Hey, (sorry if this is in the wrong location / already been talked about, i couldn't find it though)

I currently only have one kite, a 3m eolo radsail. I also own a crappy mountain board, and I would like to get more experience on that, and become a competent kite land boarder over time. (looking at getting a flexifoil G2A.)

My current budget is £170 (approx 268 USD) i want a kite that will let me be able to get out in more wind conditions and not kill me if i make a mistake. (i can be a tad nervous)

im still trying to decide whether a larger (7-9m) de-power, or a 4m ish foil would be better.. (Thoughts ?)

two options of foils currently are the Blade Mk2 4m, or the Bullet 3.5m (2003 model i think)

so taking into consideration these two kites, (and also comparing them to a 7-9m depower)

What are peoples thoughts on these kites ?
what are the differences ?
which will be better for my requirements? (large wind range, usable with a mountain board, wont kill me if i make a mistake)

thanks in advance,
Tim

The Blade can be a pretty aggressive kite - from what you describe that you want to do, I'm not sure that it would be the right pick for you. I've never flown a Bullet so I'll have to leave that for someone else to say...

I had a 4m Beamer IV at one point (which is a pretty mild kite) and found that it was a little harder to handle in gusty wind than my 7.5m Apex II depower (which has a larger wind range). Something like the Apex may suit what you want to do pretty well. Perhaps keep an eye on the classifieds both here and at KiteCrowd and Racekites.

Ozone Access is similar to the Apex. I didn't like the Access XC that much because it was very slow to turn. The XT's from 2011 onwards are much better.

The Blade is high speed ( high aspect ) , high lift best for feestyle.
The Bullet is a lower speed ( low aspect ) , lower lift , more pull. My 1st funtional quiver was a 3m trainer , 4.5 and 7m Bullets.

You already have a 3m kite. Is it " right sized " for your winds ? The 3.5 Bullet or 4m Blade are both sort of high wind kites? Around here it seems a 5m is the best all round size for a single fixed bridle.

Your price point makes depower choices very limited.
Look for Apex, Access, Pulse, older arcs for forgiving depower at a low cost.

I would be very cautious of the Blade since you state you are a developing ATB rider. Yes the lift will eventually be what you would want as has already been stated in terms of freestyle riding, but a Blade even in 4.2 size can be dangerous to the inexperienced. I am however a fan of the Bullet. That said, it is also a bit on the "twitchy" side like the Blade, but it won't lift you straight up and slam you hard into the ground unexpectedly like the Blade can. With the right winds my 2.5 Bullet is my best kind in quiver for shear grin factor. I saw a 3.5 Bullet on eBay U.K. last week and was hoping to buy it but too many others drove the price up which I'd say is a pretty good testament to how much people still like the Bullet line, even though they are older kites now.
If you really want a foil to learn and progress on that can be managed, I highly recommend the Bullet. You will never outgrow it, it has the most power for it's size than any kite I own, and it can surprise you with some lift too.

Thanks AnnieO, very helpful.
Would you recommend the bullet over a small depower ? 7-9m..

I no longer own any of my bullets and fly mostly depower these days but everybody has to follow their own path.
Your present budget kind of limits your choices in depower.

One word of caution. The Bullet is a more forgiving kite but I have seen the 4.5 and 5.5 slam people hard who knew how to jump. It is NOT designed for jumping !!!

I have a blade II 4.0 and love it, but as people have said....you better be ready to fly a kite like this. In gusty conditions it is not very forgiving, it can lift you up and drop you just as fast. Also if learning how to buggy or landboard it can be somewhat of a pain compared to the newer versions. The tips like to fold in on you and cause the kite to bowtie...Not fun and a little frustrating.

I also have a rage 3.5 which is pretty close to a bullet 3.5. This kite is great for most of my flying. There are days that it is either a little too much or not enough. However, where I fly it is gusty all the time so...If you are on a beach with a more consistent wind I would go with a little bigger kite, say a 5m fixed. You should be able to get one of these on your budget if in the right spot at the right time.

Then just up or down sizes to fill your quiver for wind conditions. If you want to go out when it's really blowing out then move down to a 1.8 - 2.5....Less wind move up to 5 - 7

Most important thing is that "you" are comfortable flying the size kite you picked for conditions. Once you are confident, you can pretty much handle any kite or at least know how to put it back down if you are overpowered without hurting yourself.

Good Luck and enjoy learning the sport. One last thing...Try to see if you can borrow some different kite sizes from others around you. This make picking one out a lot easier.

Hey Elfasa, I have not yet ventured into the depower arena but have been tempted. The reasons why I have not are two-fold:

First mainly because I really don't have high enough sustained winds where I live. There are not many days I could get sufficient use out of a depower kite. And if I did try to go the depower route I'd need a large size, but I can't learn on a large size so anyway, depower is not much of a help to me.

Second, all the experienced kiters on here have encouraged me to learn everything I can about handling a fixed bridle kite first. The advice has always been learn the fixed bridle skills until you can fly blind even in more challenging conditions. I've been told if I can do this I'll be more than prepared to learn depower. I'm ready to learn depower now, its just that my winds really aren't the best for it.
If I were you I would listen to the experienced kiters advice, learn fixed bridle kite handling and become highly proficient at that while you are saving $ that will allow you a better price range to eventually look for a used depower kite.

Okay, thanks for your advice. Maybe I will stick to a fixed bridle one.. If I do which ones would you recommend for a smooth power, low ish lift, east to fly, high wind range etc etx. I'm looking at a ozone samarai 2 5m on eBay that finishes in about an hour and a half.. Thoughts ?

Sami are fantastic old kites ! Sort of what you are after. Stable and predictable.

elfasa,look here http://forum.kitecrowd.com/ for locals to assist you. PKF is mostly N. Americans,so shipping would be steep. Kiterowd is a UK based group. Over here we try to avoid buying kites on "FLEABAY",as there are too many knockoffs and ripoff artists.


A 2.5m kite isn't gonna get you landboardin' like your UK counterparts, I don't believe they are into rolling around. They get AIR! and plenty of it! EDIT** YOU MEANT SAMURAI II 5M That's much better for ATB

http://vimeo.com/11376983# These guys are sick!

Can't comment on the Blade but the Bullets do not like lumpy or gusty winds. Too much "on/off" power- meaning instantly! My 2.5 will Superman me in strong gusts. How about a Beamer?

Thanks weldingod ! sorry, yeah i did mean II 5m, my mistake ! i am going to bid, there are 2 available. do you know a reasonable max price for one ?