Hello All,

It looks like I stumbled across a great forum here. If I provide a bit of background perhaps you can give me some insight. My fiance and I went out today (Miami) to fly our $30 Spider (Flying Wings) kite... a beginner 2 line kite. The wind was steady today at about 15mph. I have flown it many times. Wendy flew it once before. Today it got buried/planted quite a few times before she got the hang of it. The gusts would pull hard enough that she got a bit of a workout and she liked it. So when we're done she says "I really like that. Let's get something that pulls more!" which brings me to the forum. I don't think we will ever go landboarding or buggying although I have been intrigued by the kiteboarders I have seen around Miami. BTW she's 135 lbs I am 185lbs and we both exercise alot and are very active. She's mid 40s I am mid 50s. All that being said and I know nothing about kites. I have ONLY flown 2 line recreational/stunt kites and kites when I was a kid long ago. I start thinking I'll get the HQ Symphony 1.8 or 2.2. Then I start reading about the new Beamers. So I start thinking about the Beamer IV 2m or 3m. Well I am already seeing the potential addiction here but we like our hobbies and we intend to indulge ourselves at this point so what advice can you provide? If we did nothing but static flying? What if I/we even had the slightest thought that we might try kiteboarding? Is the Symphony even worth getting if I get the Beamer? And if I get the Beamer should I get the 2m or 3m considering our lack of experience and Wendy's weight? Can the Symphony and/or the Beamer take a beating until we get it under control?

Thanks in advance for your help

Donald

Hi... I'm 40+ and have been flying nearly all static for about a year and a half now, just finishing up a session on the beach here in HK, did a mile-long kayak downwinder, discovered me and my buddy can almost go upwind with that rig! So yes the possibilities are endless, but once you get hooked on the traction aspect, sooner or later you'll want a quiver of kites so you can get a safe level of power in most winds. So I think it's best to buy with that in mind.

The symphonies: are brilliant kites. My nieces have the 1.8 and I have the 2.2 and the 2.7. I'd say go straight for the 2.7 as the others do not provide as good a level of power. The 2.7 is quite high aspect ratio for it's size, also has a slim profile, so it is quite fast and has a lot to teach the begining traction pilot. It's worth realizing that 2 lines kites are usually measuered by span, and the 4 line kites are usually measured by area. thus the 2.7 is actually only about 1.5 m in area, and the 2m beamer will be significantly more powerful than the big symphony.

If you are just going to get one kite to start, however, go straight for the beamer 2m or 3m depending on your winds, as the proper 4-line kites with handles are the way to go for flying static, you lose a lot of feel with a bar, but you don't need a bar until you start doing depower (which doesn't really come alive until you are moving on buggy / ATB / board or need to fly with one hand).

You don't mention your location or your average winds. if you often have the winds for your partner to get a workout on the $30 kite, the 2m will do. If that was a pretty special occasion wind-wise for your area, consider the 3.

your'e on the right track with your choices, though...

Both of the kites will take nearly any amount of beating on soft sand or grass, but gravel and sharp rocks will nuke your new kite in no time....

Don't get a bigger kite just yet -- you could probably handle one, but your partner at 2/3 your weight will find it a bit harder. The main reason to hold off is that flying a proper 4-line will tell you what sort of kite you want to go for next. Also you may be able to pick up your later kite used off the forum. But the beamers are cheap enough so I'd buy the first one new.

hope that helps, and welcome to the sport and the forum!!!

btw, nothing is better than hooking up with local flyers in your area, do give your location so that any locals on the forum can give you a hand -- 2 hours with an experienced local will likely be a better learning experience than trolling youtube, vimeo and the forums for two weeks....

furbowski... thanks for the reply. As for location and wind, I am in Miami Florida where it is often breezy. I am so new at this that I do not really know how best to describe the wind. We live 15 miles inland so the wind will be different at the local park than it is on the beach (ocean). I'd say yesterday's wind was certainly 15mph with occasional gust to 20. This is not the norm at the park. At the beach this may be typical but inland I'd say 5 to 10 mph would be a normal day for kite flying

