I am looking into buying my first Kite.

The short list at the moment is the flexi foil sting 2.4m or the Ozone imp quattro 2.5m.

What are the pro's and cons? I am also open to other suggestions

I havent flown the ozone, but my smaller stings seem a little lacking in some areas. I love the flexi brand... i might recommend the Rage, have you checked that one out? They make a 2.5. Very good kites, the Rage

Depending on what you weigh, and your wind conditions, I might recommend 1 size bigger, though.

Welcome.
What do you envision doing with kites? Static (on your feet) recreational flying, Land board, kite buggy, kiteboarding (on the water)?
I agree with considering the Sting in 3.3m if you want to go with that route. Bladerunner here on this forum once made the point, and I agree, that at 3m or above, a kite starts behaving like a "real" kite and not buzzing around like an angry bee.

Good for you for not wanting to start out too big, where you could get spanked.

Consider also an HQ Beamer 3m There are even some used ones available here on the forum, which is pretty rare, since people usually don't let go of them. (OK, one is mine) .

I have some notes here...
http://www.coastalwindsports.com/ChoosingAKite.html

Thanks guys I have tried the Rage but was looking for a slightly cheaper option to get me started.

I want to use the kite just to get used to flying and then take it from there. So you think the Sting rather than the Ozone?

Having flown the Sting, I recommend the ozone.

Owning the Rage, I would recommend that. Trust me when I say its worth the money.

The Sting just doesnt fly as well. I own them for beginners and ridiculous winds.

Check out Ted Dougherty's Profoil kites. They are amazingly easy to fly for a beginner.

http://www.kiteinnovations.com/Profoil.htm

Quote:

Originally posted by simlewis Thanks guys I have tried the Rage but was looking for a slightly cheaper option to get me started. I want to use the kite just to get used to flying and then take it from there. So you think the Sting rather than the Ozone?

Is there anybody out there who knows about Ozone kites?

Looking at the Imp or the Flexi Foil Sting

here's a Rage 2.5m for sale on my local craigslist. I'm sure he would be more than happy to ship. I just met the dude last week, definitely a reliable seller! $250

Ozone is one of the top brands on the market, the IMP Quattro is a great kite and the size you are asking about is excellent. The kite is super stable and power delivery is very smooth and predictable. It is an awesome kite and a perfect choice for someone just starting out in the sport.

(IMO) Ozone and Flexi are the top of the line kites, you can't really go wrong with either one. You hardly ever see an Ozone for sale and they are one of the top selling power kites on the market. That alone should tell you of their quality and performance.

I've got a FF Sting 1.2 on a bar/1.7 on handles/and a 2.4 on handles, I've got a 3m Ozone Samurai 2 on a pulley bar, and I've flown an IMP on handles before but don't remember the exact size, but I do remember it being around 3m. I didn't fly the IMP for too long, though, so my review won't be that great.

FF Sting:
The FF Stings are fun in higher winds, are very well made, great for introducing people to traction kites, and for learning how to fly a traction kite. I've shown quite a few people how to fly on my 1.2m sting, and it's survived countless fullspeed crashes into the sand/grass/dirt. There are no rips/fraying and honestly, it still looks brand new. For traction purposes they are a little fidgety *for my taste*. With the kites being so small, they lose stability and sometimes collapse or backstall, especially in gusty conditions. If you're considering a Sting, be sure you get lines that are longer than the stock lines if you want to board or buggy. They are only 15m and while that's fine for learning, they don't provide a big enough wind window to be that useful for traction kiting. I don't know your experience or weight, but I think for longevity (learning first then traction kiting later) you should consider a 3.3m Sting, or any kite at least 3m in size. Just fly it in lower winds during the learning process to be safe.

Ozone Samurai 2:
This kite feels rock solid in flight, is very well made, provides lots of pull for its size, but turns a little slowly. I think I can safely blame the bar for the slow turning though, and I might be able to remedy this with some small tweaks to the brakes. It's also taken beatings from people I've taught but doesn't have a sign of said beatings on it. Relaunch ability is also excellent- I usually just had to pull one of the back lines to make it tumble over.

Ozone IMP:
Like I said, I don't remember the exact size, but I know it was it was a 3.something. The material didn't feel as solid as Flexifoil's, and I remember it feeling different than my Samurai's.. softer/silker, I think. I noticed the owner didn't have the kite properly tuned (too much brakes), so I went over and tuned it for him, and he let me give it a go. It felt alright, but the lines were short (about as long as the Sting's), and while it did fly well, I didn't fly it for that long...I was really anxious to get back to my 7m Bullet so I could ride. I think it would suit the purpose of being a great kite to learn on, though I can't really speak to performance as buggy/board engine based on my short experience flying it.

Like Dylan mentioned, the Rage is a great kite. I have the predecessor to the Rage which was the Bullet series. My Bullets have been my most flown foils overall. Lots of pull, turn quick (I fly them on handles), stable in flight, stable in gusty conditions, lots of range, versatile, and they have survived MUCH abuse (especially my 7m).

And like acampbell mentioned, a 3m+ is going provide you with a better kiting experience overall because you'll be able to learn on it in lower winds and use it more confidently in higher winds after your kiting skills have been developed.