Hi all, I'm looking for help deciding which kite to buy for learning/relearning how to power kite... I'm definitely staying on land, completely on foot to begin with ("static" kiting? and scudding) and maybe trying either buggying or landboarding further down the road after some serious practice. My goal is to learn jumping, but I've read enough on here to know that I can't get a kite that will allow me to jump and be safe to learn on at the same time. (Or can I? ) I've read about forty "I'm new, help me pick!" threads on here and thought I found something fitting my situation about ten times, but now I'm so confused I figured I should just give up and ask.

I live in Columbia, South Carolina, and the average windspeed in the area is 6-9mph. The challenge is that I'd like to find a kite that both I and my boyfriend can learn on, without overpowering me or boring him. I'm about 140lbs and athletic, and he's around 215lbs and solid muscle. I'm 5'6" and he's 6'7" in case that matters, though in all the reading I've been doing so far I've only seen weight mentioned as a major variable for the kind of kite to consider.

I'm not brand-new to kiting but my first foray into power kiting was laughable at best - I was 14 (and maybe 110 lbs), bought a 4m or 5m (I don't remember the brand, but it was blue and white, and quad-line with L-shaped handles) in a shop in England on impulse after seeing a few (fully grown) men kiting on a beach nearby. I don't know what my parents were thinking letting me buy it, or why the shop owner didn't advise me against such a big one for my weight. Anyway, after one day with the kite - one semi-failed session (on a soccer field) and one completely failed session (on an empty beach), my mom decided I was going to kill myself and made me take it back. I did manage to get the kite up a few times but I remember that the L-shaped handles (technical name please?!) gave me a lot of trouble.

I'm willing to spend up to/around $350 for a good kite for us both to learn on, although if it would be better to buy two $200ish kites that's definitely an option too.

Any help? Please?

If there are a few kiters around you to help you set up you might want to go with something like the Pansh Legend, or if they are very helpfull the Ace. They are selling some 4m aces for fairly cheap in a great color scheme. And in 6-9mph it would be plenty safe for you and fun for your boyfriend. If there are no kiters that will teach you basics, just kiters that would help you set up, go with the Legend. If there are no kiters at all go with a kite w/ a good set of instructions. You will want a kite from the 2-4 meter range. My friend got a 3.6m new tech ballistic which is a great fun beginners kite but hard to set up. And the lines stretch like elastic. Your best bet looks like Pansh.

Good luck
Nick

Line stretching like elastic = bad, right??

Just checking...

Oh, and I guess I should mention that the only place I know of for help/lessons is a store called Air that I found online that's located in Charleston. 90 minute drive would be worth it though.

Welcome to the forum!:saint: You do need to start with something in the 2-4meter range.There are alot of kites out there try reading more kite reviews and see what best fits you you may or may not want to spend alot on your first kite whatever the case you will always love your first kite. Where will you be flying? Inland, Ocean, Fields. There are so many different styles and brands it gets hard to choose. Keep reading and asking questions and I am sure you will find something that suits you.Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I would not get a Pansh Ace for a first kite based on my experience with it. The 4m Ace was my second kite after the Beamer and even though it was close in size (1m larger) it was a whole different animal. More snatchy, less stable, much more likely to luff and bowtie. Don't get me wrong, I've had fun with it and don't think it's a bad kite. I just think that you would probably do better with lower aspect kite, with less lift and more stability.

People usually seem to recommend a 3m to start and I flew with that but if you're flying in only 9mph winds you might be better off with a 4m. Either way you could probably get away with spending closer to $200-$250 and get a good kite and save the rest towards a larger kite once you get some experience.

Just be cautious with it and start off in low winds. And I'd honestly recommend wearing a helmet if you're going to be out any gusty or strong winds. I'd go with handles over a bar to start out with as well. Good luck, have fun!

Thats why I said if she is going to get the Ace to make sure there is someone that can teach her. If she doesn't have kiters don't get Pansh, but if she has someone that could at least help her set up the Legend may be a good choice.