Touching 20 would lean you towards the 2m and 5-10 would definitely make the 3m lots of fun and just the right amount of pull. Get the one to match most of the conditions you will be in and start there. The 3m will fly in 4-5 mph with some work, and will start to come alive at about 8, then still be fun for a newbie up to about 12. I'm guessing you could add 3-4 mph to the top end of the 2m but I haven't unwrapped mine yet. Bottom line is that you will have loads of fun with either one and you can "hide" from somewhat higher winds at the top and edge of the wind window with either one because they have reduced lift compared to lots of other kites. Pick one and get it home. Your life won't be the same afterwards.

Avoid 2 line kites for learning.

With a 3 or 4 line set-up you can reverse launch the kite after a crash. This saves a ton of agro' and chasing around after each other.

If your desire is to move to the water then the Hydra or Scout are a bit better option. Both fly on a bar , like the kites you will use on water. The Hydra has the added advantage of being able to be relaunched off of water.

A 2m kite doesn't fly as much like the bigger kites. 3m is a good place to start. It will produce pull like the bigger kites + won't fly all twitchy like smaller kites tend to.

Well.... so much for fiscal responsibility and planning. I just got off the phone with Angus Campbell (Coastal Wind Sports) and now I have 2 brand new kites on the way. As you all know it is easy to rationalize an addiction so I decided to buy the Symphony Speed 2m and the Beamer IV 3m. The Symphony can be carried in a backpack which is a factor. It will also be the one that I let others try out to introduce them to the sport. The Beamer IV 3m seems like a no brainer from everything I've read. I think we are covered... for now!

Good choices!

Angus and all of us will help any way we can !

UPDATE:

Well I will not complain but maybe I have created a monster and a habit that will cost me twice as much. My partner arrives home last night and we sat down and reviewed Angus' website. I showed her what we bought.... the Beamer IV 3m and a Symphony Speed 2m. Afterall, this was her idea, right? I only acted upon her suggestion

Now I/we have not labled these kites as my Beamer and her Symphony but after she reads and gets the picture, ie. 2 lines, 4 lines, she says "I want a 4 line kite!" She says, "I assume you got the 2 line kite for me?" Well, I am like Uh.... well... I was thinking that.... I thought you ..... errrrr... hmmmmm. She says, " I want a 4 line kite, I want handles not a bar, I want those killer things and I want a workout so let's get one big enough to pull me but not too big. What should I/we get?"

Guys (and gals), this is like having you wife, girlfriend, significant other, come to you on a Sunday and say "Honey, your game is coming on. I am fixing your snack and your beer is chilling in the ice chest. Did you want me to call the guys and see if they want to come watch the game with you?"

So who am I to deny this lovely person her wish for a 4 line kite! I called Angus and asked if we can make a change to the order. The result:

Beamer IV 4m
Sting II 2.4m - handles and killer things included

Both to be delivered before the weekend!

Oh Happy Day...... Oh happy day.....

Now you will both be even happier than before. Both of these kites will serve you well for years and grow with you as your skills progress. They also will form a great foundation for the larger and more specialized kites that will surely follow. Angus can handle your future orders as well.

Nice kite selections. Having your significant other get into the sport will be great. You can actually get twice as much use out of your kites assuming that she can fly a size down from you.

lol, my girlfriend is scared of my kite, she wont even go out with me! I offered to get her one but she was having no part of it.

She compares it to me not wanting to go purse shopping with her:puzzled:

Welcome aboard, btw, tons of great info to be found here!

You best keep that Girl !
She sounds like one amazing partner !
Be sure SHE knows how lucky WE think you are to have her!

My fiance has been bitten and its not the kite to her it is her kite and for me to go fly my own kite

she always bugs me about the wind and flying and won't stop smilliing while she flies

her 2m sami

I am in love :bigok: