Can I please get added at the bottom of the list this kite also......I'm still flying the Brooza right now but I would love to try out several kites before I decide what the next one will be.

Ok so airHOg is next for the Blade? I will be sending it out on the 28th friday.Thanks to everyone for giving me the chance to fly this kite Bob be careful on the wind conditions as this kite can static lift you I could work it to pop me off the floor and I am 220lbs. airHOg you need to shoot a u2u with the mailing address If you are next.Any comment DaVinch? don't know what happend to nebula but I almost shipped him the kite.Thanks for posting to be off the list very responsable.And I know how hard it must be to have to back out for whatever reason And not just hurry to try an fly and then the kite get stuck somewhere. I respect that and its not even my kite. So I am sure you will get through what ever it is and be back to flying in no time. Hang in there Sthrasher. I am excited for Bob getting to try also.

WooHoo, i'm up already. Thats a surprise:D I'll U2U my info over. Perfect timing too, the winds are really kicking up over here.

I have a great deal of respect for a kite that is said to pull harder than my Crossfire 5. It will scud me continuously until I pull it back up out of the window and then it has me in the pray to the heavens position till I either land it or go to the edge. I'm ready but braced for a pull. I hope I have a good wind for it when my turn comes. Fly with your brains turned on!

I thought I was up next for the Blade.?
Scott

Here is the list I had:

1. GulfSandEater
2. Sthrasher38
3. Speleopower
4. AirHOg
5. BeamerBob

So Speleo is next on the list

I thought that went to quick, I saw my name posted up there and didn't look back. Sorry Speleo, didn't mean to step out of turn.

Hey just for steppin on me I'm gonna buy the kite when it gets to me which will stop the pass :evil: :singing:

I'd like to keep the kite long enough to get a kitesurf session in with it. Hopefully there will be some good wind when it arrives!!! Last week between rain storms there was some big wind.

Bye-Scott

Guy's MY BAD! Sorry for the mix-up Dam! I got spelopower and Pnebula mixed up! So I jumped right to AirHOg.It must have been in the pass the pansh where I read that he had to be taken off the list for next in line. Sorry again.:puzzled:Speleo I have your address I will be shipping this weekend.Thrash.

No problem. I hope to have some pictures and maybe video :smug: But well see. The 4.9 should be fun.

Yes it will!

Sthrasher38-In your last posting you mentioned you would ship the kite this weekend. By any chance did you get it out earlier this week???
This weekend is supposed to be epic here in Central Florida. 8'-12' plus waves and 15-25mph winds. From the weather channel and global wam wave analysis it's looking like it's going to happen for the 4.9meter kites. I might even have to drop down to my 6m North Rhino blimpie kite.

Scott

Sounds good Spele! That would be great if the kite gets there soon.

Joe

Davinch-I've got a gut feeling on Sunday the conditions are going to be crazy on the ocean here. I may have to bail if it's out of control. I really don't like flying my small LEI kites. They just don't handle as well as the foils.
This link may goto a wave height map for the Atlantic showing the 48 hour prediction i.e. Sunday. Green is 10' or so waves.
http://www.lajollasurf.org/images/gblnat48.gif

Scott

Sorry it wont be early but I did send it today. Sat the 29th. Thanks again DaVinch! Had alot of fun I'll be talking to ya.Pass the Blade program is the Bomb!:cool2: You should have lots of fun in big wind you just have to be quick because this kite is fast. good luck.

Darn....still sometime next week should be good as well. I just walked in the house from kitesurfing with my Quadrifoil XL (4.9meter) kite and conditions were ok. Wind was good but the waves where very very blown out. I hope the Blade is as fast as the Quadrifoil. So far I've not flown anything as fast in the turns as a Quadrifoil Competition.

-Scott

The whole SE coast is blown out! Set the blades' AOA setting on the second knot for speed and lift! Tues/Wed look good for the SC coast!

It's so blown out right now I may even try my Rhino 4m LEI kite today. I've not had the opportunity to surf with that kite since 2002 before my heart surgery.
Scott

The kite should be there on wensday so that will be good. Let me know when you get it. have fun.

The kite arrived today but I have to goto the post office to pick it up!!! I might be late to work tomarrow.
Wind is to strong today for a 4.9. It's 25-30+mph right now.

Scott

That was quick! No problemo on the late for work. let us know what happens.

OOooooo, 25+ mph. :ticking:
This is going to be wicked :evil:

Sometimes it's better to retreat and survive than to charge into battle. I've passed on the high wind the last 2 days. There is also no way I'm flying a 4.9 in 25 mph wind. I've broken my leg one time flying a 4.9 in 25mph wind and I learned my lesson!!!!