Definitely not a Pansh for the first kite. Price is right but I found the quality lacking.
Any of the 2-4 HQ kites for example would be good. Any of the smaller (4 meter or less) Flexifoil kites (Blade IV, Saber or Rage) would be good. They are more expensive but fly very very very well. For example I've never had my Blade kites bowtie but the Pansh I flew bowtied a couple times within a few minutes. Even though my Blade is a "expert" only kite it is easier to handle than the lesser Pansh.

I've flown a 5 meter HQ kite head to head with my Blade IV 4.9 meter and the Blade was easier to handle as well.

Whatever you get fly in light wind to start and only slowly work your way up to higher wind. My friend who had never flown a kite in her life flew my little 3 meter Quadrifoil for about 30 minutes then was able to fly my 10 meter Blade. She wasn't able to fly it well but the wind was very light and not gusty so it wasn't a problem for her.

Later-Scott

The difference between "inland" and "field" being... ? Columbia itself is about 100-120 miles inland from the coast, and I'll be flying it mostly in fields and really open soccer field areas. It'd be nice to have the flexibility to fly it on a beach too but I know I'll be buying another (or another set) in a few months so I'm not too worried about getting everything-in-one in my first kite.

Dork question - Do any of the Blades come with a DVD or really illustrated instructions? I know I'm going to be no good at laying out all the lines and knotting them in the right places and everything from just reading, and like I said, there's no one around to show me how/help me untangle them if/when I screw up.

The new Blades come with a very good instruction and safety manual. i've not seen a DVD but there some availible on Flexifoil.com The manual is almost to detailed that comes with the kite.

Scott

Weight comes into play once you move up and want your kite to generate power or lift. This will be handy because your B.F. will always want to fly a size larger once you progress so you can both get the most out of one set !!!

It sounds like you generally have pretty light winds. I would suggest you avoid anything smaller than a 3m. Personally I feel that kites smaller than 3m are too fast and twitchy. At 3m they slow down a bit and start to act like bigger kites.

Th HQ kites come with the DVD that you speak of. I think they make a top notch beginer package but are not they only kite that's good to start. 2 reasons to get a good quality starter kite are : You are less likely to sell this kite than any other. If you do choose to sell, it will be much easier with a good kite.

If BBREX is still selling that 4m Buster you may want to consider it ? 4m is a bit big but your low winds and grown up size will make it a good choice. Just start in low wind.

Welcome , Hopefully we can help you out as you progress !

Handles are just called ...... handles !

Inland and fields I guess would be the same. Don't worry to much about the lines. I did the same thing When I first started I thought the 4 line thing would be the death of me But ya know what they Really are not that bad. What are you thinking about getting?

I can help you on several fronts. I live near Augusta, GA, only about an hour and a half away. I would be happy to get together with you and your boyfriend to give you a headstart. I have taught a dozen or more people to fly 4 line kites (and another 2 dozen with 2 line kites). I only learned 4 line kites less than a year ago, so I remember what it was like to be in that learning phase. I started out with the Beamer III 3m. I imagine there could be equal kites for learning but they can't be much better if at all. Not to dismiss the knowledgeable folks that answered before me but I wouldn't use a blade as a training/learning skills kite. You have the same inland winds that I do and the blade (and pansh ace for that matter) have lift. As a training kite, you want to be able to "hide" from the wind a little during the gusts and the beamer will let you hide at the zenith (over your head). The blade and ace will lift you off the ground at zenith when the wind picks up and you aren't ready for that yet. Furthermore, you will later want a kite to fly in higher winds and again, you might not want lift in that situation. I still fly my beamer most every time the wind is high because it is relaxing and fun to fly without having your life so much on the line (no pun intended) as with a higher performance lifty race type kite. I have owned or flown 5 different Pansh kites, and although they can be fun to fly, they are less refined than other brands. I used them to gain experience with and I learned from flying and owning them. You might want to buy 1 or 2 after you get some experience with your beginner kite. Finally, you have at least one top notch dealer as close as Brunswick GA (Jekyll Island) I bought my Beamer from him and have a Blade ordered right now from him. He will take care of you in the beginning and will be just as great to deal with months later if you need some accessories or warranty help or just advice. Find Angus at www.coastalwindsports.com

Welcome Cola! A low lift, 3 to 4 meter to begin with. A few that come to mind are HQ Beamer, Profoil, or Ozone Samurai (if you can find one). Beamerbobs an hour west of Cola, Im an hour or so south. We have a few lift, non lift sails if you two would like to try before you buy. Let us know if you want to meet up for a session...............

