Hi everyone,

Been flying kites for years but never a power kite. I would like to buy a power kite. Although money is no object, I really don't like to waste it. I would like a kite that is great for beginners, yet allows the ability to continue to grow in this sport as my experience improves. I would be using the kite on land only for recreation.

Thank you.

www.panshkite.com

Get an Ace.

Thanks for the quick reply. I see they have several sizes for Ace. What size do I go for?

Masc - Try looking at PKD as well. http://www.pkdkitesusa.com/

BigKid here on the forums has them as well.

I started with a buster soufly 3.3

A 3m will give you one hell of a good workout around the 15mph mark. The Buster 3.3m would be a good choice. Also 3m Ozone Method, Peter Lynn viper or Core, Flexifoil rage or blurr, HQ Beamer......All good quality and well respected brands and a 3m will serve you well for the buggy and landboard should you end up with either. It will be nice to static fly from about 8mph - start pulling you around at 14mph and be a really good buggy engine somewhere around the 20mph mark. (figures are pretty rough off the top of my head!!).

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Originally posted by John Holgate A Also 3m Ozone Method, Peter Lynn viper or Core, Flexifoil rage or blurr, HQ Beamer......All good quality and well respected brands and a 3m will serve you well for the buggy and landboard should you end up with either. It will be nice to static fly from about 8mph - start pulling you around at 14mph and be a really good buggy engine somewhere around the 20mph mark. (figures are pretty rough off the top of my head!!).

I agree. Ozones Make a Flow to a little cheaper than the method and very nice to fly. Buggy with a 2m in 25Knot winds. Tandem with it in 35knot(not recommended).

I started on a Peter Lynn Viper 3.9m and I'm really glad I did. Its got a higher aspect ratio than most "beginner" kites, which means it is fast and more fun to fly imho. Now that I am buggying it has become a great high wind engine. This kite almost never bowties and it comes out a luff really easy. I would highly recommend it! Dino at dakitez.com can hook you up with whatever you need.

your going to get the most bang for your buck with the pansh. So if you decide its not for you, you will have not lost much money. if you have high winds where your at get a small ace like a 3, if you have very light winds <10mph get a 5meter and above.

if you think your going to be into the sport for the long haul go ahead and drop 300+ bucks for a beamer or name brand kite. I got into the sport with a 5 meter Ace. very fun kite

I would suggest the 3.3m PKD Buster soulfly, but I might be a bit partial to them. LOL

5m Ace is NOT the 1st kite that comes to my mind for a total beginer but we all have our own opinions. I don't consider the Ace a beginer kite ?

The 5m Ace is designed to be similar to the Flexifoil Blade. The 4.9 Blade has the nick name " the widow maker " do to it's high lift and lack of float. Starting out on the Chinese version of a widow maker isn't something I would suggest.

In my experience a 3m kite serves up the right amount of power with a turning speed that relates to it's bigger brothers. Smaller and the kite gets speedy like a bee. Leaving you wanting for more power very soon. Bigger and the kite ends up controling YOU ! You don't actually start learning until you are in complete control of the kite. Too large a kite at 1st and you waist a lot of time just defending yourself from the power being tossed around or not flying becuase you are overpowered.

If I was to go with Pansh I would be looking at the Blaze or Flux in 3m ? Blaze has one of the coolest graphics out there ! I believe the Flux now comes as a complete Ready To Fly package now. Complete with a ground stake and kite killers.

Thank you, guys, for all your suggestions. I would like a kite that is challenging with a good amount of pull, but I don't want to end up dead or best case scenario with a few broken bones and a large hospital bill. I have a family to feed .

How about this one as a starter kite?

http://www.pkdkitesusa.com/products/Buster-Soulfly.html. The 4.4m in orange. Does that come with all the items I need?

you would get more fly time out of a 3.3 buster. When the winds are high you wont be flying it static,that is more buggy oriented.The 3.3 will be fun and have good pull in 8+ ,but you will still be flying it when the wind gets up. Once you get a buggy ,you will be able to hold down more kite. And the kite becomes ALIVE when you allow it to travel ,instead of holding it in one place. Unless you weigh 250 + and want a serious workout,get the 3.3.

Thanks. I weight 150 lbs. I live in Miami, Florida, US. I live by the ocean. Most of the time, I would be flying the kite close to the water.

How about looking at the HQ Toxic. more designed for buggy, but a little higher aspect ration than a Beamer. Just another kite to look at. I really like the PL Viper in the 2.6m Great little kite with great pull and pretty fast. I use this as my "stunt" kite when not in the buggy! I fly this thing like a mad bumble bee!

I agree with Bladerunner. The Ace is not the best "beginner" kite by far and sure not the best choice for a 1st kite.

Spend the right money on a quality kite and you will be happy hours on end. Next thing you know, you will be looking for a buggy or set of Coyote blades!

Good luck on your first purchase.

YEs all the buster soufly's come 100% complete and ready to go.

Grab the 3.3, I am 6'4" 22-lbs once the winds are over 10mph or at 15mph you will have your hands more than full given your weight... The 3.3 is just a nice all around package and that price of 180 is hard to beat! 3.3 was my 1st rig in Aug, I now own 4 kites. welcome to the addiction!

My first kite was a 2 line PL Vibe, but since you've already flown kites, skip that part.

I agree with blade runner ... low cost first kite - Pansh Blaze 3.0 ... I fly this quite a bit. Flux 6.0 I fly static, but can get to be a handful if winds are gusty. PL Reactor 8.3 I bought as a buggy engine (where's my buggy?) cause I got a sweet deal from g00fba11 and have flown it static only a couple times so far.

I also agree with Bladerunner that Pansh Ace is not ideal first kite .... higher aspect ratio.... bit lifty in gusts.... this kite gave me my first feed of sod

Welcome to the addiction ... I started power kiting in July and look at my quiver .... be prepared to spend some money.

Quite honestly though ... a word of advice ....by used if you can and build up .... the people on this forum sell quite a few kites at reasonable prices and they look after them .... they are also straight up buyers, sellers and advisors .... you picked the right forum

I was informed that the PKD buster is a kinda slow. Not dissing the company here. I know PKD makes good kites but Just saying you may want to go to the next step. Like ozone imp quattros, They are good kites but very slow in the air and most people end up "outgrowing" them very quickly. I recommended one to my friend earlier this year and he is already thinking about selling it. He had never flown a kite and now wants something faster. Now if you get the Buster I would say get a small size that way when you do get tired of flying it you can let some people that have never tried the sport fly it and learn on it, without fear of them being overpowered in 10mph winds, while you are on your newer better kites. I would recommend the flow over the quattro now any day to someone with little to no time on a kite. I don't recommend the quattro to anyone anymore. Not sure what the next step is for PKF kites but Big Mikes Kites in Dallas can help you.

Thank you, guys, for all your suggestions. I am still not sure what to get. I don't mind spending money on something that is good but I would first like to try it to see if I enjoy it. Initially, I would not want to spend more than $250US. If I end up liking power kiting, then I will go for something better and donate the original kite to my local school.

Thanks.

Any other suggestions?

whatever you get ,you should keep! you WILL use it again ,in NUKING winds.I promise you... There is no 1 magic kite that does it all. That's why we all have multiple kites. And the fact that some of us have a ripstop fetish.

A 2.5m Imp Quattro (Ozone) was my first kite and I was a bit in awe of how much power it had (I had been flying stunt kites for many years and had been flying a Sanpshot and Flexifoil Stacker prior to the Quattro).

Now I rarely use the Imp Quattro because it does take a lot of wind to be good in the buggy - which is where I spend 99% of my flying time - and it doesn't have a lot of performance (I agree the Flow is much better) BUT, I would not part with the Quattro because it's what I give all my friends to fly - it's not too aggressive and it doesn't overfly the window, so in that regard, it has been a very good investment.

If you have not flown a power kite before, you would struggle to pick the difference between kites like the Buster Soulfly, Ozone Flow, HQ Beamer, PL Hornet, Flexifoil Rage, Zebra Checka/Z1 - they are all similar in their general flying behavior. Sure they all fly a bit differently but not a huge amount and as a first kite, any of them would be keepers. Stick to 2-3m because a 4m will be a lot to handle first up and not something you will always want to hand to your friends and family later on.

Any of these kites will put approximately the same smile on your face and are all good quality - I really don't think you would regret the purchase of any of them in the 2-3m size.

Higher aspect stuff like the Ozone Method, PL Viper/Core, Flexifoil Blurr, HQ Toxic will be noticeabley faster and require a touch of brake to stop them overflying the edge of the window and they will generate more power once the speed of the kite gets up. Personally, I'd stick with something out of the first group and by the time you've flown the pants off it, you'll have a good idea of where you want to go from there.

Here's a vid of the Imp Quattro 2.5m from a couple of years ago - it will give a good indication of how it flies in light winds.

Yeah I would also highly recommend stay with the Buster Soulfly, Ozone Flow, HQ Beamer, PL Hornet, Flexifoil Rage, Zebra Checka/Z1 kites.

