Ok so, iv been flying kites for years but nothing that you could really classify as a traction or power kite however im eager to jump in. I have a few deltas for stunt stuff and a snapshot 1.4 foil but really want to get into big kites.

Im not sure what I want to do with that yet, the beach im usually at, ocean shores WA, does not allow buggy's or land boards on the beach but kitesurfing is fair game

Iv been leaning towards some of the depower kites as they seem a little more versatile for whatever I want to do down the roa. I want to get a 4 line kite, I have a 2 line and I don't really see a purpose in a 3 line kite but am open to suggestions and advise as well

So on a loose budget of $500 what would you do? Im open to buying used, really I just want to get into the sport.

Thanks

Welcome to the sport. It is a great time every time. Any flight you can walk away from was a good flight. I would love to give ya more pointers, but that stuff is better left to the pros.

Welcome to the addiction! Not knowing what you weigh and what your typical winds are the usual suggestions are...

IMO, Because you have some experience
Fixed bridle 3-5m
Depower 5-8m
Low -Med aspect ratio
If you get depower, you will also need a harness
If you are getting on water, you will need an LEI, PL arc, or Flysurfer

Keep asking questions, do your homework and get the right kite for your needs!
Be safe!

Depending on your size and average wind conditions a 3 or 4m would be great to start on. I wouldn't jump right into depower just yet. In my experience, depower kites are best flown in motion, meaning in a buggy, on a board etc. A 4 line fixed bridal is great to start with. I would never recommend over 3 or 4m to begin and once you fly one, you'll understand why. Some good starter kites to consider are:

Peter Lynn: Hornet // Viper
Ozone: Flow
Prism: Tensor
PKD: Buster Soulfly

Yes I'm sure I've left some out but these are good. Start in light winds and work up from there. Which ever kite you decide on, just make sure it's not a "lifty" kite. That's no mans land for someone starting out with power kites. Just ask my doctor, he'll tell you

Welcome to the family!!

I need to get back down to Ocean Shores soon... Welcome to the addiction and big kites are a blast. Can you make it to Seaside Beach OR next weekend? Bunch of people will be down there and plenty willing to share if you would like to try some gear out. I'm in Tacoma and pending on your schedule if you could make it to Chambers Bay on Tuesday I'll be flying that day if the predictions hold.

Also chat with Andy at Ocean Shores Kites, wealth of information and a good guy too.

OO ya, I talk with andy all the time, he sold me my E2 and got me into slack line stuff a bit. Im on my way back to Ellensburg right now, I go to school at CWU and my car kinda commuted suicide recently or else I would come out to Tacoma.

Im aiming for a 5 meter kite minimum, I used to own a pretty crappy 4 meter, guess I should say really crappy, but iv also had the snapshot in 30+ mph winds with it tugging me down the beach so im not unaware of what a kite can do.

Im 160 lbs, 5-10 and typically see winds in ocean shores of 10ish. Ellensburg has similar winds but typically more gusty. If I can find the money id like to get a land board and work with it in Ellensburg.

I was leaning towards a depower kite because they seemed more versatile and considering I don't know which aspect of kiting I want to go into I figured get something that can pull nomatter where it is in the sky.

Thanks for all the fast responses guys

There is a GI Progigy board on here that can't be beat for price. At $150 ( shipping may be negotiable? ) your ride will be well covered.

Now the bad news. To fly a depower kite you also need a harness. It will set you back $100 or more. Add shipping to these 2 iems and you don't have a lot left for a kite ? You will almost get in at $500 but I think you may need a little more ? As you notice we all have more than 1 kite for different winds.

Only clo$ed celled 4 line kite$ + inflatable work on land and water.

Welcome to the Forum and good to hear of another Washingtonian Kiter. Ellensburg has a park on the west side of town that is great for kitebugging, the grass gets a bit tall for Boarding so bugging, and snow kiteing in the winter is prime. We go to Quincy every so often and buggy at a sod farm, mostly in the late winter to mid summer.
There are a few of the guys who kiteboard out in the water by OS, but if you are interested in the ATB or buggy NAPKA would be a good group to join. North Beach is only up the road from OS and would be a great place with great people to buggy and or Blokart with. As Todd said earlier Sunset Beach would be good to go to to meet others in the sport and try out some kites, boards, and buggies.
Now that I'm thinking about Ellensburg, there are some good spots to snow kite close by.

I think it would be awesome if you could make it out to SOBB. The people there will be more than likely to let you try out some of their stuff.

Since your are a college student without a car, you could try and convince a buddy to take you out there. Try offering something like a 12 pack of beer and camp out there.

