I have seen these kites for years but have never flown one nor have I ever known anyone who did. Now I have yous guys and surely I can get some
advice. Which one would you recommend as a first Rev kite for a static flyer? Would it be one of the speed series or would it be from the Blast group,
so many to choos from.
Any Rev kite gurus out there able to offer advice?
Thankscsa_deadon - 3-5-2009 at 10:57 PM
I would go with the rev I. Very forgiving and will give years of fun. The speed series I would not recommend for the first time flier. For example
the shockwave can fly backwards as fast as a rev I forwards. The revs can be a little frustrating to begin with. It doesn't take much wrist movement
to make them "dance". Just one guys opinionlad - 4-5-2009 at 05:38 AM
Consider the 1.5 SLE as a good "all around" Rev. Still plenty fast but OK for a beginner. Flying a Rev will really hone your flying skills!csa_deadon - 4-5-2009 at 08:06 AM
The best advice one can give when it comes to flying a Rev, is just be patient. It takes a llittle longer to get the hang of flying a Rev vs. a quad
line power kite, but it's worth it.revpaul - 4-5-2009 at 09:59 AM
same advice for most kites...
-what is your typical wind range-
-what is your budget-
-static, (meaning scudding/power or nice'n easy)-
like any kite, a Rev will pull pretty darn hard, and fast, in high(er) wind but there are vented Revs and a smaller RevII. if you plan on learning
then adding one or more Revs later then the cheapest (i think) 'new' Rev to learn on is a normal size EXP. there's always ebay. if it's just "add a
Rev kite to collection", the Speed Series Revs are more 'robust' than a Rev I or EXP.
my first Rev was a (small) Rev II. yep "patience" is a must and decent winds.
i also have a Shockwave, Rev I, and recently added a John Baressi Series (based off 1.5 SLE). i'm not an expert Rev flyer. Those guys are levels above
me. The Rev I, with it's long and tiny diameter leading edge spar, surprised me in that it all holds together in some pretty strong wind. The
Shockwave has seen nasty/wicked winds (and crashes) and has scudded me to no ends at times. Even buggied with it The JB series is real nice. I flew it completely upside down for hours when I first got it.
Paulawindofchange - 4-5-2009 at 10:51 AM
Have to agree with all the above, excellent info. Stay away from the speed series Rev's as your first one (Shockwave and Supersonic), the speed
series is blisteringly fast and can be very difficult to learn on. For power, I recommend the Powerblast 2-4, great all-around kite that flies in a
huge wind range and can pull you around very easily in the stronger winds.
For something to play with and static fly, the 1.5 SLE series is awesome. It is a bit faster than the Rev 1 and just as precise (when your skills get
better). The Rev 1 is slow and graceful. Both are excellent kites to learn with and will also challenge the best of pilots so you won't out-grow
either of them at all.
The B-series Rev is top of the line and is preferred by most serious Rev flyers. If you have the cash then the B-series is a kite that you will love.
If you are on a little bit of a budget, get the 1.5 SLE. Same shape and size as the B-series but much less in cost.
Hope that helps.DonaldLL - 4-5-2009 at 10:55 AM
Thanks for the repiles...
revpaul... you are correct. I need to add some 'scope' to the question.
My typical wind range? Hmmmm to tell you the truth like most people I never paid much attention to it until now and now is early May. So I don't know
how much that varies during the year nor am I a good judge of windspeed YET. With that 'disclaimer' I think we're talking about 8-12 normally with
potentially higher at times. Sorry I can't do better on this explanation for now anyway. Then again this is at the park near my house which is 15
miles inland from the ocean. I have not ventured out to the beach yet but soon will. I am sure that's a completely different experience. I'll post a
question on that!
I believe there will be more than 1 Rev in the quiver before it's all over. I have an adventuous S.O. who is as much into this as I am (if not more!)
so we'll probably have 2 Revs with the plan being not so much a 'his and hers' but rather looking at a good pair of Revs that will offer us some
diversity of fun and function.
Budget.... I'm not saying 'the sky's the limit' but we knew going in there would be some, oh let's call it, start up costs for this new hobby. We have
had 2 full days over the weekend to confirm our suspicions that we'd get hooked, so we'll buy what we want/need and do it with smiles on our faces.
One of the advantages of being a "mature" adult is we get to indulge ourselves!
DonaldUSA_Eli_A - 4-5-2009 at 10:55 AM
I'm a huge fan of the Race Rods. Once you start flying a rev. you'll never be able to stop! And will likely own several of them! Just don't forget
to order some rods, those Iquad guys give me ideas when botched up sometimes....gilligan - 4-5-2009 at 04:41 PM
Definitely start with a 1.5 SLE. If you get a Powerblast or Speed series first you'll just get frustrated. However, if you get on with it, the
Powerblast is an awesome second rev... power enough to buggy with, with instant depower. But a handful for sure!krumly - 4-5-2009 at 09:32 PM
I purchased my Supersonic 8 or 9 years ago as my first quad line after accruing several two line stunters, but well before starting into traction
kiting. It was frustrating the first 2-3 times out, and I crashed it a lot. And then it just clicked and I don't regret working to get to the
performance at all.
Oh, and the Supersonic was being sold at a great price, so I figured why not start with the race car...
krumlyacampbell - 5-5-2009 at 05:11 AM
You can tell when a Rev pilot picks up a foil. Their arms never move and the moment the kite launches they are compelled to spin the kite left and
right several times, even if it's an 8m foil...USA_Eli_A - 5-5-2009 at 11:42 AM
DonaldLL - 5-5-2009 at 12:10 PM
That's a great video... thank you!action jackson - 5-5-2009 at 12:28 PM
U2u sent!:bigok:..............ajUSA_Eli_A - 5-5-2009 at 02:08 PM
The JB series is real nice. I flew it completely upside down for hours when I first got it.