Hi. I just bought a Prism Snapshot 2.5. I've been using it for a couple of weeks, but I feel it is not powerful enough. I'm new to this type of kite flying, but I'm already hooked!. I'm 6'2 240 pounds. I'm looking into getting something more challenging. I want something that would lift me off the ground a bit. I had been looking into the Prism Tensor 5.0. Will such a kite be too much for a beginner like myself? I'm not ready to get too extreme, but I would like to get lifted off the ground and still be able to control the kite well enough. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to the best power kite forum in the whole universe!

We want to know what winds you are working with, both speed and quality (clean ocean wind or gusty inland wind).

The 5.0 will be fine ,just start out in lower winds and don't fly it in gusty wind .(It's the gusts that get you!) Use the 2.5 in higher winds.

Tensor will do you fine for lighter winds until you get the hang of it. Twister 5.6 is one of the most popular jumpers. But wait until you are super comfortable with that kite.

I will be using the kite inland and at the beach, but mostly inland. I live 20 minutes away from the coast (South Padre Island, TX). It gets pretty gusty at times. Usually, however, winds will be anywhere between 8 to 12mph. I understand there is an element of danger flying these kites, but I would like to remain relatively safe. As I stated before, I do not want to go too extreme, but I would like a challenge. I don't want the kite to lift me like a rag doll either, but I would like to experience some lift. Considering my weight and my beginner status, what's a safe wind speed to use the Tensor 5.0? Thanks all.

I'am 250lbs and ride with 6m² & 9m² and sometimes 2m² on skis & buggy depends wind condition.
:Ange09:

<safety lecture>
IMHO, jumping is one of the most dangerous thing you can do with a kite. You should never do it with a small kite (2.5 meters) as it will pick you up and drop you like a stone. Some might even argue that 5 is too small to jump with, especially in the kind of wind it would take for a 5 meter kite to lift you up. Especially since you are a beginner. Read up on it and I bet you'll find that the safest option is big floaty kites (6 - 10 meters) in gentle steady wind.

In my experience, most kiters do not jump as a dedicated activity, mostly becuase it is dangerous, and more fun to get pulled around on wheels. The big exception is landboarders who tend to jump up each time they turn and do some tricks. They also mostly use big, depower or inflatable kites and have a lot of experience. I think of it kind of like rappelling, most of the people who do it are climbers who do it becuase theyhave to get back on the ground. Not many climbers rappel for fun bcuase it is dangerous and less interesting than climbing. Not many people actually do it a dedicated activity more than once or twice.

Within the last year we had a fatality from a guy who liked to brag on the forums how high he could jump with his Blade, so the danger is real. If getting air is the most important thing to you, consider paragliding where the focus is on that and they manage the risks.
</safety lecture>

Have fun, get an even bigger kite and try it in very low winds.

Quote:

Originally posted by jimbocz <safety lecture> Within the last year we had a fatality from a guy who liked to brag on the forums how high he could jump with his Blade, so the danger is real. If getting air is the most important thing to you, consider paragliding where the focus is on that and they manage the risks. </safety lecture> Have fun, get an even bigger kite and try it in very low winds.

Good advice !

Sorry to hear about the loss within your crew. Can you tell us a bit more about what happened ?

So sorry to hear about that fatality. Thanks for that advice, jimbocz. I had no idea a bigger kite will be safer. I assumed the bigger the kite the more power it will have to do some damage. Maybe I should reconsider this whole thing. I mean, I just wanted to experience something more challenging from a kite than what the Snapshot 2.5 has to offer. I had also thought of getting pulled around in wheels at some later time when I'm able to invest in something like that. The Tensor 5.0 seemed like a good fit based on size and price. It just goes to show how little I know about this. I have done some research on the subject, but I could never find the answers to my questions. Which is why I turned to this awesome forum. Maybe I should just stick with the Snapshot. :embarrased:

If you go down the jumping path, the 5m will be a good stepping stone to learn about larger kites and their power. You will be happier and safer jumping with a 6-7 m kite though. More loft to pick you up in safer winds and to let you down softly. This size kite will pick you up in 12 mph and can do 10 footers with 16 mph or so.

Get experience with the 5 m and then get the 6 ish meter and start out in barely enough wind to warm up to all the new power. My stepping stone was a 5 m HQ Crossfire then got a 6.5m Flexifoil blade IV. Read about my experience in the " Blade is king" thread.

Btw I'm roughly the same size as you.

You are right about the bigger the kite the more power.

