Mercedes? You do get what you pay for.... and some of those Subaru's are pretty darn cool looking.
p.s. Third on the lessons, very worth your time and money.
littledave101 - 30-3-2007 at 03:29 PM
A good kite to start on would be the buster 2. I have got one and alot of people on this site said its good to start of on too.