Last Sunday I had to opportunity to fly my 4m Toxic static at a local kite festival. The winds were so right I was up for at least 3 hours doing inverted turns, large loops and long sweeps just above the grass. I was the best work out that I had in a very long time. I have been pondering the idea of buying a 5 or 6 or 8 meter Toxic for those really low wind days as I like doing inverted turns, large loops and long sweeps just above the grass. Here is my question - Is it worthwhile getting a larger kite that I can fly like my other kites or will it have to much power for me to handle ??

yes
you need more kites

Hey Ralph - did you go to Burlington? They always hold the festival the same weekend as the Dumfries Kite fest in Cambridge so most of the kite club members come to Cambridge but it's definitely not the best location for any power kites or even stunt kites as lower winds are turbulent at best.
Your question again has a very open ended answer - smaller kites are more nimble and more fun to fly static. A small kite in higher winds can have a lot of power. A larger kite in light winds is manageable flying static but you will need a lot more control input to make it turn tight and then it's a longer slower pull. With a small kite in moderate winds you will feel pressure as you do that down turn but steering a big kite into a down turn means more handle pressure and more torque on the handles to bring it around (especially if you are not using a harness) and it's a little longer time for that kite to pass out of that high pressure zone so if you find something hard on your arms or wrists be prepared for a lot more. You can fly much larger kites in very light wind but takes a lot more flying skill. I enjoy static flying big kites in very light wind - almost like indoor flying - but you need a good light kite to be able to do that otherwise you are doing more running than finesse flying. Bigger kites are good for light wind traction - once you hop in a buggy or skiing etc, the apparent wind often will allow you a nice cruise and not too much pressure on you as you are moving with the kite. But for static flying a large kite you need a good open area for clean room and ideally a good surface to allow room for yourself to slide safely without catching your ankle in a hole etc.
Next weekend is a big 2 day kite fest in Brampton and then the next few are further away (Québec) before back to Ontario for Port Colborne for Canal days weekend kite fest.
This time of year you should check out Port Weller for a fairly close beach for you to kite fly. We are usually surfing Long Point if there is SW wind on weekends and tons of room to fly on the beach there and go for a long slide. I can put any size kite in your hands you want to try from 1.5m up to 22.5m depending on style of kite - how big do you want to go?

I've needed your 22.5m lately. I'm having trouble even picturing it in my mind. I saw your jibe video, but I'm sure that's nothing to seeing it in person.

Oh, and yes. I think you would enjoy a large kite in light winds. Demoknight has an 8 meter for sale that I would buy if I could.

Yeah the big kites are great when it's all the wind allows but they are slow and really require work to be very responsive and as much fun as the small ones.
My favorite kite days are when I can throw up a 2.5 and do all the low level power passes and loops you are talking about. The days where I have to fly my 8.3 Reactor are really just intended for workout purposes flying static. Yes, the 8.3 is ok with the buggy but it is big and slow and far from my first choice since I'm only 125lbs and not keen on the idea of being hooked-in to this kite, so as a consequence I'll tire out pretty quickly even though I'm very fit.

The biggest kite I fly that I can still manage to have a fun time with static and in the buggy is my 6.8 Viper S. While not known as a lifty kite it has provided me with soft and generally predictable landings when the mood hits to do some mild jumping.

I'm still getting comfortable with my 7 and 9.5M depower foils but these are really only suited for the buggy as they are just not intended for a static environment.

Hi Dan, I love the Toxics. I actually have the 8m Toxic I am looking to sell if you are interested. You are able to static fly it in wind you can barely feel on your face. For very light winds, a large kite is a ton of fun because it will still drag you. It does take a little more skill to fly a large kite in light winds, because you have to plan your turns well ahead of time because you have to keep it moving and keep the lines tight or it can stall out. With just a little practice, you can fly in almost zero wind with the 8m and larger kites.

Don't let the size intimidate you. In light winds, the 8m Toxic has the same pull that the smaller 4 and 5m kites will in moderate winds. The pull is just going to be a longer and more firm pull because the larger kites are slower through the window. It is still a ton of fun to fly static, especially if you have a harness so that you can just sit back and get dragged down a beach. That does not mean you need a harness to fly a big fixed bridle though. They are just as much fun to strong arm, but I get tired of that after about 30 minutes versus being able to fly for hours non stop when I hook in and take the weight off my arms.

Quote: Originally posted by markite

Hey Ralph - did you go to Burlington? They always hold the festival the same weekend as the Dumfries Kite fest in Cambridge so most of the kite club members come to Cambridge but it's definitely not the best location for any power kites or even stunt kites as lower winds are turbulent at best. Your question again has a very open ended answer - smaller kites are more nimble and more fun to fly static. A small kite in higher winds can have a lot of power. A larger kite in light winds is manageable flying static but you will need a lot more control input to make it turn tight and then it's a longer slower pull. With a small kite in moderate winds you will feel pressure as you do that down turn but steering a big kite into a down turn means more handle pressure and more torque on the handles to bring it around (especially if you are not using a harness) and it's a little longer time for that kite to pass out of that high pressure zone so if you find something hard on your arms or wrists be prepared for a lot more. You can fly much larger kites in very light wind but takes a lot more flying skill. I enjoy static flying big kites in very light wind - almost like indoor flying - but you need a good light kite to be able to do that otherwise you are doing more running than finesse flying. Bigger kites are good for light wind traction - once you hop in a buggy or skiing etc, the apparent wind often will allow you a nice cruise and not too much pressure on you as you are moving with the kite. But for static flying a large kite you need a good open area for clean room and ideally a good surface to allow room for yourself to slide safely without catching your ankle in a hole etc. Next weekend is a big 2 day kite fest in Brampton and then the next few are further away (Québec) before back to Ontario for Port Colborne for Canal days weekend kite fest. This time of year you should check out Port Weller for a fairly close beach for you to kite fly. We are usually surfing Long Point if there is SW wind on weekends and tons of room to fly on the beach there and go for a long slide. I can put any size kite in your hands you want to try from 1.5m up to 22.5m depending on style of kite - how big do you want to go?

Mark - As usual you have all my concerns well covered. When you guys go to Long Point I would be interested in static flying a 6M kite. Also can you also include Neil in your Email list as he is very interested in going too.

Do you have a harness? I like to do the same maneuvers your talking about with my 5.3 viper in lighter wind and the harness allows you to do things you couldn't otherwise while static and it takes all of the stress off your arms and wrists. You have a lot more control over the brakes in a harness.

Personally, I really like flying big kites static in low winds. It's true that they aren't going to fly very fast and be very responsive, but just being in control of such a huge thing flying in the sky is really a lot of fun. The best kites for this are 6 or 7 meters, anything bigger has so much material that they need a fair amount of wind just to get it off the ground. And if there's too much wind a big kite will pull your arms out of your socket or loft you. On anything bigger than a 7 meter, the window between enough wind to fly and too much power is pretty small and you can't use it so often.

You could also consider a big Nasa wing. Since they are single skin, they'll fly in very little wind and they look great.

Quote: Originally posted by jimbocz

Personally, I really like flying big kites static in low winds. It's true that they aren't going to fly very fast and be very responsive, but just being in control of such a huge thing flying in the sky is really a lot of fun. The best kites for this are 6 or 7 meters, anything bigger has so much material that they need a fair amount of wind just to get it off the ground. And if there's too much wind a big kite will pull your arms out of your socket or loft you. On anything bigger than a 7 meter, the window between enough wind to fly and too much power is pretty small and you can't use it so often. You could also consider a big Nasa wing. Since they are single skin, they'll fly in very little wind and they look great.

The Nasa wing was suggested by a friend, but to any hobbies and not enough cash (LOL)