Hi guys!

Really fancying getting myself a power kite and have no idea what size to get and what design etc! There are so many to choose from with so many different characteristics and I haven't got a clue where to start really!

Basically, I want a kite that will have plenty of power to do some kind of jumps with it. I'm not a crazy nutcase or anything and i've seen a couple of pretty horrifying things that can happen on youtube, but i've also seen some that look brilliant!! (maybe 10 feet + up and drifting for 50 feet maybe) Now i'm aware that this takes skill and it's not going to happen like that straight away, but I would like something that would give me some lift enough to make it exciting, or I know i'll get bored to bits if all i'm doing is stood in a field with a kite!!!

Now, I am a pretty big and strong bloke (6' 2" and about 18st) so I don't want something that might generate a little bit of lift for a man who's maybe 11st here! But similarly, I don't want something that will whip me off the floor before I know it and kill me either!! I just want to be able to do some kind of jumping with it, not just skudding.

Any help much appreciated!! Also, what sort of budget am I looking at here? am I not going to get anything until i'm spending a fortune, or can something to start with be had for a reasonable amount i.e <£200??? as I have no idea how long i'll enjoy it for and I don't want to spend loads for it to be shoved in cupboard after a week!!

Sorry for the long post, hope you guys can help me out here!

Cheers

Arty

Hey Arty,

There is this sad reality that you NEED different sized kites for different winds. NO single kite can do it all for you.
The next catch is that while you can get lifted with a smaller kite, not until about 5m does a kite have enough canopy to float you back down. Bigger is even better !
Generally people invest in a reasonable quality 3 or 4 m kite to learn the basics. This size IS a lot of fun, DOES have some lift / power and will allow you to try things without MAJOR consiquenses ( hopefully ) . HQ- beamer, PKD-Brooza or a similar 4 line kite are the BEST start and in your budget. Once you have mastered your skills ( blind ) on that kite you can keep it for a high wind engine or sell it easily to invest in something bigger.
Avoid 2 line models for learning. The " brake " lines come in very handy for relaunching the kite in reverse after a crash.

My best advice....... start saving for that second kite NOW !!!! :singing:

My best advice....... start saving for that second kite NOW !!!!

Snow, that is soooooooo true! Arty, kites are like a bag of Lays potatoe chips, you cant only eat just one! Another thing about bigger kites is they are slower and give you that lil bit of time to right your wrong, just dont go too big out of the gate. I started with a Beamer 2 3.6 and within a month I purchased a Crossfire 5.0. As Snow said, start saving for the next one! Regardless of size, budget in a good helmet, and knee pads! Good luck and safe flying!

and don't skimp on the helmet and pads... the only time you decide not to wear them because 'oh the wind is lighter today' you'll end up getting spanked and wishing you put them on...

Yup, get one kite to start then get lots more to have fun with!

Scott
p.s. wear body armor-lots of it.