bryant87 - 26-11-2008 at 09:09 AM
Hi,
I have been power kiting for about a year now, and up until today I have been flying a Flexifoil Super 10. I have been getting a bit bored and wanted
something with a bit more power, so I bought an HQ Beamer 3 7 metre. I have just recieved it today and realised how big it is, its huge!
Is it wise for me to fly this kite, or will it be too much of a power jump for me to handle?
Thanks,
Dan
f0rgiv3n - 26-11-2008 at 09:13 AM
:wow: 7 meter is a very large kite to jump to. the beamer isn't lifty which is going to definitely save you. i guess it could be worse and you coulda
got a 7 meter lifty kite :D! I personally think though, if you start out in VERY low winds(my 3m beamerIII could fly in basically nothing so I can't
imagine what that 7m will be able to do 
). So My advice would be to fly it with
low winds and you can make the judgement for yourself! The only problem is the range for which you'll be able tof ly this kite will be very small
until you get confident with it 
. I hope you have a lot of room to SKUD!
bryant87 - 26-11-2008 at 09:17 AM
Thanks for the help. I don't know what I was thinking, just a man thing I think, having to get the biggest one and all that. I'm wondering though if I
should try and exchange it before I fly?
Waiting for light wind will be a bit of a problem, as I'm living on the coast of N. Wales at the moment 
kiteNH - 26-11-2008 at 09:35 AM
Personally I'd probably exchange it unless you want a light wind kite. You should be fine with it as long as you only take it out in light winds, but
if you don't get those very often you might want a kite that you'll get more use out of.
What are the typical wind speeds that you want to be flying in? Smooth onshore winds or gusty offshore?
acampbell - 26-11-2008 at 09:35 AM
The Beamer 7m is a kind beast. I think for you the sweet spot for your first flight would be about 5-8 mph, or about 8-12 kph. It will fly in 4 mph
or about 6.5 kph but that will require finesse you may not have developed yet. At around 10 mph or 16 kph you will find yourself working pretty hard,
and how far beyond that you go will be limted by your weight, nerve, flying style and strength.
Bladerunner - 26-11-2008 at 09:39 AM
What is the usual wind speed at the place you fly ? That is KEY in choosing a good size.
I agree that you won't get to fly this in anything but the lightest of winds. Even with experience you won't get much range. When it is blowing good,
you will be sitting it out !
Something in the 3 - 4 meter range will allow you a LOT more time flying + be safer learning ? An exchange is something to think about, if you can do
it ?
bryant87 - 26-11-2008 at 09:41 AM
The wind that i usually fly in is gusty off shore wind, and its pretty strong - sometimes up to 30 mph.
I think I will stick with the kite though as I've wanted a bigger kite for some time, and I will be moving home soon where the wind isn't as strong.
May be a good way to learn... throwing myself in at the deep end! :eureka:
Bladerunner - 26-11-2008 at 10:02 AM
In my experience trying to learn with too big a kite slows the whole process down a lot.
You will not be able to fly it at all when it's really windy. You will end up spending most of your time trying to avoid having the kite take you for
a ride. The learning only really begins once you have had the breakthrough and start having complete control. You can gain that control a LOT faster
when you aren't being chucked downwind every time you try a move!
I can't tell you how many people I have met that regret having started with too big a kite! MANY of them are injured and not interested in the sport
any more.
Maybe that's Darwinism for kiters :puzzled:
f0rgiv3n - 26-11-2008 at 10:04 AM
:o careful with those words . My 3m superman'd me 2 times in a row and I limped
for a week and a half.
That was in about 20-30mph winds.
ragden - 26-11-2008 at 10:06 AM
30mph winds? 7m kite? That sounds really dangerous to me. I'd suggest something in the 2 - 2.5m range. Exchange that bad boy if you can. Or pick up a
small kite for cheap. They arent that expensive. Where you are moving to, the big one might come in handy, who knows. But I would not try to fly that
7m in any winds over 15mph....
arkay - 26-11-2008 at 02:29 PM
I recently got my 7m bullet and am amazed how much it pulls, even in 2mph wind. I can get it to lift me off the ground (and I'm 220lbs) in 8mph winds
w/o hesitation. Yeah, it's fricking huge compared even to a 5m. I went to dry it out the other day and realized it's actually bigger than the part
of my garage where I usually leave my kites. I had to measure the kite and it's over 18 ft long :shocked2:
Respect the big kites.
I got this one really so that I can fly something on extremely low wind days. I've only been flying a year or so, and I personally don't plan on
taking the kite out if it's not below 8mph, good thin my beach is not gusty! I've got other kites that'll get me moving in 8-15.
Bladerunner - 26-11-2008 at 06:14 PM
I'll always have a special place in my memory bank for my 7m Bullet !
It's hard to believe but at some point you will want a 9 or 10 for winds under 8mph !
Be carefull jumping with a Bullet. Every once in a while you will end up being sent downwind and hard in to the dirt instead of getting lifted !!!!!
It is a nasty habit they have ! BE PREPARED FOR IT !!!! This is one kite you want to be SURE and let go of as soon as a jump goes bad. Holding on
means a very hard hit to the gound!
I liked my 7m Bullet on a bar a lot!