Hi all, I'm new here. I bought a Prism 1.2 earlier this summer and really love playing with it. This is my first kite with 2 strings, and I really like controlling the kite (rather than just watching it in the breeze). But I'm at that inevitable point where I want more. I have a nice big yard at my apartment building, so the 1.2 has been great on fairly windy days (10-15mph). To clarify, I do have some experience from wind sports like windsurfing and sailing a 25ft boat.

I'm not really into sports that tend to get people hurt. I've done some mountain biking, but I don't just huck off drops expecting to get broken bones. I mostly want to have fun, but stay safe. That said, I do want to feel my arms get pulled, and watching kiting videos, I like the idea of running and swooping around (hopefully without getting lifted 20ft off the ground), so I'm willing to take some time to work up to it and play it safe.

I'd love for some suggestions on how best to proceed. The Prism in 1.2 certainly is not enough to yank me around in the winds here. I've been reading some of the newby threads, though I'm getting the impression that jumping requires >5m for safety (parachute effect, to not get dropped), so I'm wondering what the more affordable 2-3m kites are good for. Should I start with something in that range and get the hang of it with zero expectation of jumping and then venture further, or is it best to skip over this range because I'll simply want to buy the next level up anyway?

So in short, at 150lbs and a desire to get yanked around without doing any major jumping or traction sports (yet). Do the experts have a recommendation of what I should be reading more about, sizes to consider, or anything else?

Thanks,

Andy

Geekguyandy
You can make this sport what YOU want of it....You can go all out and take chances or fly so that less risk is taken...
Like downhill skiing...If you are 18 years old then you point them straight down the hill and go crazy...If you are 65 then you take more turns and enjoy yourself...This sport isn't really any different.
I am 150 lbs too...been doing crazy stuff all my life, but I like to think that I took as much care for safety as I could considering what I was doing. I flew kites static for almost a year (always with a helmet) before I even thought about buying a kite that would get me airborne....I really think that was one of the best moves possible...For one I became a great pilot so when my butt actually got into the buggy I picked it up immediately. I didn't even need to think about how to fly the kite because I already could...It also gave me a real appreciation/respect for what a kite and wind could do to you.
If you know how to sail (which I did) this will help you out too....tacking into the wind is a lot of the buggy process, so you will pick that up quickly...now I'm not saying that you have to wait a year to do both but learning how to fly the kite is most important. You will really enjoy this sport....I went from a 1.8 to a 3.5 flexi rage...Flew both like they were stunt kites and never looked back...once you are comfortable flying... moving up in size is not an issue...you will have the experience needed.
If you enjoy flying your kite now and sailing you will love this sport...get a 3 meter kite and you will have it for as long as you are involved in this sport...if you fall in love then you will start buying kites like candy bars...Enjoy and welcome to the forum.

Excellent advice as always from Bruce! He is always like a kid in a candy store! He hit it right on the head. A three meter kite will be a big step from what you have now. It will also be a four line kite not a two line kite so you will get the added bonus of having "brake" lines to help you land the kite, reverse launch the kite, and steer the kite. It is sound advice to go with a 3m kite and learn to fly it first before you get a 5m kite and start jumping. With this sport as in most sports, there is still the chance of sever injury(not to keep you from moving forward) but rather than to make you completely aware that it is possible. Get a helmet at least and maybe some knee pads.

You will thoroughly enjoy your self and will likely move up to 5m afterwards. The 3m will still give you some great fun when the wind speed is too much for the 5m kites.

Ok, I will lust over a 3m and try to pick out a good 4 line kite I guess, and try as hard as I can to not want a 5m until I'm really ready!

Where are you located. The 3m kite in most instances will be a four line kite

Welcome,

One more vote for the 3m 4 line. I understand your dilemma. It is good that you understand sails.

We need more than one kite so we can enjoy more wind ranges . The beauty of the 3m foil is that it will fly very early if you work at it. It doesn't really start feeding large amounts of power back until the winds get stronger. It is a perfect size to become your high wind kite once you are it's master so you won't be tempted to fly too big a kite on those strong wind days. + the 3m is the perfect kite to teach friends with. 3m kites are super fun and really deliver the power when the wind is up !

Like folks have mentioned it is best / safest to set all the muscle memory and fly the kite without looking at it before jumping. Setting those reflexes with the 3m is fastest. Even at <150lbs myself I think I would buy about a 6.5m kite for the " jump " kite . 5m is sort of a minimum .

At first I was a little nervous seeing a "First Kite" thread in the jumping section, but it seems like you are going about this with a little caution, so I won't jump down your throat. You do not want to leave the ground with a kite until you can definitely control it without looking, and you are doing so in a strong, stead wind. The steady part is the most important. Gusts are dangerous to jump in because they can loft you and then lull with you in the air, dropping you like a wet sack of hammers right onto your little tiny broken legs.

Start small and work your way up. Power kites are scary the first time or two that you fly, but you will learn how to control the kite and make yourself more comfortable with it over time. Practice LOTS with the kite. It is very important to be able to fly without looking at the kite, because you can't see what is going on around you while staring up in the sky. No matter what you are powering with the kite, you need to be able to have spatial awareness.

Like the others have said, 3m is the best size to start with because it gives you a feel for a real power kite, but is not so big that it will overwhelm you right off the bat. Once you are confident in piloting the 3m well, you can start adding larger kites to your quiver. You wont really get rid of smaller kites, as you will still fly them in higher winds when you can't put up a larger kite safely.

Thanks for the advice. I bought a flexible blade2 3m today and will eagerly await its arrival. I'm definitely not looking to do jumping instantly, that was just a goal to get to eventually, but I am hearing (and realizing) that this would still take multiple kites to work my way there. Already being into road bikes, this will be a new challenge in the household :-)

Watch out on that Blade, it has a lot of lift power and if the wind is gusty and fairly strong you be going for a ride some where.
One trick I use in strong gusts with foil kites is let go of one handle and your kite will twist and hit the ground, of course your lines will be a tangled mess but you will learn patience in the de-tangle arena and your body will not get cut and bruised.

That's also why I was looking for a quad, as I believe I should be able to just brake and lose the lift if things get dicey.

I started out on a 2.5 meter and have a 4 meter currently that can easily pick me up in the right wind if I try. I have only been kiting for about 6 months but I fly nearly every day. What you need to know is wind speed is just as important as size. My 2.5 meter will easily drag me all over the place in high winds (18+ wind) while my 4 meter is docile in 7 mph or less. My point is pay as much attention to the weather and wind speeds as you do the kite size. Also, I found it helpful to practice whatever emergency action you will use. If you will use kite killers than practice releasing the kite on the killers so it will be natural if you get overpowered. Or you could practice letting go of one handle but I haven't tried that for fear of lines getting tangled. I only where the killers in higher wind. The rest of the time I prefer to fly without them.

Blade...nice...careful w/ that thing...start in lighter winds work your way up to the teens/twenties as you feel comfy about it.. your never gonna get lofted if you go thru this carefully and get the mental side of the sport down which you seem to already..get to the beach or more open an area if that field doesn’t have clean winds..once your a pilot and dominating that blade look to start scudding all over the place..start lining up that 5...enjoy/welcome!

Oh I been there and done that too many times.
Brake lines in most cases work, but on the occasion you have your 3m blade up and get hit with that un foreseen 35-40 gust,
you will experience how fast things get way beyond your control.
when a lot of the people on this forum warn you about flying and safety, they know of what they speak by experience.

Quote: Originally posted by geekguyandy

That's also why I was looking for a quad, as I believe I should be able to just brake and lose the lift if things get dicey.

It isn't quite that simple. If you get lofted while flying on handles, the correct thing to do is let go of one or both handles if you are on kite killers. You probably wouldn't be able to easily apply the brakes in the event that you get yanked up by a gust, and if anything you don't want to stall the kite while you are already airborne, because then you drop like a rock. Best case scenario after lofting is that you redirect the kite to keep it at speed up high and slow your descent.