I started on a PL venom I 13m. It's a good starter size and is well behaved. I then got 3 guerilla I (13m, 15m, and 18m). Guerillas where the first "refined" arc PL produced. It took the s-arc, which was mostly a prof of concept kite, and made it user friendly and added loads of performance. Is it a bad kite by todays standards? Depends on what you are doing. On water, it is a bad choice. On a land(buggy or board) it is alright if you are just cruising but there are better arcs for jumping and tricks(venom to charger 2). I love my 15m Guerilla for cruising across my field. I can jump with it, but not nearly as high and easily as I can with my venom.

To sum it up, don't get an S-arc. If you want to cruse and have no intention of jumping or tricks, a guerilla I or II, bomba, or phantom are good choices for little cash. For performance and tricks, a venom I or II, synergy, phantom II, or charger II are good choices. Avoid scorpions, chargers I, and f-arcs. these are advanced performance kites that sacrifice user-friendliness for performance. Avoid them for now, especially the f-arcs since they really cheap like s-arcs.

I'm a small guy as well, 5' 6" & 145lb. I've ridden both closed cell foils and LEIs on water. My most used kite currently is the Neo2 11m which I use from 15 - 25 knots here in So Cal, 25 knots is a bit overpowered but I've been kiting for quite a few years, would not recommend that high for a newbie. Anything below 15 knots I ride a Matrixx 15M. I also ride a Venom2 15m which has a little more power then the Neo2. So which would I recommend? Personally I would recommend the Neo2 11m, it is a good beginners kite, easy launch and landing and the 5th line safety works great. I haven't ridden the Synergy 15m personally but it is a good option as well but Arcs are a different beast altogether due to the longer learning curve to launch and land compared to the Neo2. I learned to kitesurf on my own with the Venom so it can be done but I feel I would have progressed faster on the water if I had started on the Neo2 or on a newer gen LEI. Hope that helps a little.

Quote: Originally posted by Snake

I started on a PL venom I 13m. It's a good starter size and is well behaved. I then got 3 guerilla I (13m, 15m, and 18m). Guerillas where the first "refined" arc PL produced. It took the s-arc, which was mostly a prof of concept kite, and made it user friendly and added loads of performance. Is it a bad kite by todays standards? Depends on what you are doing. On water, it is a bad choice. On a land(buggy or board) it is alright if you are just cruising but there are better arcs for jumping and tricks(venom to charger 2). I love my 15m Guerilla for cruising across my field. I can jump with it, but not nearly as high and easily as I can with my venom. To sum it up, don't get an S-arc. If you want to cruse and have no intention of jumping or tricks, a guerilla I or II, bomba, or phantom are good choices for little cash. For performance and tricks, a venom I or II, synergy, phantom II, or charger II are good choices. Avoid scorpions, chargers I, and f-arcs. these are advanced performance kites that sacrifice user-friendliness for performance. Avoid them for now, especially the f-arcs since they really cheap like s-arcs.

I would disagree that the Phantom is not a good kite for jumping. Any arc can be a good kite if you don't want to jump though. I've been in high 50s and lower 60s in my buggy with 9 and 12m Phantom IIs and have never been lifted by one through flight control.

On the phantom, I was just pointing out that there are better kites for the job. most people fly them in buggies and just cruise with it. I have never flown a phanny but I heard it is the f-arc with it's nuts cut off so I assumed it was less for jumping and more stable.

my phantom 15 would boost huge in 20knots, the first time i took it out was on the water, nice 20knot day ...but i had to hit the landboard with it first...wow almost the width of the beach! ended up in the dunes! speed and power seemed endless...all with kingkong bar pressure.

stable, friendly for hi AR kite with some "depower"( kinda ). twinskin c-kite basically, my vI vII seemed tame in comparison seems like... though they are much quicker

first kite i could boost thru transitions with, a serious air chair

definitely stable. in low wind gentle giant

Quote: Originally posted by PHREERIDER

my phantom 15 would boost huge in 20knots, the first time i took it out was on the water, nice 20knot day ...but i had to hit the landboard with it first...wow almost the width of the beach! ended up in the dunes! speed and power seemed endless...all with kingkong bar pressure. stable, friendly for hi AR kite with some "depower"( kinda ). twinskin c-kite basically, my vI vII seemed tame in comparison seems like... though they are much quicker first kite i could boost thru transitions with, a serious air chair definitely stable. in low wind gentle giant

Phree I was pretty sure you coined the phrase "skyjack" referring to this kite. Mine was lifty and floaty flying static if I just played around with it.

here we go...original post... a real throw back Feb. 2009

http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=8435#pid662...

lotta voices on that old thread ...arc disease was rampant at the time

Quote: Originally posted by PHREERIDER

lotta voices on that old thread ...arc disease was rampant at the time

Wow Phree, thanks for digging that up !! Crazy alumni on that thread and BANG - a post from AJ... takes you back.... :cool2:

phuturizing the past so we see the present clearly, indeed a nice trip