Jumping into a higher aspect kite as a 1st rig is like giving the keys to your V8 mustang to a 16yr old.. Sure it's not a $100k ferrari, but it is just as "hot and bothered" and beyond thier skillset..

This is a video of my youngest son flying the older Buster3 in 2m version on a light wind day (AKA barely able to get it flying at times) 5mph was fine and mellow 7mph and he had his hands full. The nice thing is the kite was stable and predictable and that was his 1st time on a quad line. This is exactly what you want for a 1st rig and will be a nice kite to keep in your car so you can play at the park after work or on lunch as well as hand to any new flier...

http://vimeo.com/33154825

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Originally posted by John Holgate Any of these kites will put approximately the same smile on your face and are all good quality

John I LOVE the way you put that- so true.

I'm a Newbie to all of this, so this is for what it's worth (not much I guess :wink2: ) but I love my Imp Quattro 2.5m. It has become my "goto" high wind kite in the buggy- and without it I might have missed most of the last 3 days I was out as the wind would've been too much for me. Here's some footage my IMP pulling me up to 25mph in the buggy :wee: (I'm about 150lbs BTW)

Guys, I would like to thank you very much for all your insights. I am going to go for the 3.3m Soulfly Buster. I am going to place the order this weekend. You guys mentioned that this kite comes as a complete package with everything I need to get started? Do I need to buy any other accessories?

not a bad choice. you should probably buy kite killers just in case. i am unsure if they come with them. they attach to your wrists and incase of emergency you let go of the handles and the kite instantly crumples and falls to the ground. if it comes with them then never mind. also a good helmet even in light winds a gust can come aong and then your superman flying through the air. other than that hide the wallet from yourself or be prepared for the addiction rush. next thing you know your spending 500$+ dollars on a kite and most people are going to call you crazy.

Good boots!! The parts of my anatomy that I believe I'm most likely to injure when static flying are my knees and ankles. Once your 3.3m kite starts to generate some power, your ankles will take a fair bit of pressure. I love the beach - sand is consistent and you can scud without too much fear of ankle injury. Grass is less consistent - slip, grab, slip, slip, grab etc!

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Originally posted by mascientist Guys, I would like to thank you very much for all your insights. I am going to go for the 3.3m Soulfly Buster. I am going to place the order this weekend. You guys mentioned that this kite comes as a complete package with everything I need to get started? Do I need to buy any other accessories?

Buster is complete with kite, lines, handles, 2 killers, 2stakes & bag.

I will second the helmet. For the boots also. I have been debating if I fould get a shoe with a sole with LESS tread? thinking might slip easier. For now when I know I am going to be powered up and scudding I just sit down and work on controlling he kite so I scudd smoothly

Good advice all-around. Helmet at all times is a smart choice as well as knee and elbow pads should you decide to venture into some wild stuff (aka nuking winds).

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Originally posted by pyro22487 I was informed that the PKD buster is a kinda slow.

I differ completely. The Buster"s I, II, III, were beginner kites. They had in the later models all the bells and whistles of the faster more expensive kites. A great value and kite that still is in a lot of quivers.
The Buster Soulfly is by far better than the original buster and has surpassed the Brooza, I, II, III's also. It is still a forgiving and gentle kite perfect for a beginner, yet has the ability to run with the big dogs when you get more experienced. The Buster Soulfly is now the high wind kite for all the smart PKD team riders. I say smart because the small Combats are wicked as Hell and not many people can keep up with a kite that is able to fly at Mock 10 in a heart beat. So the the Buster Soulfly is great at absorbing gusts and still will deliver a great amount of speed.
Nothing bad about anyone who sells the Buster Soulfly but you got to fly the 3.3 to its potential to enjoy it. Sorry 30mph in a bug with a 3.3 is good for the elderly but how about 52mph? If I had more balls and not a little scared of an OBE again, I would have got the 4.4 out that day, 60mph would have been a hoot.

I don't want to speak ill of anyone about the kites they sell or fly, as we all have our limit and preference, but you got to try it before you can say anything about it, Hell I've owned a Chevy, Ford, Olds, Honda, Toyota, and every other make and now drive a Dodge. All great rides but the Dodge is newer, ;-)

3.3 Solfly will be a very good choice !

At some point you may want to buy a harness.

Hooking in allows you to rest up and get a whole lot more flying in . It is a useful thing to be comfortable with one when you move up to larger kites.

Helmet is a must. I personally like a skate sole on my footwear. Heels dig in and increase the chance of twisting and ankle in my experience ?