I'm looking for advice on a kite for land boarding.

I'm 175 pounds and located in central New Jersey. Probably would be flying in fields most of the time with occasional trip to the shore. I ride a long board, and have flown dual line stunt kites as well as a 3m Pansh Legend static. I'm not looking to get air - more interested in cruising/carving on an ATB.

After reading a bunch of beginner posts, quad-line handles and fixed bridal seem to be the way to go - but after that? Any recommendations on gear? New of used is fine.

Thanks!

- Chris

I always send folks to the tutorials at www.coastalwindsports.com .

Angus has done a great job of putting everything together in a way I only wish I could present it. Full of great advice.

Here is the catch. No single kite will serve you in all situations. Be prepared to build a " quiver " of kites. The best place to start is with a good 3m kite. Buy a decent one and it will remain in your quiver becoming your high wind kite as your skills grow.

Helmets are the most important piece of safety gear and I try to wear mine every time I fly so it has become habit. The other gear I add as I feel requires. A$$ pads are handy when learning and pushing it on the board.

You should get Wildwood Buggy Bash on your radar for this fall. Going to an event like this is a great way to learn fast + meet other riders.

:thumbup 3m handles...you can't go wrong...new/used doesn't matter really..than fly it more than you could imagine..get use to the kite, become a pilot...than introduce the board..Bang! That's how to roll quickly/safely

@Bladerunner - Thanks! I'll check out coastalwindsports. I've got the helmet and gear from skateboarding already...feels odd to be riding without it now. I'll look into the Buggy Bash - sounds like fun!

@abkayak - I've been flying the Legend on and off for a few years - always tough to find the time to get out. I'll keep flying...

- Chris

Great info on www.coastalwindsports.com

Would it make sense to pick up something like a Beamer 3m to upgrade my 3m Legend? Would there be a big difference in how it flies with the idea of progressing towards adding an ATB board?

- Chris

The Beamer is the perennial favorite recommendation for a first kite. IMHO it is a much more refined kite than the legend and you'll get higher quality lines and handles as well. It was my first kite. A good second kite for many to compliment their 3m is a 5m, but don't make that move till you can anticipate what the 3m is about to do right before it does it. Learn to fly it with your eyes looking somewhere else. "Feel" the kite.

I would go right to a depowerable kite if you are focused on learning to landboard! If you have already got basic kite skills there is nothing much to gain from getting another fixed bridle.

Fixed bridles are a lot less forgiving than a depower and will spank you repeatedly unless you adopt a very cautious learning curve. A depower will let you progress quickly and safely.

Look at 10m HQ Apex or Ozone Access or 12m Peter Lynn Phantom - that may sound big but its the right size for 8 knots up to 20knots. Keep your first 10 or 12 sessions in the 10-14 range until you get the hang of edging and stopping by sliding the board. Practice your safety drills and "survival" techniques every session so you have them when you need them. Wear lots of armor when you start learning to turn or you will be too nervous to commit and you will hurt yourself and not learn to turn!!!

no no no......sorry, i beg to differ. there is nothing wrong about riding fb for the rest of your life. i have plenty of dp kites to chose from and always go fb..i seem to feel more comfy...thats me.

@abkayak- you may differ but i am with lives2fly- if you are landboarding or on the water a depower kite makes it all so much easier and i beleive safer- now in the bug i really hate the dps and love my handles- my .02
Scott

I'll second DEPOWER - Why?? Easy...ONE HANDED flying....especially toe-side riding.

landboard...i feel safer and have more fun w/ a 3m and 2 hands going at all times than w/ all that fabric up there...feels way cool 1 hand dp i admit...but i like all the flying w/ a fb and feel my arms are doing the dp on the gusts... you dp guys are always so fast to push newbs to dp as a 2nd kite or for atb... the man doesn’t even own a board yet and developing piloting skills is 1st goal....when its time to boost I’m w/ you.. getting the hang of boarding or just becoming good at flying..this is where we differ...and somone has to stand up for fb kites might as well be me:D

ohh yea...i forgot to mention my new love..Cquads, im having a blast w/ these, it's a whole new kinda kite high... Now all my controll is w/ brake input and its just a different kinda flying... fo Cquads

If you have had the chance to put in the time on the Legend and can fly it without looking at it then I am with the folks pushing you toward depower. If you go depower something around 7m will cover the same winds that a 3m will.

In the end it comes down to personal choice but as a rule folks who ride boards prefer depower. I just like having the proper sized kite for the winds . Sometimes that means my 2.5m FB and used to include the low end with 10.8 Reactor II and 9m Blade II .

Something I find that feels different for me than abkayak describes is that I very much like a large kite or at least well powered for ATB. I like to lean back and against the power + often need it to keep me from falling forward. I get into far more trouble riding my 2.5 FB than any other kite.

I would say you already should try some wind action on the board with your pansh, and get the feel going on of the pull and the ride. If you can find a big parking lot you could already be riding all over the place! If you can't find a big parking lot, you can try much shorter lines. http://vimeo.com/61976053

The progression I recommend to new people who want to ATB leads to depower kites, because that is what I do, fly depower. I agree there is more control with handles, but depow is fine for me. I would look for a 6-7m depower kite, either foil or LEI. I would look for used items made after 2008 only, due to safety system improvements not present before then. I really like both foil kites and LEI kites, so I don't have a preference, and I don't mind pumping. This is enough wing to really get you moving, but not something excessively dangerous for a new rider.

For board, it's kind of hard to go wrong at entry level. You want a nice and long deck for a comfortable stance, the 100-105+ models. I had difficulty learning on a 90, went to a 105 and progressed quickly. I made the mistake of having a pro-board and associated price-tag without pro-skills. "Skate" style trucks are going to be fine for your needs, since you don't plan a lot of jumping and the associated crashing and slams. You have a good chance of a deck for cheap right here on PKF or on your local CL. the MBS Core 95, Scrub Rush both not bad options for you.

Always wear a helmet! It's up to you how much you want to protect, but you gotta always have a helmet. I wear pretty much full armor. Kneepads are a must, impact shorts are highly recommended.

I still like flying my fixed bridles :D though I really only use them static or in the bug.

@ChrisSPEC - The reason I'm suggesting you go 9-10m instead of 6-7m is that if you go small you will quickly need to get a bigger kite because you will be underpowered in less than 15mph.

You need a steady pull from your kite to get upwind, to carve turn and particularly to slide turn because you need to get your weight off the board and hanging off the kite through your harness. something big enough to park n ride will help you learn all this a lot quicker.

A 6-7m will be safer to learn on for sure but my opinion is that its better to get a bigger kite because you can be cautious with the wind speeds to begin with and once you are running up and down comfortably and getting upwind you will have the right tool to learn your turns etc. Better to get a big kite and grow into it than get a small kite and grow out of it!

just a little score card and what i believe is an underlaying them (read the have you been worked by your kite thread):
Little kites (fixed bridle):
1. 3rd degree burns/ road rash down my entire left leg form being dragged across gravel area when learning to fly hooked in on a strop- kite 5m pansh legend
2. torn acl- kite 3.8 reactor- first time I really got it on the mtn board got lofted maybe 2 ft but forward momentum and hard landing and i felt it snap
3. Concussion- my son got a concussion flying a 2m scout- got supermanned and landed on his side so hard that head never hit the ground but the slam rattled his brain
Big Kites:
1. Numerous bruises and minor road rash from trying new things and not being afraid to fall BUT NO Serious injuries
2. Learned to jump and powerslide and have control on board was maybe my 3rd or 4th time flying an arc and first depower kite in strong winds- ie 20+ flying a 12m arc

So in my opinion- while i do fly fb kites in my bug or static it is only in wimpy winds if the wind is blowing better than 15mph i will always launch a depower because it is slower and easier to control plus if i get launched i want to have a bigger parachute. Also it is much easier to learn and ride when you are powered up- not enough power and youhave too many things you need to have just right in order for it to work. Dont be afraid of the power because with depower or arcs you can always just push away (the bar) and head downwind with a little kite it flys too fast for my brain to process in strong winds making the possibility of being seriously injured much more likely. Lets face it as you get older it takes longer to heal:D and i dont like physical therapy
Scott
ps sorry i did not plan on writing a short story

and most risky time is launching and landing and if u got 10+m of kite going on and lets say its blowing 15+ u better know what your doing and or have some help...better have those board or bug skills already down pat or the whole day you've been at risk....again it's a personal preference thing...but I think before you fly dp you should already have the flying thing in automatic...flying fb gets you there. Than if you like it(like me) its ok to stay fb...than again I just got my 7.3 frenzy back from repairs...be on it real soon cause I wanna fly them all

Thank you all for the advice and opinions.

Hadn't really thought about a DP kite - was just going to keep it basic with a FB. Not looking to do jumps/air, so didn't think I'd really make use of a DP. I do like the idea of having more control, though. Is it something that I could pick up on my own flying static? And, I have to admit, the sizes kinda scare me a bit - 10m/12m!

No need to sell me on the safety gear. I know enough to respect the power these kite can generate and definitely will gear up.

Sounds like the best thing to do right now is to keep flying the legend, and perhaps pick up an ATB and see if I can put the two together (@erratic winds - great idea on a big parking lot with my current longboard). Meanwhile, I'll try to swing by a buggy bash or see if I can check something out in person. Meanwhile, I'll keep an eye on the for sale section here - if something comes along, I'll jump at it ;-)

- Chris

If you have a place to put together the long board, legend and a location with clean wind you are set for fun.

Just be sure you have your kite skills down 1st and pad up.

Nothing says you can't buy a larger FB and use it with an ATB. It is the simplest way to go because you can get by without a harness. Just be aware that as you get more serious depower is an option and tends to be the choice for boards.

I started with a 5M Radsail Pro (FB) and $99 MBS Jeep Renegade board on a local closed road (model airplane field)...I'll have to dig up the video...LOL.

What are you doing sitting here reading this? Get out there! With whatever gear you got! ROCK ON!!