I actually already longboard and am comfortable at higher speeds so I think that's the way to go from here. Thanks so much guys

Now we're talking! That makes me very happy to read Newb. With that part of the learning curve behind you you should be having fun in no time. If you are comfortable saying, what is your name? Been calling you Newb too much!

Alex! Hopefully you'll be heading from me for a while now that I won't kill myself on the water!!

Interestingly enough another humorous story i remebr flying my 17m cabrinha Lei back in 2003 and sending it hard for a jump and feeling like God himself was smiling while he lifting me up to the heavens but also flying my 14m lei overpower and thinking the devil was trying to killl me tht day and hanging on for dear life. LOL. so long story short its all about the size of the kite and the windspeed my friend.

Quote: Originally posted by gemini6kl

Interestingly enough another humorous story i remebr flying my 17m cabrinha Lei back in 2003 and sending it hard for a jump and feeling like God himself was smiling while he lifting me up to the heavens but also flying my 14m lei overpower and thinking the devil was trying to killl me tht day and hanging on for dear life. LOL. so long story short its all about the size of the kite and the windspeed my friend.

I know what you mean. not on water but similar scenario on land.

Alex, you might end up on the water or stay land. For me the most challenging part was figuring what kites, what sizes and what activity to do in the beginning. It took me a year buying and selling used to figure it out. sounds daunting but learning is half the fun

Sean - thanks for answering this little "thread within a thread" about your "buggy in the street" approach. Based on what you are saying I am going to go ahead a place an order from Big Mike for the Born street bar and 5M triple line set. While this is a $100 additional investment, it will open up a whole new set of places I can go near where I live. I live 10-20 minutes drive from three major ski resorts each of which have cavernous parking lots that sit largely open during the non- snowy months, not to mention a bunch of public schools that also have parking lots laying open for the plucking on weekends, etc.

Whoop! I'm excited!! :wee:

Exactly! That was my thinking. Turning is different on short lines. Street bar and lines are relatively inexpensive and pay back with being able to kite more often. You can't slide to slow down so putting the kite high then behind as a parachute works. Caution advised on that maneuver til you get it down.

Sean - I hear you loud and clear. OBEs on pavement could leave a more "lasting impression" on me then my 3-4 OBE's I've had on grass which from a pain perspective were non-events. I will most certainly wear a helmet, knee and shoulder pads, and gloves at a minimum for a while until I get the hang of things on the ultra hard pack.

I had already been thinking through the parachute deceleration move you just described. I had an abrupt (is there any other kind?) CBVOBE about a month ago with my 12M Peak2 in a soccer field. That's short for a Code Brown Vertical Out of Buggy Experience. Like we are talking about here I mistakenly let the kite get behind me when I was rolling fast in what suddenly became the opposite direction. I wisely pulled the bar in (ever the wise man) and whoosh, up I went. :D

I just placed my order with Big Mike. As I thought, exactly $100 bucks.

Woo Hoo,

I love how this tread has warped! Going from a harness and bar question to this.
We are going to set you up for more fun than you imagined real cheap!

Here is the kite you want .

http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=30692

the 3m Hornet will be the perfect place to start on your budget.

My 1st real riding experience ( after 3 lesson on water ) was using rollerblades on tarmac with a 3m kite. Go with what you know. If you already long board then. ... Long board and short lines is a good way to start if you can find a location with good wind. Talk to Angus about tossing in some short lines cheap. Q-line is nice, if he still has some.

I was extremely frustrated and injured trying to learn the board part of the sport on water. Never having done a board sport before.
I knew that I had the principles of kite control down but was almost ready to give up. While looking into snow kiting I decided to go my own route and take my 3m ( + every pad I owned ) to a big open parking lot with my daily ride, my rollerblades. It was like I had been doing it all my life ! I never fell ( that 1st day ) and had no issues staying upwind. I come from a skate / ski background so am somewhat of a natural adding the kite. I am picking up on the board side but think I'm too old for it to ever feel natural.

+1 Blade! That's the kite I started on, and Josh too.
I still have it and use it for static days.
Alex, I'm sure you'll love it too.

I got one of them...few weeks ago it was blowing 25+ and that's what went up for bugging
And I lived thru it

Any other older guy on this thread feel just a whee bit as if we did some collective fatherhood mentoring here?

I know I do. My oldest of two kids is a 21 year old son as mentioned before and I saw some of him in you, fine young Alex. Like my son (heck, like ME) you plunged into something that looked cool on the surface but had lurking real dangers hidden in its nooks and crannies.

Unlike me so often through my life I can hardly count, you had the good sense to seek help and eventually listen to that help. Good on you!

That Hornet is a great call! A nice smaller FB may well become a dear old friend over the years.

Please don't take away from a post such as this any sniff of condescension because it's not there. All of us sprung on you with a common goal of safely and intelligently heading you down a path to kiting bliss, something we are all passionate about.

That Hornet will do you proud.

So cool that the Hornet came up when it did! :wee:

NOW you are on track to becoming a true pilot!

NOW looking for a good ( used ) harness is a smart next step. This introduces a new issue. Waist harness is the harness of choice for kitesurf and seat harness is preferred for land. You have plenty of time to research and shop while you master the Hornet unhooked.

Notice how Blade rage is looking at things he can make with the material in his big old vintage kite rather than unload it on somebody. People have been doing that with pre 05 kites for a long time now.

Steve, who you calling "older"?
But, yes.
(And I gotta think that Angus was rummaging around, looking for just the right item to post. Well done dude!)

Come on now Howard, old is just a number, you know that.

Pretty much by definition we are all big kids on this forum!!! I know you are.

Do you know what blade rage doing with his old kites or if he has a thread about it because if it is a dig thing I would love to know what because I'm a diy kind of guy and if I can't sell those back than I'll have to find something.

Quote: Originally posted by Bladerunner

NOW looking for a good ( used ) harness is a smart next step. This introduces a new issue. Waist harness is the harness of choice for kitesurf and seat harness is preferred for land. You have plenty of time to research and shop while you master the Hornet unhooked.

I followed this very same advice from bladerunner and it served me well, however, He is on the coast and I think generally has clean wind (I could be wrong about clean wind) but I would add that if your inland and have inconsistent gusty wind then I would only use a harness and strop with a fixed bridle kite in wind that is at the bottom end of the particular kite's wind range. The spookiest kiting I've done was trying to hook myself to a fixed bridle kite. Point is if your inland, I would try and get to depower as fast as you can to buffer the gusts. It will feel more safe and is more safe. Once you get good at flying the 3 meter you can start pushing higher winds with it and get dragged all over for fun but I would not practice being hooked to it except for lighter wind. Don't know if that makes sense but I sort of feel like most advice is get a 3 meter then the next advice is use it with a harnes which (IMO) is one of the more dangerous activities one can do with a kite (hook in with a fixed bridle)

To this day, I don't hook in with any fixed bridle kite nor do a lot of people on here. I like them and still use them for traction but I don't hook myself to them for any real power. I might static fly in light wind once in awhile hooked in

Not to confuse you but I do hook in with Nasa Star kites which technically have fixed bridles but they behave very differently

Yup. Go ahead... tell me to go fly a kite. Please.

a_n - it's no dig. The naish is a monster kite that anyone without years of experience should keep away from.

Quote: Originally posted by hiaguy

Yup. Go ahead... tell me to go fly a kite. Please. a_n - it's no dig. The naish is a monster kite that anyone without years of experience should keep away from.

Wrong thread howard, are you trying to drive and post or something?

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre

Quote: Originally posted by hiaguy   Yup. Go ahead... tell me to go fly a kite. Please. a_n - it's no dig. The naish is a monster kite that anyone without years of experience should keep away from. Wrong thread howard, are you trying to drive and post or something?

:puzzled:
Nope - right thread.
First line was to Steve/Windstruck regarding being old (8:55 pm); second was to Alex/aveage_newb regarding the monster Naish that Blade rage has in another thread (8:59 pm).
Now back to our regular unscheduled program...

PS: 87 days to WBB :wee:

Whoops :D

Folks are right. I need to clarify myself when suggesting a harness.

Hooking in with a fixed bridle and simple strop can be dangerous. When overpowered it can be difficult if not impossible to push out of your spreader hook. Slightly less an issue with smaller foils. I never hook in to FB when pushing it or conditions dictate.

If you are planning to progress to depower then learning to take the power through your core will be essential. Using a harness can extend your fly time greatly just by using it to rest up. Get a feel for taking the power from the front lines through your core and steering / slowing the kite with the back lines. ( sort of how depower works ). After scudding down wind try hooking in and walking back with the kite off to one side. Get so you can do that without needing to look at the kite much.

I just realized I am telling you to practice " the walk of shame " ! :duh:
Trust me, we have ALL done the walk of shame. May as well learn to look good doing it!:bigok:

Since the topic was about North kites...anyone tried to buy kite online? any suggestions of a good site with North Kites? I googled surf-store.c anyone with some experience with them?

Quote: Originally posted by elpopp

Since the topic was about North kites...anyone tried to buy kite online? any suggestions of a good site with North Kites? I googled surf-store.c anyone with some experience with them?

Are you baiting us for a mr obvious joke? Ok, I'll play. Try googling North Kites

Thanks for playing..:duh:

I had to play. I googled what you did and got surfstore.com. They sell North Kites. :P

I don't get the game? Are you pimping for this site? :barf:

Why else would he resurrect a year old topic as the first post? Reported..

Hi I would be happy to assist you. Check our page, contact us, you can do it via facebook or email or even here. We offer ION and NP wetsuits, and currently there are some awesome deals on kiting gear.

Rgds