I think my next kite if it is a depower will need to be able to go upwind and be able to let me jump but wont drop me once I'm in the air. The depower foil that I have right now is the slingshot ranger 12m. It is great for landboarding and freestyle( from what ive heard, Im still learning and dont want to go out in higher winds and do a huge jump YET ) It has alot of float but it just doesnt have the speed to let me get upwind on my board. Normally when I go up wind I ride toeside since I am better at it than heel side and I like the feeling of toeside more than heel side. I'm wierd, I know. I feel that the ranger doesnt respond as well when riding toeside.

I learned to landboard on my 5m HQ Scout and it goes up wind fairly well but I am always afraid to jump with it on a board because I cant sheet out if I have to and the jumps can happen very quickly.

HQ, Montana, Matrixx.....Peter lynn venom, scorpion, phantom, charger, phantom II Flysurfer Speed 3 or 4


these should all do the trick. all of them will take you up wind and will give you decent height and hangtime. the ranger is a good kite, but jumping with it can be finiky at times. anything else that you think we can comment on for help?

I agree with flyjump but would like to add that when riding toeside one tends to edge more aggressively to maintain balance or fly underpowerd so as to prevent being pulled over. As a result of either you will travel slower and diminish your upwind ability. The problem may be more your style then the kite you're flying.

Also, I forgot that ozone frenzy and manta will work too

George loves his Ozone Frenzy's.....

I can rule out the flysurfers right now. they are way out of my price range. Ive always had some interest in the manta and frenzies. I know the mantas are fast, but I dont know anyting about jumping with them.
I would prefer a fifth line so the matrixx is an option. can the montana, frenzy or manta have a fifth line?

I plan to try an arc in april at wbb. Ive never flown one but ive heard nothing but good things about them.

I just want to be sure about what I want before spending a large sum of money on a kite.

If you can't go upwind with the ranger that is technique, not the kite.

how do you go up wind with the ranger erratic?

Put the kite at 10-11/2-3, stomp heelside & lean back a little to try and engage power with traction, move slightly downwind tack as I pick up speed, then lean back and apply more power to rear edge until I have any upwind angle, eventually I will lean too far and board breaks loose and I have to re-establish traction by taking a slight downwind line again, and repeat knowing where the board is going to break loose from too much power.

Surface you are on determines how much power you can apply before you break loose from traction/edge, kite position determines where this power is coming from, right? So, the ranger doesn't sit as forward as some other kites in the wind window, this doesn't mean you're not going upwind with the kite ever, just that you might not have big upwind tacks.

I have a ranger and progressed with it from never upwind to upwind on nearly every line. You just need more flying time, to keep working on it. If I can do it, anybody can!

oh, I really need to try that next time i fly

thank you

To second Erratic's thought, the Ranger goes upwind great assuming you have enough wind.

FLoats for days in a jump. Has your Ranger been modded or is it bone stock?

@shortline :

i have some used flysurfers that are not posted anywhere... what size would you want ?

anything for light wind
7 mph to 15

and maybe a higher wind one 20 mph and up

HQ Montana is good up just over 20 with the 9m for me best I recall. For the 7mph arena, you'd need a 12m.

does anyone have any warriors or something else that they want to sell or trade. I have a HQ Crossfire II 10m that I can trade.

how does the ozone frenzy and manta comparae with the slingshot ranger or the hq range