I just got my new blade 3 6.6 today and took it out in some decent winds. maybe 15mph winds. It was strong as all hell when i got it up there, and my arms soon became tired, but for some reason i couldn't jump with it! it had tons of strength at the top of the window and stright up but not enough to pull me. i tried bringing it down lower in the window then launching it up and it just dragged me before it got high enough to lift me off the ground. i tried pendalum (sp?) jumps and i couldn't get more then a foot off the ground. it was deffinatly too strong for me to keep powering through the strong parts of the window to get speed also. I am stuck and very frusterated. i weight about 225lbs and am like 6 foot 2. was it that the wind wasn't strong enough? or is the kite too small? am i just doing everything all wrong? help me out, i'm so frusterated.
thanks
DanV

Hey DV:
Is this B3 your first kite? A 6.6 should be enough. Not recommended but my m8 who is 6ft 3 230 lbs has been deadlifted by my B3 3.0. A hard landing followed. In big winds I use the B3 3.0 on my snowboard but mostly for cruising as it doesn't provide enough float to make landings soft. Use the B3 4.9 for jumping on the snowboard.

I would fly the kite from 2 o'clock towards 11 o'clock, while running towards 4 o'clock, keeping tension on the lines. As the kite lifts, I turn it towards 12 o'clock. As I head back to the ground I turn the kite to 1 o'clock to try and prevent it luffing as I land. The soft sand at the beach helps to cushion your landing.
They take a bit of practice, and remember when you just get lifted off the ground to turn the kite upwards so you get alot of lift and not just sideways momentum.


Try the following site for more info and don't give up: http://www.kitezone.co.uk/powerkiting/pkamenu.html
http://castlehillflyers.com/request.php?25

kb

Sounds like you need to dig a pit. You cant jump the way you are wanting to jump without staying in one place. If you are being dragged along as you bring the kite up, you will never jump unless you are way overpowered.

Try digging a hole about a foot deep, and big enough around that you can put both feet on the wall to keep from going anywhere. If you dig a circle, you can keep the same hole for any wind direction.

Here is what to do. Land the kite standing in the hole. Sit down and place your feet against the wall. Launch the kite and keep pressure against the wall that normally would have pulled you downwind. This will build a huge tension on the lines, almost like pulling back a bow and arrow. Hold it absolutely as long as you can, and when the kite gets up to the zenith, it will rip you up out of the hole. If this doesn't work, you dont have enough wind. You should be very uncomfortable and straining against the kite when in the pit. There will be huge amounts of pull and lift.

Scoop

Used Scoopy's instructions for jumping on the beach with my Beamer 3.6 - got a fair amount of lift in a reasonable wind (10-15mph) - but then again I'm only 60kg!

This way gives more control than the pendulum for higher wind speeds - I find that when the lift is good for the pendulum there is too much to do with the kite, direction of jump and landing and usually end up on my ar*e:o

DUDE THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITHT THE BLADE III 6.6M , THE BRIDLES HAD A PROBLEM AND IT CAUSED SOME OF THE KITES TO HAVE LESS POWER THAN THEY SHOULD. THE SYMPTOMS WERE HARD TO GET OF THE GROUND AND WOULD NOT GO UP TO THE ZENITH ALSO STALLED ALOT. YOU HAVE TO GET INTOUCH WITH FLEXIFOIL THEY WILL SEND YOU A FREE MODIFICATION FOR THE KITE.

Wind rider, Very cool info. You saved that guy a lot of pain & suffering If you are right. Stay cool on the info. Thanks.:tumble:

Did they have the same problem for the b-2 6.4? I am having the same thing happen to me. I think it is lack of wind though.

The problem described is a bridle stretch problem which only occurred on BIIIs model 6.6, 8.5 and 10.5. The problem is easily fixed and easily diagnosed when one of those kites flies like crap and develops a big crease running down the kite horizontally. The crease and poor performance is a result of the A lines stretching leaving the B and C lines now too short for the intended bridle configuration (hence the crease).

I'm not familiar with the BII bridle configuration but I know they changed it on the BIII at the 6.6 and above model. The change had to do with how the bridle legs were grouped and attached to the kite and then fed to the tow point. BIIIs have long, independant feeds for the A, B, C lines which allows them to stretch independantly and foul performance.

My guess is you don't have that config on the BIIs and are suffering, as you said, from lack of wind.

I had that problem but didn't know it, thought it was me. A guy came up to me at NABX and said he could see my BIII wasn't flying correctly and would I mind if he fixed it? I handed him the reins and in a few minutes I had a completely new kite! I believe he shortened the A lines like you said. I think he is a designer for Peter Lynn. Cool guy.

Thanks guys. You are the Bomb.(very informational.)

Quote:

Originally posted by B-Roc The problem described is a bridle stretch problem which only occurred on BIIIs model 6.6, 8.5 and 10.5. The problem is easily fixed and easily diagnosed when one of those kites flies like crap and develops a big crease running down the kite horizontally. The crease and poor performance is a result of the A lines stretching leaving the B and C lines now too short for the intended bridle configuration (hence the crease).

I have a 4m blade III which i just bought 2nd hand off ebay, its my first kite but it also has a huge crease running down the kite when its in the air. I'm new to power kites but it really doesnt look right in the air to me, could it be the same problem? :puzzled:

Thanks.