hi, i´m thinkig on buying an Hq Beamer 3 but i don´t know wich size its better. i´ve started kiting about a month ago with a 3.0m kite but i want to
know if the Beamer 3 is a good choice for landboard and i´m thinking 4.0m or 5.0m..?? need some advice please.....
cumpsawindofchange - 20-8-2008 at 12:55 PM
It really depends on your current wind conditions as to which size would be best for you to start with. Out here in our area the 3.0 meter is the
perfect size. Generally in the midwest where the winds are somewhat lighter, the 5.0 meter seems to be the go to size. What I suggest is to purchase
your first kite to fit with the winds you have most of the time. Then you can build your quiver of kites around that one. If you find you need more
power more often than less power, your next kite will be larger. But you will at least have the size that you can fly the majority of the time.
Also, if you are seriously thinking of going into land boarding I would suggest looking at the Scout over the Beamer III. The Scout is basically the
same style of kite as the Beamer but comes with a control bar which is usually preferred for land boarding. It can be flown with or without a harness
which you can purchase later down the road as your skills/needs increase.
The Scout comes in the same sizes you are asking about as well.
Hope this helps.revpaul - 20-8-2008 at 01:22 PM
Like Kent says- depends on the wind you 'normally' have.
i am a newbie as well to traction sports.
*the other day a Beamer III 3m pulled my bigger bro(6'0 230lb) and I as fast, or faster (he said), as we'd gone before using larger kites in same
winds.
the real nice difference between using the smaller kite was that it did not pull the buggy out sideways (towards goal posts, trees, bleachers, and
playgrounds). t'was a lot more fun and less worrisome than trying to handle the bigger (4.5m) kites we had used before in same wind. i held off
getting the 3m because i thought the cash may be better spent on something else (bigger perhaps). I was wrong.
BTW-brother has 2m Ace on order.
Paulacampbell - 20-8-2008 at 01:53 PM
I like Kent's suggestion for the HQ Scout, too. I think Wize is in Portugal as I recall. The HQ kites are affordable and good quality. The 5m would
serve you well with a top end of 15- 20 mph (oops, thats. 24-32 kph), once you got used to it. With three years experience with a 3m kite you should
be OK with it.
With the added weight of the cross-over rig in the bar bridle, the smaller sized Scouts like a lot more wind to fee l good in the hand, in my opinion.
the 5m will have a low end about 8 mph (13 kph), I imagine.kiteNH - 20-8-2008 at 02:42 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by acampbell
With the added weight of the cross-over rig in the bar bridle, the smaller sized Scouts like a lot more wind to fee l good in the hand, in my opinion.
I have the 4m Scout and I agree with this. I had it out on the beach the other day and felt that it flew much better with a little stronger winds
than the lighter inland winds I tried it in the first time. It's also a bit harder to keep a kite flying in light winds with a bar anyway, in my
opinion. I haven't felt that the crossover did an awful lot to improve turning, but I really need to try the kite back to back on a standard bar and
the crossover bar to do an honest comparison.Bladerunner - 20-8-2008 at 02:44 PM
I'm with acampbell on this. The 5m is a size that will allow you the widest wind range for a single kite. It will let you down in ultra low wind and
be dangerous in ultra high wind but will cover a nice wide middle ground. It is also the smallest size you want to go to for jumping.
Just avoid the 1 kite curse. SAY NO to big winds !!!!! It will be tempting to take it past it's limits with no other kite to go to. There will always
be another day !acampbell - 21-8-2008 at 04:15 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by kiteNH
I haven't felt that the crossover did an awful lot to improve turning, but I really need to try the kite back to back on a standard bar and the
crossover bar to do an honest comparison.
The lighter wind will let the bar rig sag a bit under its weight and the rig will feel mushy which is why it does not seem to contribute much. More
wind and the rig will stiffen up, feel taught and you can watch and feel the amplified brake inputs offerd by the crossover set-up.
