Hi Guys,

I've been interested in kite jumping for a long time. A long time ago, maybe 1985-ish, I was watching the news and they were shoing some kite fylers on a California beach. The kites they had looked more like small hang-gliders and there were two control lines that came down. The guys would run down the beach with the kites and take 20 foot strides between steps. They didn't go up very high though, only a foot or two. They also leaned back and got pulled for some sand skiing.

Fast forward a bunch of years and I still haven't done it yet but I look into it from time to time. It's time to get started.

Since I'm just starting out I really have no idea that I'll like it, but I think I will, so I should start smal for that reason and for saftey reasons too.

I do what to get lifted but I know more important to learn how to handle the kite first. I don't want to go that high, I just want to have some fun but I don't want bored of the limitations too quickly.

I'm around 210lbs, so after all the reading it sounds like I should start with kite around 4 meters and go with a Flexifoil Blade II or Blade III. Is this correct? This kite sounds like a good balance between money, fun, first time learning and safety.

Will a 4 Meter Blade II or III be a good compremise for a 210 lb beginner?

Brandon,
Your gaining interest in the sport sounds similar to mine. Like yourself I saw the sport on tv back in the early 90's. I bought my first traction kite not knowing what I was doing. The guys on tv made it look so easy, so I figured how tough could it be. My first kite was a Quadrifoil..the kite showed up and out I went to try my new toy. I came back bruised and cut up, but I was young and stupid so it didn't matter..haha. Then months later, while out flying (or attempting to) a couple stopped by that saw the kite. Lucky me they flew too ( I haven't seen them since) but they taught me quite a lot about how to hook the kite up, etc.

I stopped flying back in 2000 when I met my wife and found that kites scared horses (which she owned). Sold the farm and bought another house, got back into kiting just recently and was suprised about how much things have changed in kite technology.

I'm guessing that at this point you're either about my age or slightly older...which means that you've got more common sense and less desire to get seriously injured..?..haha Your best bet regardless of your weight and size is probably to go with something with no or very little lift at first. A lot of videos and what not make the sport appear to be so easy, and there really is quite a lot going on and learning to get where you want to. Something around the 3.6-4m range probably isn't a bad choice for size. However, from what I've read, the blade is a pretty lifty kite. Something like a flexi bullet, ozone little devil or Hq beamer may be easier kites to learn on. You can still be lifted by the kites I stated, but it takes a bit more work to get it. They'll still pull you good and give you a chance to learn to control the kite too.

If you did decide to go with a blade (and don't quote me ..I'm sure someone will chime in about it) maybe going smaller then the 3.6 would help with the learning curve and you'll still get a little bit off the ground. A lot of it too also depends on the wind in your area and a lot of other factors as well.

Hope this helps some,
Joe

Thanks for the tips. I'll look into those kites too.

Yep. I'm a little older, own a business and I have strong self preservation drive. So I'm not looking to go all crazy and end up like this:

http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=104

It's probably a bad idea to due this on gusty spring/fall days or during storms.

I know this is "dangerous" thing to do, but thats subjective. I'm sure with the proper equipment, practice and some common sense it's probably not any more dangerous than driving a car in rush hour traffic.
I'm not looking for crazy air or hang time.

I figure jumpring around on the beech or in a field might be a good way to get into other things. Maybe land boarding, grass/sand skis, maybe water...but it all starts with learning the kite and knowing when to jump.

I live in Somerville, MA, just outside of Boston and there are a few good places to find wind. There is a group of Kite flyers down at one of the beaches in Quincy (I've seen a couple small power kites flying there too), plus many other beaches within an hour drive. There are also a few fields by me. I'm not sure how windy it gets there, but they are big and open fields so I'm sure if there will be some kind of wind if I can run the kite high enough. It may not be good enough for jumping but I can still use that space for flying.

You're right, someone's gonna chime in.

It's a very BAD idea to jump with anything under a 4 or 5 meter kite. Sure, they'll pick you up in good wind, but they'll drop you HARD.

