Hey ya all...I will get one of the kites listed and wanted some input and advice. I weigh 170 lbs and live in south east alabama. I will use the kite for just playing around...no buggies or boards. I also will use both a bar and handles for either of the kites.. I plan on a 4 meter as I already have a 2.5 beamer. I realize either would probably be great for my use, but I would appreciate some input on the kites. thanks in advance!

i honestly see these as the same type kites w/ little difference in performance
i can attest to the beating a hornet can take and very well mannered
i think the ozone kites have great build quality
prisms are as ugly as a goat but some like the bar/handle feature
so there you go...no help at all, i wanna say get a PKD but you didnt ask

A kite for just playing around, I would get something with a little more zing. Something like a pl twister or pl voltage. For static flying, I've flown both a 4m hornet and a 4m twister. Hornet flew great and is very fun, but the twister in the same size blows it away as far as thrills.

I ignored the bar portion of the question because once you try both, you'll never use the bar again.

Exactly what are you looking to get out of a 4m kite that you aren't getting out of your 2.5m for static?

4m will NOT fly any earlier. You will have to put it away earlier. It will seem slow. All it will do is produce more power. A good thing for motion but I don't see the advantage static?

If static stunt flying is your thing and you have no desire to ride I suggest you look at Revolution kites.

I'm not a fan of the prism tensor... If you get more serious about the sport and decide to sell it to fund another kite, you will have trouble... The Octane has to be the most stable foil I've ever flown, but there was something about it that felt lacking in the power department but still an awesome kite. I've contemplated getting another, but can't bring myself to want to afford it. I flew a 1st generation of Hornet and liked it... very similar to the Beamer IMO, but maybe a hair more powerful. Do consider the PKD Buster Soulfly; just the same as any of the above kites but at a WAY better price!

follow up question...I've been talking with some places that sell these and I hear ozone does not make the traction kites anymore...only snowkites...and parts or support may be difficult with peter lynn kites...have any of you ran into any kind of trouble with this? I imagine I would not need much support after I get the kite. I've had my beamer for a long time now and have never had one single issue with it or needed any kind of parts for it.

OUT of the choices you gave I'd easily choose the Hornet.. My first (larger than 2M) kite was the 4M Crossfire which is the Beamer's faster brother (No Longer Made). I also agree with ssayre, especially if you're only flying static. The bar becomes quickly irrelevant. The bar becomes a viable option when you start using wheels, skis or other motion.

Stunting with a 4M kite is an exercise in control, wind judgement and slow motion. It will really tweak your skills as a flyer but will also leave you wanting more. You might be able to get airborne a bit faster but you will need to keep it moving forward in very low wind. Pulling a 360 in nearly zero wind is always fun.

I personally still enjoy both my 4M Crossfire AND my 4.5 Bullet for static flying. (4.5 Bullet static flying in my Avatar.) I have a bar I have only tried as the handles give so much more control. The bar just isn't fun in my opinion. I'm also in agreement the Prism Tensor just isn't an attractive kite to me. But that's a personal opinion and your opinion on kite appearance and preference definitely matters more.

Since you are familiar with the Beamer, have you considered putting out a call for a used 4M Beamer?

Quote: Originally posted by harleymast

follow up question...I've been talking with some places that sell these and I hear ozone does not make the traction kites anymore...only snowkites...and parts or support may be difficult with peter lynn kites...have any of you ran into any kind of trouble with this? I imagine I would not need much support after I get the kite. I've had my beamer for a long time now and have never had one single issue with it or needed any kind of parts for it.

I wouldn't be too concerned about "support"... Worst thing that I ever needed help with was a snapped bridle. I called the place I bought it from, they contacted Peter Lynn and they sent me a new bridle, but I could've ordered a new one from FixMyKite, Powerzone or any other kite repair place. Don't let that be a reason to decide which kite to get... there is way too much help here on the forum and in the kiting community to allow you to let that be a need.

Quote: Originally posted by harleymast

follow up question...I've been talking with some places that sell these and I hear ozone does not make the traction kites anymore...only snowkites...and parts or support may be difficult with peter lynn kites...have any of you ran into any kind of trouble with this? I imagine I would not need much support after I get the kite. I've had my beamer for a long time now and have never had one single issue with it or needed any kind of parts for it.

You are correct about Ozone in that they no longer make four line fixed bridle kites, but I wouldn't call the Access, Frenzy, or Summit solely "snowkites" despite how their marketing material looks. A good number of us here on PKF own these kites and use them for getting pulled on various forms of skateboard, skates, buggies, etc. I personally use the Access, Frenzy, and Summit kites for snowkiting in the winter (LOVE them for that) kite skating in the summer, and the Access kites for high wind buggying as well. I personally do not like the Frenzy or Summit kites for buggying but that is simply because mistakes on my part could lead to OBEs (Frenzy and Summit kites have a fair amount of lift which is a BAD thing IMO while buggying unless you are strapped in and freestyling).

Note that I did not mention static flying throughout that paragraph. I would NOT recommend Ozone kites for static flying; they truly only come alive once you are moving.

The one thing I'd add to the discussion in favor of getting a 4m fixed bridle kite for static flying is if you are the sort of guy that wants to get in a weight lifting session while flying kites. For sheer grunt that you have to resist 4m FB kites can make for one heck of a hard workout. Short of that, larger FB kites just get slower and slower in the air and in their turns making them IMO more boring to fly static.

Haha, the only reason frenzy, access etc are called snow kites is because the remainder of land kite activities are irrelevant to them from a marketing stand point since there are so few of us. They might care about selling to the euro buggy racing scene but they have r1 and chrono for that. The weirdos on here that make up the tiny casual land kite scene are all but invisible to kite companies. We are lucky snow kiting is a semi big thing or we wouldn't have any good kites to use.

As far as Peter Lynn support, no worries. We have been an authorized Peter Lynn retailler for over 15 years and can get you pretty much anything you would ever need. If we don't have it in stock, we can order it in from the factory and it usually only takes 5-7 days to receive it in. One of the best companies for support on their products around.