What size Blurr for starter on buggy?

[GHP]

Hi All.

My darling wife has bought me a libre buggy (S/H) for my Bday.

It has a wide axle, but I haven't picked it up yet, so I don't know how wide exactly.

I need to know your thoughts on what size Blurr kite should I start with? (Or any other kite I should be thinking about?)

I have a 3 year old HQ Beamer around 3.5 mtr at the mo.

I know, depends on wind etc, but as a first kite for starting out in buggying? I weigh just around 17 stone!!

 

Thanks in advance.

[Atavar]

Firstly, welcome to the forum Enjoy!

 

How active have you been flying your beamer? I'd say to complement its size the 5m would be good to build up a nice kite quivver and you wouldn't be overlapping with your beamer as you would be if you went for the 3.5m blurr. Try to have a fly before you buy if you can to see if its your cup of tea. As with all kites start off in low wind until you are sure how its going to hand you power.

 

You can use your smaller beamer to get your hand in the buggy too, have fun

[mikeymustard]

If I were you I'd get some practice in with the Beamer for a while, until you're moving pretty confidently it's gonna be more than enough in anything from about 15mph wind, even with your manly frame!

BTW you're a v.lucky man having a wife like that, mine just asks if I've had a nice play with my little pals when i come home

Oh and yes, when you're ready a 5m blurr will be a perfect choice, but even the 3.5 blurr will be a fair bit more powerful than the beamer, potentially equivalent to a size up

[smoo]

Thought I was having a deja vu moment, but no this has been discussed before

http://community.flexifoil.com/showthread.php?t=150664

 

Which basically says get a 5m

[heres jonny]

id agree a 5m

 

stepdad is around your size, and a 3.5m only gets him moving in the Race buggy at a decent rate of knots in about 18mph, up to about 30-35mph...at 18mph he can kind of crawl along, get a bit of speed with lots of working the kite

 

a 5m would be ideal for both him and myself, so id reckon a 5m would be ideal

 

just definitely start out in light winds, they have A LOT of power, and are very fast, but dont let that put you off cos theyre so stupidly stable and brilliantly amazing kites to fly =]

[festa]

why not use what you've got a 3.5 beamer willget you going without to much of an event

[mikeymustard]

why not use what you've got a 3.5 beamer willget you going without to much of an event

That's wot I said - kinda!

[GHP]

why not use what you've got a 3.5 beamer willget you going without to much of an event

That's wot I said - kinda!

 

Thanks for the advice guys. Of course you are right, and I don't want to sound like I am trying to run before I can walk, but the wife has promised me a new kite for our anniversary in June. So I thought "Why not?"

As far as current ability, well, I am confident flying what I have, and can skud a bit if the wind is strong, and the grass is wet:D.

Who knows, I might be ******** at buggying, in fact I bet I will be to start with, so I might be OK with my current kite for a while anyway. The question was more a "what next" type question with regard to size and type. I just read a lot on here that the Blurr is designed specifically for buggying, so I thought it might make learning a bit easier? Then again, I am new to this and might be completely wrong.

 

Anyway, anyone in Essex fancy showing me how to get going in a buggy?

[Atavar]

Don't worry, GHP, we're all bobbins at buggying when we start of. General consensus is that the 5m blurr would make a delightful choice. As you have prior expiriance the 5m blurr would be a capeable choice that'll keep a smile on your face, if you were a raw beginner a 5m would be a little on the large side.

 

Happy flying, look in the Meets section for other fliers in your area, there may be clubs and stuff.

[Sand-Yeti]

Based on the above, it looks like you need to use your 3.5 Beamer and buy the 5m Blurr.

I second what everyone else has recommended.

 

The 5m Blurr is a nice buggy engine and you will enjoy it in the right wind conditions.

[GHP]

Thanks all.

I think I will get the 5m Blurr, but I am not going to rush out and buy it just yet. I think the advice to get used to things with the Beamer first is good, and it will give me some-thing to work towards.

[Dodgy]

GHP - you're one very lucky fella! A wife that not only buys you a buggy - but then follows up and gets you a kite too... And not just any kite but a bloody decent one!