Much better and safer to jump with a bigger kite in a lower wind. Sub 4m kites are fine to learn on, or do some high wind buggying, but are just downright dangerous for jumping.

I'm 39 years old, and enjoy keeping my bones un-splintered. I won't jump with anything under a 4m.

Remember what skydivers say: It's not the falling that kills ya, It's the sudden stop at the end.

Yup, almost worth stepping up to something like a B3 6.6m, scarry in higher winds, but at least it'll have a chance of floating you down after. Brooza 5.5m is good for moderate lift and some float in decent wind, but no where as insane as the blades.

Hello I am a newbie as well. I have a couple of stunt kites and a HQ Rush 250. I am starting to look for a kite that I can do a little Land Boarding/ Skiing/ jumping ect... I am 245lbs and pretty athletic. I am considering a Ozone Riot 6/ 7 I am not sure. I need some advice. I know this is a pretty serious kite. However I would like to have something that I will be happy with and that can handle my size. Any thoughts? :?:

Hello:

Before you jump in and get a kite that might be too much right now, consider this:

For some reason, many people new to this sport are obsessed with their own weight when it comes picking out a kite. The truth is that your own weight is relatively unimportant compared to wind speed, and skill level, when it comes to determining what kite is appropriate. Why? Consider this:

Kiters range From lightest to heaviest, let say 75lbs. to 250lbs. That's a 175lbs. range difference. Now consider the power range in pull of a single kite, let's say a 4.9 Blade. In the lightest wind it will fly in (about 5 mph.), the kite will pull practically nothing. In a 20mph, that same kite has the potential to pull over 1000lbs. That's over a 1000lbs. difference!! In relation, that 175lbs. difference is relatively insignificant.

Or to put it another way, your additional weight (compared to a 120lbs. person) could easily be compensated for with only a 2 mph. increase in windspeed!

A kiter's skill is also vastly more important. A skilled 120lbs. kiter can safely use that 4.9 Blade in a 15 to 18mph. wind. However, to a novice 245 lbs. kiter. That kite, in that wind, could potentially be lethal!!

This is not to say that you shouldn't get the Riot, Just don't fly it under the assumption that your weight will somehow make it less dangerous to fly in higher winds. Start with low steady winds, and be cautious!

Nicely said Bucky.

The Riot is an awesome kite that has excellent speed without losing all of the stability that the all out race kites have and gives some very good lift. It is a very powerful kite and one of the most requested kites in our demo bag. Everyone seems to love the Riot for the Buggy and Mountainboards. The power from the Riot is very impressive and for our winds which normally run between 10 and 20 mph the 3.0 meter is probably all the kite you would ever need. Out on the dry lake beds the Riot rocks!!!

For lighter wind conditions the larger sizes (7.0 meter +) would be awesome but dont underestimate the power this kite produces, in a strong gust it could be scary! I would highly suggest starting out with a 3.0 or maybe the 5.0 depending on the wind in your area and then moving up in sizes from there if needed. The 3.0 has become one of the most used kites in my bag and everyone that I have suggested it to has absolutly loved it. Great performing kite with all the Ozone build quality. The backpack is totally awesome too.

Hope this helps.

The 3.0 and 5.0 Riots are great kites! Ozone makes good stuff! (I've been looking at a 7.5m or 10.0m Frenzy - Flown them - Love them!).

However, if you plan on doing any jumping, stick with the 5.0m Riot (in lower winds, of course) The 3.0m is excellent for buggying, boarding, and a great first kite, however it doesn't produce an adequate enough parachute effect to make landings safe (or that much fun). The 5.0m is a much better option for jumping.

That being said: Jumping is not something you should even attempt until you've master every other aspect of flying. So if you have the money, buy the 3.0m to start out with, and buy the 5.0m when you gain skills and start jumping. This would probably give you a wider variety of flying than just buying a 7.0m