I purchased this kite to fill the low wind gap in my quiver. Summer is here and we get quite a few low wind days in the
Boston area. Nothing is more annoying than showing up at the beach and watching your kite drop out of the sky.
I searched far and wide for a low wind kite on a budget and heard about the inventory liquidation at JEllis'
. I called up Jon and discussed the situation. Jon mentioned that he has a 10m RM. I jumped at the opportunity and
kite arrived a few days later.
Bag
The kite was packed in a white draw string bag. The kite was folded like a cushion/pillow. From the the thickness
of the folded kite, I could tell that it's a big wing.
Kite Material
The material is light and crispy ripstop nylon. The outer sail is colored blue and the inner layer is blue
and white. The bridals are knotted to the tabs and are of light material. The top bridals are yellow colors
and the TE bridals are red. The bridals are thin, atleast thinner than my BIVs, and the material seems
very high quality. I haven't measured the length of the bridals but they seems shorter than some of my
other (5/6/6.5 m ) kites.
Wind range
I have had 3 outings with this kite and I used my Windtronic 2 wind meter to take wind readings.
3+ mph: In my first outing in 3+ mph winds, the kite just fell out of the sky. It needed atleast 4 mph to stay aloft
and it sure pulls in that wind speed. The kind of a pull it generated in 4mph winds, I could ride on a board.
4+ mph: Kite flies comfortably in this range and I don't have to use my legs to keep it up.
Flying Characteristics
I didn't take this kite to a beach or used it to ride on a mountainboard. I flew it on a soccer field with goals located
on 4 sides. This naturally limited any manuverablity but for initial test flights and learning (to fly a race kite), it
was a perfect venue.
This is a 10 m kite, so it's BIG! Even at 4 mph winds, it pulls very hard. I had to be very careful. On my first outing, at
one point, the wind picked up. Being my first time, I didn't know how the kite would behave and it raced to the zenith.
As the kite was rising I was feeling the pull increasing (I was hooked in) and by the end it reached the zenith, it had
lifted me up few feet! Ohhhh joy!
I was having so much fun with being lifted
up, I just let the kite go, and it overflew
and collapsed! I learned my lesson fast and kept the brakes applied to control the ascend.
In my second and third outing, I flew the kite in 3mph winds. The kite required some leg work but I was able to keep the
kite up. if I sensed the lines were slacking, I'd take a few steps back. I kept the kite moving and it responded. When
the kite was moving straight up, I had to keep the brakes applied otherwise it'd either overfly or lift me. When the kite
had ascended about 45 degree in front of me, I'd turn it left or right to prevent it from racing to the top. If I were
to take this kite to a beach, where I could do long mountainboard runs, in 3-4 mph winds, I could easily ride my mountain
board with this kite.
My initial impression are that this is a very well crafted kite. The material and bridals quality is second to none.
The kite generates a lot of power and demands respect. It likes to be moved and needs constant brakes. The pull this
kite generates is just beautiful. I flew my Bego 600 once in 12+ mph winds and it pulled like a train. I didn't have to
sine the kite, it just kept me moving. It was a beautiful experience. I feel the same kind of pull with this kite in
5 mph wind! As you can imagine, I can't wait to take this kite to a beach on a low wind day!!!
Overall Experience
This kite nicely fills the gap in my quiver for the low winds days. It's a keeper. The quality of the kite is
top notch and it's generates tremendous power. Flying large kites in low winds is a different style of flying
and I am enjoying it very much. You have to keep the kite moving but also control its power so that it doesn't
either lift you up, or rip your arms out of the sockets. This type of kiting requires constant vigilance of the
wind conditions and alertness to kite's movements to keep it in the air. Constant adjustments are a needed and you
can't be sloppy.
If you are tired of having to sit out low wind days, I'd recommend a large wing. They do cost a bit more
but the kiting experience is very rewarding. It's a different style of flying but a lot of fun. I can now
say that no low wind day will ruin my kiting trip. I look forwad to them.
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