whats next??

[betty swallox]

Hello, noobie time i'm affraid.

i.ve been messing around with kites with my 10 year old daughter for a year and recently bought a 2.4 sting to learn a bit on. after a few sessions flying that i got a cheap land board (blue earth i think it is called) i've now had a few sessions with this using handles and got on pretty well although struggled to stay upwind, whenever i tried to go across the wind i just lost power and had to go more down wind to get some momentum. thought this could be down to not carving hard enough or the kite being to small (i am 74 kg) Anyway i want to get a larger kite now and wonder when it is time to get onto a bar and harness as apposed to the handles, what should the next steps be and what would you reccomend?

[Jack1988]

Welcome to landboarding mate!

 

I think you definitly need a bigger kite to be progressing with, a few question first though to determine the best advice.

 

How much are you willing to spend?

 

What are the winds like usually where you are, are they onshore winds at the seaside or are they inland turbulent winds? ?

[eazyrider]

It will be down to the kite, I use the 2.4m sting to teach with but it will only be used by adults in 20mph winds.

 

As summer is on its way (yeah right) then you will need a bigger kite, I would normally recommend a 3m kite for those getting into powerkiting but you seem to have a good grasp of kite control and understand about getting up wind ect. So...

 

Look at a 4-5m low aspect kite like a HQ Beamer, PKD Buster, Or Ozone Flow. These kites will give you the grunt you need to move in lower winds and as you seem a sensible person then you will listen to reason, don't go out in more than 10mph for the first flight and refrain from getting it out in winds over 15mph until your happy with it but after a while you will find the top end on it gets higher and higher. If you can get a 3m kite as well then the 3 kites will cover you from 10mph up to 35mph once you become more competent with the kite and board.

[betty swallox]

thanks for that, Yes the sting was really for my daughter who is doing really well but bein as i'm the biggest kid in the sweet shop it was inevitable that i would end up playing too! I have a healthy understanding and respect for the wind as a windsurfer but this looks like too much fun not to be involved in! S o far i have only played inland at port solent so not so 'clean' but soon will have a play down on the coast at west wittering if they allow you to just pay and play!

So to sum up, a bigger kite, slowly slowly, what about these handles? whats the next step?

oh yes, budget. well i've got too many hobbies now and something will have to give soon but i'm fairly flexible on budget but don't tell the wife i said that!

[Batz]

Flows are great kites. As for more advice, PAY ATTENTION to Eazy, he knows much more than me!

[eazyrider]

Stick with handles for now as they offer so much more control over a 4 line foil than flying them on a bar. I was corrected once for this next bit and was told I should stop teaching but here goes again.

 

For the sake of argument imagine that each line gives you 25% of you control over the kite, so with a 4 line kite flown on handles you have 100% control over the kite, put that same kite on a bar and the only input is from the main lines do you have lost 50% of your control over the kite.

 

Handles allow you to dial in brake input for extra speed on turns so if turning left dial in a touch of brake to the left handle and you can make the kite turn within its own size and also when going along on the board apply a touch of brake line tension to both handles and you will see the bottom/ trailing edge of the kite develop a crease along the length of the kite. This causes the kite to drop back into the window by a small amount and further into the power zone and this will add more power to the kite and increase the speed on your board. Plus tricks like flying the kite backwards and dive stalls where you fly the kite from the zenith to the ground and before the kite crashes you can stop the kite and reverse it up again are achieved by tweaking the brake lines.

 

You can get a harness at a later date and fit a strop line to the handles and hook into the harness to take the strain of your arms when flying a kite near the top of its wind range but wait until you have more experience before attaching yourself to a kite (same as windsurfing) and the board you have will do you fine for learning on but after a while you will want to upgrade either due to wanting to look "pimp" or you have out grown and wish to progress to some freestyle boarding.

[eazyrider]

Stick with handles for now as they offer so much more control over a 4 line foil than flying them on a bar. I was corrected once for this next bit and was told I should stop teaching but here goes again.

 

For the sake of argument imagine that each line gives you 25% of you control over the kite, so with a 4 line kite flown on handles you have 100% control over the kite, put that same kite on a bar and the only input is from the main lines do you have lost 50% of your control over the kite.

 

Handles allow you to dial in brake input for extra speed on turns so if turning left dial in a touch of brake to the left handle and you can make the kite turn within its own size and also when going along on the board apply a touch of brake line tension to both handles and you will see the bottom/ trailing edge of the kite develop a crease along the length of the kite. This causes the kite to drop back into the window by a small amount and further into the power zone and this will add more power to the kite and increase the speed on your board. Plus tricks like flying the kite backwards and dive stalls where you fly the kite from the zenith to the ground and before the kite crashes you can stop the kite and reverse it up again are achieved by tweaking the brake lines.

 

You can get a harness at a later date and fit a strop line to the handles and hook into the harness to take the strain of your arms when flying a kite near the top of its wind range but wait until you have more experience before attaching yourself to a kite (same as windsurfing) and the board you have will do you fine for learning on but after a while you will want to upgrade either due to wanting to look "pimp" or you have out grown and wish to progress to some freestyle boarding.

[Batz]

Was it good enough to post twice Eazy? LMOA!

[eazyrider]

Was it good enough to post twice Eazy? LMOA!

 

Dude its like Moto Moto from madagascar 2! Its so good you gotta say it twice

[betty swallox]

thanks a lot for that, very helpful. You are right though, i'm already hankering after a jazzier board ..... all the gear and no idea ha ha

[Jack1988]

So next step? 5m Ozone flow? fairy expensive though.

 

There are cheaper alternatives such as Cirrus, HQ, Pansh etc

 

Used kites are a good way to go.

[Batz]

Depends if he want's something decent. I wouldn't wipe my arse with a cirrus. Hq or even a P**sh would be ok though! The new prototypes I've had a tool about with lately are really nice (cheers for the loans Nick) I LOVE the colours too.

[KaptainKremmen]

I windsurfed b4 landboarding and learned on fixed bridle but everything 'clicked' when I changed to a depower and harness.

[betty swallox]

so if i stick with a fixed bridle then tell me, whats the point of the bars on a fixed bridal if the handles give you so much control why would anyone use a bar on a fixed? I'm still not convinced not to gamble on the big kite being depower, i was pretty pleased with my progress on tthe board so far and don't want to spend too much money on gear that i 'hope' to outgrow very quickly. Hope this doesn't sound like i think i'm better than i am.

[bushflyer]

Fixed bridle on a bar... Make sure it has a safety system so you can kill the power. A 3 line bar attached to your mainlines and the safety line on the brakes will do the trick. Also the strop needs to be quick release, don't use one without. On a bar you have less fine control but it's easier to ride 1 handed. Don't make the switch till you feel comfy, learn all the little tricks for controlling the kite first. They'll come in handy later.

[williamjames555]

i got a 4.5m pansh legand if you wante

 

bars are tererble when i started i bought a bar used it once now hate it you fell like the kite does what it wants and your along for the ride!

 

people use bars because when on biger kite in strong wind somtimes its easier to hook into a bar but i use handles and strop lines

[gordonvanman]

Fixed bridle on a bar = waste of a kite

 

Save up and get a flow - then you know that it's not the kite when things go wrong!

 

Regards Gordon

[betty swallox]

just been offered an Ozone frenzy 04 12m complete incl harness. £299 Any good?

[Notyetnamed]

Get a depower, 10-14m don't listen to theses "get a 5m" you will grow out of it in 3 sessions.

 

Just get a lesson with the depower or just read alot and ask other kiters.

 

Slingshots Cabrinas Ozones flexifoils there all good

 

also is the kite in good condition? if so go for it

[Dubs]

Not yet named- what are you on about? Even by the way you have written that you've showed you have far too little experience to give any advice. That's the one problem with forums - you get stupid know it all people like you giving out stupid advice and poor people like betty swallox will take it innocently thinking it the right thing to do...

 

Betty-listen to eazyrider mate... couldn't have said it better myself...