Hi all!! Where the heck is the wind??Ahhhh.....ok, I'm done.

Ahem.....I'm considering purchasing a power kite. I'm 220lbs,43yrs old. I've been flying quad line for a bit now and get the braking aspect which I feel I can apply to the Stylus P3 or P4. My understanding is the P3 is the only of the two that come set up from the factory with bridles to convert to 4 line or does the P4 come the same way? As far as the Snapshot goes, what about the 2.5?

My other question is if I should go with the P3 considering my weight or P4? I like the idea of being dragged in high winds on the beach or local park. Park has some really long wide open fields. The beach would be maybe twice a year unless I get addicted faster than I think in which case I'd be heading to the beach as often as the wind comes Grin. Only draw back is the beach is about 2-3hr drive. Park is 20mins.

Any ideas or comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

I think you'd be better off getting something that comes with the brake bridle already set up and with suitable handles and lines. If the stylus and P3 come with straps and you convert the kite you're going to have to upgrade your lines and handles. That will cost you $100.

I think you'd be bettter served looking at a Beamer by HQ in the 3 or 4m range.

I think of the snap shot as more-or-less a toy and the P3 / 4 in the same category. They seem to be nice recreational foils and I'm sure they pull but they aren't focused on the traction or power kite market.

You could do better for roughly the same price as it will cost you to buy and upgrade the Prisms.

I thought the P3 was already set up for 4 line. All I would have to do is untie no?

I see what your saying though on upgrading. I already have handles form flying my Revolution. Lines would be extra I'm sure. Other than that though what's left?

The HQ website is very vague on what one gets for the what price.

The P3 and P4 are initially set up for 2 lines. They come with a dual line set (power lines) and padded straps. To convert it for quadline flight, you just have to seperate the brake and power bridles. However, at that point, you will have to provide your own set of brake lines and a set of quad-line handles.

The entire Snapshot line (including the 2.5) are dual line one. No conversion to to quad line.

The standard quad-line handles used for flying a Rev are NOT suitable for flying a power kite.

The Stylus line is being phased out to make room for the Tensor line, but that could be months away. That information was leaked months ago, but no official date was set, so the best guess would be RSN (Real Soon Now).... which never is.

You can't really go wrong with Brian's suggestion of the Beamer.

HQ's site for power kites is http://www.powerkites.de and they are pretty specific about what is included with the kite (you just have to look under the "Accessories (incl.)" section for the applicable kite.

What is included with the Beamer is listed here:
http://www.powerkites.de/index.php?option=com_content&vi...

Give it a look and post back if you have any additional questions.

There is a link on that page for the Beamer Manual, which might be of interest to you.

All the best,
Sam

Very helpful info as well as Brains info. Good to know that the Rev. handles wouldn't work. How are they different? I'm thinking they Beamer handles are stiffer/stronger? I can see they seem to be thinner.

I found the info on HQ site(thanks).

So is there any info on the Tensor Lineup Prism is coming out with on this forum or anywhere else? Now I'm really curious!!

Getting back to the Beamer...I figure for the 235.00 or so dollars I can get the full meal deal(Beamer III 4.0) it makes sense to grab a Beamer. Heck, it even comes with a backpack. Sheesh......nice.

Much stronger.... try to imagine repeatedly supporting all your weight from a set of Rev handles. They are meant more for finesse.

There is no information about the Tensor line other than the name..... after that it drops off into rumours. Prism tends not to give away too many details until very close to the release date.

Yup.... it even comes with kite killers (something else you would have to provide with the Prism). :singing:

Glad the information was useful.

ATB,
Sam

The Stylus line has been discontinued and as of this date, the Snapshot line is the only power kite line being offered from Prism. The Tensor has been shelved (as of now but could change pretty quickly if Prism decides once again to peruse it).

We have the new Beamer IV in stock and as said above, is a much more serious power kite than the Stylus or Snapshot series and comes already configured for quad line.

The Rev handles will fold in half or the triangle clips on the top and bottom will be ripped out almost instantly from the power of the Beamer (unless you have one of the Power Blast Rev Handles).

All Beamers come complete, ready to fly right out of the bag including Kite, Backpack, Matched Colored Quad Lineset, Colored Control Handles, Kite Killers, Ground Stake w/sleeve, Manual and instructional CD.

We have all sizes in stock and offer free shipping to U.S. destinations.
http://www.awindofchange.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&am...

I also recommend the Beamer over the Snapshot / Stylus kites if you are serious about power kiting. For recreational flying or just playing around they are fine.

Hope this helps.

yup, the snapshot is a fine little recreational kite, it got me started! But if you want to get dragged down a beach a bit by the wind, the beamer is a solid power kite. the p3 and p4 offer opportunities for pull, but for real controllable traction in reasonable winds a proper power kite about 2-3m in size is what you want...

Kent/Wind of change,

One thing that I really liked about the Prism site is the wind chart they offer which makes it really easy to see wind speed/pull ratio. Not that that would be the reason to buy a Stylus. Unless I'm missing something though, I don't see that for the Beamer series which is why I'm still wondering which size would be best for my size and weight to achieve the drag. I know from looking at the Prism chart that if I want to achieve 300lbs of pull the winds need to be 25+miles for the now Snapshot 2.5 and was the same for the P3. How do I figure that out for the Beamer??

I'm going to buy the P3 today to kinda get the feel for this thing and for the price I can't beat it(110.00). I'll keep it at two lines and call it good. If and when I want to step up and I have "the bug" I would like to grab a Beamer. I just need to know what size so I can get happily dragged into oblivion:singing: :wee:

Also....what type of line would be good? I'm thinking Spectra dual line,sleeved and pre-stretched 300#/100' due to me weighing in at 220lbs or would 200#/100' due the job if and when I get pulled?

Thanks,
Bernie

The right kite will come with the right line and gear. In no particular order...

Peter Lynn Hornet 3.0 m
HQ Beamer 3.0 m
Flexifoil Sting 3.3 m

I'd personally recommend the beamer as a learning kite. However, thats been covered in this thread already. Its what I started with, worked well for me.

So bought a P3 and then decided to upgrade to a P4 due to my weight. It turns out that the P3 only had 200lbs of pull@25mph and the P4 has 300lbs.

To start I feel comfortable with the P4 for now. I'm sure I'll be itching for the Beamer in the near future. I got a great price on the P4 so I couldn't resist.

Thanks all for the feed back and help!!

Bernie

So bought a P3 and then decided to upgrade to a P4 due to my weight. It turns out that the P3 only had 200lbs of pull@25mph and the P4 has 300lbs.

To start I feel comfortable with the P4 for now. I'm sure I'll be itching for the Beamer in the near future. I got a great price on the P4 so I couldn't resist.

Thanks all for the feed back and help!!

Bernie

Now that you are flying, go where others fly! Hook up with others in your area and I'm sure they'll let you try some other kites...Flexifoil, Ozone, HQ...Have fun, be safe!

Sold the P4 and upgraded to the Beamer IV 3.0. Have yet to fly. Waiting for winds and no rain.....ya right!

Almost went out about 1am to fly but the winds were hitting 20-30 +.....again......ya right:singing:

All I need is to end up in a tree and in the middle of the night no less:wee:

That's generally when the cop shakes his head and has to sit in the patrol car laughing uncontrollably for 5 or 10 minutes, so that he can greet the firemen and EMTs with something resembling a professional demeanor.

Of course, they are also going to need at least 5 or 10 minutes to get rid the giggles, but then the cop gets to look like it didn't even faze him.

This is of course.... all speculation.

ATB,
Sam

BUhahahahaaaaa........the ONLY thing keeping inside last night was visualizing THAT EXACT scenario!!!

welcome back lol! 5-19-09 to 3-11-10?

the cops usually only come out when you load your kite up with glow sticks and traffic gets screwy... ufo's and all

Been out for a bit dealing with girlfriends and now ex. Sigh.....Oh well, I still have my kites though!!!:roll:

sad to hear that... women are sometimes a bit difficult... and its never fun when things go south... glad you kept the kites in the split

I'm ok with all that. It was a year ago and after licking my wounds have now re-discovered my KITES!! Wooohooooo!!!!!:wee:

I'm actually thinking about getting a larger kite but have boat loads of questions now.


The Beamer IV 3.0 is really nothing to sneeze at. Meaning this thing is friggin' huge compared to what I'm used to flying(2 liners and Revolutions). 3 meters=10 feet!!

I'm sure the addiction bug has hit me. I'm thinking about a 5.0 Pansh. What's the deal with the killer prices on the Pansh site?? Seeing pairs for dirt cheap.

can-o-worms there my friend!

the basic "just" of pansh kites is you get what you pay for... decent kites, but they just aren't as "finished" as mainstream kites... easier to luff, lower quality gear... some are kite only... and you have to provide the control gear... some have bridal issues... bottom line... if you can afford a better kite... get it... you will prolly get many more years out of a name brand, and get more enjoyment out of it...

that being said... there are tons of peeps out there that swear by 'em :dunno:

i've never flown one, but from the EXTENSIVE conversations on the subject... i'd say buy a better kite, a peter lynn, ozone, flexi, HQ... they will prolly serve you better in the long run

Hmmm.......I think for now I should stick with playing with my Beamer and get used to it.

Later, look into other options. I guess it couldn't hurt to buy a couple of cheapies. The pricing I'm seeing is pretty darn good which include one line set and handles. I have read the line sets are not the greatest and some say the handles could be better. Heck for the 250.00 I'd be spending and getting a 6.0 & 4.5m almost to hard to say no.

Like you said though.....there are quite a few that like or at least have quite a few in the quivers I see.

Easier to luff??

I'm curious as to the flying character of the P versus name brand. IE: turning,folding under and such.

Again though, I think I'm getting ahead of myself and should stick to my Beamer. At least I can play with it without it whining.:P

Let me guess. You're looking at the 4.5 Legend, 6 Ace combo? Been there, did that, sold them off. Just not worth it compared to the better kites.

Luffing is when the kite loses internal pressure (i.e. that which allows it to maintain it's form and act as a "air foil"). This can happen do to shifting wind conditions. This can also happen due to the design of the kite

• internal reinforcements being insufficient or poorly designed
  
• number, shape, placement, sizing, reinforcements of air intakes
  
• design of the cross-venting of the internal panels that seperate the cells of the foil
  

causing air pressure loss during aggressive maneuvers or at the edge of the wind window.

Sorry if this is overly geeky.

Hope that helps.

ATB,
Sam

FWIW: You might consider getting the most out of your Beamer and keeping a sharp eye on the kites that come up for sale here. Quite a few bargains show up in the clearnance/demo sections of the PKF retailers' websites too. Not that I watch those too closely. :saint:

As the warmer months come around and people start looking for new gear or as they make adjustments to their quiver (kites they currently own), you might find your next step up from the Beamer at a bargain price and in "only driven on Sundays" condition."

It's worth a thunk.

And yes.... sometimes the siren call of a new package in the UPS tracking system is a difficult thing to resist.

ATB,
Sam

Maven, YES that's what I've been looking at. What's the deal with them and why do so many others have them in there quiver?

Indigo, not to much info at all!! Really helps actually. I've been reading a lot about kites flying and folding up on edges of wind windows. I wasn't sure if the majority was quality of wind, sail or both.

AND I have been looking at the for sale section too. I can't imagine going wrong with 100.00

As others have said, if you're short of cash, they're okay. But the quality is mediocre and is not consistent either. The bridles will (likely) end up stretching, which will turn a kite that only flew acceptably to begin with fly poorly. The lines that they ship have a lot of dynamic stretch to them, which adds to the poor responsiveness. I kite to escape frustration and thus don't want equipment that might add to it. I also have a tendency to be very picky about my equipment. If you can't afford better, Pansh will get you into power kiting. If you can afford better, I highly recommend it.