Kevin Shere

I saw a fair part of that move. I was a fair way up the beach, coming back towards the action. Too fair away to see the what Dave was doing, but just from how the kite was moving & for how long, then the shouting & clapping. I knew it was Hello & Thanks to the Westward Ho! Visiters & locals for making a cool wkend on the beach!

Oh yeah! Used to use parks in Exeter but thats banned now, people moan to much too. Kev

Few ok spots in Devon. I travel about 8miles for my inland site. Sort of common land. Big field on top of a hill. Rate it as 7out of 10 Winter. 5 in summer as tree's block wind from the south & wind is very thermal by time it gets there. Some times travel 20miles to use a race course. No better, just different. Sorry you said no beaches. But we normally travel 70miles round trip to Westward Ho! If there good weather & a good tide, thats where we go. Inland is second best. Travelling is not an issue. Kev

You need some where strong to tie a rope too, with about 2m room above the bottom of the the rope. The bottom of the rope, when connected to your harnessm, needs to be just over waste hight. When you are standing on your board. Get your self hooked up to the rope, standing on the board. By pulling on the rope & leaning you can move the board. Lift up your legs your off the ground, grab the board, learn ( if like me you can't board off ) how to B.Off. Open to most tricks. Lots of free space around swing area too. For mad spinning rotations. Rope boarding Tm. Ltd Use at own risk.

Ti is not that hard to get hold of. May not be able to get all sizes but its out there. £300 doesn't sound like a rip off 4 Ti. A group buy is going to help, as most nut n bolt suppiers, sell by the box. If wish to save that much weight don't forget you can make most of those fixings smaller due to the strength increase per size. Custom everything then. To me the best bit with Ti is its resistance to rusting,( I know chemically its not rust, just keeping it simple.) hate rust. Have you found any light weight bearings, like plastic race with s/s balls? Also vacuum your inner tube to remome all the air & pump them up with ballon gas, Helium. Few more gram saved. How shaved is your board, could you drill holes, to remove more weight from non stress areas. Light is good

Hi, Marcus. Given you are fairly light 8.5 may float you off in 15mph. 15/20mph & I hold on tight, I'm 10 1/4 stone. Over 15mph I like a lot of room around me. Use mine on handles with climbing pulley. Not tried it a bar. Flew Wills 6.6 few wks ago, again on handle, was around 20mph+. Full on kite, with the right input felt like it would wipe the floor with the depowers around at mo. Just hard work with loads of input, in those winds. Not sure if it would cut it at 10mph for you, but would be ok by 15mph IMHO. Guess you need to try them & see what you can hold down, not that, thats any help to you. I know your on a budget, but............ Just as info I tried 11.5 Sabre & 12 05 Frenzy in 10mph last wk. 12 felt close to 8.5 power, but would give more wind range due to depower. 11.5 felt so close to 9.5 Sabre in those winds we couldn't see much point in it. 9.5 was faster so could make it power up there. Frenzy was the best in are low wind test.

Pants on the ground, sweet in the sky. I found with the strap tight ( internal that is ) that I was getting lift off before the kite got above me. So it just stays in the middle now, so the kite flys the same each time. I live in Devon & fear change. Don't rub the carbon sticks on your hands, if you take them out. Carbon splinters can take ages to go away.

Yeah, define low wind. I used to love just rolling around in light wind, in a buggy. Sun shine, warm evening just like a Sunday drive. Nice. But these days I just loose interest, unless I'm powered up. Buggy bumper cars is good in low wind. For low wind now we tie a rope up in a tree or garage, to board off. Rotations & board offs are easy, tied to a tree. We have also started down hill boarding, which is hardcore fun, when there's little wind. Pads! Apart from walking back up the hill. Anyway back to the thread; Low wind kites = Sting or Imp on a bar sorted:)

Hi. I'm 10 1/4" Stone, N like 20mph to get going in. Under that & its a big heavy kite. Will fly n pull with small jumps from 15mph. Under that & its a long wait to fill it with wind. Over 20mph & this kite is wicked, easy to jump with. Feels like there is no limit to how much wind you can take it out in. But of course there is. I tried to use a 15 at flexiwallop on the 1st day, dumb I know, but I wanted to go big. Ended up just floating on full depower. Marcus W helped me out there to bring the beast down. Cheer again Marcus. Just a note Phantoms are hard to launch on your own, when the wind is up! Easy with a helper, when you get the hang of it. But worth that for the lift & gusty wind handling.

Been looking for that low wind kite since I got 8.5 Blade thinking that would do it. Now I fly 8.5 in 15mph. Under 12mph & its little jumps, ground tricks & kite skills. Keep hearing the the flysurfer thing, but why when there's low wind, isn't the beach covered in them. Not seen one out in low wind. Is it a cost only thing? Or is it the normal Devon thing! We're a few yrs behind.

Westward Ho! is close. & it fine to kite there, if you follow a few rules. Check out www.westwardwind.co.uk If there's good wind look out for the slightlynormal crew. Its are local. Kev.

Come on people, there must be some people out there, who fly 11.5 or 12. If it really is a Flysurfer I need then its time to start Paragliding! Guess I should fly them side by side & make my own mind up. Help me spend more money on kites.http://www.flexifoil.com/community/forums/images/icons/banghead.gif

Main use will jumping on landboard. Have 9 & 15 Phantoms, looking for something that will useful under 15mph wind speed, as 15 Phn gets going from 20mph. Also looking for a kite which is easy to launch, like can be done on my own. i.e. Easier than 8 metres of semi inflated kite & lines, blowing up & wrapping around you. Phantoms fly gr8, launch gr8 difficultly. Have been using 8.5 Blade, in the sub 20mph, is there much to be gained by getting one of the others? All input welcome.

We'll be at Wallop! Anyone who's anyone with a kite should be there. There may be some kites there. I'll start the count with 12 kites 2 buggy's 1 board, some pads & a rusty peg!

I know 8.5 Blade can sound a bit full on. I was well careful, when I first got mine, but they need a fair bit of wind to perform. I don't have a 6.6, but Rob has had one for around a year & we fly together, like most weeks. The 6.6 needs wind. You'll get it going ok in 10mph, but not much more. In fact Rob had a good day on Sat @ Westw.Ho! on his 6.6 with wind 20/25mph onshore. Guess its all bit hard to do straight like-for-like, as your not as heavy as us. Guess you'll have to try them. Your welcome to try either 6.6 or 8.5, if wind suits, next time your down Ho!

Hi Marcus. I know your not so heavy, bud, but 8.5 Blade rocks when the wind is low. 6.6 is happy from 15/20mph for much float. Did my 8.5 back2back with me 15 Phantom, in 10/15mph on Sunday. 8.5 won that one. Think I want a 10.5 now too.

Whats going on, on this thread! There are enough people, trying to stop us from kiting. No need to b*tch between are selfs. As long as we all enjoy are days flying, what more do you want! Phantom Goat's mile race sounded rude. See you at Uphill some time.

I'm new to arc's, got a 9m Phantom about month ago & a 15m two weeks ago. Been in the buggy & on board, with them. Like someone said back a bit speed is the key! I was out on my 15m at Westward Ho! On Sat in around 20mph onshore. Was getting between 10/20m off flight. Not sure how high, but Noserider reckoned about double head height. This was my method. 1. Get moving, work the kite abit, pull on the bar for power to build up speed. 2. Head sligthly up wind while building speed. 3. As you build up speed you can release bar pressure & maintain speed, while letting the kite get to about 10/11O'clock. Nearly above you. 4. Pull the bar into 3/4, to speed up turning the kite back, but not enough to stall it. 5. Don't rush the kite, let it lift you. As you feel the power coming on. Ping off the ground with your legs. 6. Fly. Find time to smile at the onlookers. Look for landing. 7. Steer kite back in front. 8. Land. http://www.flexifoil.com/community/forums/images/icons/firing.gif

Just about any kite with good lift will get you off the ground. I have used Blades, Razors, Century Soul flys & Phantoms. But to learn a 4.9 Blade would be sweet. As Blades are well stable. Safty note; Buggy jumping can hurt you. So lots of pads are more important than the best kite. On another line, bare in mind, you may bust your buggy too. I have broke a V-max frame & seat. & Flexi seat twice. Now my Flexi frame is changing shape too. Doesn't anyone jump buggies where you ride, its easy if you can watch & learn. Oh yeah, you'll need a good safty system to, so you can dump the kite when your being pulled along, with your head digging a pit, with that buggy your tied to on top of you!http://www.flexifoil.com/community/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif

I have broke two of those clips. Flexi fixed one for free, I paid postage. Matt offered to fix the other, but cant see much point as I will just bust it again. Mine weren't to tight or over the axle. I'm only 10stone so its not my mass. Think buggying is just getting mad'er & the seat & other parts need some resign to keep up. In fairness I have also broke V-max seat. But not on the 3rd time of riding it. Guess Rob Hills can land better than us lot. As its his name that is in the blurb for the buggy or he has his seat tied up with rope too. Or we could try landing on are heads like he did at X-zone, his seat looked fine after that. That was shocking. Respect was due.

What ever the story is so far...... Check out the Mad Erick vid. Some guy in the USA, I think. He's on a LEA Water kite, come off the water. Walks up the beach a bit jumps some ones lines. Then gets sucked up by a up draft, he gets 50m+. 38 seconds of air time. & doesn't brake a bone. Don't try this at home. I

You will be buggy jumping in a few months! Byb, bye, ground.

1.5 Bullet is a good kite to have if, like me, you always want to fly if the wind is there. 25+mph & your having fun. Near 40mph & its a mad blur in the sky. Don't try this on your own, may need a buddy to help in high winds. Build up to it too, don't just do it on first windly day. Not that useful till you have loads of kites. 2/3mtr for starting out.

Thanks everyone for your help.

Thinking of a holiday in Wales, where would be a good place to stay? To have a good buggy beach near by. It will be in May! Will the beaches be to busy then?