Hi there everyone.
Been browsing the forums to help me make a choice and built up the courage to finally ask for some advice.

I am looking to buy a power kite for xmas that my partner can progress onto boarding with. He has been out quite a few times now with his friend and love it. He is 6 ft and about 14-15 stone.

As its winter and the winds are higher i wasn't sure if this will affect the size i need to buy. Had been looking at a 3-4 metre.

Which of these would you recommend and in what size, or does anyone have better suggestions as i don't want to buy anything that is too tame or he can't progress with, sorta want an alrounder but understand that people own a number of different kites.

Thanks and appreciate any help offered.

p.s any advice on best shops to buy from, is online better. Did drive to blackpool to test one out but had sold it buy the time i got there so gave up.

Gwen

Hi Gwen
Either Hornet or Beamer are excellent choices and are among the most often recommended for first timers. 3-4 meters is perfect but not over 4m for the first time. Never worry about the kite becoming too tame; later it will just be his high-winds kite.

Because of the different aspect ratios (shape) of the two kites, one could argue that the Beamer will, size for size, favor lighter winds and the Hornet will do better munching gusts, but this difference is very subtle and both kites have a large wind range. I have had customers choose between the two based on color.

Thanks acampbell for your reply.

Is there much difference between a 3 and a 4 metre. Are they both suitable for buggying and boarding and are both ok in low winds.

As a newbie do you need to buy a wind gager or anything for safety so you know when to fly or not?? possibly a stupid question but thought i'd ask.

Thanks again :singing:

No worries; good questions and very thoughtful. Lucky guy.

Both OK for buggy or land board. I've done 40+ mph with a Beamer 3m in the buggy. the 4m will have a lower end wind range than the 3m but he will have to be more careful to avoid higher winds like 10 mph + as he starts out or he could get beat up a bit. The smaller the kite, the wider the usable wind range, generally, but these are close.

with the right touch they can be flown in 4-5 mph, with the 4m beamer the easiest but either in either size will be fine in 6-8 and about 8-10 is when they will start to drag him around on his feet With experience the 4m will have a range up to 20 mph or so and the 3m 25 mph with care and skill and no bad gusts.

Wind meter are nice but not necessary. There are many published versions of the famous Beaufort scale, but I have one here...
http://www.coastalwindsports.com/BeaufortScale.html

I personally think a wind meter is a great idea. It really helps to build a knowledge base and decide what kite to fly. I've been using the same Hall's windmeter for 6 years, it's always in my truck and has never failed me. Makes a great stocking stuffer too! I got the small, 7-30 mph model shown here ($23.50): http://www.hallwindmeter.com/gliders.php but I know a bunch of kite shops carry them also.

I recently did a review on the Hornet and Beamer...both 3m.

http://www.bigmikeskites.com/Comparison%20BvH.aspx

If he is new to the sport (as it sounds) a 3m especially in higher winds would be the way to go. The hornet would absorb gusts better overall due to its shape.

If landboarding and staying on the open foil side of the fence, a Peter Lynn Viper would be a good choice as well. hope this helps.

Quote:

Originally posted by acampbell Hi Gwen Either Hornet or Beamer are excellent choices and are among the most often recommended for first timers. 3-4 meters is perfect but not over 4m for the first time. Never worry about the kite becoming too tame; later it will just be his high-winds kite. Because of the different aspect ratios (shape) of the two kites, one could argue that the Beamer will, size for size, favor lighter winds and the Hornet will do better munching gusts, but this difference is very subtle and both kites have a large wind range. I have had customers choose between the two based on color.

Perfectly said as usual! I have also had customers choose between the two because they liked the color of the kite. That would be my recommendation on how to pick is which color do you like better.

Akulakat brings up another great kite ... the viper. Its a little more higher performance but still a very user friendly kite. The 2.6m viper is my favorite kite to play with, but in your case I would recommend the 3.9m

All 3 of these kites are great and you can't go wrong picking any of them. He truly is a lucky mate.

What kind of winds do you usually get? Are you inland or on the beach?

Thats the beauty of the 3 above mentioned kites. They will fly great in even not so great wind conditions.

Thanks guys for the great responses.

I'm a bit of a forum geek and research everything to the ground before i spend my cash on it.

What is the open foil side of the fence ? Read some good reviews on the Viper but wasn't sure if it would be suitable for what i needed but think that might be my first choice if it is in my price range. It would be flown on the beach as i live in Morecambe Bay so is ideal for kiting.

