to introduce myself, My name is Stu and im from Cheshire. I've kind of done all this on a whim but always fancied having a power kite, and looking
through the http://www.boysstuff.com website i came across the Symphony Power Kite, me being me I want to buy something much better!!
I just want something to take out to somewhere like Southport beach, Formby beach, Beacon Park etc and to have something with a bit of pull but
nothing that is going to scare the living crap out of me! I just want something that will drag me along the grass and maybe lift me a little into the
air, but now looking at what is hat is the best?
Brookite is located in Devon and has been around for a while. For the most part they make recreational kites for beach and park flying.
The kite should be fine for getting used to the wind window and tugging you around. In high enough wind, it could still get you in trouble. It
should not be used for jumping. Among other things, I believe the Sky Rebel is only a two-line foil and the lines are only rated at 100kg.
Fly the kite.... try to limit it to flying in 8-12 mph initially.
Once you feel comfortable with that kite, you can start thinking about getting a quad line kite (2 power lines, 2 brake lines), which offers a lot
more control.
thanks for your reply. Yes the Brookite Sky Rebel is a 100kg 2 foilmite but I want a quad kite, can you recommend?
i just see these videos of people doing little jumps and wish that was me.... then i see videos of people being dragged well into the air and out of
control
Lots of safety gear. Helmet, elbow and knee pads, gloves at the least. Sam is a very good sorce of info so listen to him and many others on here and
you'll do well.
Baby steps is the rule though.
Pansh Ace 5.0 X2
North Husky 6.0
PL Guerilla 13, 18
PL C-Quad 2.3, 3.2, 4.2
Home made Rat Buggy
Libre V Max on barrow Plus wider taller sand tires & bigfoot front end
Blades Of Death, \"thanks Fran\"
Pansh Ace 5.0 X2
North Husky 6.0
PL Guerilla 13, 18
PL C-Quad 2.3, 3.2, 4.2
Home made Rat Buggy
Libre V Max on barrow Plus wider taller sand tires & bigfoot front end
Blades Of Death, \"thanks Fran\"
well at first i was only planning to have it to keep in my car, and to get us out of the house at weekends and also for when we go on holiday to
devon... then the more ive looked into it the more ive found out and how serious the sport actually gets!
Meh, you'll be fine. Anything that has 100kg lines on it, will have the lines snap before it lifts you or does anything else too violent.
(The 100 kg limit is your weight multiplied by the acceleration the kite is trying to exert on you, so you don't need to weigh 100kg (not even close)
to break them).
Me: Dutch Flyboarder ... but not the kind you\'re thinking of. Power: PL Vibe 1.8 (1.9 mod) - PL Vibe 1.9 - PL Vibe 2.3 - PL Hornet 2.0 - PL Twister 4.1 - PL Twister 5.6 Wind Range: Riding: 11 - 38 knots. Jumping: 12 - 21 knots. Ride: Trampa (14ply 35deg channels) Wants: PL Reactor II 6.9 - PL Impulse TR 3.0 Former gear: Libre Dragonboard Sirius - PL Guerilla 13 - Flysurfer Speed I 10 - Ozone Manta II 10 Homemade: PL Vibe 1.8 - Star 6.0 (Depower) - 3 Nasawings - Pixie 1.5 (fun foil) - Flowform 3.0 (slk) - Frog (laundry) Dilemma: If you work, you have money for kites but no time to fly them. If you don\'t work, you have plenty of time to fly
kites, but no money to buy them. Either way, we\'re all screwed...
If you are looking for something new from a retailer, anything by Flexifoil (spendy), HQ, Ozone, Peter Lynn, or one of the other name brands should
suit you. 2.4-3M is good to start.... 4 meters if you are going to be flying mostly in lighter winds.
The smaller end of the scale leaves more room for a margin of error and forgiveness if you misjudge the wind/flying conditions.
Really all depends on wind speed. Here's a vid of me having a blast with a 2m Beamer and a 3m Flow. Plenty of pull in 20mph!! Too much fun on 13th Beach video
Good choice! Here's another vid on how I launch and land a very similar kite (3m Hornet). It was very light winds. Lot's of great info on angus's
site too (I think Indigo posted a link to it).
My beamer kits arrived today so got it all layed out on my bedroom and sorted out all the lines. The problem cam when i attached the kite killers.
They are a type that slide up and down the BRAKE LINE, but when i came winding the lines up to pack it away, due to the weight of the kite killers
they wanted to stay on the floor which means that the kite is all packed away now but the kite killers are at the bridle end of the brake lines. As
they are a sliding kind, what options have i got as to what i can do with them as it was hard enough in my bedroom having them getting caught in the
lines, nevermind out on a windy field!
If you look at http://www.coastalwindsports.com/101FirstFlight4LineHandles.... it basically shows to have a 2nd knot on the leader, but nowhere does it dhow the
kite killer actually attached to the brake line. Problem is, the brake line just fits through the hole on the slidy part on the kite killers so no way
could i fit the leader through
Check out the larks head knot, You MUSt know this knot as its used extensively in kiting. If you tie the KS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s to the brake lines with a
larkshead, then you can detach them when you're winding your lines back up ( make Sure you have the brake lines staked out when you detach/attach
kS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s )
I think most people flying with handles are detaching their lines from the kite bridles when they pact their kites also, though I may be wrong.
also, 2 long water bottles are great tools for kiting, you can use them as weight while laying out the kite and also for launching. if you put them on
the trailing edge they will help weight that end as the kite inflates and then with a final launch tug on the front lines, they will simplly roll off.
they can be used again when landing the kite to keep the leading edge secure, And, if you get thirsty... you have water
The kite killers should not be sliding anywhere. Under load/in flight, if the kite killers are used, they can generate enough friction to burn
through a flying line, or wear the sleeving.
The Spectra/Dyneema in flying lines are strong, but have a low melting point that is susceptible to any heat generated by friction.
I've had a single line kite burn through one of my flying lines... annoying, but it happens and you start anticipating stuff like that in the hopes of
avoiding it happening again.
Take a look at the Coastal Wind Sports tutorial link again. You have the brake leader with 2 knots. If it doesn't have 2, add one (so that the two
knots are about an inch apart).
The kite killer is attached to the brake leader between the two knots. The brake line is attached between where you attached the kite killer and the
knot closest to the end of the leader (and farthest from the bottom of the handle). So starting from you, it would go: handlefirst knotkite killer attachment loopbrake line attachment loop2nd knotend of leader.The kite killer and brake line are
attached to the brake leader using the larS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s head knot. Which the CWS tutorial shows, but if it is easier to suss it out with video.
This video shows how attachments are made to a Revolution quadline kite, but the same method of attachment is used for power kites.
I have the same kite. I'll e-mail you how I'm handling it.
I will edit this post with the same information if someone could tell me how to attach pictures. This way I can be corrected if necessary. Every
example points to some hosting website. I do not have such an account set up.
Edit to post e-mail content:
I changed the end knots to a "figure 8" on each line. I like them better. The brake line is secured by a larkshead knot. The KK attachment is
positioned so that it slides up to that connection. Just be sure that it does not get "hung up" on the edge of the sleeving.
To begin packing up, I pull the brake lines up to the top of the handles (left hand). Wrap the lines around the handles (right hand). And slip the KK
over the bottom of the handles to secure.
I wrap the handle bunch in a small terry cloth. This protects the lines from the KK velcro. Then proceed to wrap up my lines over the handles in a
figure 8 slipping the line between the handles top and bottom.
I wrap the whole thing in another terry cloth and roll the folded kite up over the handles.
US74 HQ Beamer IV 2m, 3m: Apex III 3m, 5m PL Synergy 15m GI Patrol (DAKITEZ special build)
What I’m after:
5-6m lifty something or other
Syn\'s little sibling
Hmmmm... buggy?
Told the wife \"The fuel is free and I won’t have to change the oil.”
TinyPic.Com doesn't require hosting or registration. All images are public without registration, but posting a pic for forum use is fairly easy. Upload picture
Copy [img] code provided by TinyPic (similar to how TinyURL and SnipURL works, if you have ever used them).
Paste [img] code into your post and submit it. Hope that helps.
ATB,
Sam
"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12 - Jesus, does anyone?" - The Body by Stephen King
Assuming that the handles are the same as the ones that I've seen - there are some loops which are continuations of the 'leader' lines going through
the handles? Simply larks head your kite killers onto the brake line loop at the back of the handle.
Pic 3 the final larkshead knot. Only takes a few seconds to put your killers on and off. I would wrap them around the handles then figure 8 the
lines around the whole lot. With my Beamers, there are 3 or 4 knots at the kite where you can attach the brake lines - I think I use the third knot
from the end - that way I have plenty of brake tension to launch the kite backwards - should I inadvertently crash it head first!!!
Thanks for all your help and this was exactly why I asked. In the pictures your showing the KK with looped ends but my Beamer KK doesn't have a loop!
It's a platic piece with a hole and according to the instructions you actually feed the flying brake through it then attach the brake line to the
brake leader. I thought it looked wrong but that's what it says!!! I'll try and a picture of what I mean
Imagine your packing up, your stood up, KK on the floor... As you start winding the KK will weight down on the line and will get in the way of the
lines
YEEGADS!!! I reckon a hot knife would have that off in seconds! What are HQ thinking? Is there a loop on the other end ? that larksheads onto the
actual kite killer wrist strap itself? (there is on my B 4 models) If so, I would take the kite killer wrist strap off, get a new bit of 4mm/5mm
accessory cord (climbing shops/yacht supplies - maybe hardware shop), figure 8 on each end of the 4mm line and reattach to kite killer wrist strap and
brake loop on rear of handle (assuming your handles have them). I'd make the 4mm/5mm lines just long enough so the hang a little slack when flying.
Ozone use 6mm (?) shock cord on their kite killers - seems to work ok too.
Don't like the look of the 'metal thing' but having said that, I've never seen it work either.....
edit, I would put both handles together, wrap the kite killers around them, then wind up the lines - that way, your KS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s 'metal thing'
can't slide down the lines..
edit no: 2: insert the word 'plastic' where I've said 'metal' !!
I'm glad you can see what I'm getting as. I've looked at the kite killers and it's just cord with a knot at the end which it pulled into the sliding
plastic peice and acts as a stop knot.
I'm a newbie but even I can see in the picture it doesn't look right! Below is the instructions;
I've had a play with the KK, and what about this..
On the left is the old sliding set up, on the right I've changed the knot so it creates a loop.
If the above looks ok, where am I best to attach it to via larkshead? To the loops on the brake lines(next to the handles) or crate a second knot on
the brake leader and put it on there?
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