Jumping is something you work up to. You have learned the control and are ready for the next step. Get something bigger . Feeling that added power is a huge rush ! The Tensor is great with those convertable handles and all. Just be aware that jumping will have to be the next step + that getting in motion is when the whole sport really opens up. You can always sell the Tennsor to fund the larger kite that will be the one you actually enjoy jumping with.

The thing with jumping isn't so much about getting lifted as it is about having enough canopy to provide some float while up there. A 5m kite and even the Tensor will lift you if flown in the right winds. It just won't slow your decent like a larger kite will. Larger kites turn slower giving you more wiggle room. You make a mistake with a 5m and things go wrong faster.

Exactly BR! Old guys rule! :cool2:

hymefly,
I will be down your way(SPI) Oct. 20th-Nov. 10th with all my foils from 1.5 to 12 and you are welcome to try them out
to see what is good or bad for you. Call me after the 21st Oct. 5052500176

no no!!!!..... you need more kites!!! you need to be pulled around on wheels. you don’t want to miss that! everyone needs to be pulled around on wheels, the world would be a better place. its sad to here of fatalities but there is inherent risk in our day to day lives of course there would be in what can be an extreme sport. bite off kite sizes as you can handle them.... be cautious and have lots of fun doing so......you must get on wheels you will never forgive yourself if you don’t... get more kites quickly

... also, more kites = larger range of wind conditions you can fly in - when it's blowing 5-10 mph and your Snapshot starts to get a little boring, you can pull out that 5 meter kite for twice the power!:wee:

You sound like you were born with the common sense gene, based on your questions and the research you are doing, unlike some of the guys from Kober's recent post, "Another kiting lesson going wrong...".

Quote:

Originally posted by Bladerunner Good advice ! Sorry to hear about the loss within your crew. Can you tell us a bit more about what happened ?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2018443/Killed-power...

Not within my crew, as much as I hate to say it this guy was an idiot. He was always on a UK forum bragging about how high he could jump and how could launch his kite in 50 mph winds and junk like that. We never heard too many details about exactly what happened, but one guy who was there posted that he got lofted 50 feet or so immediately upon launching. Apparently flying a Blade.

Like I said, I wasn't there, but if you launch in wind that's going to loft you 50 feet then you don't know how to fly a kite or judge conditions. That's not a freak gust. It's bad enough that his poor judgement got him killed, but he irreprably damaged the reputation of powerkiters all over the country.

Take note that the newspaper is a rag, and simply quoted discussions from our forum as facts. Becuase everything you read on the internet is true.

We had a bit of media hype about "dangerous" powerkites as a result, and "journalists" searched the forum for stories of injuries as proof of how dangerous these kites can be, with scant regard for the truth. It was a lesson for me that internet forums are NOT private and what you say can come back to haunt you.

Quote:

Originally posted by Hymefly Maybe I should reconsider this whole thing. I mean, I just wanted to experience something more challenging from a kite than what the Snapshot 2.5 has to offer..... Maybe I should just stick with the Snapshot. :embarrased:

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with getting a 5 meter kite and flying that in the right wind. It's not kite size that is inherently dangerous or not, it's kite size relative to the amount of wind. The other day I taught a guy who had never flown a kite on my 7 meter Samarai. Of course, there was very little wind. Other days I would not have let him launch a 2 meter kite. Having a big and a small kite is the right strategy, cause then you can fly on days when the wind is light as well as when it is blowing hard.

I'm not even that much against jumping per se, but as many people here have said, be experienced and knowledgable enough to mitigate the risks.

Don't be embarrased, wanting to fly bigger and different kites is natural!

Quote:

Originally posted by bobsalinas hymefly, I will be down your way(SPI) Oct. 20th-Nov. 10th with all my foils from 1.5 to 12 and you are welcome to try them out to see what is good or bad for you. Call me after the 21st Oct. 5052500176

I'll give you a call, man. Thanks for the offer!

Well, I really need to get a kite now. My Snapshot was stolen from my truck last night. Its a real bummer, but life goes on. There are greater things in this life. I appreciate all the advice everyone has given me. I'm leaning towards the Tensor 5.0. I was just wondering, will I be able to launch this particular kite solo? I've seen videos on YouTube where guys launch similar kites without the need of anyone's help. I would really like that feature. Also, is there a better alternative in the same class as the Tensor? I would like to keep it within the same price range.

Kite stealers suck!!

