Power Kite Forum - BeamerIII or Crosfire kite...........??

BeamerIII or Crosfire kite...........??

kitetim - 6-10-2008 at 03:06 PM

Any suggestions for a fun beach kite? I have a couple Waroo kites for kiteboarding and also a 1m foil trainer but thought it would be fun to have a couple beach kites for just playing with. Thinking of a 3 and 5 meter mostly for beach toys but also for some snowkiting or possibly using with my kayak. The HQ kites look good and I'm thinking of the Beamer or Crossfire. Any thoughts? Can each of these be flown with a regular kiteboard harness and lines? I have a Waroo 4 line setup. Thanks for the suggestions.

barnes - 6-10-2008 at 03:14 PM

If you are looking to use your Waroo bar, you want to look for a depower foil kite, like the HQ Montana, Apex, or Neo, or the Ozone Access, amongst many other.

But if you did want to get a fixed bridal foil just for the beach, and snowkiting, I'd go with the Crossfire. You'll have a lot more fun with it, and if you are used to flying Waroos, the lift and power of the Crossfire won't be to much of a shock...jut keep in mind the power is on your arms unless you use a strop to use your harness!

dylanj423 - 6-10-2008 at 09:41 PM

The HQ kites I have owned have all come with lines and handles, so probably no need to use your other gear. Beware the HQ kite killers, though... I have had them snap on me on more than one occasion, and once had a kite end up in a tree! Throw the stock HQ killers away, they are useless. Look into some other beand for them, I use flexifoil, others have spoken highly of ozone... you could even make your own with some climbing rope, just make sure you know what you need.

As far as the kite itself, the Crossfire, all the way. If you have experience, and you are flying static, the crossfire will keep you entertained... and probably have more power than you think. It may pull you out of a kayak, though.

csa_deadon - 6-10-2008 at 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dylanj423
The HQ kites I have owned have all come with lines and handles, so probably no need to use your other gear. Beware the HQ kite killers, though... I have had them snap on me on more than one occasion, and once had a kite end up in a tree! Throw the stock HQ killers away, they are useless. Look into some other beand for them, I use flexifoil, others have spoken highly of ozone... you could even make your own with some climbing rope, just make sure you know what you need.

As far as the kite itself, the Crossfire, all the way. If you have experience, and you are flying static, the crossfire will keep you entertained... and probably have more power than you think. It may pull you out of a kayak, though.

Have to agree with dylanj423 on the kite recommendation. The crossfire will give you hours of entertainment, and the build quality is top notch. Had the chance to fly the crossfire 5.0 this weekend, and was impressed with the stability, speed and lift. I flew most of the time with the DTS on the "A" knot. Loads of fun.

Also question for dylanj423. Your HQ kite killers. When you had your trouble with them how new were they?

I have yet to have any probs with mine. I actually have mine attached at the base of my handles, and have found that they work well from this position. Also mine are all bungi including the loop for the attachement. Are yours different in this aspect? Just curious.

dylanj423 - 6-10-2008 at 11:21 PM

Mine were the thinner kind, I guess they used them on the older models of kite. I have since used their newer bungee killers, but they have trouble gripping anything I put them on... the knot comes loose, and they tend to get in the way. I havent seen the bungee cords snap, but I havent used them much either.

csa_deadon - 6-10-2008 at 11:36 PM

I've been using HQ's ultra handles with their kite killers. I changed out the strop attachement and main/brake line attachement line with 1/4" amsteel grey. Takes about 6 - 7 feet total. Gives the bungi plenty of line and knot to bite on. Plus you will never have a kite break this stuff, rated at approx 7000 pound. lol. worth it though. Got about 100 hours on this set up with maybe 1/32 inch stretch.

acampbell - 7-10-2008 at 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dylanj423
Beware the HQ kite killers, though... I have had them snap on me on more than one occasion, and once had a kite end up in a tree! Throw the stock HQ killers away, they are useless. Look into some other beand for them,

Earlier HQ KS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s had troubles but not any more. New ones have thick bungees that are very strurdy but don't make a tight larkshead knot. For this reason they added loops of webbing at the ends that make a very safe, secure and convenient larkshead attachment. They also added color-coded tabs on the velcro wrist straps to differentiate left/ right. Fine gear at a good price.

The Beamer and Crossfire II are very different kites at different price points and different design objectives. The Beamer III is probably the most-often recommended kite for first timers as it is easy to fly and offers good performance. The Crossfire II is a very versatile high performance kite that requires a bit more skill to fly well. It is a very lifty kite in it's stock setting, but has a ground-adjustable bridle that providesa low-lift setting (angle of a attack) for buggy work and improved up-wind work. Both very good quality and performance for the price.

BeamerBob - 7-10-2008 at 05:34 AM

Quote:

HQ has gone through two levels of revisions since the ones dylan had trouble with. The ones that came with my Crossfire II are preferable to the ones that came with my Blade IV. Not that the quality is any less on the Flexi, but the comfort is higher with the HQ and I don't think anyone can draw a distinction of quality between the two.

kiteNH - 7-10-2008 at 10:03 AM

Never flown the CF myself, but for static flying a 3m kite on the beach I don't think that you can beat the Beamer. If you're thinking of getting a 3 and a 5m then maybe you should get a 3m Beamer and a 5m CF. I'm not sure a 3m CF would really make a good "beach toy". From experience I can say that a 3m Beamer does! :thumbup:

If I were you I'd go buy the 3m Beamer in the for sale section and see for yourself. Its cheap and you can sell it for very little loss if it doesn't work out for you.

Or if you prefer flying on a bar I've got a 4m HQ Scout for sale as well (in the for sale section) which is designed to fly on a bar. It's very similar to the Beamer but sold with a bar.

furbowski - 8-10-2008 at 07:51 AM

haven't flown the beamer, but have a 3.2 crossfire and it's a powerful kite!

my 2 cents: if you want a kite for non-kiters to try out, get the beamer...

but if you want a land kite for yourself, get the crossfire, it will hold your interest far longer than the Beamer, imho...

BeamerBob - 8-10-2008 at 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by kiteNH
Never flown the CF myself, but for static flying a 3m kite on the beach I don't think that you can beat the Beamer. If you're thinking of getting a 3 and a 5m then maybe you should get a 3m Beamer and a 5m CF. I'm not sure a 3m CF would really make a good "beach toy". From experience I can say that a 3m Beamer does! :thumbup:

If I were you I'd go buy the 3m Beamer in the for sale section and see for yourself. Its cheap and you can sell it for very little loss if it doesn't work out for you.

This is the route I took and it worked great for me. The beamer helped me get started and I flew it just a few weeks ago when the wind was too much for the Crossfire II 5m. Good combo. The 3.2 Crossfire I flew needed clean winds and a knowledgeable flier on the handles. Very aggressive with lots of punch.