totally new to depowers and i have a 17m pl bomba in my kitchen i want to try--what would be the best winds for a first time flight?also,should i be hooked in the first time out? being such a big kite and having never flown a depower,im a bit apprehensive.......

since peter Lynn kites fly off the front lines, you'll want to be hooked in. If I was you I would try and learn on a smaller kite but if you're like me and there's no other kiters in you're area take it out in lower winds first. Maybe try 13 or 14mph depending on your size. Although I'm not completely sure on the wind speed

6-8 knots

pull the trim strap all the way towards you, let it out bit by bit as you get confortable with the POWER

welcome to the D'ARC side.

In order to properly use the Depower, you must be hooked in!!!

If you try and fly this kite without being hooked in you will be putting the kite on full power with no ability to depower it.

I would take it out in winds that are just barely strong enough to get it inflated and make sure you have tons and tons of room with no dangerous objects down wind from you. As you get use to the kite, you can start working on stronger winds.

As Rickardo said, pull the trim all the way in, leave the bar all the way out and start from there in light winds and power it up as you get more and more familiar with it.

I also think it would be wise for you to start on a smaller sized kite or have someone else with you that is very familiar with ARC's.

Be safe....and wear your helmet and gear!!!

I agree with the others I think it best if you start on something smaller. I'm afraid the biggest problem you will have is you will take it out in light winds to be safe, but then the kite won't work properly for you. Mostly (especially having not flown de-power before) when you pull in the bar in light winds the kite will want to back stall, especially if your trying it static.

Dakitez is right on. You are facing the big kite conundrum. That's an awfully big kite to start with, and compensating by flying in very light winds that you think are safe might frustrate you because it will take some experience you don't have yet - no fault of your own. You have flown big kites before like the larger Blades but there is more going on here that is new.

If you must try, then watch the PL instructional video until you are sick of it. If it did not come with the kite, you can get it online or I can FTP it to you. Then wait for that sweet spot wind of about 8 mph or 6-8 kts as Ricardo mentioned.

Note that the video will implore you not to hook in until you are launched and OK at the edge of the window, reasoning that if you get in trouble you can let go and dump on the safety leash (connected you your harness). If you hook in for launch and fly direct to the edge of the window as directed though, you will be OK and will have more control options.

thanks guys for all the input- there is a place in toledo called red sky that give lessons and such--i think i'll contact them for a lesson or two before i get myself hurt

yep if you launch it unhooked make sure you pull in the depower strap alot. I always launch at the edge of the window, hooked in, and never have issues. In the water or on land if the kite is straight down wind, depower the kite alot. This will help you pull a wing tip towards you, the kite will taco or will be folded in half. At this point ,tug on the front lines and the kite will relaunch easily...................:duh::duh:

Good call on the lessons... even though I have an SLE that I've flown a bunch I just took a 2h lesson at the gorge and learned a bunch of new things and hopefully corrected a bunch of my bad habbits! IMHO, a few hundred dollars in lessons is certianly cheaper than the ICU...:Ange09: