I have been trawling the world wide web for what seems like, and actually is, hours now and I'm still none the wiser. I'm simply (:o ha!) trying to
buy a power kite for my husband in time for father's day in a couple of weeks.
He's never flown a kite before, but is very sporty (usually the extreme variety) so I'd like to get him something that he can start using with the
minimum of knowledge but that will give him a bit of a challenge with regards to pull. He's been a snowboarder for 15 years and has a very fast
motorbike so it may be that we fancies getting into the buggy/board side of kiting at some point in the future but for now, I think we ought to stick
with two feet on the ground.
I don't want to spend a fortune, I was initially thinking about £50 but looking at the various options, I think I'm going to have to double that
realistically.
I'm thinking dual line, rather than quad but I don't know if I should go for one with handles or a bar? I quite like the look of the HQ Rush 250 or
the Peter Lynn Vibe, or the Flexifoil 8.
Any advice or recommendations would be very gratefully received!
:puzzled:Dagon - 6-6-2007 at 11:41 AM
go with handles, a 4 line kite. best bang for the buck would be a pansh kite, they are made in china, fast shipping, seem to be decent quality.
3m is a good place to start. if he really likes the sport he can move on to more expensive, better performing kites like flexifoil, ozone, hq, jojo,
libre.
panshkite.comB-Roc - 6-6-2007 at 12:23 PM
I'll second the advice to get a 4 line foil on handles rather than a 2 liner flown on straps if you think your husband may want to progress into
boarding or some other traction activity.
Two liners are ok for simple flying on the beach or in a field but they don't offer the control or relaunch ability he'll appreciated if he decides to
progress with the sport.
While the Rush is flown on a bar, I'm not familiar with it and like the other two liners, it lacks the ability to brake, will be more difficult to
relaunch and won't be as powerful as similarly sized 4 line foils.
Pansh may be a good place to start but the lines and handles are supposedly not that great and IMO it would be frustrating to get a kite, as a newbie,
and then struggle with it becuase the lines stretch and aren't equal or the handles aren't comfortable. The more experienced may have spare handles
and be comfortable equalizing lines but your husband may not enjoy that and then its money wasted.
Above your price range but worth looking at are the PKD Buster IIs and the Eolo Radsail Pros. Depending upon his size, he could start with a 3 or 4
meter kite.
However, if you don't want to go that way or spend that money and you aren't sure he'll progress than I'd recommend the best package for your money
and if that means going with a 2 line kite with good straps and lines, than so be it.
Better to get something that won't require immediate maitenance than get something cheap that you immediately have to upgrade or simply stop flying
out of frustration.tridude - 6-6-2007 at 01:41 PM
You could go with an HQ Symphony 3.3 and if he digs the whole kiting thing, the 3.3 can be upgraded to a 4 liner. You can ping Angus @
costalwindsports.com for any further info on the symphony! Good luck!Bladerunner - 6-6-2007 at 04:03 PM
I think that given your time / money consraints you may do well trying Pansh Kites panshkite.com. From what I am hearing you will get a WELL BUILT
KITE complete with lousy lines and handles. Be aware that you may end up with some agro' getting the lines set up properly and be prepaired to get
another set sooner than later. Basically you just pin them all at one end, pull them tight and make sure they are all the same length. We are here to
answer his questions. If your Husband enjoys power kites ( and I think he will ) then he will get a better set of lines with the next kite. And the
kite after that, and the kite after that ......
Do Pansh kites come with any kind of user manual ??????Pablo - 6-6-2007 at 05:29 PM
Lots of good advice here, my 0.2c worth would be buy a 3m ish Beamer III, Buster II or Radsail Pro,
They're decent kites for a decent price, if he loves the sport he won't be needing to replace them any time soon and can buy other gear instead, if he
doesn't like it they resell fairly well.MissyL - 7-6-2007 at 01:34 AM
Thanks very much guys for replying so quickly, it's really appreciated.
I can completely see where you're all coming from on the four line front but I just don't know if this is the way he'll want to go, or if he'll be
happy (for the time being at least) to 'just' fly in the field next to our house for now.
With this (and price) in mind I think I'm going to go for the suggestion of a HQ Symphony which seems to have some really good reviews. He can then
add to it, or if he gets proper addicted (which I have no doubt he will!), he can invest in something of his own choice.
Thanks again! BeamerBob - 7-6-2007 at 06:01 AM
You beat me to the punch on the symphony. I have a 1.8 and it was a blast for about 6 years before I just bought a beamer III 3.0. The old timers
talk like a 3 meter beamer is a great beginners kite but it is a beast if the wind gets up. The symphony will let him get some skills without getting
dragged on his belly the first time out like I did on my second time out in 25 mph winds. I am an athletic built 240 lbs and 6'4". It is a great
workout in 20 mph winds and tame enough for you or a teenager to fly at 8-10 mph. He will get the feel of things without being scared to death to
launch it. If he decides to scale things up later, he will have the skills to deal with the power of the larger kites and appreciate the nuances of
getting the brake lines. He will love you forever for getting him into this.MissyL - 7-6-2007 at 06:07 AM
Cheers for that BeamerBob, I feel a bit more reassured that I've made the right decision - it's a minefield out there!
I haven't spent a fortune on it as it was reduced in price so there's no great loss if he decides he'd like something 'meatier' or with four lines.
PLUS, if he goes down that route, I get to keep the symphony for myself! Win Win! :DPablo - 7-6-2007 at 04:24 PM
Ahh, he's a lucky man, He should have a blast with the Symphony. Just beware, I don't know of anyone who's stopped at one kite. Usually they come in
at least three's.DenisLaMenace - 7-6-2007 at 08:09 PM
good idea, a new kite for father day.
may be a FS speed2 15m.
my wife will be ruined. :-)MissyL - 8-6-2007 at 02:02 AM
That's my plan Pablo! Would rather he's out with kites than out on his motorbike - as long as he doesn't combine the two, eh!Pablo - 8-6-2007 at 04:11 PM
Been there, done that, traded in the bike for a car with a big trunk to carry around kite gear. I still miss the bike in the summer months, but now
I'm out doing something healthy enjoying time at the park with the kiddlets.khooke - 10-6-2007 at 10:43 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by snowbird
Do Pansh kites come with any kind of user manual ??????
Nope, they come with nothing. As long as there's someone around to ask questions or post on a forum like this, that's probably not a big deal.
Come to think of it, when I got my first 4 line, my Skytiger 40 back in 1997 it didn't come with any instructions either, but then I got it from a
kite store and the owner of the store spent some time with me in the store showing me how to attach the lines etc... something else you dont get if
you buy online...
