Power Kite Forum

Just starting out noob beamerIII 3m is good?

Isaac252 - 19-4-2009 at 10:46 AM

Ok so I'm a noob and want to get a kite, I eventually want to do kite jumping but I don't want to get the 5m because I dont want to go out there and be like OMG HOW DO I FLY THIS THING!??? So I was gonna get the Beamer III 3 meter but decided to ask here first if its a good newbie kite. Oh and also, will I be able to do any jumping with it? If not then what should I get like a board or a buggy? Nothing water though because I live in Nevada and there's like no water here.

dgkid78 - 19-4-2009 at 11:42 AM

you couldnt of picked a better kite. dont worry about jumping right now. learn the kite its behavior in differnt wind conditions first. plenty of time for jumping later on. it will be a great buggy engine for higher winds too. you can also board with it. but i prefer a bar for that. if you do decide to board with it a hq scout might be another option.

Isaac252 - 19-4-2009 at 11:49 AM

Wait ok so my dad found a cool Buggy + kite deal. It has a 4m Beamer III though and a buggy. So should I get that and save like a bunch of money, and besides I can learn off the 4m before trying to buggy right? Thanks :)

arkay - 19-4-2009 at 12:05 PM

How much do you weigh? The 4m may likely pull you pretty hard in 13+. If you've never flown I'd recommend to stay under 3. The smaller the better when you're starting out.

Isaac252 - 19-4-2009 at 12:11 PM

I weigh about 180 pounds I think
edit: Oh ya, what would be the best winds for this? Here where I live the average is 10-15 mph is that too little too high or just right?

revpaul - 19-4-2009 at 01:46 PM

a little more perspective from a novice buggier.
*i ride in tight area (lots of obstacles) so i choose to ride a little undersized for more maneuverability)
-i un-rolled my smallest kite, a 1.8m PKD Century, yesterday and put a couple hours on it- winds were not too high as i had to really work the kite to get cruising during gusts- i could have used a larger kite and had 'park and ride' fun but i was shown how rusty i was by the little fella so i decided to put some work in and get my head in the game.
smaller kite=less chance of getting over powered (fall down, hit head).
(even with the smallest kite in my bag) mind not on task=nearly got sucked out of buggy coming out of a turn and also got lifted off ground (just a wee bit as i static flew)
larger kite with little or no experience=a lot more; nearly got sucked out of buggy coming out of a turn, did get sucked out, buggy flipped over, uh oh i'm going way too fast now what, and OBEs ('O'ut of 'B'uggy 'E'xperience).
**start small m2 (enough to get job done). get technique/experience then add power after. tonnes around so buy used so budget allows for more than one kite. best safety is to size according to gust**
a buggy has less rolling resistance than a board so any particular size kite will move you quicker in a buggy.
if you pay attention you will be fine. i have only one OBE and it was completely due to the fact that i was not paying attention.
Paul

Bladerunner - 19-4-2009 at 02:54 PM

Odds are you will hold on to this kite and use it as your high wind kite as you grow . In that stage of it's life you will be happy it's a 3m instead of a 4.

What you gain for that 1st little while you lose in the future.

It is a sad fact that you will neeed about 2 more kites to have a complete set. Let the 3m Beamer become your high wind kite. The 4m will get lost in the line up and be less ideal for re-sale.


The 3m will be perfect for learning in the wind you describe. Lots of power so you won't be disapointed ! Eventually you will fly much larger kites in that wind but that takes time and some basic skills.

OOPS! I skipped the post about the 4m / buggy combo . That is not an unsafe combo for the wind you have ! Just be careful of course ! Learn to fly the kite 1st ! Depending on the buggy $400 for both is about as good a deal as you can get. If the buggy is a Rockville / kite trike you should read upon them . Not all bad but not all good.

geojones - 19-4-2009 at 04:22 PM

hey blade-why is it a sad fact that he needs more kites??are you out of your mind???thats one of the best parts of kiting!!! jeez!!! the guys a noob dont scare the poor fella!!

Isaac252 - 19-4-2009 at 05:40 PM

Ya I figure once I get into this I'm gonna have a huge collection of kites. Reason I think this is I used to do R/C planes and u get a huge collection and of course it was better to start out with a newb one cus the first one my dad got was like a 3d pro one and he nearly recked it! And he was like oh no and he spent more money for a noob one. But I'm sure I'm getting the 4m with buggy combo its a good price and I'm gonna learn to fly the kite first of course which will take a while. Also I'm gonna go do it out on the dry lake bed its VERY open and flat and should be perfect for the buggy.

geojones - 19-4-2009 at 07:18 PM

i was kind of kidding around w blade, getting another kite is a joyous occasion for me,as it will be for you as well........enjoy your beamer,theyre good starter kites---they have plenty of power.....after you get some kites,if youre like me,you will probably favor one more than the others....right now its a flexifoil 6.6m its so much fun ........great jumping kite!! but not for you right now.......to answer your first query: yes you could jump with a 3m kite--i wouldnt recommend it though........the landing would most likely be quite painful depending on how high it picked you up........i know youre getting a buggy,but you might want to try some scudding first--look up "how to scud"on this forum.....its a blast!! don

furbowski - 19-4-2009 at 07:39 PM

be careful when the wind is blowing and/or gusting hard, if the 4m is your only kite you'll be tempted to fly it in winds you shouldn't!

have fun though you won't go far wrong with a bit of judgement and at 180 pounds you should be able to hold that kite down up to about 13 or 15 mph or so, more after a bit of practice... 8-10 mph is perfect for a first flight, tho...

haven't heard mention of kite killers yet on this thread, use them! esp. at first!

have fun!!!!