It will be a bit before I have the cash flow to get a kite so I can probably join you guys or someone at some point before I get a kite but for now im just looking for some of the more basic info. Im not trying to get a whole setup on the 500, just a kite, lines and bar or handels whichever the case may be.

If I need a harness off the bat I have a rock climbing harness already, wouldn't be the most comfortable thing ever but would work for a while

For the time being let's assume im not going to be kite boarding, that just seems super expensive to get into. I do however own a nice snowboard and will be wanting to do some boarding in ellensburg this winter if conditions are right. Speaking of which, where exactly is this park you are talking about?

Ok back on topic, can a good 5+ meter depower kite be had, even used on $500? And if so what would you look for and where would you look for it?

Also, I keep seeing "ATB" around, what is that short for?
And what is the aspect ratio of a kite?

Quote:

Also, I keep seeing "ATB" around, what is that short for?

ATB stands for Andre Tanneberger. A very popular trance music artist who goes under the name ATB.

Well worth a listen.....



ATB

ATB, all terrain board.

West Ellensburg Park on West 5th.

the trouble with the smaller depower kites is that they need lots of wind...

10-15 mph gets you moving with 4-5m fixed bridle on landboard on smooth hardpack...

but you could just about swing a decent 4-5m fixed bridle and landboard for that $500...

best thing is to get your self to SOBB, try out some stuff, and hopefully meet some kiters who can give you deals...

Once you've flown a few kites you'll have much better knowledge of what to buy.

Uhhmm...big difference flying a snapshot 1.4 in 30+ mph winds and a 5m fixed foil (you say you want 'minimum' this size?) in same winds or less....:o!!

Know the reasonable wind range of the size kite you think you want for 'mobility mode'(buggy, board, skis,...) and your speed level of comfort. Just as important is knowing typical winds you get for the area you'll be using it.

Yes I understand that a 5m kite in 10mph wind is going to be a lot different than a snapshot 1.4 in 30mph, if all I wanted was the snapshot in 30mph winds. I would not need to come here now would I?

Iv already said, typical winds are around 10 ish with more gusty winds in Ellensburg, 30 is a storm I was out flying in

Im seeing lots of kites around 400 used on here, I just don't know what to look for in specific

Not to throw the fly in the buttermilk, but...

If you are even considering riding in the water at some point, you may want to consider LEI kites. Used LEIs tend to run a lot less than foils. 500 dollars still is not going to get you very far, but you will get a kite that you can use for all environments.

Granted PL kites, and some HQ kites, and Flysurfer kites can fill the same niche, but tend to be a little bit more expensive (unless you are looking at much older models).

In the mean time, I would recommend hooking up with some local fliers and see what you like before committing to buying anything.

Yes you can use your rock climbing harness , some are more comfortable than others, time will tell if you might want something more comfy. Aspect ratio refers to weather the wing is long and narrow ( Peter lynn Vapor) or short and wide ( HQ Apex). Long and narrow = high skill requirements ,extreemly fast ,race kites. Short and wide = more beginner tolerant and pull like a truck , wide variety of uses.

Trbo323, check your U2U

If I decide to ride water it will be down the road and id expect to get a kite specific for that so for now let's assume this kite im looking into will be land only

But, a few questions about the LEI kites, first, what does LEI stand for, why are they different? Why are they cheaper and what are the ups and downs of going with a LEI kite for my situation?

I do like the look of the kitting harnesses, they look a lot more comfortable but for starting out my rock harness should be fine, it is padded but just gets rough after sitting in it for a long time.

Iv been seeing a lot of HQ kites around, any specific one I should look into?

As for aspect ratios im fine with fast kites, iv been told a few kites would be too fast for me in the past and been just fine, I really want to stay away from anything that is beginner specific or the trainer kites. Iv just found that I am such a fast learner, stuff like that is typically a waste of money for me because I. Grow past them so fast. Id rather get something that will be used for a long time but may give a few extra headaches in the beginning. That's the way iv done it with a lot of my other hobbies and it works fine for me.

LEI = Leading Edge Inflatable

So that is as opposed to an inflatable cell kite?

An LEI has a bladder on its leading edge and inflated spars for kite support . It literally has to be pumped up. An inflatable cell kit ie PL twinskin arcs have zippers you open and allow air to fill it like an air matress. It has rigid spars on the sides. This is the attachment point for flying lines. Once inflated and launched, it looks like an arc in the sky.

So the LEIs are the ones you see more often used for kite surfing then?

So what are the advantages and disadvantages to them? And why are they cheaper?

