i am going to use it in palmdale, which has wind speeds of 10-20 mph most of the time, for a kite landboard the board is a ground industries flight 92, i am new to this sport please help

I doubt it, the rage is not meant to be a lifty kite. It's meant to be a good kite for pull. You should be able to get moving on a board with the 3.5, but you will likely need to be towards the upper end of your wind range to be powered up enough to go upwind and get some real power / speed happening.

You'll likely find that the rage is a good kite to learn the basic skills, which will allow you to later on use a freestyle fixed bridle kite like the blade or the crossfire.

One of the problems with the kite flying learning curve is that the kites big enough to give you decent lift and float with the winds you mention are about 5m and up in size, and are big enough to be dangerous to use without skills. But the kites small enough for you to learn the skills safely are not big enough to safely jump / freestyle on. Your 3.5 rage is a good learning kite, and a good kite for stronger winds later on, but as far as I know it's not a freestyle kite.

I'm fairly new to the sport myself, others on this forum will be able to gie you more specific information.

Let me know when you get bored with that Rage. I'll trade you a Flexi Sabre Mk1 7 mtr straight across if your Rage has a bar.

Greg

Furby aptly describes the would-be jumper's conundrum about kite size, learning and jumping. Good advice there.

A smaller kite in higher winds is easier to learn on than a lager kite in lighter winds. It will be forgiving in mis-timed turns, as it will be easier to keep your lines tight.

But the Rage 3.5 would be an excellent kite to learn on in the wind range you describe, starting out on the lower end and then working your way up. As stated it is not a lifty kite but you do not need that now, and not in that size. It is a fast kite meant to develop it's power down low in the window, and will in fact go upwind pretty well. I have one and it is my buggy engine for winds over 20 mph when my 5m kites become too much work.

It is stable and easy to fly and will prepare you for that 5+ m freestyle, lifty kite like a Crossfire II, Peter Lynn Twister or if you dare, a Blade. (or better, de-power, like kitedog's Sabre)

A smaller kite in higher winds is easier to learn on than a lager kite in lighter winds.

i have to disagree with this statement. a larger kite in lighter winds is more stable, therefore he can concentrate on the board more. however id suggest learning to fly "any" kite before he steps on a board.

Carl and Angus are both right !

Learning to fly a kite = smaller kite in biiger winds.

Learning to ride ATB = Larger kite in lighter wind.


Problem is NO kite can do it all ! You NEED to plan on a 2 or 3 kite set-up.

That rage is a great kite and a very good choice to get started. It will give plenty of pull ! Exactly what it is designed for. It will give all the power you want and need at 1st. It will become a reliable high wind engine as you grow.

I would say, go for the Rage if the price is right !

Welcome and have fun!

Hey Drw18,

I've flown in Palmdale a few times...usually just skirt it on my way to El Mirage or on a visit to my sister's house.

As you state, winds are usually in that range and can be very gusty...at least the places that I've went.

A rage would be perfect...handles gusts pretty well for a fixed bridle and will get you going good on a landboard. After you've mastered that, you can move on to a freestyle kite as described above. But that Rage will not be wasted at that time, you will find yourself still going back to it on those days when those lifty kites are too much too handle.

BTW...after you flown for a while, shoot me an U2U and you can meet us at El Mirage....miles and miles of dry lake with no obstructions. Wind is usually strong but is pretty damn smooth considering it's inland location.

Have fun!

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Originally posted by carltb A smaller kite in higher winds is easier to learn on than a lager kite in lighter winds. i have to disagree with this statement. a larger kite in lighter winds is more stable, therefore he can concentrate on the board more.

I suppose it's a question of degree. I was thinking of two things.

First when on wheels the moct common mistake for a novice is chasing the kite, especially in a turn, and slacking the lines, even running them over. In higher winds, this will not hapen as easily as it is easier to keep the lines tigh- much more forgiving.

Second, the larger the kite, the smaller the useable wind range, and at the lower end, a lot of finesse and timing is required to keep th kite moving in its own apparent wind.

I have handed my Reactor 8.3m to someone who had never seen a foil before, but it was smooth coastal "Goldilocks wind"- not to little, not too much, just right. But the average novice would not know how to judge that sweet spot.

If I fly my Reactor 10.8 in winds enough to make it easy to fly, I am completly overpowerd unless harnessed, but even then it is a handful with a high pucker coefficient. It will fly in 2-5 mph but you have to time everything- turning and brake inputs- perfectly, I find

Quote:

however id suggest learning to fly "any" kite before he steps on a board.

Excellent point for sure!

the point of my last post (but not very well put!!) was he will find it easier to use a larger kite in lower winds "once" he has learnt to fly a kite properly. i dont know whether you are a landboarder or a buggier, as yuor avatar suggests, but when landboarding you need a larger sky anchor to lean against, whereas when buggying, you are just being pulled. there is little chance of him running over his lines (this is also why i think you are a buggier) as your stance just wont let it happen.

I like the expression " Sky Anchor " !

This is why I found / find riding ATB with a larger kite is better.
When I screw up and lose balance there is something to lean against ( the bar or handles ) in order to get my balance back . Also with a larger kite you don't have to dive the kite much at all to get moving.