Scott

I picked the Blade up from the post office today:singing:
It is now deflowered! Wind was maxing out at 15 or so mph waves 5-8 feet.

The I set it on the normal flight mode. Hooked up a set of lines using Concept Air handles. I checked out the bridle system everything looked tight and clean with no problems noted. The launch was smooth and nice. I flew it around a little and did not note any bad habits. I tried to fly it over my head and it wouldn't go. No bowtie, no inversion and no deflation noted. The only flying quirk I noted is the wing tips rolled in on occasion during pretty hard turns. They rolled back out with no adverse effects to flying.

I did a few small hops and a small pendulom jump and figured it's now or never to get in the water. The kite generated a lot of low end power in the turns and spins. The wind really was not enough to really let it all hang out in the waves. I had to work the kite hard to get power and keep everything timed to pull myself over the white waters. I got a few medium jumps over a couple waves. I didn't pull any crazy jumps. Just standard boosts. When I made it out past the breakers I turned and started looking for a wave to pick off. By this time I had drifted about a block downwind. Due to the lack of wind I had to ride downwind a to keep the power up. I did pick out a wave on the way in and had a nice ride with a couple small off the lips and an off the lip re-entry jump.

I had to cut the session short due to a meeting in the early evening. Landing was a no brainer. Just snagged the bridle on the footstraps of my board and the kite collapsed into a pile.

All in all I'm hooked and will end up with a quiver of Blade IV's for kitesurfing in the near future.
Pluses, include smooth power (not as snatchy as I like but nice), easy to work with bridle lines, good quick turning with no obvious bad habits.

The only minuses I found are 1)the bag is to small, 2)mesh, 3)brake line attachment points are sticking out the trailing edge making packing the bridal lines up a little difficult, 4)curling wing tips (I might be able to tune this out) I did think my brake lines were slightly to tight. I tend to run my brake lines tight so my kites don't go over my head and luff while in the surf.

Scott
p.s. the next person on the list will have to come and pry the kite out of my hands...all in all I give the kite Good flyer for sure.

Nice! First Ive heard of a Blade IV 4.9 on the water. I might have to give the 6.5 a go one day (now that I discovered strops). Scott, you really, I mean really need to demo the 6.5. As much as you enjoyed the 4.9, the 6.5 is even better, believe it or not! Great review! Foils forever!

Tri

Way to go Scott Sounds like you had a great first session with the 4.9!

I think You should try it in 16-22mph and all of the sudden You will discover all new world of blade.I don't take it out of the bag if it's below 16 mph and that is on land.Winds You where flying are OK for 6.5m,not 4.9.
Still We would love to see some pics...
Cheers

Zloty,

The whole SE coast has been blown out the last 4 days with 15 to 25 mph east north easterlies. Pretty impressive that Scott went for it, on a kite he flew for the first time in big swells, shore break, and chop. I went out early Monday morning with winds around 20mph and it was awesome but a little dicey. I cruised for the most part, only jumping nearer the shore (most everyone was doing that). Def fun but demanding. Cant imagine being out in 10 foot swells on a 4.9, insane!

Hi! I just got back from more flying of the 4.9. This time the wind was light 6-12ish straight on shore with low tide. I took out my ATB board and rode about 5-6 miles up and down the beach. Very fun but still not enough wind to really see what the kite can do.

I have no problem kitesurfing with kites like this. Yesterday's ocean session was no problem. I thrive in stuff like that. I had to goto a meeting otherwise I would have taken off down wind and rode for a few miles. I don't like super high winds anymore. I don't like high winds anymore because of the gust differential. This weekend it was 25-35mph on Monday it was 20-30mph and Tuesday it was 15-20mph. The difference between the baseline wind and the gusts in higher winds become greater. Isn't there a formula to work out the power of the wind? The power doesn't increase linear? For example a 10 mph wind is not half as powerful as a 20mph wind.....:puzzled::puzzled:

Again the Blade flew wonderfully, I even started doing deflatted spinners with the kite a few feet above the ground. Then I pulled a 4 point spin and it hooked up nicely. I like it.

Thanks to DaVinch for the pass the Blade!

There is lots of pictures of my riding the ATB tonight....unfortunately it was all tourists taking the pictures as I cruised by.

Scott

Glad to hear that you are having fun with the Blade Spele!

AirHOg is next in line. Not sure if he needs lines and handles.

I have had a bunch of people ask me about getting on the list next for the Blade. I’m planning on offering up another demo once the Blade is back from BeamerBob – I’m thinking about a new MBS mountainboard or one of HQ’s 2008 kites for the next round!