Learning with an LEI on land can be very hard on them. Bladders pop and they don't take to crashing well. Once you don't crash much they are a very reasonable option.

They are possibly a little cheaper because they are single skin but New LEI's compete with foils in price. There are a lot more of them on the second hand market so the price drops faster.

Inflatables got much better over time so older models are less desired. 2005 and older are best avoided.

That question is opening a can of worms, lol. Here is my two cents, take it with a grain of salt as everything else you read.

The large advantage with LEI's is that they can float on the water forever and still relaunch. This also means if you have to self rescue it's a little easier to drag in usually. With any closed cell foil you have between 10 and 20 minutes with it on the water before it takes on too much water to relaunch. Even with the nylon waterproofed the seams still let water in.

Another not very disputable issue is how long they last. Typically, but not always, LEI's don't last as long as foils. That also does depend a lot on the owner and how they take care of it. You could find a 3 or 4 year old LEI in awesome shape that seems almost new, and you could find a 1 year old foil that is a POS. Treat your gear well no matter what you have kind of goes without saying.

The big bladder in the leading edge of inflatables is pretty heavy. This can cause problems in lower winds making it easier to front stall or hindeberg as some say. Closed cell foils, excluding PL Arcs, have a hug mess of bridal lines that is really difficult to manage but can turn into a really ugly bird nest if your not careful. You can self launch and land both, though it is a little easier and not as hard to do so with foils.

The difference in how LEI's and foils fly is a long list of variables and becomes personal preference which one someone prefers usually. You will find several guys on here who like LEI's for high winds, 20+mph, and foils for low wind. I need to try out some more LEI's cause after this past weekend I think I might start leaning that way too. You can find both that fly in ways to cover every kind of style there is.

Thanks for the advise on the years ill keep that in mind.

That makes sense about crashing a kite that has a bladder.

So besides a kite that is pre 05 is there anything else that I should try and stay away from? Any brands or specific models?

Welcome here. If you are in Ellensburg you aren't too far from us. You probably don't want to drive to Tricities but you are welcome if you do. If you are years from water I would stay away from LEI's for now. It is up to you. I would still recommend a 3m or so fixed bridle to start to help you grow with your kite skills. If you are sure you want a depower then I would bet an peter lynn arc would serve you the best in Ellensburg. Arc's do well in gusty areas. The main key to them is to get them well preinflated and it is best if you kite with a friend. I liked the one I had but was more used to other foils so went back when the opportunity was there. Like I said, you can come down here and try our stuff if you want. Let us know when you have snow and maybe we will come to you!

all i can say is good luck on making a decission and welcome to the passion.

I have been flying for 15 years. Started with a peter powell 4' train with 4 100' tube tails. I moved to a prism stylus 2.8 and have flown it for 6 years. It's a 2 line. All of the kites I have bought were from the same place. My last trip to the beach I bought a prism 5m 4 line. Hell I thought I always wanted a bigger kite and asked for the biggest thing. They gave me a 5m Tensor. Read my enclosed instruction booklet on how to set up the lines and handles and was off to flying. I first started with the bar . I was in North Myrtle Beach where the winds aren't very strong and a gust came up and picked me up 5 feet in the air like superman and dropped me on my head. Let me remind you that this was within the first 20 min of flying. Once I hit the ground it then dragged me 10 feet. It happened so fast I didn't even have time to jettison the foil. I'm extreme with everything I do and kite flying is no exception. It was definitely a thrill to say the least. I will tell you that the Tensor is a beautiful kite and fun to feel the enormous pull it has. After being picked up, I switched to the handles. Prism offers a bar that you can take apart, which is nice. The 5 meter Tensor was much slower than my other kites which I didn't like too much. I flew it the rest of my trip, which wasn't much. Total of 1 hour flight time. OMG what a work out! It was pulling me all over the beach.
When I got home I quickly did some research and found this forum. I have met some great guys that have given me their time and education. There is now doubt that after seeing videos on youtube I would be hooked on kite buggying, plus I already had a strong foil. Throughout this process I stumbled across the Ozone kites. I bought the 3 meter Method and have yet to fly it. Will be flying it this coming up weekend and can't wait. from what I understand it will be faster quicker and more enjoyable to fly static. I will learn on this to get my feel for what a buggy would be like.( As far as exercise go on foot). All I can say is these kites can hurt you! I know! I'm 6 feet tall and weigh 220 lbs. and have great balance with kite experience and it humbled me. Chill with a 3 meter, and if you like the best quality, like me, go with the Ozone flow or method. Just my 2 cents! I hope you have fun, goodluck, and welcome to the forums.