 

All the best - I hope you learn quicker than me... *lol*

[festa]

why not use what you've got a 3.5 beamer willget you going without to much of an event

That's wot I said - kinda!

 

 

sorry bud been skimming again

[festa]

don't right off thre peter lynn vipers also buggy dedicated and very good value for money

[mikeymustard]

don't right off thre peter lynn vipers also buggy dedicated and very good value for money

I'll second that, peter lynn are making some very nice kites at the mo. You could nearly buy two for the price of a blur

[festa]

5.3 meter viper rtf £200 what more can you ask for

 

i fly a 3.9 ,5.3 and 6.8 very good pull very smooth and progressive

 

http://www.powerkiteshop.com/peter-lynn-viper-kite.htm

[GHP]

I hadn't considered the Viper. £250 on the link you posted though, so not that much cheaper!

[mikeymustard]

Blurr prices have dropped a bit but that's still 80 spuds cheaper!

[Sand-Yeti]

5.3 meter viper rtf £200 what more can you ask for

 

i fly a 3.9 ,5.3 and 6.8 very good pull very smooth and progressive

 

http://www.powerkiteshop.com/peter-lynn-viper-kite.htm

 

Nobody has a Viper down here Festa.

 

Have you been able to fly say the 5.3 Viper, 5.0 Blurr, 4.0 & 4.9 Blades in indentical conditions to compare their performance? I'm very interested in flying different kites or hearing about comparable performances as I'm always on the lookout for something that performs better for my conditions.

 

I don't know if it still exists in the UK but there used to be a magazine called, 'Which'. They would test similar products from different manufacturer's and publish the results. They always appeared unbiased & constructive. They reported on issues of performance, quality, after sales service , price and so on. (you get the picture).

It would be neat assuming this mag. is still published if they did one on kites don't you think?

[BeamerBob]

The job I want is to be able to make a living at the beach testing kites back to back while logging performance of each, so we would know which is best for a certain set of conditions and how that changes as conditions change. Calculate the empirical data and back it up with the seat of the pants evaluation. I would love to spend a couple days flying a PL Reactor, Flow, and Blurr to see how they all compare. Throw in a new Beamer IV just to see about this new performance boost it got. I might be able to do this comparison in about a month while on vacation, but the wind will need to cooperate in speed and direction. Of course I'll post what I find if it works out.

[markwivs]

ghp, where are you in essex

[GHP]

ghp, where are you in essex

 

 

Hi. I live in Hornchurch, what about you?

[Atavar]

Remember, when you buy a kite you also buy a companies after sales service. Flexi has a solid reputation lest anything should go awry. Thats what most people are willing to pay the extra bit of dough for in a flexifoil kite (apart from great kite performance). I've never had to send a kite for repairs or replacement for snapped handles but feel i can still trust in the flexi reputation. I'll have to wait and see if their service lives up to the reputation, though, but i still belive in them

[markwivs]

in dunmow. i have a 5metre blurr you could try

[Sand-Yeti]

Remember, when you buy a kite you also buy a companies after sales service. Flexi has a solid reputation lest anything should go awry. Thats what most people are willing to pay the extra bit of dough for in a flexifoil kite (apart from great kite performance). I've never had to send a kite for repairs or replacement for snapped handles but feel i can still trust in the flexi reputation. I'll have to wait and see if their service lives up to the reputation, though, but i still belive in them

 

Right on ball Atavar.

I have used Flexi's After Sales Service & sincerely believe they are the best in the industry. I have over the years snapped about 7 or 8 pairs of handles, damaged kites and have always been well supported by Flexi's friendly After Sales Support staff. Flexi people have never let me down.

Considering my location here in the Middle East, they do a remarkable job of supporting me from the UK.

 

The handles that had a known problem of snapping has been properly addressed and the latest handles don't break. Well at least I haven't broken one yet and I do work my handles hard. Also, the design of the latest handles especially for hanging on the strop is great.

 

They may be dearer than other kites but they are a quality product and in terms of real overall value compared to cheaper kites they are worthwhile buying. Nearly all my kites are Flexis, so that must tell you somethng. I'm a pretty critical person and if I get upset about a product, I will never buy that product again. I'm also very quick to alert my friends of any shortcomings that I'm aware of and that I know does does influences their choice of kiting product.