Power Kite Forum

No wind!!!

Sthrasher38 - 2-11-2007 at 02:41 PM

Man I am tired of waiting for the wind!:mad: Thoughs on a low wind baby please. In a range from around 3 mph to 8mph. I am stuck in a fu@#$%# hole here and it driving me crazy. I get four days a month with good enough wind to fly and half of those days are really gusty and cant fly anyway. wind in Oregon wind in San francisco. next to nothing here. Oh 7 mph. so I am stuck in the house. No time after work to drive anywhere to get to the wind So my only option is to get bigger kites.Sorry for all the crying but nobody around here understands. I need to adjust my quiver a bit to stay flying no matter what the wind is!!!:yes:So sizes would be nice I would like to stay with the lift. Not to snatchy. A good static flyer, buggy and board puller. I weigh 220. And the kites I have now are fixed bridle. But I am willing to try different things if need be. Someone please help.:borg:

Pdxnebula - 2-11-2007 at 03:16 PM

I had the same problem with my Biggest kite being my RushII 250, until the "Buster" 9.0mē showed up, now NP, it goes up in next to no wind... Also the closest park is not much bigger than a football field & trees all around it, So I have to deal with all the wind shadows, but once I get the "Buster" 9.0mē above 100', its happy to just sit there, with hardly any wind & just tug away...
:)

lunchbox - 2-11-2007 at 03:51 PM

I also have a problem with light winds and wind shadows in my local park. My bullet 4.5 is my go to kite when it's blowing between 8-16mph. I'd like to be able to go on the landboard when it's only 5-6mph and I had a bullet 7.0 but it was just too big and slow to move around the window and the winds here have so many 'holes'...you can't just park it...soon as you do, the wind drops or there's a lull.

Pbx - Do you have steady winds so you can just park the kite or is the buster 9 really fast through the window?

Bottom line - what type of kite do I get for these conditions if it's blowing < 7mph?

beachrights - 2-11-2007 at 03:52 PM

Not to boast but.... tomorrows forecast here on Cape Cod:

THE WORST OF THE WIND WILL BE FELT ON THE OUTER CAPE AND NANTUCKET LATE SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. SUSTAINED WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 40 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 85 MPH POSSIBLE

that is a direct cut and paste from The Weather Channel

I guess Teds Kite Innovations 1.0 meter I have will get some airtime!!

Pdxnebula - 2-11-2007 at 03:59 PM

Be Careful in those winds with that little kite, their like trying to hold onto a "MAD HORNET" when they get to screaming at those wind speeds...

Sthrasher38 - 2-11-2007 at 04:34 PM

Ok, So far a 9m Buster.

Pablo - 2-11-2007 at 04:54 PM

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f201/targo88/Pabs13M-1.jpg...

Something along these lines if you can swing it. Pictured is a 13m Century, but any race type kite will do great. The high aspect, high efficiency makes them wicked in low winds. Sadly anything good enough to buggy with in low winds will probably totally bite for flying static. Usually they're dogs, but in a buggy you can park and ride, that's putting the kite at one side of the window, then just follow it all the way across the park.

The 10.3m Combat is making enough power to get a decent ride out of in 5-8mph winds with some fun involved, So far I think JEllis has the biggest sail out this way with his 16m RM+, Gonna have to break down and get the 15.4m Combat to keep up.

Someone got a smoking deal on the 13m Century as well, keep your eyes open, something will come up.

Sthrasher38 - 2-11-2007 at 06:50 PM

My god! that looks like a paraglider! Is that a fixed bridle or depower? Does it have a crossover? are crossovers for depower or to help with tip collapse?

Pablo - 2-11-2007 at 08:05 PM

Fixed bridal kite on handles, that's the 13m Century. Only mod was pulley handles to get more movement on the brake lines with pully handles(thanks Jon)

Cross over bridal helps the large kites with turning. Cross over bar feeds in brake input for you on a bar when you turn using the mains allowing for faster turning large foils.

Pdxnebula - 2-11-2007 at 09:30 PM

Thinking of modifying my handles to pulleys with the 9.0m, I've only got 13-14" handles, Rings could do the same as true pulleys???

Pablo - 3-11-2007 at 09:37 AM

Yup, used rings for a couple months before getting pulleys, most hardware stores carry cheap pullys for under $5 as well.