You should have no problem launching your next kite solo. Almost all of the kites recommended here are 4 line kites - 2 main power lines & 2 brake lines. The extra lines give you some extra control options like being able to keep the kite inflated on the ground until you're ready to launch, being able to reverse-launch the kite if it ends up nose-down, and can even increased turning control.

Several other good choices in the 5 meter range would be:
HQ Beamer
Peter Lynn Twister & Hornet
PKD Buster Soulfly
Ozone Octane
Flexifoil Rage ... to name a few.

Yes , you can ground handle the Tensor on your own. You can do that with almoat any 5m 4 line fixed bridle.

The Tensor is stable with low lift. Designed to make learning easy. The bar / handles combo is sort of unique and allows you to try both styles of flying. Bar makes learning a bit easier.

Thanks all! I'll place the order today. I'll report back by the weekend or early next week. Thanks again! :D

that's it dont delay..... just get back in the air asap....... than buy another to cover higher winds.

well im glad you asked this question because im 6'2 250 lbs, so this thread felt like it was created for me : D

im also new to flying kites, just ordered an hq rush 4 pro 3m kite with the idea to learn on this kite, than move up to a 5m or 6m kite (or possibly bigger) to do some buggying. i live right across the street from a beach in long island (about 20mins away from long beach, ny) so im lucky enough to not have to travel to be able to use my kite.



if you have consistent 12-15 mph wind what size kite should you be using for buggying?

Quote:

Originally posted by sum420gt well im glad you asked this question because im 6'2 250 lbs, so this thread felt like it was created for me : D im also new to flying kites, just ordered an hq rush 4 pro 3m kite with the idea to learn on this kite, than move up to a 5m or 6m kite (or possibly bigger) to do some buggying. i live right across the street from a beach in long island (about 20mins away from long beach, ny) so im lucky enough to not have to travel to be able to use my kite. if you have consistent 12-15 mph wind what size kite should you be using for buggying?

That would probably call for a 6-7m fixed bridle kite. Depending on the surface. Make the wind gusty and you go to a 4-5m. Size for the gusts not the luls.

Have you thought about nasa wings. They are great in gusty winds.

Susan (npw goddess)

@beamerbob, thanks for the info. as far as the surfaces go, well i imagine a lot of my buggying will be on sand and grass. the wind guests can get to be around 30mph on a windy day, and on a normal day dont go much higher than 15..


@susan thanks. ive still got a lot to learn and i hate to admit but i kno very little about the nasa wings. well besides the fact they are really cool looking :D

i will definitely do some research on them for my buggying future.

Well, I tried the Tensor 5.0 this weekend. It was pretty windy, though. I was hesitant to use it, but curiosity took the best of me. With winds blowing at around 13-15mph and gust up to 20mph, I took it out of the package, unrolled it, and launched it. Immediately, I knew I was not dealing with a Snapshot 2.5. This thing pulled very strong! I must admit, it scared me! Well, not even 10 minutes after my first launch, the kite was back in its bag. Now, I am thinking of returning it and getting something for all around use, and not just for less windy days. I won’t be ready to start using a buggy or board anytime soon. It would be nice if I could afford many kites for different conditions, but I can’t at this time. I figure I could upgrade as time passes, though. So, would you all suggest I get another Snapshot 2.5 or try the Tensor 3.1? The Snapshot was really fun to use, but I imagine winds would have to be pretty strong for it to pull more. I would like to get a good workout. Perhaps get pulled and leave nice long tracks on the sand. At this point, I'm leaning towards the Tensor. It doesn have to be a Prism, but Amazon sells and ships the Prism brand and their return policy is superb. Also, I think Prism puts good quality in their kites.

Well, imo....3m kites deliver the goods...... everything your looking for.... try to hold on to your new5...grab a used 3 somewhere...im glad it scared you....it should, thats a lot of kite.

"...Now, I am thinking of returning it and getting something for all around use..."

Most of the kites recommended earlier are for all around use, including your 5m Tensor. The only problem is that there is no kite that is "all wind use". If your winds had been your typical 8-12 mph this weekend, you would have probably totally enjoyed your session.

I agree with abkayak, try to keep that 5m kite and try to score a used 3m (or a new 3 meter Pansh Flux or Legend for about the same price). Something that size would be more appropriate to take out in 15-20 mph winds.

And definitely take bobsalinas up on his offer to try some of his kites - having some different kites to fly + someone with experience to assist is priceless!

One other thing that is good to keep in mind - when you double the size of the kite (surface area) in the same wind speed, then the pull from the kite doubles. When you double the wind speed for the same size kite, the pull is quadrupled!:shocked2: