clarkey1990

After having played around with my Beamer for a month or so I thought it was time to get airborne and only being 15 a Blade was out of the question, so I went for the poor man's Blade, the Radsail 7.0M which I bought from 39inman (very good transaction, thank you) thinking it would be a little step up from the Beamer but goo do learn from. I underestimated this kite! When the kite arrived I immediately ripped the packaging off and laid the kite on the floor and it was huge, I couldn't wait to fly it. The bag the kite came in is pretty good, two slips on the side ideal for storing little nick nacks in and a front pocket for your accessories. There is also a meshed ventilation space at the bottom of the bag which helps dry the kite out a little on your way home. The handles on this kite do their job but are not the most comfortable in the world, but they are easily replaceable, they come will two tops which you can wrap your lines around which would be very useful, but not for me because I'm a parapacker. I won't mention the first day I flew it because the winds were only 3-5 MPH and while the kite did fly it's not worth mentioning. But the second outing was amazing, winds were about 22 which is over the recommended levels which are 15 but I didn't care, I just wanted to fly my new kite. So I unpacked it and spread it out on the floor and stood there with the handles, a little tug on the power and the kite stood up and inflated and sat there smiling at me. I pulled back on the handles and the kite lifted and hovered there for a second, as if to say "Get ready for this", then the kite shot up to the zenith, taking me with it but placing me back down softly. I flew it across the window a few time and was pulled forward as I did, next on this list was to try a pendulum. I placed the kite right at the edge of the window, yanked the left handle and rand backwards and next thing, without realizing I was 4-5 foot off the ground, the lift was so smooth I didn't even notice! Just to test the power I asked my friend (jumping jim) to hold onto me while I launch it and after a second we was both in the air then scudding along the floor. You have to get past the 'you get what you pay for' theory because it's false in this case, the feel, performance and look of the kite do not give away it's £180 price tag which in my opinion is the best price for what you get. 7 meters of kite which was designed by Andy Preston, the creator of blades! This kite will give you great lift and even traction for a board. I will enclose a video of my using this kite at Wallop in around 18-21 MPH winds. http://www.zippyvideos.com/4222884255265246/movie_0021/ Just watch this video to see its power, and remember this. I have only been flying kites for around 3 months so just imagine what this kite could do in the hands of a pro. By : clarkey1990

I will start off by saying. This is the best £140 I have ever spent. After having a short go on a friend's Beamer 3.6 I was instantly hooked and had to order my own. So I went home and purchased a shiny new Beamer II 5.0. I thought 5 meters will be way too big for me, and in some ways that is right. The kite comes in a nice shade of blue with a pattern in the cells of the kite which looks like and eagle when viewed from below, the kite seems extremely robust, shaking off the crashes and scrapes it suffered. It also comes with a bag to pack it away in which is also very comfortable and sturdy, however, I can't see the giant novelty zip lasting very long, but that doesn't affect the kite. My one gripe with the kite is the handles, very little in the way of padding, they do the job just fine but give you cramp and blisters at the same time. I would advise wearing full-fingered gloves whilst flying. So I get the kite to a field and with the help of two friends it is ready to go in 10 minutes, staked on the ground the kite beings to inflate and it's full 5 metes is spread across the grass, what a sight. I pick up the handles and wait for a good gust and I can feel the excitment rising in my body as I can feel the kite begging to take off. After a pleasing gust I grant its wish and pull back on the handles and it shoots up, passes through the power zone and gives one hell of a tug, lifting me over a meter then settles at the zenith as I land. Being new to kiting I couldn't believe it, heart pounding and a big grin on my face I begin to steer the kite from left to right to get a feel for it, with each turn a satisfying pull reassures me the kite is capable of some pull. After a few turns and listening to the swooshing of the kite I send the kite to the right of the window and run like there's no tomorrow, a sharp left turn later and I'm airborne, not the highest jump, but not bad for a beginner. My favorite point about the Beamer is how forgiving it is, while the kite can pick you up and chuck you to the floor, it is hard to make that so, and usually the fault of the flyer. The kite is very predictable and everything seems to happen as you expect it to, if you fly it through the power zone, it will pull you. So far it has not caught me off guard, but it's early days yet. Flying the Beamer is a pleasure, you have to make exaggerated movements to steer the kite, which is good because it is not twitchy and will not trash about unless you turn it very tightly, in which case can easily be corrected. The kite is also very stable, easy to maintain at any point in the sky of which you choose. Since I only had a short go on a board I would not be able to advise for it, but I can say with a big enough field and wind speed at least 10 mph you will be able to get some speed up, maybe even some air. At the moment I am just learning the basics of kiting and I find the kite best for this, jumping is also fun with this model as it all seems to happen in slow motion, which gives the user time to think and what to do next. For only £140 this is a great 5 meter kite, even though I have not tried the other models I feel confident to say this is the best 5 meter you will get for under £150. It is great for beginners and even experts would still get some surprises out of it. Everything you need comes with the package, lines, kite killers, stake and of course... the kite. There is no reason not to buy a kite that is fun and suitable for so many wind ranges. It's early days and I'm inexperienced but I still had a really good time flying at and I dare say you would too. By : clarkey1990