Quote:

Originally posted by seraphilistic Line stretching like elastic = bad, right?? Just checking... Oh, and I guess I should mention that the only place I know of for help/lessons is a store called Air that I found online that's located in Charleston. 90 minute drive would be worth it though.

Air is a good shop but geared more for kitesurfing. Very limited quantities for land based kiting but as I said, they are more "water specific". Coastalwindsports would be a better place to start for your traction kiting needs. Im in Charelston so if you two want to demo, let me know.........

I too love a reason to get to fly kites. Just let me know, and if I'm in town you can try before you buy. I have my beamer, a 1.5m profoil and a buddy that just ordered a 2.5m profoil which I am anxious to try myself. I have a great field that the wind seems to always blow. Charleston will have smoother coastal winds, but mine will be more like what you get at home. Maybe you try out both of us before or after you buy!

That big ole parking lot (grass) at Wiliiams Bryce stadium should be an awesome place to fly...........Think we can get Spurrier and Fulmer (wiht Krispy Kremes) to show?:puzzled:

I think that in 6-9 mph winds a 4m-5m kite would be good to learn (I weigh 190), but I see some people recommending the Blade on here, and I might discourage that... I say simply because it is a freestyle type kite, designed for performance and lift. I have been flying only a few months myself, and consider myself intermediate at static flying, a beginner at boarding, and the Blade scares me (it lifted me about 8 feet off the ground last week without any effort on my part- great fun, but if it was my first kite... I dont know that I would have liked it).

I can say that I love the Flexifoil brand... very high quality. I dont know that I will ever want to buy another brand. I've had some issues with other brands, and equipment failure in high winds will either hurt you, or your kite. Not to mention attention to detail... I think its worth the extra money. My first kite was a crossfire 3.2 (HQ Kites), and it was thrilling in 15- 25 mph winds at first, though as I advance, I find myself wanting more.

Just be safe, and have fun.

I have a slightly different view, but this would be boring if we all felt the same and knew the same things huh. I feel like the 3m is the sweet spot for learning 4 line kites. I live inland and many times have bumpy winds. Enough to fly good can be too much with a gust hitting the kite with a newbie flying. That effect multiplies if you change from a 3m to a 4m and especially to a 5. Also, the larger kites tend to be slightly less responsive and a newbie needs to see quicker feedback from their inputs, but not to the point that a kite is twitchy and ultra sensitive. That brings me back to the 3m. You can tell what a tug on the handle will do. It isn't so responsive that your newbie overreactions are causing you trouble. You can get out of trouble faster, and it won't be picking you up in winds you ought to be flying in. With HQ that magic 3m kite would be a Beamer III or the new Scout, NOT a Crossfire for a beginner. Your conditions and abilities might later justify a CF but it would be frustrating to learn on. I"m not dismissing other suitable brands, just going with what I know.

On another note about quality: HQ kites have seriously whittled away at the quality gap between them and Flexi. I have flown many models including the prototype Crossfire II and the New scout. They are continually moving forward with quality and innovation and should not be dismissed as a lower quality kite. They are not.

Nice opinion Bob. I look forward to you sharing your thoughts.

I'm glad of that because I seem to be loaded with opinion. ;-)

kite Traction freaks usually are.:D

Great info! I'm in the deciding stage myself with exactly the same type inland conditions! Thanks to y'all for taking the time to share your experience!!

