Had a chance to give the Apex II 7.5m a good run both inland (paddock) and at the beach (both in the buggy) thanks to ExtremeKites.com.au and Briskites. Quite a grunty kite this, but first things first.

Backpack is very well made and robust with plenty of compression straps. Just the one zip pocket in the top. Lines seem to be of excellent quality. The grey power lines are very hard to see on the ground - I wonder if HQ could be convinced to go hi-vis? The bar works quite well with a strap for the depower adjustment. I do have to wonder about the braking strain of the plastic buckle though.... some of the 'stopper' balls seemed a little insecure but then, this is not a premium priced kite.

Sail seems faultlessly made, good reinforcements where needed, all bridles sleeved and stitched. In light winds, it launches easily with a tug on the center lines and it's equally easy to reverse launch it too. In moderate winds, launching from the side proved no problems either. Pull the primary safety and down she comes with no fuss. Turns quickly for it's size and with a relatively short bar I found it very easy to steer in the buggy. Depower range on the bar seems quite decent - push the bar away and the power backs off noticeably. Moving it through the sky, even in light winds, produces enough power to get you moving in the buggy and once you have a little speed, the kite really takes full advantage of the apparent wind. I was easily managing 35kph going slightly upwind on the beach in 15-20kph wind. Slightly downwind I hit 50kph. Kite seems to upwind without problems - when buggying in the paddock, I was able to easily get to all corners.

Around the 25kph mark (wind) the 7.5m was able to lift me a foot off the ground without trying too hard so I think it's not too lifty, but you could probably get some good jumps if you knew what you where doing. (I don't!!) I've found the Apex to be quite forgiving and stable. In 35kph gusts, I've gone a little sideways, but that's the most out-of-shape I've been in 60km of assorted buggying. While it certainly has got some good grunt, I've treated it with respect and it's never threatened to spank me. It really is excellent value for money and apart from a few minor quibbles with some of the bar fittings it certainly rivals it's more expensive competition. Highly recommended!

There's some video of me taking it for a test drive on 13th Beach here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBM4S2m39_M

Great review John, I always enjoy your flicks, and your licks! Nice place to play!

great video. I love the way you can see the kite in the video as well as what is going on with the bug etc. EXCELLENT JOB!

the 7.5m is my go-to-kite. I really do enjoy it in the buggy. It is super user friendly. I do agree with you about the grey lines. They are very hard to see. Not as big of an issue for me on the de-powers, but on the fixed bridles its very hard to see if you need to un-twist.

Nice.

Awesome I loved the video and review

great video man i dont even buggy and i felt like i was there! hahaa

i like the go-pro lens clean squirt bottle part.

great work, gave ya 5 stars

My go-to kite as well.
It is a steady and reliable inland buggy engine.

Quote:

Originally posted by AD72 My go-to kite as well. It is a steady and reliable inland buggy engine.

I have seen AD get a good jump in with this kite, so it has some jumping capabilities in the right hands

Quote:

Originally posted by DAKITEZ Quote: Originally posted by AD72 My go-to kite as well. It is a steady and reliable inland buggy engine. I have seen AD get a good jump in with this kite, so it has some jumping capabilities in the right hands

lol Unfortunately that OBE was due to pilot error. :wee: It is good to slow down and turn the buggy rather than whip the kite around and expect to follow in the buggy. Also pulling the safety is a good idea. I am back in the saddle again.

Nice titles, chilled tunes, looks great full screen!!!

5 stars from me next time I'm logged in...



oh... and nice review...

:tumble:

Hi John, good to see you here. Thanks for a great review and great vid.

Hey, thanks guys for all the positive comments. Glad you liked the video. Put a smile on my dial making it!!

loved "cleaning the GoPro Lens"

Hey John...that was a sweet video...man, I wish I had a location like that!

Liked the camera mount...do you have a pic of it? What kind of mount did you use?

Quote:

Liked the camera mount...do you have a pic of it? What kind of mount did you use?

Hi Lunchbox, this is the mount:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbJHRLURyH0&feature=chann...

and this is what happened when I didn't put rubber between the clamp and the axle!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3zzSVB6y7k&feature=chann...

Thanks for the video of the mount...great job..love the angle and the stability.

Gotta ask you...where do you live...those beaches and fields look amazing...makes me want to live L.A.

Quote:

Gotta ask you...where do you live...those beaches and fields look amazing...makes me want to live L.A.um

This is the beach:
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=-38....

It's about a 2 hour drive from home - which is 25km west of Ballarat (Victoria/Aus). I've go 40acres here and a few neighbors with better paddocks that don't mind me zipping up and down with the buggy. Sheep aren't always impressed!!

John
Great video ...hard to get the feeling across to the masses and this does it well...do you mind if i show it at the Outdoor Retailer Expo in Salt Lake next week? Should look good on the big screen.
Craig Young
HQ Kites

Quote:

Great video ...hard to get the feeling across to the masses and this does it well...do you mind if i show it at the Outdoor Retailer Expo in Salt Lake next week? Should look good on the big screen. Craig Young HQ Kites Quote: No problems at all, please feel free John

Thanks that would be great, by chance do you have a larger MPEG file of it you could send me. I can play it right off youtube at the show but if I had a hard copy I could put it on the loop on the big screen. craig@hq-kites-usa.com

Quote:

Originally posted by DAKITEZ the 7.5m is my go-to-kite.

What wind ranges do you find it to be flyable in? How much do you weigh?

weight 240lbs

buggy in 6-8mph on hard pack / 10-12mph on grass ... up to mid 30's. that was awhile back. My lack of flying lately I would say i'm good to 25mph or so till I get my wings back.

Great vid John. One of the best yet.