Whats up people? I am 6'3 215lbs and looking for a good kite to get me off the ground at least 15-20ft. I live in the NY, Long Island area where the winds are usally 10-20mph. Whats a good kite for doing so? I was lookin at a blade 3 6.6m... but its kinda pricey...any ideas? Also...whats up with the de-powering kites that i see? Does that dis connect the kite from the harness sending the kite flying away? or does it take the kite out of flight by doing something else? Im looking to get air-borne to the extreme but dont wanna get to crazy like that guy in that video, LOL. Thanks for ur advice!

Man..... 15-20ft static. This is going to be very hard to achieve safely. It can be done, but you will need lots and lots of experience to get it done. As for the kite you mentioned, its the one to do it with. The 6.6 in the right windrange is nothing short of awe inspiring. It is pricey, but your going to get what you pay for.

Lets discuss de-powerable kites. If you think the 6.6 is pricey, dont even look at a depower kite. They are much more expensive.

Here is what depowers do-
They change the angle and shape of the wing.
This is done by sliding the bar up and down.
Effectively, 2 lines are stationary, and the other 2 are used for steering, and power control.

By adjusting the angle of the kite, you also adjust the speed, and power.



Now back to jumping. You can get higher with a de-power kite than you can with a fixed bridle. The advantage is that you can go out with the wind all you can handle when the kite is de-powered, and then pull in the bar and you get more. With kites like the Blade, you have to hold full power all the time, limiting the amount of wind you can fly in.

All that said, is this going to be your first kite??? If so, DO NOT BUY A 6.6 BLADE FOR YOUR FIRST KITE. You will be severely hurt. I have a customer in NY city. He has a good range of kites, and Ill check with him to see if I can pass your and his information back and forth. He has a 3m blade 3 for sale for $200. Would be a great first kite.

Hope you can make use of some of this.

Scoop

I must agree with Scoopy. Blade 6.6 as a first kite is too much. Much better to learn on something in the 3 to 4 meter range, which would be good in the winds you mentioned. The wind quality will also affect kite choice. Tell us, are you at the beach with the wind coming from the ocean? Or are you inland with trees and buildings upwind from where you will be flying?

Sean

yeah, 6.6 blade would be way too much for a fist kite. For a lifty kite thats a bit cheaper look at hq crossfires, they are really fast and lifty. i would say the 4m crossfire would make quite a good kite for you to begin with

I would say if your gonna fly blades, start with 'em and stick with 'em. The 4m is a great kite. DaVinch here started with the 4m then went to the 6.6 and has done very well.


Whats going to happen if you get a crossfire 4m then get a blade 6.6, you will sometime later one wish you had the 4m blade instead.

Scoop

Yeah - I'm glad I went with a 4m first. The 6.6 Blade would have been a bit too much at first.

Plus, the 4m can kick some a$$ when the winds get above 15 mph.

Above 20 mph, the 4m Blade rips! :evil:

i dont see why you would regret getting a crossfire, they are great kites and have practically the same lift as baldes but are just more gentle

Jim, I would say practically is a bit of a far cry from reality. I have flown the 4m and 7.7m and while they are a nice kite, they do fly well, and for the price, they really are hard to beat, but lets face it, they are not Blades. I would even go as far to say you get more for your money buying a crossfire, but Blades are top in this category by a fair bit.

Scoop

im not saying that they are better thab blades, i just prefer them because they suit my flying style better

sorry i havent been able to post sooner guys, just started new job, but
thanks for the info on the kites. To the question that was asked beaches
or land, i intend on just using the kite at the beach mostly...as the sand

will create a nice soft landing for jumping high.

I dunno what to go with though...it gets considerbly windy here in

long island. I think that the blade 4.9 would be the best bet for me. Whats

your guys's opinion?

