I'm looking for something with some decent lift, so that I can do some short hops, i.e plant my feet, power up and then hop up in the air and hang for a moment, but not something so powerful it will constantly threaten to lift me off the ground.

I'm an advanced kite flier, but fairly new to flying power kites. I've flown a Flexifoil for quite a while, but it's not very powerful and has no real lift. I've flown more powerful kites then the flexi, including Hawaiians and a large stack of Trilbies, but again they're all about pull, not lifting.

I'm a fairly large fellow, about 225 pounds. I typically fly on a sand beach, in winds of 10 to 15 mph. I'm pretty certain I want a quad line kite, though I'm open to all suggestions.

What kite would you suggest I start out with? Should I consider something I can stack so that I could add more lift later if I want to go more advanced?

You probably never flown flexifoil blade.It is very lifty kite,I use it to jump in buggy and we are about same 225lb.Try 6.5 or 8.5 ,but first smaller like 3m to get used to quad kites.Start with low winds flying to get to know Your kite and than move on to higher winds.

Quote:

Originally posted by zloty You probably never flown flexifoil blade. It is very lifty kite, I use it to jump in buggy and we are about same 225lb.Try 6.5 or 8.5 ,but first smaller like 3m to get used to quad kites.Start with low winds flying to get to know Your kite and than move on to higher winds.

You're right, I've not flown a Blade. That is one of the kites I'm considering.

As for quad line kites, I do fly a revolution. Will that experience help any? Obviously they'll handle differently than a Rev, but will some of the quad line concepts transfer?

Agree with Zloty....start out with something in the 3m size to learn with, in your winds of 10-15 you should be able to get some pretty ok "hops" with that size kite, even at your weight. Moving up to something larger will get you bigger "hops" but until you are experienced with it could get you a lot more than you are bargaining for. I have been yanked off of the ground 5+ feet with my Ozone 1.5 LD Stunt in winds that were averaging 20 mph - caught a nasty gust at the right time and up I went and I wasn't trying to go up at all. I weigh 240 lbs.

Basically any decent well known brand power kite in the 3-4 meter range will work good for what you are looking for. I would suggest looking into manufacturers like Ozone, Flexifoil, HQ (Beamer, Crossfire), Eolo (Radsail), Peter Lynn (Pepper, Rebble), or other well known brands. You get what you pay for so I suggest steering away from some of the cheaper or unknown brands.

With your current flying experience you should pick up the quad line power kite fairly quickly and you will love the reverse launching capability and the added control of the quad line. Personally I would stay away from the 5+ meter sizes until you have a good idea to what to expect from a power kite and fully understand what the kite will do in your current winds and surroundings. If you dont want to spend the money on a smaller power kite to learn with then I suggest looking around in your area for someone else who may have a smaller kite that you can play with. That will also give you the best idea as to what size you will want for what you are trying to acompolish. Talk with your local shop and they should be able to get you in contact with other pilots who have purchased different kites for you to hook up with and either ask about or even test fly their kites.

Remember, the cost of two kites is always less money than a trip to the emergency room....and a lot more fun as well! :singing:

Hope this helps.

LOL - I was posting the above at the same time you mentioned that you already fly a Rev.

YES, the Rev experience you have will transfer directly over to the quad line power kite. They control exactly the same other than the power kite will feel like a REV on major steroids. Be prepared for serious pull, reverse flight is not nearly as good as what the Rev is capable of and a power kite will feel a lot more sluggish and a bit slower than the Rev.

Thanks for the heads up. I am aware of the dangers, and that's why I'm asking about "hopping" rather than jumping. My favorite kite shop didn't have a lot in stock at the moment, and while he did unroll a 6 m he had on hand just so I could see the size of it, he also firmly told me it wasn't the right kite for me to start with. (I took one look at the size of that monster and quickly agreed with him...) So I have no plans of rushing out and buying a 6m, but I want something decent and with fair lift.

I was looking at a Beemer 3.6(?) at one of the shops, it seemed like a nice starting point. Anyone care to comment on that one?

