Hey powerkiters...newbie with questions here.. hoping to get some advice from the experts.

I've been learning to fly an Ozone Imp 2.5 for the last 2 weeks up here in Canada, having fun but now want to move up to something I can ski behind this winter on some fields or frozen lakes.

There's a 2009 Ozone Access XC 8m for sale locally for $450...includes bar & harness. Think this would be a good first depowerable kite to go up to? I'm 6'1" 215lbs....and 45, so while I might enjoy the occasional bit of air, I dont want to end up in a bodycast . Eventually I could see myself getting another kite for lighter winds (is this how the madness starts?)...but this would be my main kite for the winter. What's the current thinking about wind ranges, would I be overlapping a bigger kite range? Should I go 6m and then 10 for example?

Also, any idea if this is a good deal? Local retailer wants $900 for a new Access 6m with harness. The used one has ~20 hours of flight.

thanks loads for any help
Swyper

Welcome!!
Yes this is how it starts :-) I have been "power kiting" since the 1st week of Aug and now have 2m, 3.3m and 8m FB rigs.

One thing I can recommend is get a good idea if what your typical winds are going to be, that is critical in figuring out what will be a next kite. Your summer winds may be 10mph and your winter 20mph. This will help the pro's here better recommend a kite.

I can agree with Lamrith ... got my little PL trainer 1st week of August and now have 4 and want'in more ....

Welcome ... I am born and raised alberta boy myself ... maybe we will fly by each other one day...

The 8m Access seems like a great deal.

If you have winds like we do here (WI) in the winter, it would be an excellent starter. My go to when I was starting was a 7.5 m Frenzy. Once I figured out how to handle the power safely, I got the 10m Access and 13m Frenzy. The 10m Access is probably the go to now. Still playing with ARCs and Flysurfers, though.

Welcome Swyper! You'll find that for our winds the 8m would be a good trainer to have around and a great kite for those high wind days once you have your Frenzy, Flysurfer or Arc quiver all set in the bigger sizes. I love my Access 10 - super stable, super predictable and an "Open bag, flop kite, shake lines and GO!" kinda kite. Great price too.

You guys get some stronger winds than we do but I think my statements are a safe bet but make no mistake, it'll be a trainer at your size. A good trainer and a great high wind toy but for this season, prob a trainer.

8m is good for playing it safe.

You won't have much power to start.. If your winds blow 20-25+ you'll be golden @ your weight.

Hey neighbor, welcome to the forum

ya, I am thinking the same. an 8m is a safe start, but you`ll need and be wanting more canopy for regular riding. It will be a useful high wind kite later on though, so definitely fine to start with.

honestly I'd go used 10-12m. just start in easy winds.
for 450 you can buy pretty much any decent used kite you want.

just stand firm on your price point

I got my FS 17m for 460 shipped.


Theres a 12m 05 frenzy on sale for 300 on colorado springs craigslist..
And you might be able to talk BV Eric into selling his well loved 11m frenzy for 450.

For sure it's alot of kite but atleast you won't want more later.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Out on the frozen Alberta lakes & prairies we get winter winds of 20-30km/h, gusting to 40. I'd be on skis...never learned to board and I'm kinda old-school anyways

I'm tempted to follow dandre's advice and look for a good used 10m...although the deal itself is hard to resist, it includes an Ozone harness with spreader bar. And not far away...might just drop by for a quick peek at it.

cheers

Swyper
the 8 access is to small for you, at 155# I would be way underpowered on the access unless the wind was over 20mph.

ya depends what you want

1) "erring on safety for learning" [edit] lean towards the easier learning path and a small kite, ie get a kite that you can do all sorts of things in lighter winds and still not get punished as a beginner, this would be the 8m for you

2) "erring on getting a more usable kite" [edit] lean towards a bigger, more usable kite but a more laborious learning process due to the extra power, but still within safety considerations for your weight - a 10/11m should fit this for a guy 200+ with some basic experience

I know in the earlier post I just said the 8 would be useful later on, but the more I think about this...the 8 is pretty small for a guy 200+, the 8 for you might be equivalent to about a 7 or even 6 for me..not sure how much I would use a 6. Its safe for sure, but maybe not all that usable later on except for a storm kite.

At 200+, you'll be wanting a manta 15 at some point in time. A guy in the Canmore region owns a manta 15 (not sure about his weight but should be in and around 200), and he flies it a lot. Wait on that though...15 is too big to start on.

by the way, don't worry about getting the kite asap, kiting starts earliest end of November, realistically, early December around here. So, you got a good amount of time to look around.

just buy an aggressive goto kite and ease yourself into it.

goto kite takes priority over safety.

Yeah I'm passing on the 8...I only want to buy 1 kite and harness for this winter so I'll keep looking. I've got a 5m buggy kite on its way this week so I'll have some time on that in the next month or 2 to get comfortable.

Besides the Access/Frenzy/Manta, what other good used snowkites should I look out for? Should I be looking at LEIs?

Quote:

goto kite takes priority over safety.

In my book, safety takes priority over everything else.

Quote:

Besides the Access/Frenzy/Manta, what other good used snowkites should I look out for?

HQ Apex/Montana.

hoho, opps! looks like my earlier post sounded like option 2 sacrificed basic safety for a more useful kite. Not what I meant although it sure sounded like it with my original wording. I edited it for future readers that may dig this up.

lol thanks kitedelight.

I guess I'm in the #2 category then...a higher appetite for risk, with a steeper learning curve.

One of the many things I've picked up from motorcycling over the years is to "dress for the crash"....knowing I *will* wipe out, so dress accordingly. In fact I might adopt one of these nuggets of wisdom to kiting:

"There are only two types of kiters: those that have hurt themselves, and those who are about to"

Besides, if I hurt myself badly my wife would kill me and my kids would laugh at me :tumble:

the ozone access is a great kite to learn and is a kite good 4 pulling i fly a ozone access when i start this sport buy the kite you will use the kite in fast wind :wee:

ps: braley have a kite 2011 ozone access 8mm new 4 $900 i think check the sale area