Ok so I guess I am thinking a NPW is the only kite that can practically flown with no lines or very short lines. Is this true? I tried a profoil and well it flies but way to fast. The beach I go to is filling up with sunbathers....

I thought that a kite with short (no ) lines would be an option. What are experiences do people have with a kite with handles on the bridles lines?

PS I can't sew nor do I have the time to build one are there any for sale?

Nasa wings fly great with them attached to the handles. I have been flying them now for over 3 years and that is all I fly now. I have made up line sets different lenght from 10 to 100 ft. If you are intrested in buying some nasa wings I have been making them for over 3 years. I am still flying the first ones I ever made and have made over 15 of them so far. If you are intrested send me a u2u. I would recomend the npw9 over the npw5.

Susan (npw goddess)

i have riden the NPW 5 and a 6m lei on the bridles with only handles in high winds 30+. Its is very fast. upwind is incredible. with shorter lines the power is really reduced. and direction change requires tiny input otherwise it can be very quick. a harness would be a challenge and really impractical unless you have really long runs, also dangerous. With around 10-15m lines you get a better use of most rigs. with bridle and handles set up is more of a concession just to get out in high winds.

long arms are a help and essentially became part of the canopy spread
i had some fun with bridle runs in light wind but after ABOUT 10MIN HAVE STOP and add the lines to make it worth going out
peace

Just curious - do you have to work the kite (keep it moving REALLY fast to stay in the window) or does it "park" for you? I've held an HQ 2 liner by the bridles and it just shot right to the zenith all the time.

As it's been explained to me, NPW's can work off the bridles because they function more as drouges than as airfoils. A foil kite generates lift through it's forward movement, not so much from catching the wind. With too short a lineset, the kite can't develop power. I've held the 10m Blade III and a 17m Silver Arrow by the bridles with very little effort in winds where they should be pulling me off the ground. Had I grabbed them, say, 10m down their linesets, I probably would have lost my fingers as they rose to zenith or shot across the window.

If you have a beach with good hardpack sand and smooth winds, you might want to consider the Kitewings. I used to have one and while it didn't suit me inland that well (surface winds here just aren't that good), folks that live in open desert areas and coastal areas seem to do real well with them. A few big NPWs for light winds and kitewings for moderate and strong stuff would give you a nice, "close hauled" kiting package for sure.

Ashe

my experience with the NPW5 once the apparent wind takes over you can park it but you only have three positions zenith, right(2-3) or left(9-10). in light wind yes you can work it a little, but it will begin to almost "whip" in higher winds. a big npw would seem to be suitable for lighter winds. NPW's fly with balanced brake tension to control and bridle only you'er really down for from the front lines on the grips(which is wind dependent also)

Once you master flying a nasa wing you can put it anywhere you want it to go. You can "park" them like a foil.

Susan (npw goddess)

Whenever I buggy I am hooked into a harness at all times.

Susan (npw goddess)

susan is that also when you fly on the bridles only?

goldendmd that makes sense, what about short lines like 2 or 3m lines? I do have long arms however. Running on bridles is just a way of saving space.

Whenever I fly lines or no lines I hook into the harness.

Susan (npw goddess)

Susan, can you please shoot me a PM with prices of some larger NPW9's. Like a 7.5, 9/10 and a 15 would be of interest if you could do it for me. Can you or have you done a 9 buzzard?

dman I sent you a u2u.

Susan (npw gooddess)

Not that Susan needs a review of her kites... but I've seen several of them and she does top quality work. Not just the sewing... she makes really nice and clean bridles as well.

Just got my 1st NPW and I now I hear that they are almost impossible to get upwind with ? How true is that ?
Are there any tricks to getting upwind performance from an NPW
( mine is an NPW-5 4.8m )

I have been flying them for 3 years now. You can go upwind with them. I do it all the time. I can go anywhere I want to with them. You can get better preformance from a npw9 over the 5. Most of the ones I fly are the npw5 but I am changing over to the 9.

Just remember flying a nasa wing you have to move your hands down the handles some and apply brake pressure unlike a foil. Get out there and practice and you will get better. '

If you need more advice feel free to ask and I will try and help.

Susan (npw goddess)

Am still learning on NPW5's myself...but last year at Wildwood Beach in NJ I watched Glenn Pedro (hope I spelled that right) go in every direction w/ an NPW....
Amazing to watch. Like he wasn't even trying.

...ahh it's good to have goals

I been flying npw's now for 9 yrs and never had a problem going upwind. I always hook in unless it the .8m one and its blowing 40+, then i just one arm it with both handles in the same hand..............aj

As someone who does not own and NPW, but has flown a friends NPW9 5+ meter (4 line) on occasion, I can vouch that they do go upwind, but they don't point as high as my foils. They take more pressure on the rear lines, since the center of pressure is much further aft than on a typical foil kite. Once I got the feel forit, it was no harder to fly than a foil. I do think it was more squirrely braked in a stall than my foils (liked to flop over and spin).

I skied with one on handles alone this winter and it was a blast - and I could park it and cruise. The winds were sustained, and I was on a lake, so it woorked OK. Winds near the surface are usually slower and more turbulent. I think this would be a great way for someone to start getting the feel for steering a kite with enough power to get moving without being intimadated, and little/no risk of lofting, since the kite doesn't gain much pull by zipping across the window.

krumly

UPWIND EASY, NO PROBLEMS

IT FLIES WITH BACK LINE (BALANCE) TENSION.

I LOOP THE STROPE ONTO THE HANDLES NOT ON THE FRONT LINES,
BIG LARKS HEAD, ADJUSTABLE SO YOU CAN SLIDE THEM UP AND DOWN THE HANDLES. WHEN YOU LOAD IT LOCKS, ALSO EASY TO RESET THE BALANCE IF WIND CHANGES.

I HAVE NO IDEA IF THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY, IT WORKS WELL, TAUGHT ME HOW TO USE THE HARNESS BETTER (AT FIRST).

I HAD NEVER SEEN AN NPW, BEFORE I GOT MINE, I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYONE FLY ONE EXCEPT MYSELF. MATTER OF FACT I HAD NEVER SEEN ANY OF THE FOILS FLY. THEY ARE JUST NOT AROUND HERE. I HAD ONLY SEEN THIS GUY WITH LEI ONE TIME.

ONE TIME ... THAT'S ALL IT TOOK

I REALLY ENJOY THE npw5. TRULY FUN (AND POWER) IN A BAG.
ATB, SKATES, +NPW5... IT'S ALL GOOD

I got to give it a twist this weekend. :singing:
The winds were low so it was tricky at 1st. When the wind picked up it started to fly well. I wasn't getting the power I expected from it but was able to get upwind. I think I flew it on 20 and then 10m lines ? Good fun !