Also I notice that there seems to be a whole series of Flexifoil Blades, up to a version 4 now? I take it they no longer make the older models, so I don't really have to worry about the difference between versions?

> I was looking at a Beemer 3.6

After a bit more research I'm also considering a Crossfire 4. How do these compare to the Beemers?

While I do usually fly at the beach, I've also got the option of flying near home where the winds are lighter (3 to 5 is common, if it blows at all...), then going to the beach once I've got some experience with it. I'll probably do this no matter which kite I end up selecting.

Hey Bob,

The Crossfire is a step up from the Beamers. More agressive, more power, faster, tighter turns, way more uplift. Good kite for jumping and buggying; develops power very predictable.

Cheers
Tim
HQ-Powerkites USA

Quote:

Originally posted by HQ-Powerkites The Crossfire is a step up from the Beamers. More agressive, more power, faster, tighter turns, way more uplift. Good kite for jumping and buggying; develops power very predictable.

Great, sounds like what I'm looking for. I'm now trying to decide between the 3.2 and the 4. I'm looking for something with lift, as I've got other strong pulling kites. I sure wish I could test fly one before having to decide...

Do you think it would be reasonable to learn on a 4 if I start out in light wind conditions?

Also, where can I buy one of these kites here in the USA? Do you have any dealers in the Western Washington area?

I really havent found any dual line delta style stunt kites that put out the power of a good quality quad line foil...the Hawiian does a pretty good job and I haven't had the opportunity to fly a Thor's Hammer. Even still I would have to say that my Hawiian at its max is only equivelent to a 1.5 - 2.0 meter foil and that is the strongest dual stunt kite I own. Even the dual line stackers from Flexi dont produce power the same as todays ram air foils do.

I am pretty sure you will be thrilled beyond belief when you finally get your hands on the power of the crossfire or the Beamer. I don't think the 4.0 meter would be too out of line as long as you did practice in the lighter winds first so that you had a good idea of what to expect in the stronger winds. Just remember that when the wind picks up, so does the power.

As for kite shops in Washington, there should be a couple shops up there that have the kites you are asking about. You may want to look on the AKA website. There is a list of all the retailers in your area. If you cannot find one in your area that can get you the kite you are looking for feel free to give our store a call and I can help you out.

Quote:

Originally posted by awindofchange I really havent found any dual line delta style stunt kites that put out the power of a good quality quad line foil.... Even still I would have to say that my Hawiian at its max is only equivelent to a 1.5 - 2.0 meter foil and that is the strongest dual stunt kite I own.

Glad to see you make that comparision, that gives me a better feel for how powerful the foils will be. I've got one of the original Top of the Line Hawaiians, which seem to pull a bit more than the new versions do, and I love it. It's my all time favorite kite, and the one I fly the most. After the center spar in my Quantum Pro snapped in a sudden gust this weekend, I go the Hawaiian out and it had no problems at all even when the wind picked up more. It was one of only a few kites flying.

I do know of one dual line kite that will out pull a Hawaiian though... Actually I should say "kites" since it's my 8 stack of Trilbies. Talk about power! I've definitely done some scudding with that stack in moderate winds. Unfortunately, they're not in production any more, since an 8 stack with all the tails on them was always an impressive site on the beach. (Of course the stack also had the turning radius of a Kenworth, and the responsiveness of a cruise ship, but hey, they look really great! )

Stacks are awesome to play with and are a great crowd gatherer as well. I have a couple stacks in my personal bag that I love flying, my latest is an 8 stack of 3/4 hawiian's, all of them are original "top of the line". I picked up that stack used from a fellow kiter in our group and the kites are in excellent condition. The package even came with 8 extra sails that were still in the package and never been flown. My other favorite stack is an 8 stack of Revolution 1.5 SLE's. Both of those stacks have some incredible pull and are a blast to fly.

Still, the most powerful kite I have ever flown is a 11 meter Razor. We were able to buggy with that kite and was able to get some pretty decent upwind at our local park in 2-3 mph winds. It took a little work and you had to constantly keep the kite moving all the time. Tons of power tho, when the wind gusted up to 6-8 you were side sliding and white knuckles! What a rush.:evil: