Hi all,

this is my first post on here so don't flame to bad :P

But anyway, I have a few questions.
I have NEVER flown a power kite.
all I have flown a little 50" stunt kite and it barely pulls at all. What is a good beginner power kite? I weigh about 170 pounds.

thanks

move this thread to the kites and accessories and you'll get plenty of advice....................:duh::duh:

No worries, no flames.

Can we assume you are working towards kiteboarding or kitesurfing, since you are under this heading?

If so, you will need professional lessons to keep you alive and safe. They will have the gear to start with and help you to pick your own, but here is something like what they will start you with...


A 3 (or so) square meter 4-line kite on a control bar. HQ Scout or Peter Lynn Twister II are examples.
or..
A 3 (or so) meter 2 or 3 line kite on a bar.
Examples of 2-line are HQ Rush, Peter Lynn Impulse. Most companies that make kiteboarding kites make 2-line trainers of this size for their schools to use to start with.

2-line kites are less expensive, simple and can still be fun, but mostly cannot be easily relaunched when crashed. New exception are the HQ Rush III's that can usually be teased back into the air.

3-line kites can just about always be re-launched and are easy or more graceful to land because of the 3rd/ brake line.

Popular with th local kiteboard school is the new HQ Hydra, 3-line inflatable kite. Because it is a closed cell inflatable, it can be crashed and relaunched on the water without turning into laundry on a string like open-cell foils. You can learn to body drag in the water with it.

2-3 line kites are sized by span, not area, so a 3.5m Hydra or Rush is like about 3 sq. meter in area.

These will teach you th dynamics of the wind window (usually lesson one) and the Hydra will get you into the body dragging in the surf (usually lesson two) before you move on to the fully rigged kitesurfing gear.

Remember, these are not de-power rigs, as is used in full blown kites of the sport, but will get you started.

Well I was thinking of something cheap, easy, and small... something like a HQ symphony 2.2?

Spend the little extra to get a 3 or 4 line kite. The avantage of the brake lines is HUGE !!! Added control, added safety andeasy relaunch. A 2 line can only take you so far but a good 4 line is a keeper. 2 line kites don't often reverse launch so are a pain for beginers who crash a lot.

Unless your local is very windy it's O.K. to go with a 3m to start. A 3m flies and pulls a lot more like the bigger kites than a 2m IMHO. The smaller kites are very zippy and produce power a bit different.

Don't think twice about getting a good traiiner. It is the right thing to do no matter what you choose after that. Once you have it you can figure out a bunch of stuff before making the next / more expensive choice. A good quality trainer will resell at a good price if you choose to because very few people actually sell them.

If you are looking toward the water the ONLY kite out there you really want is an HQ Hydra!

would the HQ Scout be a good kite? would it come with everything I need?

What about a Beamer 3?

you never confirmed what you ultimately want to do. Kiteboard?

The Scout and the Beamer III both come with all you need to fly besides the wind. One is on a bar (again, not a de-power bar) and one is on handles.

Either one would be great for you. Make your choice based on your future intentions. If you like static flying, or think you'll end up in a buggy, then go with the Beamer with handles. If you see yourself on a landboard or ending up mainly on the water then lean towards the Scout. I got the scout mainly to teach newbies with and for Wexler to use when the Montana is getting too much wind. I'll pick up a set of handles for me to use with it in the buggy. I just sold my 3m Beamer a month or so ago that got me started in this. I just got the Scout and I've opened it up to hook the lines up but haven't flown it yet. I expect it to feel very much like my old beamer III.

The other angle on this is that you will learn more about kite flying with the handles than you will with the bar. You can convert yourself later to a bar with no problem, but going from a bar to handles would be a steeper learning curve I think. Just MHO.

I intent do do some static kite flying and LITTLE kite boarding. so I want something that would be good for both of those things.

Those two goals aren't going to be well served with 1 kite. You need a trainer, and there aren't many people that will say they prefer a fixed bridle kite on a bar. Get a 3mish kite on handles and then see where you go from there after you develop some skills and tastes in what you like in kiting.

I am pretty sure HQ's Hydra is almost the same price as the Scout ?

The Hydra is a new trainer out this year and over due.

If you plan to play in the water then this is the only option you want to consider, if you can afford it. It is a " closed cell " foil and so it can be crashed on the water and relaunched. Open cell foils won't relaunch and so limit how far you can progress on your own. You can carry on with a nice safe trainer on water if it's closed cell.

The advantage is that you can use this trainer to progress in to body dragging and even working on board starts. You will be able to fly it in much higher winds on the water and could theoretically get going on a big board with it. A HUGE advantage going in to lessons ! Well worth a bit of extra money at 1st. Potentially paying for itself when it reduces your bill to 2 lessons instead of the typical 3.

I thought I saw a thread about another company ( Ozone ? ) that put out a water relaunchable trainer this year but can't seem to faind anything on it now ???? So HQ have the only Closed cell trainer I know of ..... for NOW !!!

I will probably get a Beamer 3m will handles

You can still play with your Beamer in the water after you learn not to crash too often. You just won't be able to relaunch so will have to pack up and start over as a result.
Flying static, handles add a demension that is not available on a bar with independent brakes. More like the steering on a depower bars back lines. Really play with those brakes so yoy see / feel how they alone can direct the kite. This is an important conecpt to understand when moving up to your 1st depower kite.

Good choice.

Read the excellent tutorials at CoastalWindSports.com. There are others but this is one that I am most familiar with. This will give you a good understanding of power verses de-power, the wind window, techniques, etc. Knowledge is power. The more you know, the better decisions you will make and the more money you will save. Having stunt kite experience will accelerate your learning curve.
You really need to decide where you want to go with this endeavor. Then work backwards from that point to figure out what you need to get there.
There is a fine line between being under-kited and over-kited which will vary with conditions.
Lots of help on these pages. Let us know where you fly, what type of winds, and where you plan to go with it.
Welcome to the kite addicts lair.
Mel

One more question :P...
Is the Beamer self-launch able? like on a beach or something?

Other than that you all have been TONS of help :D

Yes

thanks


Well actually I will either get eh HQ hydra, or the Beamer 3.

OK so, here's what happened...

I ended up getting less money than I thought I would, so I ended up getting the HQ rush III 250.
So Far I have HAD A BLAST with it but it seems to be getting smaller hehehe :singing:

S I was thinking about getting a bigger kite. something like a HQ scout 4m. Would this be a good choice? If I get it or not I want my next kite to be a HQ...I lOVE there product quality

I'm planning on getting s 5m scout

That's a big jump of over 2 x the size of the Rush 250 (Rush is sized on span, not area), but as long as you respect that fact and start in winds about 6-8 mph, you will be OK. The Rush should have taught you respect for the wind, but the leap in size and design will provide WAY more than 2 times the power. Be careful and have fun.

You are on the addicts track....I have a 2.5, now i'll get a 5m....now i'll get an 8m....now I need a 10m...a 12m...a 15m.....
It's a sickness I tell you. Get help before its too late!:Ange09:

It's too late. :ticking: The spell is cast.

The scout is a great kite but I'm not sure it will do everything you want ?
I expect you are going to 5m so you have a big enough kite to play in the water ?
If that is true , you should pay the bit extra to get the Hydra. No ? It will be way more functional ?

ok lets see if we can get this guy in the right direction.

If your planning on going in the water your best bet it to go with a trainer with a bar. Your going to end up on a bar anyway might as well learn on one. And you going to end up on a depower kite, which means you will need a harness also.
these guys here are big on the foil kites on water, and theres nothing wrong with that, theres die hards that fly foils on water. But most of us go with LEI kites. which is probably where your going to want to go if your riding water.

As far as going into the water with a 3m. Your not going to learn much except (1) it will pull you through the water and (2) how to walk back up wind. You have to remember in water you need alot more kite to get going. After my 3M trainer my next kite was a 12M and i went right into the water with it. My smallest kite now is a 9M i snowkite with it and ATB with it when guys are out on there 3s and 5s. Im just used to holding down more kite. Most LEI mans. now have smaller 3m5m7m inflatable kites.

Now is the time to decide where you want to go with your kiting. If you looking at going water kiteboarding best bet would be goto the local spot and talk with locals to see what there most used kite is. and look for something in that size. Why spend money one kites you wont really have a use for?

If you looking at static i would approach in the same manner,you bought a trainer, you know how to fly a kite now, and for the most part they all fly the same IE pull right to go right. Why buy another trainer?If i were you id try and find a local group and see what there most used kite is. Why pay for kites you wont use as much.

Ive been trying different mans. kites but manly fly a 3 kite quiver a9M 12M 16M thats all i need to cover the majority of winds i want to fly in. oh and still have the 3m trainer. If theres more wind then i can handle with the 9 its probably above my skill level anyway. And theres some days that its so light my 16 wont cut it and my buddie is on his FS silver arrow. Yea im jealous but then again that like a 2500 dollar kite.

So best bet is decide what you want to do

and get the best sized kite for the majority of wind conditions you will fly in.

well unless you want to spend a bunch of cash and have a bizillion kites.

I was planning to do kiteboarding. not kitesurfing.

:roll:

kiteboard = board on water
kitesurfing = board on water


snowkite = kiteski = board/ski on snow

This may clear things up...

OK then I plan on kiting with a mountain/ATB board...

IF I did get a hydra 350 it would be able to pull me in the water, but how much? Also would it be strong enough to pull me around on a ATB?

I'm sorry,

I thought that you wanted to learn to kite board on water because of the location of this post .

What Snob' says about looking at a depower kite still applies ! This is an important time to decide what kind of flying you want to do ! You can learn the basics with the kite you have. The next one should be well thought out. It will be your go to kite !