sparkycrew Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 hy guys,as the title says do i really need a depower kite,got into power kites last year on holiday bought a cheap 2 metre 2 line and was hooked,then got a pkd buster soulfy 3.3 then a scrub psycho board then a soulfly 2.2 and lastly a vintage pkd 5.5,not really been out much as winter is well winter,what iam getting at is i just want to cruise on my board maybe learn a few ground tricks, slides,toe and heel side runs and just enjoy my kit without the mega cost is anyone else feel as i do or does everyone eventually go to depower at 40 years old i know my limits and really dont want to get hurt,having said that i also ride a sportsbike quiet fast but have been doing so for a while and am well used to big motorbikes nick Quote
carltb Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 landboarding is so much easier with a depower and more controlled. so i would say yes get a depower but theres no need to rush. fly what youve got until youre ready to move onto something differant. Quote
captain caveman Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 i started flying when i was 30 , i didn't have high hopes tbh .... my aim was to be able to cruise up and down , maybe chuck a jump in in here and there and if i just looked comfortable i woulda been happy ...... i flew fixed bridles for about 2 years , but i got bored of not been hooked in to the kite , the depower boys could lean back and let go of the bar , no burning arms , longer sessions etc etc .......so i bit the bullet and went depower , sure it took a few to find the one that suited me but as soon as i got under and arc there was no looking back ........ i'll never be an expert granted but flying depower pushed my boundries way further than i thought possible ....... I'm now 35 , i can happily push a 3 hour sesh , i'll hit foot outs , 360 foot outs , any grab .... 720 are on the horizon .. etc etc you get the point .......... FB is great for bugging and or dicking about ..... if your on a board ...... GO DEPOWER .... ya getting old m8 like me , it'll make your life easier trust me just re read your post , you give the impression your less likely to be injured on an FB .... not the case , i think depower is way safer , bigger kite equals a slower kite , and when your learning a bigger, slower kite means you have more time to react to a problem ! Quote
Test Pilot Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 Basically No. If that is what you want to do when the conditions are right then that is what you should do. Enjoy it. I started powerkiting when I was 40 on fixed bridles and they were great. I moved on to depower after a year or so. Depower kites allow you to fly in a greater wind range, deal a bit better with gusty conditions and they take the pull of the kite off your arms meaning you can stay out longer, (nowadays until my thighs give in). However the early days on the fixed bridles where great and I still have the Flexi Skytiger, even put new lines on it, great fun. Fly safe and enjoy N Quote
high.as.a.kite Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 That's the great thing about this sport, there are a load of different ways that people can get their freak on. If you wanna stick with fixed bridles then you go ahead and stick with them. One of the guys that I fly with has dabbled with depower but then went back to his FBs. There are some ease of use advantages to depower that tend to draw people in. Depowers have a winder wind range. Fewer (but larger) kites to lug around, and less having to stop and change if you're somewhere that the wind is a little inconsistent. Better gust handling. Gusts are less of a problem since you can depower the kite as they hit. Safer jumping. Modern depowers have more floatiness and stability when you leave the ground. If you fly somewhere that the winds are smooth and consistent then none of these are really gonna bother you. But if you've had sessions ruined or cut short by the reasons above then you might want to think about depower. Learning with FB is a good idea though cos it teaches you a lot more about kite control. Stick with it and maybe at some point in the future have a go on a depower and see what you think. But the bottom line will be that whatever you choose to do is right for what you want to do. Quote
plummet Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 do you really need a depower? no. but then nobody needs to kite either. they want to. should you get one? most definately!. ....a depower will triple your fun factor! Get a big bad lifty bastard and glide through the air like jesus walking on water. Flying my 15m speed 3 today in 8-12 knots laying down some awesome floaty glides.... ahhh good times. Would i trade it for a fixed bridle. never. Quote
Fast205pug Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 I think your half way to getting a depower kite by posting this question. Like other people have said depower kites are great and have lots of good points to make your sessions more epic. Get one, try it dude, trust me it will be very different to start with but when you have that part of your kiting skills down you will not look back, you will only look back when you look back at how far you have come in your great hobby. One other good point, sell it you dont like and you will still get good money back Quote
andrewjohn Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 The first time I flew a depower I progressed more in an hr than I had in six months on fixed bridle. Obviously you don't need depower. Just look at the stuff Lewis Wilby could do with a blade, but they are just easier. A lot more expensive, but easier. Quote
slide Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 get a depower and fly both - when i go back to a blade( when the urge takes me) , its a wake up call and great fun -certainly sharper Quote
flylite56 Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 go depower you wont look back and anyways keep your fixed bridal kit to use when the mood takes you ..i found it so much easier to progress once i had embraced the change Quote
mick Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 Bear in mind, flying a depower on a bar is totally different to flying an FB on handles. You'll need time to get used to the difference. I reckon about ten minutes. Quote
sparkycrew Posted April 29, 2012 Author Report Posted April 29, 2012 thanks for all your views guys,so for now i know i can stick with what ive got and as long as it keeps me smiling then thats ok,when i feel the urge/need to change i'll re-address the funds thanks for your imputs nick Quote
mick Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 Just don't waste money on more FBs. Learn on what you have. Quote
Bunny87 Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 [quote name= Get a big bad lifty bastard and glide through the air like jesus walking on water. [/quote] Quote of the day......classic from Plummet! Quote
mick Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 Get a big bad lifty bastard and glide through the air like jesus Or alternatively get a big bad lifty bastard and end up with Jesus. Quote
mr_tris Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 Nice call Sparky! Great read, some good advice there. Definitely gonna sack off getting my 5m Flow and keep the pennies in the bank towards a depowered at a later date. I'll just stick with what I know for now. Quote
sparkycrew Posted April 29, 2012 Author Report Posted April 29, 2012 Nice call Sparky! Great read, some good advice there. Definitely gonna sack off getting my 5m Flow and keep the pennies in the bank towards a depowered at a later date. I'll just stick with what I know for now. its not the not wanting a depower kite or two its the fact iam only six months into the sport,to spend upwards of £2000 grand on a pair of depowers is just foolish atm,ive got about £500 quid in the sport upto now and iam ready for summer,sure there will be gusty days and times when i cant board,but thats no different to owning a sportsbike and it pissing it down with rain for the last month,i take on board the advice from you all and maybe after a good summer i'll be posting back with which depower to get took my 3.3 to blackpool last nov but never flew it,went up blackpool tower took some guts to walk on the glass floor LOL nick Quote
mr_tris Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 (edited) Its not the not wanting a depower kite or two its the fact i am only six months into the sport. Lol! I've been flying my 3m Flow casually on and off for 2 years now and some days I still feel like a total newbie when I watch others! To spend upwards of £2000 grand on a pair of depowers is just foolish atm. I've read a few threads about depowers and from what I can tell the best road for us to go down is to find a good secondhand one size fits all Arc. Sure there will be gusty days and times when i cant board. I still find time to give myself a little scare on days that are just slightly out of my league. Blackpool can be a bugger for gusts sometimes! Edited April 29, 2012 by mr_tris Grammar. Quote
mick Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 its not the not wanting a depower kite or two its the fact iam only six months into the sport,to spend upwards of £2000 grand on a pair of depowers is just foolish atm,ive got about £500 quid in the sport upto now and iam ready for summer,sure there will be gusty days and times when i cant board,but thats no different to owning a sportsbike and it pissing it down with rain for the last month,i take on board the advice from you all and maybe after a good summer i'll be posting back with which depower to get took my 3.3 to blackpool last nov but never flew it,went up blackpool tower took some guts to walk on the glass floor LOL nick What? How much?I have 2 depowers. A 12 and a 9. The 12 cost £200 and the 9 cost £150. There are many good depowers on here for a tad more than a tenth of what you quoted. Frenzys, Manta, HQs and PLs cost a fraction of the FlySurfer price you quoted. Give me £500, I'll kit you out with 2 depowers. They won't be 2012 but they'll do you ok. Do you really think that you'll benefit by spending upward of £2000 grand. Quote
papalazaro Posted April 29, 2012 Report Posted April 29, 2012 My venom 1 16m cost me £100 plus £80 for a bar and line set my 10m v2 cost me a humble £65. My 5m frenzy £80 as mick says you don't have to spend a bomb to be able to ride the kite is only part of it the main is knowing how to control it and get the best from the gear you have. Quote
mick Posted April 30, 2012 Report Posted April 30, 2012 An expensive example but nowhere near half of the £2000 grand quoted. And this is 2011. >>>>http://forum.kitecrowd.com/sale/ozone-frenzy-11m-2011-a-202541.html#post2350526 Quote
sparkycrew Posted April 30, 2012 Author Report Posted April 30, 2012 yeah ok,my problem is i go looking at new stuff,forget theres good stuff to be had on here,not very good with forums,,many thanks will get into summer and see how far i get with my current kit,BTW even though i posted this thread iam not unhappy with my current kit and the bit of kite boarding ive done has been rewarding nick Quote
mick Posted April 30, 2012 Report Posted April 30, 2012 Nice one Nick. Be happy with what you have. Someones always got less. Nowt wrong with what you have and better than a lot of us started with. Learn to use it to the best of your ability. The best boarder I ever saw AND have still ever seen was on a FB with handles. Ive put a link at the end of this ur... speech. Just do me one favour, just the one thing. Never, ever, never start a thread about bars on FB kites. If you do, I might have to have you ternimated. Link. av a looksy. >>>> Quote
flylite56 Posted May 1, 2012 Report Posted May 1, 2012 Get a big bad lifty bastard and glide through the air like jesus Or alternatively get a big bad lifty bastard and end up with Jesus. cheers mick that made me smile Quote
sparkycrew Posted May 1, 2012 Author Report Posted May 1, 2012 Never, ever, never start a thread about bars on FB kites. If you do, I might have to have you ternimated. ok mick will/wont do, Quote
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