Lobo

You are welcome. And that is what the forum is for sharing. No dumb questions here. Welcome to the forum. Have you flown before or totally new?

Totally new, but I did post a "newbie quiestion" hrere: http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=5611

And I'm reading all the posts and info I can.

Thanks again!!

Lobo

I'm really glad to hear that there's a more land-kiting-based store nearish to Columbia, I did notice that Air featured a lot of water kiting but I figured their first lesson (which they say is on land) would still help if I couldn't find anyone willing to lend a hand!

Thanks much to BeamerBob and Tridude, and I'm definitely thinking about taking one or both of you up on your offers! Oh, and Tridude, you read my mind about the big grassy parking lot that everyone uses to tailgate - it's deserted like 90% of the year! And Spurrier has an apartment in the high-rise literally across the street from there, so you never know! lol... I'm seriously itching to get out there, so I'm sure we'll be driving all over SC looking for good places to fly.

I think I've decided on getting a Beamer III. After BeamerBob's explanation about the kite "slowing down" from 3m to 4m to 5m, I'm thinking either 3 or 4... Would there be any benefit in getting one over the other?

Good question seraphilistic! :
"I think I've decided on getting a Beamer III. After BeamerBob's explanation about the kite "slowing down" from 3m to 4m to 5m, I'm thinking either 3 or 4... Would there be any benefit in getting one over the other?"

This was exactly what was in my mind when I just returned here after, reading a bunch more, to see what has been said this far.

The one other possiblity in my mind was the Beamer III TSR 3.6m. Says it's...."designed" toward the land/ski boarder? (How...I don't know)...A little bigger at 3.6m. The only other thing is that it flown by control bar rather than handles. This could be good, if we ever board, and it is "adjustable" for different wind levels and pilot skill? But....do you need a harness with this? I would think so? And this wing costs about $70 to $80 more than the Beamer III 3.0.

Help folks!! Advice on choosing between these three sizes and two different wings??

Thanks!

Lobo

PS - I'm a Game#@%$#!....graduated in 1980. I Love SC!!!! :singing:

Can't advise on the TSR but the 3m BeamerIII is no slouch of a kite. It will serve you well when your skills and the winds have picked up. It is IMHO the perfect size to learn with. Then get maybe a 4.5 or 5m later for some more power. You can fly through the air and really hurt yourself with even a 3m so don't think that you will stop with one kite and therefore need one al little bigger.

Lobo, sorry about my boys in Orange picking on the Game#@%$#!s Sunday. We need a good seed in the tournament.:saint:

I graduated from UTK in 87.

Since this is kind of in line at the moment, here's a completely random question - Do all Beamer IIIs come in the same colors? (ie all 3ms are red/black/white, all 4ms are yellow/black/white, etc?)

I think I'm sold on the 3m either way, but to have it in (close enough to) Game#@%$#! colors would seal the deal. Lol... I'm current at USC, I'll graduate in a year or two, assuming I don't get too distracted.

yes, the beamers only come in one color per size. Makes it simple.

seraphilistic...I may be wrong...but in all my shopping around looking for the best price for the Beamer, I find you are right in the colors for the 3m. Each size has it's own color design....only. Oh, and while in school, learn all you can, cause you won't use 20% of it in the real world and you'll forget 98% of it in 20 years....but, that piece of paper WILL make a difference in your quality of life on down the road.....it might let you buy a huge arsenal of kites!!

BeamerBob....you are a good salesman! This all looks like too much fun to keep reading and waiting on this first kite! I'm 95% sure I'll order a 3m Beamer soon! I also read a very good, I think unbiased, review of the Beamer III, with a great video of it flying, here: http://www.racekites.com/reviews/getReview.asp?reviewID=1832 Take a look, Sera!

I'm not much into sports (organized), but I think that UTK has almost always had a great team. It's no digrace to be eaten on by a good team! :o I have a "round the corner" relative (brother of a brother-in-law) who has been one of the coaches with UTK for a good while now.....named Caldwell.

Thanks a bunch for the advice!!

Lobo