hello guys im pretty new to the forum but have been kiting for about a year off and on, only recantly have i really decided to get in to it. i own a sting 2.4 and a pansh ace 3.5 and acess to a beamer 1.8 tsr and a no name mountain board. i still consider my self learning because i fall a good amount (on the board mostly) and im just barely learning to go across the wind and not just down wind, however i am pretty confident in my control of the kites not over confident but confident. with all that said im intrested in starting on a depower kite from the research ive done im thinking a 7 meter and my question is.... whats the better begginer (for depower) kite Blaze II, Ozone acess xt, or the HQ apex II. i would like a low lift kite that is user friendly, im planning on just mostly crusing no huge jumps or anything crazy....yet:wink2: so first i thought the ozone acess or the HQ apex which from my research are good begginers but where does the blaze II fall? i understand there is quite a bit of setup with the blaze II but i dont mind that and personly i like pansh kites but is it good enough to be considerded begginer? I guess what my question is bettween all of these kites what are pros and cons and which would you guys reccomend? of course im pansh biased but i am still considering the other two! thankyou in advance!!

I can't speak for the other kites, the Access is nice. I have a 7m Ozone Access XT very slightly used (twice) I'm willing to part with if you decide to go that route.

The quality is great on the Ozone.

Have you figured in the cost of a bar and lines for the pansh which are included on the apex and access? I saw the apex in action at NABX and at the sod farm a few weeks ago, and it is a stable powerful kite that would be ideal if you don't want lift. The Ozone is inarguably a great kite if you can find one.

Figure your total cost of equipment and time to get the pansh going and in the end are you ahead on either performance or money?

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Originally posted by Akulakat I can't speak for the other kites, the Access is nice. I have a 7m Ozone Access XT very slightly used (twice) I'm willing to part with if you decide to go that route. The quality is great on the Ozone.

Mike, isn't the Access XT only made in even intervals? 4, 6, 8, and 10?

I haven't flown the apex, but I've heard nothing but really good thing about it, and it's well priced for a depower. So if you're serious about keeping with the sport it would be a good beginner kite that will stay with you for a while.

The Pansh is a good beginner kite, but it really needs to be tuned to fly wich most beginners can't do. Mine has been flying for almost 2yrs without a problem, was tuned by blake. It's a great low power kite to learn on, but I woulnd't really call it depower, it has a bar that changes the line length but it behaves differently then your standard depower. Still though for nearly 1/2 the price of an apex, if you get it tuned, it's a reasonable low cost option.

Really depends on how much you want to spend and how long you want to keep the kite for

thanks everyone i think i might be leaning toward the apex or ozone i still of course am going to continue researching for a while and do price comparisons. we all know that in the end alot of the time it comes down to price! there does not seem to be much review on the blaze and i was not sure if because not many people own it or if other kites just blew it away in prefomance and thats why people dont even worry about it. like arkay said that i dosent even behave like a depower!

I love my Access when I want to cruise along. Power it up and it will keep up with others with no problem. The access is a great kite if you want something that delivers smooth power without a lot of lift, which is great for beginners, but it is still quite capable of producing some serious speeds as well when you add some wheels

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Mike, isn't the Access XT only made in even intervals? 4, 6, 8, and 10?

Doh! yes, it is an 8m. Still a cool kite.

Avoid the Pansh.
You will need to buy a bar and lines to go with it. You won't be able to re-sell it for much. The bridle and pulleys may not stand up as well as HQ or Ozone.

I think the Apex is 7.5 but it or an 8 Access would be good better choices.

The Apex II is a good beginner to intermediate kite. If it does lift you (which you have to pretty much make it do intentionally, hard to do accidentally) it floats back down pretty softly. So the chances of you slamming back down after finding yourself airborne are pretty low, even if you let go.
One thing I found tho, and this is something that they are starting to teach at the big schools, it is a lot better to put your kite at the 10 or 2 mark when resting. Sitting it at the zenith and doing what you need to in a gusty wind might lend you to being lofted. I generally agree with this and have been changing my habits. ANYWAYS, back to the kite,

I personally love this kite, but when I actually want to throw for bigger jumps and have some more pop I fly my Montana V 9.5m.

Here is a video link from NABX of it in use while in a buggy (I was filming from the back seat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qNE5naighA

and here is it on the snow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nAWXqQnjAE

have fun!! and hunt me down we will fly sometime, I am usually at a lot of kite fests of all types.

Nic

thanks again everyone im pretty sure the blaze is out of the question so now its a matter of finding the funds everyone was helpful.

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Originally posted by abstract808 thanks again everyone im pretty sure the blaze is out of the question so now its a matter of finding the funds everyone was helpful.

good choice

I was a supporter for the blaze II. It would be a good kite if it came RTF. The problem is most people that would buy that kite are newbies and have no idea how to tune it.

The blaze II, apex II, and Access all have the same flying characteristics. Lower aspect, very stable, low lift. The amount of de-power from least to most is as follows ... blaze II , apex II, then access. I love my apex's!

Seems like you have already made up your mind about the Blaze II, but if you want some more info Jovver on this forum had one for a long time and the sold it. He now has a couple tube kites. He would be a good one to ask for a comparison.

Best thing is to try before you buy. Everyone is very biased as to their opinions. Some like and dislike different things, and some have different flying conditions and limitations that sway their opinion.

The only person who I know with a 5m Blaze II was struggling with it when I met Him. He had it on the wrong knots and was getting no place due to the lack of instructions. Once I got it set up right it was a very well behaved kite and good starter. Of course he found it was too small very fast but this taught him to loop and work the kite hard. This has made him a good flier.

The bridle wore out on him very fast. It was a good kite to get him started but didn't stand up over time. HQ and Ozone will stand the test of time much better.