Well, really depends on if this is your first kite.... Blade 4.9 meter is probably one of the WORST beginniners kite made. This kite has been deemed "widowmaker". This name has been earned. Most kites smaller then this are aggressive and can get mean. The only thing is that they really cant get THAT mean unless you get some really huge gusts. The 4.9 is small enough to be fast, aggressive and mean. The problem lies here..... When the 4.9 gets mean, it gets REALLY REALLY mean.. and fast. What have you flown CrazyChris??


Scoop

this would be my first power-kite but i am not worryed about that. Being seriously hurt, thats just part of "x-treme sports" which i do many of. Im just looking to have a good time getting some xtreme air and hang-time. Like i said im 215lbs and well mostly be using the kite at the beach where it can get 10-20 mph winds. Im just looking to get off the ground real high.:frog:

Well Chris, I wish you luck. Its obvious you will not listen to reason, and your getting into a sport you really know nothing about. Im not trying to dishearten you, but you WILL get hurt. Without a doubt, for 10-20 mph winds, the 6.6 will do the job, but you might as well get the 8.5 anyway. I mean.... you dont really care to break your spine and be in a wheelchair. The 6.6 may not be quite enough to get 20ft, maybe only somewhere around 10 or 12.

I really hope you keep your head and not get hurt. What your trying to do here is just like this-

You have never ever been on a motorcycle in your life, so you go out and buy the 500cc motocross bike, forget the helmet and pads, and the first time out on it, you enter a motocross race.

Just like any other sport, you need to learn the controls before you drive. You need to learn to drive before you race. Your wanting to jump in and race when you dont even know how to start the engine.

Okay, rant over, and Im really not trying to be rude, or to hurt your feelings. I just dont think the first slope someone runs down should be a double black diamond if you have never had skis on your feet.

Im hoping I have touched something here in you with these 2 examples that gives you a sense of what we are dealing with here.

That said, best of luck
Scoop

hey chris i live in brooklyn N.Y and we do alot of kitesurfing and kite flying at plum beach and coney island beach. there is a couple of guys that static fly in brooklyn also , i did have a blade 4.9m and 6.6m blades III and can say they are powerfull kites and not beginners kite, taken out in the wrong winspeed they will bite haaard. I think i am am the guy scoop was talking about and i do have a 4m crossfire and a 3m blade III for sale. let me knoiw if you are interested since u live in long island we can probally meet up also. my email is gemini6kl@yahoo.com.

Yea, your tha guy. Hope you can at least get this guy out with something a little smaller and let him cut his teeth. How's that 6m workin out?

Scoop

I tryed out a blade II 6.4, a crossfire 6.3 and a bego 600 on sunday,and i must say i was getting equal sized jumps, of equal float on all of them. The blade is most peoples favourite, but is this just because they have been taken in by flexi marketing or just want a flexi cos everyone else has one? Okay, they may bit slightly better quality, but the bego was equally well made, and the crossfire was not far off. the bego and the blade are around the same price wise, and to be honest, if i had the money id get the bego.

I used to be the US importer for Begos from Macpara. I would say meter per meter, the bego 600 is just about as good as your going to get. The 600 should have had a bit more than the 6.4 in the same winds.

As far as wanting sometning made by flexi, Im not biased at all. I sell many many brands of kites. I fly blades personally because I like the way they fly. Drop a 6.6 into that mix you had and see what falls out.

I like the blades because they are very aggressive, and produce explosive power.

Scoop

hey scoop the 6m rookie is niceee,, they are both excellent kites, the 2.0m and the 6.0m ,,the 6.0 has good power for jumps and stuff but it dosent like turbulent winds or gusts very much it will fold and open up in the power zone ha ha., i can ride it from about 8mph to 18mph and after 12mph is where the fun begins --for the 2.0m in winds over 20mph+ i am well powered. . The combination is excellent . You cant go wrong with these kites, i would reccomend them to anyone who wants a good priced depowerable kite.

Hey Chris, I too am into extreme sports. And just like you, I consider getting hurt occasionally the price you pay pushing the envelope. But I gotta agree with Scoopy on this one. Hooking into a 6 to 8 meter high aspect-ratio kite like a blade in 20mph wind is not only a really bad idea for someone with no experience, it's also NOT an extreme sport!

I define extreme sports as pushing your skills to the limit in a particular sport. Here's the truth. Hooking up to a powerful kite and having it violently lurch you off the ground in high wind requires NO SKILL!!

The skill is in controlling that power so that you can pull yourself back from the brink. That's where practicing with little jumps on a smaller kites comes in. Sure, its not as jaw-dropping as 20 foot launch, but it will eventually allow you to do that 20 foot jump - and more than once.


Besides Jumping is not the sport - Power kiting is the sport. Controlled Jumping is just a skill you can develop while power kiting. Much like riding a wheely is not a sport, its just something you can do riding your bike.

Good points Bucky, except for jumping with a small kite. Its dangerous. Much better a larger kite in lower winds. Then a larger kite in little by little higher winds.

Scoop

You're right Scoopy. Sorry I didn't clarify that. Little kites can be fast and will drop you like a rock. More appropriate would be to say "less powerful" or "lower aspect ratio" rather than "smaller". Big difference! Thanks for pointing that out.

I actually started flying and jumping with 6m, but it was a Eolo Radsail, not exactly the most high performance kite out there, but it was stable with a nice predictable ramp-up in power. My current favorite is my 5.5m Ozone Razor, which much like a blade, will hand me my *** in a good wind if I'm not careful. Smaller than the Radsail but with 4x the potential power! Scary, but FUN!!

Later.

Chris,

Im new the site and I went for it, but had to depower if you will. I initially flew a Beamer 2 3.6 and thought no probs. With very little experience I bought a Crossfire 5.0. That was fine until the winds hit 12+ mphs ot gusts!. Even though I had 4 line experience (very little) the CF was way too much for me in winds over 12+mph. Oh yeah I got air alright but was clueless on how and when I would catch it. The CF is a great foil, lifty etc...... but a blade is like skipping the BMW M5 and going straight to a Ferrari. The more I fly the 3.6 the better im flying the CF, and eventually handle the CF better in higher winds (handle it mentally). Listen to experience and take Scoops advice! Also, what happens if you dont like flying and you're out 600 bucks! Good luck and be safe!

I started out with a 3.6 Beamer and moved to a Bullet 7.0. This was a great transaction. I weigh 150lbs and take the bullet out in 20mph winds. I've gone 20ft in the air but thats as high as ive gotten with the bullet. I can't imagine you going 20ft in anything less than 25mph winds and a kite greater than a 7.0m. p.s. dont do 20ft jumps on grass with a kite that drops you like a rock. it hurts.

WOW,

20 feet! Thats some serious lift. Im content with 6 to 10!

6 to 10 feet is a fun, yet thrilling height. 20 ft jumps are rare, and usually scare the crap out of me. I've gotten even higher a few times, but that was either unintentionally, or while doing pendelums off the edge of a steep sand dune.

20ft is about the size of a 2 story house isn't it..

Umm i want a blade or crossfire that'll give me the parachute landing. Am i limited to at least 5m? So expencive :|

Pea.

Kiteplace.com has good deals on CF's--give him a call, email. or checkout his site! He is US based but ships overseas!

Not too keen on buying abroad, especially expencive things, but maybe it's a good idea. What's that mountana like? Looks nice.


...I think i need this kite. Daylight robbery how all the americans get everything half price and 40% off half price?!

Pea,

Not getting political but your VAT adds a good bit to the price of everything! Lived in the UK for 5 years and the VAT is very high compared to roughly 6 percent in the US. Ive never flown a Montana or depower so I cant comment on it however I can tell you my CF 5 is amazing! Power, lift, speed, and quality-- just a great foil! You cant go wrong with kiteplace and you should save some quid!

Pea,

Forgot to mention that Cobra Kites has a closeout sale on the blade 3. They still have 4.0, 4.9, 6.6, and 8.5's in their inventory. Race kites. com (UK based) has a for sale page on their site as well. You have sellers right their in the UK looking to make a deal! Good luck!