Thanks for all you help a few months ago when you advised me on my Beamer 3m. Its a great kite, love flying and fly it everychance i can in 10-30mph wind. I have been using this kite on handles for kite skiing and it works well, even pulls me up some nice hills. I'm 165 lbs and think that a 5m depower on a bar would be a nice next step. Figure it would be a big enough size to still pull me around, but small enough to learn depower on. Do you think this would have more power than the beamer even though its a depower (I think I read that depowers don't pull as hard as fixed bridles)? I think this should get me through the winter and then in the spring I could look for something bigger for the water. Thanks for your insight.

Adam

oh yeah, foils produce tons of power

All depends on the type of depower, but as a general rule if you compare a foil and depower of the same size, the foil will produce more power. Are you looking for a depower for just land or a crossover on water?

5m is pretty small. It will compete directly with your 3m. I would suggest a 7 or 8m in a beginer friendly depower kite will serve you better in the long run. It is not too big a leap.

a 5m depower requires a very strong wind to perform in it's designed range. A bit bigger kite will allow you to learn in lower / safer winds.

an 8m Neo or Pulse II, 7m Pulse ( one on here for $600 ) would be good kites to look at. Both will take you out on the water + be a good size for intro to depower.

I wasn't looking for a kite to take me on the water right now, but something that I can learn bar control on. The thing that seems to happen is we get a windy day here (15mph wind)- and i want to go out and ride. I think if i go bigger right now with a 7-9m, those windy days will put me back to the 3m. Any truth to my thinking here or should I go for a 7m off the bat?

I looked at the neos, and they look like awsome kites but they are very pricey and if i did spend that kind of money i would rather do it with a bigger kite down the road that would be my main kite, not a stepping stone that would get out grown.

If you're planning on hitting the water this summer you'll save yourself a lot of $ if you bite the bullet and buy a more expensive crossover kite now. Or get an LEI, can be pretty cheap and they work on water and land.

I was hoping that I could get a cheaper kite for snow to learn on and then get a bigger one come summer when i have more experience. Don't get me wrong, I like to save money, but i like to save my @##$ even more so i think small steps would be safest. Wouldn't i need at least a 10m or so for the water with the added drag?

Hey

I agree with Bladerunner. A 5 meter depower is to close in size to the beamer.
You could use something like an Ozone Frenzy or Manta in 9 meter over 20 mph comfortably. Once you have experiance probably closer to 25. They don't produce much power and are hard to fly in less than 10 mph.
I only metion those cause I've tried them.
I also use inflatables and I'm comfortable on 12 meter up to 25 mph.
I had a 7 meter inflatable (Waroo) and it started to work on hard pack snow at about 15 mph. I weigh 165. I also had lots of depower at 30 mph with the 7 meter.
If you have experiance with kite flying don't be intimidated by bigger depower kites. Fly it in the lower end of the manufacturers suggested range until you are used to it.
Once you do that you will see almost all the new ones will fall out of the sky if you let go of the bar at the low end of the wind range. They will do that most of the time in any part of there wind range.
The best thing you can do is try a few if you can.
If you can't try one figure out what wind you will fly it in and go by the suggested wind range. Most of the time the wind range that is suggested is pretty conservative. Don't try the kite at the upper end the first time though.

John

the smaller depowers simply don't fly well below 20 mph or so...

just take your time with your next purchase, but yes +1 for depower foil minimum 6m, 8 is better.

do your research tho, this next kite could be a long-term often used part of your quiver, but yes agree that it shouldn't be your water kite... unless you're in a hurry to get there!

and finally yes it's going to start costing serious money now! (harness? helmet and safety gear? :puzzled: :puzzled: )

ditto with everyone else - my 8m access is good from about 14mph up to about 25 - the depower adds the extra range for once you get comfortable with the control of the kite in the lower wind ranges. As I have found once you go depower you really never go back except for some nostalgic static flying every so often.

I have to agree with everyone else saying that a 5m depower is just too small. My 8m Outlaw is great from 15-25mph. Over 25, it gets scary, but rideable up to 30, if winds are steady. Anything smaller than 8m will not really be rideable until at least 25mph. I also have a 3m beamer, and that thing hasnt seen the light of day in a really long time since I fly my 8m Outlaw in the same winds, and prefer that kite...

The only other thing I can say, is you will save yourself some money, and aggravation, in the long run if you get something that you can sue on both land and water. I love my Outlaws, but more and more I am wishing I had bought a closed cell foil I could use on water as well...

Best of luck.

I like your attitude toward safety and respect it !

5m just won't deliver the power sensation or fly the same as a slightly larger depower will. It will require more wind than you are comfortable flying in to perform in it's designed range. It will be a stone in your closet rather than a stepping stone.

A 7 or 8 m kite is designed to fly in a lower ( safer ) wind and will take you in to higher + higher winds. Not unlike your Beamer has done so far. A 7 or 8 will be perfect size for starting out on snow. A 5 just won't have enough power and will aggrivate the learning. You don't have to buy a " closed cell " but be aware that owning one will mean you already have a high wind water kite once you need one if you go that route. I find closed cell kites hold shape after a mistake better than open cell.

2 important bits of advice.


Take a lesson , if you can.
Try before you buy !

Is there a crew around that can help you out with the best local choices ?

I have a 6meter access and while I'm probably a tad bit heavier than some of the guys on here (195lbs). I have only been able to get really moving on a snowboard with this kite till around 20mph winds. Before that wind speed I really have to keep working the kite otherwise I'm sitting in the snow. One thing that will be good with this depower at this size is that it is small enough to work in higher winds. Also the kite is good at eating up gusts which usually comes with higher winds. Like everyone here has mentioned a bit larger kite (7-8 meter) will most likely suit you well as a first depower. Just as you are doing safety is still number one, you can't fly a kite when you are all busted up, so what ever your choice is make sure you are flying in winds you can handle.

Stay Safe and Good Luck
Shaggs

Thanks for all the great advice and information. I like what I'm hearing with the bigger kites 7-8m. Your right, i would probably get really anoyed trying to fly a smaller kit in low winds, nothing like spending more time setting up than actual air time. I'm going to continue researching and come up with a kite that will work well for me. I think I will try to look into lessons now that i have a good amount of trainer time. What do think about flying LEI in the snow, it seems to be the most popular for water, is that because they are cheaper than foils or are inflatable foils new recently and they haven't taken off yet? Thanks again, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Inflatables are fine in the snow. I use them all the time.
Safety wise the newer ones 06+ are as safe as a depowering foil. Theres a little more to go wrong with them but they work just as good.
If you get one look for an 06 or newer Bow or SLE or a C kite with a fifth line. Personaly I would get a Bow or SLE because they have a wider wind range and only 4 lines to deal with.
They are cheaper than the foils in my opinion because there are more of them out there and they don't last as long maybe.

John

Quote:

Originally posted by TerraKiter I looked at the neos, and they look like awsome kites but they are very pricey and if i did spend that kind of money i would rather do it with a bigger kite down the road that would be my main kite, not a stepping stone that would get out grown.

Not a stepping stone to be outgrown, just a high winds kite once you are used to it.

Bow and SLE are fine kites and if you plan on moving to water are worth a look.

Don't go with a new kite for your 1st kite . You will be hard on it so it will de-value qiucker.