The brakes aren't really taking a lot of strain, just use some decent line for the brake leaders and the rings should be fine.

Mikey17 - 4-11-2007 at 02:30 PM

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=12o_-BXm48Y:thumbup:

Pdxnebula - 4-11-2007 at 11:14 PM

Think I'd need a "BIG" indoor stadium for a 9.0mē, & probably be running my butt off...

BeamerBob - 5-11-2007 at 10:08 AM

I can't believe a foil can do that. And he isn't running like a rabid dog either!

lunchbox - 5-11-2007 at 10:20 AM

gotta say, I was kinda impressed with that video myself...Thought about trying it with my bullet in no wind but then I decided to continue watching football :wink2:

DAKITEZ - 5-11-2007 at 11:41 AM

that video was impressive, but if I just want to fly I'll pull out a stunt kite. I got into the big boy kites to get pulled about.

DAKITEZ - 5-11-2007 at 11:45 AM

Sthrasher38
where in Cali are you ? you must be by me in the Sac area, because i haven't had any wind here lately either.

art_lessing - 5-11-2007 at 06:18 PM

torture pure and simple.....they should outlaw no wind days...I remember last year this time was blowing a lot..thats when I started this addiction.....now I am officially jones-ing like a junky...and I got all prepared for high winds with the 1.5 and my 2 m legend on a short leash of 50 ft heavy draggy paracord....it works great for those high wind days.....but now they are all as good as sleeping bags tossed in the air.......but here is my question...how easy is it so sew a NPW9 like a 15 meter or something for easy inflation, and could you do it from one piece of fabric?

Sthrasher38 - 5-11-2007 at 06:47 PM

Dlish89, Yea I am close I live in Marysville. Just north of Sac. And yea there has been nothing in the way of wind at all!!!:mad: We will have to get together some time to fly.

Pablo - 5-11-2007 at 06:58 PM

Big kites, they'll fly in anything over 2mph, so if you can feel a breeze on your face you're in business, 3-4mph and you're well powered. Very few low wind days IMO

Sthrasher38 - 5-11-2007 at 07:11 PM

Big kites as in 10m and up?

DAKITEZ - 5-11-2007 at 08:02 PM

Sthrasher38 for sure we will have to hook up if the wind ever blows ! I will send u a u2u. Plus I just got my npw5 today so I want to try it, though I'm not very impressed with it. You get what you pay for is definately the case here.

Sthrasher38 - 5-11-2007 at 08:08 PM

COOL!!:thumbup:

Pablo - 5-11-2007 at 09:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Sthrasher38
Big kites as in 10m and up?


Yuppers,

It'll blow your mind if you get around kiters that have been doing it for years just how much power they go out with on a daily basis.

A general rule of thumb, if you can't scudd for a min of 5-10ft you're underpowered, Fun starts when you can hear your lines screaming for mercy. If they've never been humming you've never been truly lit.

Pdxnebula - 5-11-2007 at 10:25 PM

I've had all my line sing to me, except for on the 9.0mēso far... I've been Underpowered, except for the day the kite arrived, today was more like me Flying the Kite to keep it in the air rather than it WANTING & Able to fly wihout my help keeping it moving, which is tough for a Bus, in 0-1-2-3-4 mph on again/off again wind...

Mikey17 - 6-11-2007 at 01:02 AM

last time i heard my lines sing i ripped my shorts and almost broke my arm. oh yeah, and i had to chase my kite down the field because it ripped my 9 inch stack out the floor! :o (lesson learn't !)

BeamerBob - 6-11-2007 at 05:14 AM

Quote:

A general rule of thumb, if you can't scudd for a min of 5-10ft you're underpowered, Fun starts when you can hear your lines screaming for mercy. If they've never been humming you've never been truly lit.


That is a great way to figure out if you have enough kite. I always wondered how you knew without years of habit and experience.

Bladerunner - 6-11-2007 at 09:19 AM

Khooke seems pretty happy with his Pansh Blaze 12.5. It's odd he hasn't answered. See his previous review. He could speak to it's lumpy wind abilaty. I've only seen it on the beach.
I know he was riding in some low winds the day we met. Too low for my 9m Blade.
I just love the graphics on the Blaze and in 12.5 it's even cooler looking !

Pdxnebula - 6-11-2007 at 10:20 PM

The Winds here in SE (PDX=Portland) OR. comes & goes in small to big gusts & lots of lulls, so its a mish mash of different winds at my Main nearby flying spot...

But out Next to the PDX Airport(Next to the big, Columbia River)actually at the west end of the Main northern runway, the wind is always steadier there, yet even there you get lulls, just NOT as bad as further inland away from the River...

Plus If I had 1 set of 150' lines for ANY kite, they would be to long for my dinky nearby park, so I have even less area to work with just because of the Wind shadows at the park with all the trees surrounding it...

So for close by its a matter, of the wind forcast being precise & high enough, steady enough, to use my 100' lines & stay above all the Junky air in the park...

Sthrasher38 - 7-11-2007 at 06:37 PM

I love to hear my line sing but, I fly most of the time underpowered mostly due to lack of wind. Thanks.:borg: Looking for a bigger kite:smilegrin:

Sthrasher38 - 7-11-2007 at 06:39 PM

I love to hear my line sing but, I fly most of the time underpowered mostly due to lack of wind. Thanks.:borg: Looking for a bigger kite:smilegrin:

Pdxnebula - 10-11-2007 at 02:09 AM

The Kite Gods, I've already been warned about for sometime now as far as any kite flying... (New Kite Syndrom) Its supposed to RAIN for like the next week solid, (But my kite flying park is only 10min away so I can go between showers & I WILL)

Pdxnebula - 27-11-2007 at 04:45 PM

Will the "Buster" Fly on short Paracord lines if the winds JUST right??? I mean for all out (Small Park, Scudding) not worried about control or drag, just the pull of the kite "drag" for Poppin up in the air & doing short "hot launch" scuds, then quik landings, so what if I have to keep walking back to start over, somedays thats all the wind does... Starts then STOPS... It'd be fun to just get some MAJOR low wind scudding when theres not enongh wind to really FLY decently & in a small park... What sort of winds are we talking to fill up the "Buster" & scud with short HEAVY lines???

Pablo - 27-11-2007 at 05:39 PM

Never tried it, but I'd assume a fair bit more wind than on standard lines.

Reason for this is that on short lines the window will be quite small, you'll basically be parking and riding. It'll be really hard to work the kite for more power. On longer lines you can get away with a lot less wind because you can keep moving the kite around the window to keep the apparent winds up. If you're good with apparent wind you can keep flying in way less wind than normal.

Now if you want some real fun in light winds, hook two sets of lines together giving yourself somewhere around 40-50m lines. You'll be able to keep the kite moving full tilt and generating lots of power in almost no wind, control response gets slowed down quite a bit though.

Pdxnebula - 29-11-2007 at 09:34 PM

Whos Got all the Winds & need some Rain??? I Need a FIX!!!

BeamerBob - 30-11-2007 at 06:15 AM

I need both. Lake Lanier in Atlanta will take 3 years of normal rainfall to refill. My lake is way low too. I hope the winter rains can fill it back up.

Pablo - 1-12-2007 at 07:45 PM

Hmmmm, windy and snowing, just pitch black.

NPWfever - 2-12-2007 at 07:59 AM

Nebula, I had crazy wind the other day and really wanted to fly my 8 meter! (The winds called for a 3) I made a ground handling rig to practice for PG lessons (If I ever get them) so I put on my harness and the kite PG style and man it was cool! Well once I got the hang of it anyways. Forward launch, so much power it rips my waist out from under me and I hit the ground, and got dragged a good bit. Try #2 I pulled the hell out of the brakes and because of the windspeed it still launched just slowly without power, release the brakes and BAM! I get lifted a good 7 feet and kept there for a good 3 or 4 seconds, kiting the wing. MAN IT WAS SICK! By the end of the day I could loft myself and stay up for a good 15 seconds. Would have tried on a hill but the wind was blowing down them, not up. :no:

khooke - 2-12-2007 at 01:46 PM

sthrasher - sent you a u2u - today looks good!

DAKITEZ - 2-12-2007 at 04:15 PM

I'm pretty sure sthrasher is in Monterey this weekend.

Sthrasher38 - 4-12-2007 at 06:43 PM

You were right! But now I am back. Read my new post.:borg: