Hello all,
My name is Rodney and I live in the very nw corner of NC. I recently was on vacation at the OBX of NC and visited Kittyhawk kites and purchased a HQ symphony 1.8 as something to play with while there. As luck would have it we had a storm settle in on us for 4 days and the wind was very strong. I had never flown a kite like this and had a ball getting jerked up and down the beach until the beach disappeared with the oncoming water. With no place to fly I drove the 20 miles to Jockey's Ridge and got lifted out of my tracks and dragged for the next three hours and now I am hooked! I have been looking and reading for the last month trying to decide on my next buy. I weigh 235 and am looking for a kite to scud and jump with but am undecided on what to get and what size.I do not want to fly just maybe jump 5 feet or so at a time. Any suggestions? I have varying winds and know I will have to pick my days to fly but also am planning on going back to the coast again this year. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
I posted this in another section which was probably in the wrong place:puzzled:

Do you like handles or a bar? If you want handles you get better control. If you want a bar, you could get a depower bar, which has a much larger wind range. I'd let some other members chime in before you decide, I'm kind of a noob.

The constant recommendation for a first 4 line kite is a 3m stable kite such as an HQ Beamer. I too learned on a symphony and then progressed to the beamer. Don't think you need a big kite for this next step. The 3m can fly in 7-8 mph winds and will drag you all over the place in 15. It will teach you how to handle power and how to control the kite with the 4 lines. Don't worry, you can get and be ready for a ~5m kite after spending time with the 3m, and the 5m can be a kite that has a bit of lift if you want to jump some. Don't think about jumping till you can fly the 3m without watching it. Imagine someone saying "I've been wanting to learn to drive and get in one of those NASCAR races". Take the steps and you will learn more and stay more safe along the way.

also realize you don't need to post the same thing in multiple areas. try clicking on the today's posts button near the top and you will see what I mean.

OK as only a 8 month flyer I would have preferred someone else answer. Don’t want to overstep my bounds ukno. but time to get the conversation going...That said I believe most would agree a 3 or 3.5 would be a good addition. if you are really hooked you will need this size in a quiver anyway........A lot depends on your ultimate goal in this sport. I have like 4 kites this size and don’t regret any of their purchases. Watch it w/ the jumping, might want to go slow there

I was leaning more towards handles with kite killers. I have been looking at HQ Beamer 4.0 and 5.0. I also made several trips back to Kittyhawk kites and looked at the Tensor line also. Have been trying to read everything I can, like I said I wold like to have a good strong pull but I will not rule out a depower kite with bar if I can find one at a deal. Thanks for your reply!

If a 3 to 3.5 will pull me around thats great! I wasn't sure of the size due to my weight. I just want to get one that I will not get bored with too soon.

3/3.5 will pull your arms off and give you some of the upward motion you desire(depends on conditions). it is not for jumping, but you really need to hold off on that thought for a bit. It will wear out your sneakers and get you going on an ATB....if your gonna stick around w/ this.. get to handles. I dont think you want to go depower till you know the end game. Have fun fly often.

That sounds great! I might have made it sound as though I want to jump but to be honest a couple of feet high and 5 to 10 feet at a time is plenty for now. It hurts too much to smack the ground out of surprise. What kite will give me what I am looking for?

I like buying used from another member. Haven't regreted it yet. My fav 3m is my reactor. Fast, predictable and has some lift too......save a 2le $$$ for kite #3..... you'll be looking for that soon

Welcome to the family!

A couple of golden rules (ok, recommended guidlines) I've gleaned from this forum:

Minimum kite size for jumping - greater than 5 meters

Maximum kite size for starting power kiting - less than 4 meters

Just my 2 copper coins - pick up a 3-4 meter kite and fly the crap out of it (while saving for a larger one ;-) )

I would start by looking at hq pkd peter Lynn ozone and pansh. There are others too but I have not flown them. Remember that you get what you pay for. If you buy the cheapest kite you just might get the cheapest kite. The only one's I would steer you away from at this point due to how aggressive they are would be the pansh ace, the flexifoil blade, and probably the peter Lynn twister.

I have been flying for three months and have an HQ Rush 300 pro (2.8 m) and a tensor 3.1. I weigh 275# and both these kites drag me across the beaches of cape cod with a huge smile on my face. A 3m kite will let you learn control and get a feel for flying and be wicked fun as well. Good winds and safe flights to you!

ncbowhunter @ 235lb your going to need atleast a 5 meter foil to get some 5 footers @ about 10mph

Bob is right; please do not try to jump yet. Something over 5m is what you want for jumping, but not what you want for learning. Remember that the larger the kite, the more narrow the useable wind range is. And forget about de-power for now.