Would you give time to master the kite first before learning to board to or can they be done at the same time. There is somewhere in fleetwood that teaches, kite boarding etc so would that be best or is it more fun just to wing it to start with, broken bones hopefully excluded. Its what i'd do, but guess you can't kill yourself if you don't read the instructions to wiring your sound system in can you? lol . Advice appreciated. :singing:

Thanks again

You mention kiteboard on the water here. If you are leaning in that direction, you might want to just go out and get professional lessons. I know they are expensive, but its the fastest way to get into the water while still covering all the basics you will need to know. The down side is that you will spend quite a bit of time learning the basics of flying the kites. Upside is how quickly you could get into the water. Not only that, but they can recommend kites to you for kiteboarding in the water. The kites they recommend can be used on land, though some people prefer to have a seperate quiver for land use.

If you can wait to hit the water, and dont mind spending a little more to get multiple kites, you could start with one of the fixed bridle kites originally mentioned here and learn to fly it. Once you have mastered flying the kite, then go take your lesson for the water and you will progress a lot faster there.

It really depends on what your ultimate goal is. If you plan to stay on land, then get land based kites (foils, either open or closed cell). If you plan to stay on the water, get closed cell foils, or LEI kites. If you plan on doing both, well, then you are going to either need some hybrid kites (closed cell foils or arcs), or learn how to use LEIs on the land without destroying them (just takes practice).

Not to critisize, but your posts seem to indicate you arent 100% sure which you want to do. Save some money, and get kites you can use for all the conditions you plan on riding in.

Hi there Ragden
Thanks for the detailed reply. Think i might have confused you, with me being british and maybe some of my terms mean something different.

I am wanting a landbased power kite for my partner who has tried it a few times with a friend and wants to get his own power kite. I was wanting advice on which kite is a good all rounder to fly in both high and lower winds as i live by the sea, also 3-4 metre. He also wanted to try land boarding- not in the water so what would be the best progressive, all rounder kite to purchase.

Cheers hon

Dependant on weight, I'd go with the 3m. Either of the two kites will work just fine for you. The Beamers tend to be a pretty forgiving. I havent flown the Hornet, so I cannot really say how good of a kite it will be for you, but I have heard it recommended many times. Either would probably work just fine for you.

A lot of folks who land-board tend to lean towards getting depower kites (like the HQ Montana kites, or Ozone Access, etc). I know people who use fixed-bridle as well. It just depends on what you want to do.

In short, previous recommendations are very good ones. Either kite will probably suit your needs. Best of luck.

Cheers for that Ragden

He's 15 stone n 6 ft so think he may need the 4m but not sure if the size works specifically on the weight of the person ??

gwen :embarrased:

Quote:

Originally posted by gwendaleila30 He's 15 stone n 6 ft so think he may need the 4m but not sure if the size works specifically on the weight of the person ??

Little bit of both actually. At that weight you could get away with either. The 3m will not have nearly as much power as the 4m in the same winds, but it will be cheaper. Downside is you will have to work the kite more for the same amount of power. Hard call. I would still think you would be safe with either. You'll definitely feel the power of the 3m in strong winds, but it will take a bit more to get him rolling. Considering he will be landboarding, and that requires a little bit more power (in my experience), I'd recommend the 4m. He may still want a 2-3m for the crazy high wind days, but depending on how often you get winds above 30mph, those might be few and far between...

In steady winds, you can hold down a larger kite more easily. Its when the winds are gusty that you really get yourself yarded by a bigger kite. If the winds are on-shore, coastal, steady and strong, then he will be fine with the bigger kite...

Best of luck.

If your winds are under 15 mph MOST of the time, a 4m would be okay for a 210 lb (15 stones) guy. Landboarding you would want something a little less susceptable (spelling) to gusts. The HQ Beamer lets you know in a hurry when there is a gust. The PL Hornet absorbs gusts much easier, so putting that on a landboard and your mate will be less apt to fall on his face when a gust comes about. I have a friend who uses the PL Viper for landboarding and it performs very well. Like Dakitez said, it is a little more advanced of a kite than the others, but it really isn't too far out there. I think the size he recommended was perfect as well.

You mentioned where to buy earlier. Wherever you feel comfortable. See if there is a local guy near you that can help you out. Supporting the local guy will benefit you in the long run. If not, then proceed to the internet.

Thanks guys for the great advice. Found a local shop that also does lesson. Really interested in the option of the Viper that you have thrown into the mix, will see if they will give me some advice, if they ever respond to my phone calls. Left several messages over last wk and no rely yet.

Gwen