Hey,

Im looking into getting a power kite and either a mountain board or buggy. I will be using it on a beach or flat grass so i need something that will suit both. Which is more fun to use? I like the idea of being able to jump on the mountain board but the lower profile of the buggy would give a better sense of speed.

Also, what size kite should i get? Even though im a beginner i dont want something too small because once i get the hang of it i dont want to have to buy a bigger kite again. I was thinking about something like the HQ Crossfire 7.7sq.m

Thanks

B-Man,

I have both now. Got the board first, and then got a buggy. The board is a lot of fun and you can get some great air with the right kite/winds!

The buggy is cool also. It takes a smaller kite to get going and the buggy seems a lot faster.

If I had the time, I would do both. Using the board is a great workout and there are a ton of tricks to learn.

For now, I think I'm going to stick with the buggy. My local flying field suits the buggy better (longer grass and lower winds).

Good luck on your choice - I think you will be happy with either.

DaVinch.. I heard the buggy's are easier to learn on then the boards? Would be interested since you've done both if you found that to be true?
~Joe

Basic buggying (getting going, turning and going upwind) was way easier for me to learn than with the board.

I agree with DaVinch. The buggy is a lot easier to learn on than the board. That being said, the board is not really that much harder to learn, just a lot easier to get spanked if you do it wrong where the buggy is a bit more forgiving. I have seen your posts on the other topics and would like to add that you may want to seriously consider getting a power kite and learning it inside and out before you get a buggy or board. Power kites can be a ton of fun by themselves and you will welcome the experience you gain from flying it around in the air and learning the controls, especially when you get to the point of putting wheels under you.

You really should learn to control the kite first before moving on to other things - and control doesn't mean that you can launch it in the air, get dragged violently downwind and then crash land it. I have seen 200+ pound guys get banged up really good off of a 1.5 meter LD Stunt when they didnt have good control. Larger kites spank harder and longer.

When you learn how to really control the kite, buggying or boarding will be that much easier to learn.

If at all possible, find someone in your area that kites and learn from them. Talk with your local shop and they should be able to point you to other locals or even the local kite club who are into kiting and have gear that you can play with. Chances are that someone there will have both a board and a buggy you can try. They will probably also have quite a few different kites that you can try. This is the only way you will be able to find out exactly what you want (or dont want) without having to drop a ton of money.

Don't be afraid of purchasing a small kite. Nearly everyone in our buggy group has a 1.5 LD stunt (or equivilent size kite) as their high wind kite. Even though it is tiny it still has more than enough power to get you screaming in a buggy - it all depends on the wind. You can go faster with a smaller kite than you can with a big kite. The big kite will produce more power in lighter winds but when the winds start cranking out some juice, the big kite is too powerful to hang onto and is useless.

Just to throw some simple numbers out at you......Normally you can go 2.5 to 3 times the speed of the wind. So if the wind is averaging 20 mph (which is way to powerful for most kites over 5 meters) you should be able to hit speeds near 50-60 mph in a buggy. If winds are averaging 8 to 10 mph (perfect for that 5+ meter kite) you will only be able to hit speeds of 25-30 mph.

As you can see, if you get a good quality small kite to learn with it is not money wasted. In the lighter winds it is a kite that you can learn with without worrying about getting dragged across the grass on your face, but in the stronger winds it is a kite that can get you some of the fastest times possible.

As nearly everyone here will tell you....you will eventually have quite a few kites in your bag so that you will be able to fly in a wider wind range. Starting out with a smaller kite will teach you control, from there you will have an excellent idea as to what your next kite will be.

Hope this info helps you out.

Cheers lads, very helpful. Im buying a second hand HQ Beamer 3.6 today so that will keep me going for the time being. Purple knees and elbows here i come :tumble: