McDee1599968713

Hi, I want to progress my kite skills in the water as my kite experience has mainly been landkiting with fixed bridle kites . Have had one professional kitesurfing lesson with a bow kite up to bodydragging stage. I have in my kit a PL Venom 13 ARC kite which I was thinking of using to practise on myself. My question is that my local beaches are very rough with oyster shells rocks etc and although I can launch and land my Venom on grass etc by myself , I don't want to cut it up on the kitesurfing beaches I would be practising on . Can the Venom be easily solo launched and landed on the water , not sure of the techniques required .Would it be the same as a Bow / C kite ?. Would this be a suitable kite to learn to Kitesurf on with my main concern I would need a kite that is easy to solo launch & land in the water . If not what would you recommend , bearing in mind it would be taking a caining to start with until I have gained some more water skills. Also any links to water launching / Landing would be much appreciated Cheers McDee

I was thinking of a PL Twister 5.6 as you can switch easily from bar to handle . Can anyone report on what this kite is like ? . It got a good report in a previous issue of Powerkite. Thanks

Hi, I have had my Bullet 4.5 for a few years now and are now wanting to change to another fixed bridle kite that can be switched easily for use with a bar or on handles with my Landboard or just scudding around . Something that has the same good wind range (4 -20knots ) but has lots more lift for jumps . I know the Bullet was deliberately designed to have less lift and more pull . Any suggestions would be much appreciated !!!! McDee

Thanks for the great tips , In summary , in the winds i am starting with , set the kite to depower & maybe slightly lengthen back lines if required . I think i will add some extensions to my 25 mt lines for the lighter winds as well . If all else fails take it out in higher wind & maybe swap bar set up to PL gear . http://community.flexifoil.com/images/icons/icon14.gif Does the internal strap setting have much effect , i currently have it set at about half way . Cheers McDee

Hi , Further to Madb's thread , i have also just moved to a Venom 13 from foils. I also have only had it out a few times , winter here in New Zealand i was flying this morning we had tornadoes in the afternoon glad i missed them . I have got the self launch sussed & the inflation, but kite only stalls when in the air and won't park itself anywhere in the window , and keeps coming down . Only way to get it moving is to pull on the centre lines like mentioned in DVD for kite stalling . Powering up kite makes no difference . I am using non-standard bar line set-up : 25 metre lines , Flexi Strike bar with clam cleat trim system . Have been starting in lower winds 8 - 13 Knots . Guessing not enough wind or needs tuning ? AOA looks a bit tipped forward , do i need to buy some longer pigtails to lengthen standard front Le lines to adjust AOA , if so by how much Any tips ideas greatly appreciated May the Wind Be With You

http://www.xaction.co.nz/kitewing.php

Thanks all for the great advice , the V13 it is then . Look at getting a VII 16 later,as probably will be used mostly on land to start SandMonster , thanks for the great links !! , really helps ,cheers http://community.flexifoil.com/images/icons/icon6.gif May the Wind be with You

Hi there , I have been flying my Bullet 4.5 for a while now , but i am an Arc rookie, and are looking at an upgrade to a de-power . There is a Venom I for sale that I am interested in. Would it be an easy kite to Self Launch?http://community.flexifoil.com/images/icons/icon5.gif , it would be used mainly on a large open field in fairly gusty conditions in 8-25 knots with a landboard, and I might also look at using it on the water also. I 'm 75 kg . I was thinking about taking Kitesurfing lessons.I have had professional Power Kite lessons. Would I be best to delay the lessons , if I buy the Venom until i am competent with the Venom on land first, or would i need lessons before I used it anywhere. I would rate myself as an intermediate with 4 line foils on bar/handles with fixed bridles , and have had about 3 hours de-power experience land based on an old LEI Naish AR5 7.5 that is a real dog to use, it keeps nose diving like crazy . Is a 13 an ok size to start with for an Arc ? . http://community.flexifoil.com/images/icons/ideasanyone.gif Also kite doesn’t come with PL bar and 27 mt lines . I have a Flexifoil Strike bar with a clam cleat trim system, chicken loop and 25 mt lines, would these work with the Venom, or would I need to purchase a PL bar set-up and 27 mt lines for the Venom to work at its best. Any advice would be greatly appreciated !http://community.flexifoil.com/images/icons/unsure.gif

Thanks guys for shedding some light . I think i will just go for the S/H LEI option as i might have trouble getting a depowerable foil under the radar with the wife !! they are very pricy in NZ . Happy kiting

Hi , I have been flying my Bullet 4.5 and Power Kiting for about a year now and loving it !! I have noticed that I can get a lot more usable power & good lift by adjusting the AOA at the front line leaders on the handles as appropriate to the conditions. I use my kite with a landboard and AT skates . As I fly inland in fairly gusty winds, I was thinking if I had a De-Power type bar set up , I would have greater control in the gusts . Do the De-Power bars for foils have the front lines running to the centre of the bar to the chicken loop set up . I assume they must to alter AOA . If so and brakes are thus the opposite to the standard bar set up on the Bullet , then the only safety would be to be hooked in and put the bar into the De-Powered position . The only way to quickly kill the kite in an emergency would be to grab both outside brake leaders ? As the adjustment required to trim the AOA on the Bullet is very small would a trim strap or clam cleat set up on the front lines be all that’s required, without the need for a chicken loop . Do the kites designed for De-Power bars have a different bridle set up or use pulleys that are different to the Bullet set up . Thanks http://community.flexifoil.com/images/icons/mmmm.gif May The Wind Be With You