Hello, I've been lurking for a bit and have learned a lot from reading various posts.

I currently have an old, but in perfect shape, Prism Stylus P3 that is set up for dual line flying. While teaching my son, a line caught a concrete park bench and was cut.

I've been flying dual line for a while and consider myself acceptably good at it

I've also been wanting to step up to quad line, but been procrastinating, so the broken line is a blessing in disguise.

Here's my question- should I use the P3 to learn quad line flying or should I make a total upgrade to a larger quad line kite? Right now I'm leaning towards flying the P3 on handles, but I'm not sure what I'm giving up performance wise versus say a flexifoil rage 3.5. More pull for sure, but what about flying performance?

Long term, I'd like to try to kite ski as I am already a life-long skier and have lots of open fields around me. I know to do it right, that means a depower, but I think I could give it a whirl with a fixed bridal just to dip my toes in the pool er, snow.

Ok, enough from me. Thanks in advance for the advice.

Upgrade to a 'real' kite. The prism Stylus is an intro power kite and most quickly advance to another kite if they don't skip this all together. A 2.5 or 3.5 m Flexi Rage is a good choice for first serious power kite for learning. You'll only gain from this.

And you'll soon need other sizes later for different wind speeds.

The sizes stated above will be for learning, and for later, higher winds when YOU ARE SKILLED pilot and moving on skis/board, buggy..Etc.


Oh..and welcome to PKF.

Thanks Skim, I appreciate it.

yep, I'd second what Mr Washington said.

I converted my HQ Symphony. Once I flew the conversion, I've actually continued to buy the 2 lines so i could convert them. Here's the link and a link to the instructions.. it's not difficult to do.

http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=26213

http://www.riffclown.com/kites/HQ2.2.4Conversion.pdf

nothing wrong with fixed bridle for all forms of land kiting, but there's a few things to keep in mind. Flying fixed bridle unhooked for skiing is relatively very safe because you have the ability to simply let go. However, cold weather coupled with your hands above your head and squeezing handles equals frozen fingers within minutes. So you get a harness and hook in, but this requires either using simple strop and hook spreader bar which is simple and easy to use, but lacks a quick release. Then your left with the option of buying a pulley to run the strop through, a quick release to attach to spreader bar. Great!! Oh wait a minute, now your handles are too far away and now need to buy or make a different spreader bar and or buy different climbing type harness to keep attachment point close to body. Great back in business!! Oh wait, after using this set up in less than ideal conditions, you find yourself either getting beat up or sitting still. Depower solves almost all of these issues and no need for special harness modifications or pieces.

The only exception to the rule where fixed bridle and pulley work decent is on ice so you can ride slightly under powered but still be able to keep moving well do to little surface resistance.

You mentioned utilizing fields. Fixed bridle will only be successful on snow covered fields if you happen to have great wide open clean wind. So you will most likely need a depower for successful riding but there's absolutely nothing wrong with dipping your toe in with fixed bridle.

All just my opinion, but these are some of the steps and thought processes I went through with winter time kiting. I also happen to have a flysurfer peak 9m for sale that would be good to advance to once you have gotten proper experience in on a 3-4m 4 line kite.

Thanks Skim, I appreciate it.

Not sure why, but my last post showed up a second time.

Riffclown - thanks for the info. The kite I have comes set up to fly either 2 or 4. So, I'm hoping it wond be major surgery.

Ssayre - thanks for the info, very helpful.

By using a proper kind of pulley with your spreader bar you avoid all the pitfalls described above. Since I got rid of my Frenzies more than 10 years ago I've never looked back and never miss DP. BUT I kite in low drag conditions and that is the key to my choice. If I kited deep snow, mountainous terrain, water or using devices difficult to make quick change of direction with (e.g.snowboard) - then DP would be my choice. Now I enjoy kiting with kites 2.5 times smaller and correspondingly more agile without ANY pull on my arms and with more comfortable one hand steering and so more comfortable, not twisted, upper body position.

Thanks again for the input. I just pulled the trigger and have a new 3.5 Rage on the way. Can't wait!

I think I'll get a cheap dual line set for the P3 and use it for teaching my sons or when friends want to fly.

Great choice on that 3.5 Rage. You'll never outgrow it; you'll just be able to fly it in higher and higher winds. You can also fly it in nearly no wind. And it's also good for static because of how you can spin it on it's axis.