Isaac252 - 19-4-2009 at 10:48 PM

I lold at the obe thing btw. So um kite killers I should get, and what about for the buggy, I shouldnt get any straps or harnesses until I'm good at it right?

edit: Just read about scudding it sounds fun :P Probably gonna be using old pants I dont need for it though lol

furbowski - 19-4-2009 at 11:33 PM

I've had one brief try in a buggy, you're right its much better to NOT be harnessed in for the first bit... No OBE's for me but I had to get out pretty quickly a couple of times...

Kite killers will be with the kite unless something is really wonky about the deal, it's a new kite right?

They're not so good at saving the kiter -- nothing is a good as not being attached to the kite so you can let it go (sometimes a long walk to get it and it can be tangled and/or in a tree or similar) but they do allow a kiter to dump the power to the killers just by letting go and usually work well to get it down to the ground with a minimum of hassle. Hassles mostly happen on the bigger sizes, 4m should be fine.

Kite killers are really good at saving the kite and any bystanders it might hit, so they're pretty much a must for tight and/or crowded spaces.

Test before using them in anger, it's best to test a few times until it becomes a bit quick and natural, but most folks don't have the patience for that, me included!

Scudding is excellent fun, but in the big picture it's developing your ground handling skills for when you get onto the bigger kites, best not to jump until you feel the kite giving you what feels like the power you need, something like 18-20 mph for your kite? I don't know the beamer, but I have a few HQ products and I'm confident it flies as sweetly as advertised.

Scudding is safest on soft loose dry sand, most dangerous (but kinda fun) on slippy gravel or wet grass...

have fun and fly safe...

geojones - 20-4-2009 at 04:53 AM

the beamer is a GOOD kite,just not a JUMPING kite......::yes: ps.everyone,please notice my new avatar--its the gorgeous Mariska Hargitay what a FOX!!!!:thumbup::smilegrin:

tdmc96 - 20-4-2009 at 07:32 AM

One thing I might add that I would recomend on getting would be some saftey gear such as a helmet (a must in those crazy Nevada winds) and perhaps knee and elbow pads.
Good choice on a kite though...the Beamer will love those Nevada winds:D

Ken

Bladerunner - 20-4-2009 at 08:24 AM

Take along a tow rope.

The winds can just drop on the dry lakes leaving you with a walk. The tow rope for the buggy makes it easier.

At some point a harness will be nice. It extends your time out. Also gives you a chance to just relax.

What kind of buggy are you getting ?

I know you are teasing Geo' No worries. I agree the fact you will need more kites only sounds sad if you haven't paid for the 1st one yet . I love buying kites but hate selling them !

revpaul - 20-4-2009 at 10:42 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Isaac252
I lold at the obe thing btw. So um kite killers I should get, and what about for the buggy, I shouldnt get any straps or harnesses until I'm good at it right?

edit: Just read about scudding it sounds fun :P Probably gonna be using old pants I dont need for it though lol

-good questions-
kites killers are good but they do break (which may be a good thing for your carcass.) so you'll still have to use caution when riding near others.
strapping(harness) kite to body is one thing. strapping buggy to body is another.
i've found stropping up limits manueverability somewhat so it's not that good for me here until farm fields are available.
you have wide open dry lake bed to ride so harness/strop is great for you *once you get hang of things:)
i personally don't intend to strap a buggy to myself unless i have to (if/when i start to jump with buggy). i'd like seperation (the buggy not to crack my skull or something else) when i OBE.
get some foot straps for buggy. once you get going good there will be bouncing and your feet will slip off the pegs otherwise. don't have straps too tight so that your foot(hence; ankle, knee, leg etc.) is locked in 'when' buggy flips.
again, don't sweat too much about the hazrads. you are asking the right questions and it reallly sounds as though you are on the right approach. as long as you are aware of what the hazards are and pay attention you'll be having fun and will be safe.
-scudding-i do a scud check before buggying. seems if kite won't scud me then it won't pull me in the buggy worth a beans.
*note-if your scudding along on your butt your butt will come into contact with whatever is on the ground. broken glass, rocks, sticks, dog poop, kite stakes, and who knows what else.
*get experience, add power later

Isaac252 - 20-4-2009 at 03:52 PM

Uh http://www.cobrakite.com/buggy.html#RadBuggy at the very bottom and the one for like $640

Bladerunner - 20-4-2009 at 04:06 PM

Sorry I'm not familiar with the radsail buggy. Those look like reasonable prices.

Isaac252 - 20-4-2009 at 04:13 PM

Oh, well hopefully its good :P but it seems nice. But I get no allowance til September. Hopefully its worth it :D Oh ya, definately going to wear atleast a helmet to the guy(s) who said stuff about safety