Power Kite Forum

Hey guys another newb

daemon_sin - 4-9-2016 at 06:38 AM

Long time visitor, finally decided to register as I'm about to make a purchase :)

So i usually spend summers at sea boarding, diving, cliffdiving etc, and last year a friend who kiteboards told me I need to give it a go. I've not got that much experience at all with kiting, and I know people usually get told to start with a 3m. The only issue i have is after approaching a few people and telling them I'd like to start static first to get the hang of it, and then work to try with a landboard as practice before kitesurfing, I've been told to go for a 5.5m pw twister. I've had this recommended by three different people now because they have all said that due to the average wind speeds I have near me at this time of year being 5-12knots and also mainly my size (6'8 / 130kg) a 4m kite wouldn't give me much fun or traction especially when I go onto a land board.

I do trust these guys because they are way way more experienced than myself, but I'm just a bit surprised as I've heard beginners chastised for wanting to go for a 4m kite over a 3 so yeah... I've also seen what the 5.5 twister can do lift wise, but admittedly that was on people half my size and in much faster winds, and it is said to have a wind range of 3-22 knots.

Anyway i know everyone here knows their stuff even though they may have different opinions, so any other input would be greatly appreciated before i sign my life away lol.

BTW anyone in London (UK) kite at primrose hill or Hampstead? Looking for a good crowd :)

Windstruck - 4-9-2016 at 07:39 AM

Long time listener, first time caller! :D Welcome aboard daemon_sin, happy to have you in the Monkey House.

There are lots of opinions about what kite to start with as you transition into Powerkiting. At 6'8" / 130 kg you are as you know a few stones larger than most, but not all of us. I for one would think that a standard 4m kite would pull for you as a 3m kite would pull for a more typical sized guy. Please note that most of the recommendations for starting with a 3m are based on kite size versus body size but also flight characteristics. A 2-3m kite is pretty zippy in the air and really necessitates that you are on your game to fly it properly. A 4m kite is quite a bit more sluggish in the air than its smaller brothers so your form can be sloppier without really slapping you.

The basic progression is to start with a smallish FB kite (2-4m) and learn to fly it stone cold STATIC (standing on the ground, not rolling on anything). Once you can really fly your small kite well and really understand all the basics of flight (discussed throughout this forum) then progress to some form of movement, be it a buggy, some type of landboard, skates, skis, etc. depending on your desires, skill set, location, etc. This 2-4m kite will be way too small for this activity unless it is truly howling out. When the winds are whipped up that high you don't want to be out mobile powerkiting as a brand new rider so you will at that point need to get a larger kite. Note that the venerable N+1 vortex may envelope you at that point. :evil: At that point too you may find that DP kites are more for you than FB, particularly if you are heading eventually for the water. DP kites require wearing a harness as the pull of a DP kite comes through a chicken loop hooked into the harness, while FB kites are really mostly flown from handles either gripped with your hands or hooked into a harness via a "strop" (line between the tops of the handles).

That great little kite you learned on? Keep it! Once you are a skilled mobile powerkiter it will be the perfect kite to take out when the winds are strong. Those are FUN sessions, but not sessions for beginners.

Also, please wear a helmet even when just learning to fly static with your feet on the ground. Learning to let go of the handles is a pretty swell idea too. Yes, it will seem goofy to wear a helmet standing out in a lush grass field with your relatively tiny kite, but trust ALL OF US, stuff happens. Happens a lot.

A great place to start your decision process on what kite to buy first can be found here: http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=28759

Again, I'd say you'd be fine with a 4m based on your size. Others may still say 3m and that would be fine. You'll be surprised how much pull a well built 3m traction kite can provide in even just decent wind. These are powerful kites!

Have fun, please be safe, and please relate your stories! You'll find lots of great people on this forum eager to befriend you, share their knowledge, and your stoke! :thumbup:

ssayre - 4-9-2016 at 10:39 AM

You can start on any size. The reason to start out on a 3 meter is they will still fly when the wind is low but will still allow you to fly and learn in some moderate wind, thus giving it the largest wind range and most opportunity to learn your kite skills. Should be plenty of good used kites in the uk. I'd snatch up a couple sizes.

jy1zoom - 4-9-2016 at 11:44 AM

You can try Gunnersbury Park on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Once you got a kite and landboard, I'd be happy to met up on a dry day for a couple of hours at Hanworth Park, behind the Hanworth Airpark Leisure Centre. Most of the time its wide open empty, but we'll endevour to be courteous and give way to the local model airplane flyers and other park users. And have fun!

abkayak - 4-9-2016 at 05:04 PM

I don't see a 5.5 twister as a good 1st kite no way no how I don't care how big you are
Imo...3/4m and learn proper flying and move on from there

daemon_sin - 5-9-2016 at 01:07 AM

Thanks for the advice guys, I was pretty much expecting that, like i said I did think a 5.5 would be op at the moment and when the wind kicks up in other seasons I would want a higher wind kite so I might go for a 4m one. Jy1zoom thanks for the info on Gunnersbury park, as soon as I can get the swing of things and pick up the comp 95 I'll hit you up :) I'm cutting back on the gym to try and drop mass down to about 100kg before boarding, should take another 2-3 months, I don't want to break the deck lol as most of them in that range specify a max weight of about 110-120kg :/

Blitzhound - 5-9-2016 at 09:50 AM

Hello fellow tall person. I too am 6'8" 130kg. My first kite was a 5m HQ Beamer. I thought that because I was bigger. A bigger kite would be better to learn on. I WAS WRONG. While I still have my 5m and it's still one of my favorite kites. It almost broke me of wanting to fly. The wind range that it was safe to static fly it was just too small and when the wind picked up it stopped being fun really fast Within a couple of months of buying the 5m I bought a 3m and I can now tell you I wish I had started there. Now these kites are my moderate and high wind kites. Just my two cents. Live Large brother!

daemon_sin - 5-9-2016 at 10:54 AM

Thanks blitz that's good to hear, I really was a bit skeptical of the 5.5 as I saw some pretty nasty fails lol.

BTW does anyone have an opinion on the flysurfer viron 2 dlx? I'm just thinking of when I have more experience at the static, and am transitioning to board, i was initially hoping to go for a bar on the twister to landboard, then try the flysurfer for kitesurfing. I would prefer foil to inflatable and I've heard people say good things about the viron for landboarding also.

abkayak - 6-9-2016 at 05:35 AM

dont worry about that stuff yet..if you pu a few fb kites learn to use them real well w/ handles
throw a board in to the equation....youll become a fine landboarder
than you go dp
imo

ssayre - 6-9-2016 at 07:23 AM

I've gone back and forth on this but I've come to the conclusion that I'm a much better pilot for spending a year on fb before going dp so I really like abkayaks advice.

Blitzhound - 6-9-2016 at 07:05 PM

I'll chime in again. When I started kiting in motion I went DP then FB later. And I have to say I agree with the others. I wish I had done it the other way around. I firmly believe that learning the FB will make you a better DP pilot. But not the other way around. I am still fairly a newbie the kiting world. I have only been in motion for about a year now. With that said though. I don't know #@%$#! about boards.

daemon_sin - 7-9-2016 at 03:12 AM

Thank you guys for all your advice, I do agree and I wanna get confident on fixed and handles before thinking of depower. The only reason i was thinking ahead was to focus on my future budget, i always like knowing what I'm saving for lol.

Anyways like i said thank you all, you've been a great help and this morning I've just purchased the 4mTwister, should arrive tomorrow and I'll hopefully be taking it out for an early morning Saturday session weather permitting :)

abkayak - 7-9-2016 at 05:49 AM

good move w/ the 4
dont worry about the budget either your gonna be twice what you plan on....minimum
ohh...no wind on sat but good luck w/ that

Mikelp3586 - 9-9-2016 at 04:47 AM

Welcome! Here's a question on budget, has anyone honestly told their significant other the actual price of the kites we buy? Lol I always knock a 100 off what it really was. I don't k ow why because I still get the look of death haha

OffAxis - 9-9-2016 at 05:35 AM

Honesty in a relationship is more important to me the lying about how much I spent on kites. She's gonna give you the same face either way so I recommend telling her how it really is.

Mikelp3586 - 9-9-2016 at 07:45 AM

You'll love the twister! 4m hornet was my first true kite one of my favorite kites to fly. I think the hornet has a little more pull than a twister but in any case like the rest have stated learning to fly in all aspects of wind is your first priority. Watch for gusts! And use those kite killers at first. The wind will show you very quickly to respect it.

hiaguy - 9-9-2016 at 09:15 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Mikelp3586  
Welcome! Here's a question on budget, has anyone honestly told their significant other the actual price of the kites we buy? Lol I always knock a 100 off what it really was. I don't k ow why because I still get the look of death haha

Yup, the look is consistent.
She asked about the cost of my buggy, so I told her. She wasn't happy, but at least appreciated that it was less than a single hockey season for our son.
I don't offer the information, but if she chooses to look at the visa bill it's clear. Typically, she just comments "I haven't seen THAT one before."
Yes, dear.

abkayak - 9-9-2016 at 09:32 AM

Proper kite etiquette = always pay cash/admit to nothing

Brant - 9-9-2016 at 07:52 PM

I always go for the "It's worth $x but I only paid $y for it honey" if that doesn't work I just lay out "it's the only hobby I have anymore, and cheaper than going to the bar every weekend". She's usually pretty good about it anyways.

-mj- - 21-9-2016 at 08:07 AM

Agree, don't put an FB on a bar, even though it looks easier/cooler a bar just limits what the kite can do + you'll learn a lot faster on handles.
By the time you master the kite you can get onto a board, if you then master both at the same time, depower is the next step up.

When you do decide to go depower, do take in account that you'll need a bigger size than you might think!