picked up a apex 7.5 (3) a while ago and recently started fooling around with it to understand its' use and compare it to fixed bridles before the snow flies in michigan.
have an opportunity to get a version 5 8m. would there be any benefit from that, as a beginner DP, compared to the version 3? is it THAT much better?
do not intend to landboard, but might. this will pull me around on snowblades, which was previously done with a scout 5m.
what might be an intelligent step up from these kites? a larger apex, or something along the lines of an access or lynx, should they show up for a good price somewhere?
i'm 56 years old and a whopping 144 lbs, but i feel that i'm in pretty good shape.
any advice/thoughts/opinions/etc. are, as usual, greatly appreciated.
thanks!
tom

My 7.5 Apex III picked me(175lbs) 10 feet out of the buggy when a really strong gust hit at the wrong time. I stayed composed and flew the kite and immediately grabbed the landing strap when I was back on the ground.

Wear a helmet and other safety gear if you got it. Do not underestimate the kites ability. Know your safety systems. And how to layout/pack-up in all types of conditions and scenarios. Start with low winds and slowly work your way up till stronger winds. Its best to have a friend with you while your learning.

I'm still newish here, I'm sure some of the veterans chime in. The v5 is probably nicer and may fly better, but the v3 is still a great kite.

Defining what your kiting goals are will help decide what your next kite is. Your next step is probably into something larger for those lower wind days.

i learned dp on the 7.5 v2...very easy kite to fly
you could always grab that backstrap and the kite came down under control
i think your chic loop was upgraded from the xxx i was on
id go w/ what you have to learn on...then maybe upgrade??..but i think you'll be happy w/ the 3

Hey Tom,

So some of the key differences between the v3 and v5 Apex are that they went to a front-line flagout system for a safety rather than using the old red Top-hat safety. They upgraded the bar, but the chickenloop remained the same. One common complaint on the older Apex Kites was that the depower/trim lines were too far away. Between getting rid of the tophat, and moving to a clamcleat system, they shortened the reach distance to the depower which a lot of people liked.

Performance-wise, the v5 does not backstall as much as some of the earlier versions. Both versions are well behaved - the v5 might be just a bit more so. Personally, I don't think I'd bother buying an 8m Apex 5 if you already have the 7.5m Apex 3. I think you're money would be better spent on something either bigger or smaller. I'm personally a big fan of the 5.5m Apex - its my favorite size Apex kite. Great size for beginners but also pretty snappy and has enough grunt to get you moving pretty nicely in a variety of conditions.

Of course it all depends on the wind and surface conditions you plan on riding on. Like OffAxis said, if you have a more specific idea of how you think you'll use the kite, I could maybe be more helpful. I've personally used the 5.5m Apex5 in everything from landboarding to buggying to back-country skiing; its a fun little kite.

The trade off with the lack of backstall is the Apex 3 sits on the brakes/anchor better than the 5.

I fly Apex 3 and they are great kites, though the top hat is fairly far away. I shortened my chicken loops so I could reach the top hat easily. My wife cannot fly them, her arms are too short to push the bar all the way out or reach the trim straps.

They are gentle kites and I've only had to pull the safety once, flying the 5m, when I almost got lofted climbing a ridge. As the kite came above the ridge it rose into a layer of much stronger wind and I was boosted pretty hard. Pulled the top hat and the wind came out of the kite immediately and left me sitting right on the ridge instead of being fired over it.

Apex 3

have apex iv 5.5 its one of my least used kites. its fine, but I like the way my pansh genesis 8m fly's way better.
closed cell for the inland gusts prevents the gust blast crumple that the apex gets the wind knocked out of it sometimes also during bad lulls it keeps its shape on the ground ready to launch, I've had the apex land on wet ice and be pretty much be unlaunchable when the wind picks up again. its kinda slow through the wind window due too its fat foil shape makes for mellow power stroke not abrupt and jerky. low aspect for fast turning. tons of depower. much wider wind range than my apex. never lofts suddenly, rather a mellow lift at worst.
and to top it off you can afford two new pansh for price of a used apex. 5 th line flagout is nice for landing in a pinch, and seems to tangle less.

I just picked up a 5m Apex II, just got to fly it for the first time today (static, not enough wind for the maiden roll of the bug), gotta say, it flew quite nicely, was almost like static flying my Crossfire. At 6'3", the bar throw, adjusters and tophat are a lil far away even for me. Might be better with my seat harness.. but i need to do some sewing on it first, i gots the meaty quads,lol.

hey
loads of useful info here, as usual.
i'll fiddle around with the 7.5. if i ever find it lacking an any way, that'll guide me to another possible purchase. sounds like i really have a winner already, and didn't even know it!
tom

If you like the Apex and the issue is the trim reach, maybe there's a good deal out there for a used bar? At this point you could probably find a bar with better safety systems and ergonomics for a lot less than trying to replace the Apex. Just a thought.

hey
"just a thought?" no, that's a fantastic thought. thank you very much for that idea.
it never occurred to me that i could just swap bars.
gotta get the kite in the air soon and find out if the bar is even an issue. a better safety system, alone, is certainly worth considering.
tom