Hello, I've been snooping around the board for a few months now and now that I've got my first kite, I figured I'd jump on board.

I just picked up a 4 meter scout and took it out for the first time today. Was static flying in 15-20mph winds. It drug me on my ass all the way across the soccer field on it's first flight... left me with blisters on my hands, no shortage of grass stains, and my upper body feels like I got punched several times. Overall, I'd say it was a success. Gonna need a lot more practice and upper body strength before the snow flies though...

I went out today with only the knowledge I've gained from surfing the web and absolutely no previous kiting experience... toward the end I think I was doing ok controlling it and keeping it flying, but it's only a 4 meter kite, I'd hate to see what a bigger one would do to me...

Anyway, I was wondering if there were any kiters around Sault Ste Marie, MI or Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. It'd be nice to hook up with someone, thats here locally or within an hour or two, with some experience that could give me some pointers and what not.

It is not just a bigger kite you need to watch,but also bigger wind. Welcome to the PKF, ask all your questions and someone will get an answer for ya. There are a lot of good folks here w/ alot of valuable info and exper.

Welcome Hoffam19 and congratulations on your first flight! You'll hear a lot of this from others I'm sure, but an experienced kiter would have their hands full with a 4 meter kite flying static in the winds you flew in. It's very easy to get excited and probably most of us taught ourselves like you are but you might want to dial down the flying in the high winds with that kite. I think you got lucky to not have gotten badly hurt. If you spent alot of time on the ground instead of on your feet, thats a spanking that could have gone badly. I'd recommend getting an additional smaller kite and flying in less wind to get your skills down to where you can fly without looking at the kite. Alot of us got a false sense of security being able to keep the kite flying and not bashing it so much BUT, the one wrong move, with the wrong gust can teach you a lesson real fast and toss you like a used tea bag. :Ange09:

You can find great deals on quality used smaller kites here in the for sale section or get an outstanding new kite from one of the dealers here as well. You dont need to settle for a trainer if you dont want to and you can find a reasonable smaller traction kite that will be usefull for traction later in high winds. 2-2.5 meter is a good size to get comfy on and should not surprise you often and makes an awesome high wind kite. I buggy with a 2.5m Ozone Cult in 22-25mph winds and I'm about 225lbs.

Just my 2 cents. Glad you're here with us!

Welcome!

Thanks for the tips guys. I kinda figured I'd get a bit of a talking to for flying in those kinds of winds for my first time. Thing is, typically the wind up here is in the 10-20 range all the time, so I wasn't too keen on waiting for a better day, especially this late in the year, wind is only going to get stronger through the fall and winter.

I was actually on my feet more than my but, it was just the very first time I launched the kite that I got drug. I launched it directly down wind, should've launched it off to the side of the window a bit. I would like to stick with learning on the kite I have if I can. I'm a broke college kid... I used some of my student loans to get the scout, but it was a pretty good buy I think, under $200 shipped. Also my sole purpose of getting into kiting is for snowkiting and from what I've been reading, in deep snow, where I'll most likely be riding, most people use a little more kite.

I plan on flying the crap out of this thing before winter, so I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions down the line.

Thanks for the warm welcomes.

get some protective gear asap. helmet, pads, etc.

Yes, helmet is for sure on the list.

And also you will need HOOJ balls

Welcome from down under

First time I flew my 3.5 IMP in 20mph winds it had lines crossed so I looped it thinking that was the fix. My wife was holding onto my harness and she and I both superman'd through the air. Luckily we were not hurt but it was a good example of when a more experienced flyer nearby could have recommended I just spin my body :bouncy:
But yeah- fly the hell out of that kite.

Quote:

Originally posted by hoffam19 I kinda figured I'd get a bit of a talking to for flying in those kinds of winds for my first time.

No need for us to do that, the wind does the trick just fine.... Anybody with lack of respect for the #@%$#!iest force of nature out there will get slapped down hard.

a couple other things...

grass is really slippery stuff to try and hold your ground with... I'm able to fly fairly often on a beach with soft loose sand and it makes a world of difference. If you can't get to a better surface to fly on, rethink what you're wearing on your feet, as heavier shoes or boots with luggy soles might help.

when just starting out it can be hard to know just what kind of wind you are dealing with... smooth, gusty, and turbulent are three very different winds to fly, and they are usually mixed up at least a little with each other unless you are dealing with a stable on-shore breeze on a beach somewhere. If you wind was less than stable, that would have made things a bit more difficult, esp if you were powered up, and it sounds like you were.

and finally less wind will make a world of difference. I can never remember exactly, but the wind force varies as the cube of the windspeed if I recall right, so gusts to 20 mph from 15 more than double the force on the kite rather than just bump it up 33% or so.

Good luck there. Yep get another kite (smaller).

Welcome to the wind!