Some have found this tutorial helpful.

A fixed bridle kite of 3-4 meters will serve you well for many years, even after you add larger kites to your quiver.

This is the kind of info I was looking for! Now to decide on a kite, I have found a Beamer V 4.0 for less money than a 3.0 (both new). I have also seen an older 3.0 Beamer, how much difference between a Beamer III and a V?

4m is an odd size.

A bit big for learning and a bit small for low wind. Harder to resell. Probably why the one you are looking at is cheaper than the 3m.

3m will serve you from beginer to heavy winder. Folks usually hold on to it .

I think under the right conditions, and given your size, you could learn on a 4M. I went from a 2M Hornet to a 5.6M Twister IIR in no time. The key to the 5.6 was flying in the absolute low wind range of the kite until I got used to it. I weigh a lot less than you so I think you could manage with the 4M as long as you respect the kite and concentrate on skills development and not leaving your feet. It really depends on your average wind conditions too. I have found that given the way my winds are where I live, I could have learned on my 3.9 Viper S.

I believe the difference between the III and V is that the V has thinner bridle lines, providing less drag through the air.
If you are sensible about the conditions you fly in, then getting more (4m) for less seems like a better deal. You'll have a blast with either of those kites :wee:

Yes, more kite for the money but less flying time might be the net result. Listen to what Angus is saying about wind range. The 4m will be too much kite in less wind than the 3 will, possibly resulting in you flying in too much wind for the kite or not getting to fly when the 3m would've still been ok. I've put new fliers on 4 and 5m kites with only an hour or less experience. It was prudent at the time but handing someone a kite to fly right now is different than making the right decision on your first kite that will be the most fundamental in your learning curve. It's not so much about hurting yourself, it's about getting to fly with the wind you have.

I have been researching the avg wind speed for my area and the daily avg for the summer months is 5-10 and the winter months are 15-25. I spend two weeks a year on the NC coast either at Emerald Isle or Corolla and am really looking forward to some beach flying. I am a private pilot and know all to well what the winds can do and how unpredictable they can be for this area. What kind of pull could I expect for the average day at the beach with the 4.0 size? I was flying the little 1.8 with winds in the 25-35 range and it was fun getting dragged about, I probably got close to 20hrs total logged on this kite in the last four days we were there. I know better than to try a bigger kite in high winds but the area around here in the summer months has a 5-10 breeze most of the time.

Here is my 2 cents. Ive been flying for about 5 years and thought I wanted to do some jumping and wanted to get something bigger than my 2.5 meter 2 line I was flying (Elliot Sigma 280). I flew a friends Peter Lynn Hornet II 4.0, 4 line without any problems. So I went and purchased the Peter Lynn Twister IIR 5.6. I did not think that there would be that much difference from the 4 m to the 5.6 but I was wrong. It was too much kite for me at first but because of previous experience it only took a few belly drags, and a couple of light wind days 5-8 MPH to get use to it. However, if I did not have the previous experience I would not have ever been able to fly the 5.6 and would have regretted my purchase. I'm 6'5" and was 245 when I bought the Twister IIR 5.6.
Since then I have gone back and purchased the PeterLynn Viper S 3.9 to fill some holes in my quiver. (I did not really understand the need for so many different sizes, but there is a reason for it.) So if I were you I would go for the 3m or 4m range learn on that get use to it. (I can not do any scudding with a 3m in 5-10mph winds) Then when you can, purchase another larger kite for jumping. I have not flown in 20-25 mph winds but look forward to it but I wont be flying my twister in those winds yet and probably only would fly a kite in the 3 meter range.
Have fun

nc, realize that your symphony is not sized in square meters like the 4 line kites are. I think it might be 1.8m long tip to tip and actually less than a meter square for comparison. You might be fine with the 4m if you always have 5-10 mph winds in the summer. Stick with the symphony if you are flying static in 25 mph winds.

I think I have decided on a 3.0 Beamer if everything works out. I can always go up in size if needed, just not ready to be yanked out of my shoes right now. I have a deal pending with soliver I do believe :bouncy:

Thanks to everyone for your info and advice on a new kite. I'm sure I will have more question as time goes by :wee:

Great kite at a great price! You can't lose !

Notice how fast this kite got scooped up ! THIS is one of the reasons a 3m is a better choice than 4m. + all the other reasons the 3m will serve you better.

glad to contribute to your new addiction, ncbowhunter, will be getting the kite to you soon!!!

Got it today, looks great!!!!!!!! Cannot wait to try it out this weekend :wee: