Been flying my Beamer III 3m and a mates Flexifoil Viper 4m for some time now and getting much more confident. I've been casually looking for a larger kite and the Blade keeps popping up!! All I'm looking to do is mainly static flying and a bit of buggying (total Noob!!)

Do I need a Blade or is there something better for the money or less extreme for what I need?

Thanks

Andrew

If you want airtime, sure the Blade is awesome. If you dont want air then NO the Blade isnt for you. You can tune it down or up for more or less lift. Extreme power but smooth in its delivery but it can get snatchy in its upper windrange. Works well upwind landboarding in both "less lifty" settings but it still has the potential and will lift you. The new Crossfire 2 series has the adjustable AOA bridle for static flying and buggy runs, again you have the potential for lift. Factor in your weight and average wind speeds, You may be a candidate for a Blade IV 6.5 or CF2 6m. Little or less chance of being lifted options good for the buggy-- a larger BIII, Ozone Samurai, or PKD Brooza would be three good choices. Good luck!

I landboard; and love my Blade IV 6.5. Its pretty nutty at its higher wind range, but its awesome :D

Hi thanks for replies so far!!
I weigh 168# BTW
I've been browsing through this forum and come across PANSH, how do these compare and which one, if any, do you think best suits me? There are so many different types of kites/manufacturers that I really don't know whether to spend loads on a Blade if there are better, more suitable kites out there??

The blade is what most other foils are compared to. You will come off the ground using a blade. The three bridle settings are very lifty, kinda lifty, and a little lifty. I want a buggy and don't think the blade would be for me in the buggy. As I learn, I'm sure I will make more mistakes and those mistakes will have you separated from your buggy and up in the air at (how fast did you say you were going when you got yanked out of the buggy?) For a Pansh that doesn't lift, look at the Blaze. It is supple but powerful and predictable. It is fun to fly static for scudding. The Ace which is much more remarkable is almost a race style kite. It has a very high aspect ratio which makes it more powerful and fast through the sky. It WILL lift you if you get it up high and are going a different direction than the kite, or if a gust hits it while at the zenith. A larger Beamer than you have will be more pull than yours with somewhat slower turning. It will lift in strange circumstances but it isn't particularly prone to do so. Chew on this for awhile and then you will have more questions like I always have.

What is the wind range your looking to fly in?
Yes, a modern Blade IV is the standard. They are well worth the money and have a high resale value. Highly recommended.

I'm converting over to Blade IV's this year from my tried and true Quadrifoil kites. Unless I can find brand new Quadrifoil Competition XL or XXXL kites I'll go with Blades.

I found the Blade IV 4.9 to get me up and landboarding in about 11 mph wind just fine on the beach. You might want to look into a Crossfire 5 meter if you are looking to buggy and not wanting to spend as much money. There is a guy who buggies on the beach by me who has a Crossfire 5 meter and he can cruise along just fine, again in 10-15 mph wind or so.

Scott

As far as wind speeds are concerned, if there is the chance of getting a kite in the air, then I would like to be out flying it.....
Seriously though, I would like to be out as much as possible.
I'm considering a harness with a strop line for the Beamer so I can stay out onger in strong winds. I am confused as to which kite is best for longevity per £.

Andrew

I was not happy until I got my Blade. Personal preference. It is the one I fly most. But I like getting off the floor.And Blades do that with ease. All I can say is read up and decide what you want to do. what the winds are like and what you think you are ready for. One kite will never be enough. And options are endless have fun deciding I did.

You should get the best kite availible. If you don't want lifty type kites look into JoJo's or Libra's. Flysurfer's are very nice as well if you want a closed cell type foil kite. Can't go wrong with any of these.
The last thing you want is a low quality kite. Don't think about price!!! Buy cheap buy twice or maybe even 3 times. Buy high quality expensive and only buy once!

If you look at my quiver it is only Quadrifoil and Flexifoil. With 2 North's thrown in-both of these where freebies given to me.

Scott

Quote:

Originally posted by speleopower You should get the best kite availible. If you don't want lifty type kites look into JoJo's or Libra's. Flysurfer's are very nice as well if you want a closed cell type foil kite. Can't go wrong with any of these. The last thing you want is a low quality kite. Don't think about price!!! Buy cheap buy twice or maybe even 3 times. Buy high quality expensive and only buy once! If you look at my quiver it is only Quadrifoil and Flexifoil. With 2 North's thrown in-both of these where freebies given to me. Scott

is a pansh a comprimise of quality for the cheap price.
if a 5m ace/blaze is the equivalent of a blade 4.9 then for a third of the price they must be worth a look? or is that a noobish question...?

I was in the same boat. I wanted something now that I could afford. But when you buy a pair of shoes are going to spend a little more to get some that last. Or you can just go to the swap meet and get some cheap that you know will fall apart in just a little while. So yea that is a noob question but a worthy one. If you just want to try the sport go for the Ace. If you love the sport get a Blade. It al depends on what you want to do. Buy some Filas or some flip flops. I just got an Ace to try on this forum and have not had a chance to fly iy yet. But it looks better than I thought it would. Really cant knock anything until you try it!

No an 5m ace/blaze is not equilavent to a Blade IV 4.9.

Scott

On the other hand, without really having flown the blade much at all, I bet the blade isn't more than 3 times the fun of the Ace. I bet a noob wouldn't even appreciate the perfection of a blade at double the price of the Ace. Look at it this way. Would you shun a Corvette Z06 just because you know a Murciélago might have an edge in some performance categories at 3-4 times the price? Can you really say someone shouldn't even consider the Z06 when the untrained driver couldn't really extract the difference between the two cars? It is my position that the Ace would be a blast to own for the money. Someday, with more refined tastes and experience, the blade would be appreciated for its' perfection and then be worth the price.

Excellent analogy. The BIV is much more than a lifter and a$$ kicker!

I don't think anyone said don't even consider. I will post what I think in the review section I got to try one today.

For the buggy, one of my favorites is the Reactor by Peter Lynn. Design objectives are similar to the Flexifoil Rage but at a more affordable price and good quality. the Reactor and Rage are designed for less lift overhead and more power flying down low through the window- perfect for the buggy.
With a Peter Lynn Reactor 4.9 and 8.3, I have 5- 20 kts of wind range covered.

Quote:

Originally posted by speleopower You should get the best kite availible. If you don't want lifty type kites look into JoJo's or Libra's. Flysurfer's are very nice as well if you want a closed cell type foil kite. Can't go wrong with any of these. The last thing you want is a low quality kite. Don't think about price!!! Buy cheap buy twice or maybe even 3 times. Buy high quality expensive and only buy once! If you look at my quiver it is only Quadrifoil and Flexifoil. With 2 North's thrown in-both of these where freebies given to me. Scott

Speleo pretty much said not to consider the Pansh. This was the angle I was addressing.

Quote:

Originally posted by acampbell For the buggy, one of my favorites is the Reactor by Peter Lynn. Design objectives are similar to the Flexifoil Rage but at a more affordable price and good quality. the Reactor and Rage are designed for less lift overhead and more power flying down low through the window- perfect for the buggy. With a Peter Lynn Reactor 4.9 and 8.3, I have 5- 20 kts of wind range covered.

We were lucky to have that Peter Lynn 8.3 with the low wind and soft sand that day at Tybee. I felt very at ease with it while learning in the buggy in spite of it being almost twice as big as any kite I'd ever flown. A big blade wouldn't have been as forgiving while I don't know good kite position learning to turn.

In no way would I dismiss buying a blade. As a matter of fact, it could very well be a future kite in my quiver. Just like an Ace could be.

Out of all my Kites my Blade has the least amount of hours on it..(except the Blaze since I just got it )

Its more that my shoulder hurt after flying.. I think its the angle of it..
It also folds or collapses more then my other kites..

I do like Jumping,but the damn pain in the shoulders makes me pull out another larger kite before I'll reach for my Blade.