New kite for KLB - should I go single skin?

[SeriousB]

Hi,

i am new to the forum, apologies if the questions is a bit dumb...

I am 85kg with gear, flying inland (old airfield, hard surface, but grassy) in usually gusty, shifty winds (gust factor ~20-25%, but can be 50% or higher also). Preferred to go landboarding, but later might opt for a buggy also…  Looking for a new kite (at least for me) with good gust handling for wind range 3-5kn up to 25-30kn. Options I have in mind:

1. Flysurfer Peak in 6m or 9m size (new or 2^nd hand)

2. Gin Shaman (2^nd hand)

3. HQ Empulse 10m (2^nd hand)

4. Ozone Explore V2 8m (2^nd hand, like new)

5. Born kite LongStar 3 in 5.5m or 8.5m size (new)

6. Born kite RaceStar+ in 5.5m size (new)

7. PL Phantom II 15m (2^nd hand)

Due to gusty winds, the Phantom would be a good choice – I’ve read reviews about how well the Phantom/ARC can handle gusts, but I also know that it flies better above 10kn (not really a low wind kite). Can it be used in lower winds (4-7kn) with longer lines (30-40m)?

Some comments on different forums also mentioned, that the newer single skin kites can provide similar gust handling as old ARCs, but with much less fuss about preparation. --> SS seems quite a good option.

Born kites – I am a bit thinking if I could get on with a 1 kite quiver with a 5.5 RS+ given the wide wind range (4-26kn showed on manufacturer webpage). Is it possible to cruise on landboard with a 5m RS+ in 4-10 kn of wind if you work the kite a bit / or with using longer lines? Or better opting for a 2 kite quiver? What is the useful range of LS and RS+ kites with landboard?

Is it possible to jump with a SS kite if you loop it?

 

Any suggestions / comments welcome!

Have a nice ride!

[jeffnyc]

No dumb questions here! 😂 We all have the idea of a 1 kite quiver... get that out of your head right now. (I thought the same thing when I first started and got the same advice  ) There is no kite that will handle 3-30kn. Since you're on landboard on grass, you have more rolling resistance, so your low end, even with a big kite will probably be in the 8 knot range, a bit less if you're experienced and have some nice steady wind. The low kite ranges for the SS kites (Born, Peak etc) 4knts is just when the kite will stay in the air, you will get no power to move that low. It's really handy on water to keep the kite in the air when the wind dies so you can hopefully wait for the next puff to get back to shore. Arcs are terrible low wind kites, but great for gusts. You need wind at ground level to fill them (or a leaf blower or fan). Light wind flying takes a lot of technique, get used to medium wind flying (10-20 knots) while you learn so you don't get frustrated.

If you're just starting out (sounds like you are), don't go for the high aspect kites like the RaceStar (or FS Sonics etc...). They are harder to manage, and not good in gusty wind.

My 12m Phantom tops out at about 25 knots landboard on the beach, but that's way at the top end. It's most comfortable around 12-20. I would think the 15m would be somewhere around the same. If you go that route, make sure you have a bar that's wide enough and has decent throw. It's a tough call, but for single surface at your weight it would be a toss up between 6m and 8m I think for around the same wind range (12-20). As you get better you can push the limits more. As a beginner, don't go out in 30 knot gusty wind. Wind gets exponentially stronger, so there's a huge difference between 10-20 and 20-30. Oh, and definitely invest in helmet and pads. And at the beginning, keep your kite somewhat high. Horizontal pull yanks you off your board (until you get used to leaning back). 

Lots of really good land boarders here, hopefully they'll chip in, but that's my 2¢.

Do you have anyone there that can help you out and show you the ropes?

[bakersdozen]

Welcome to Extreme Kites @SeriousB !

Some great info above from @jeffnyc . It would be great to understand what experience you already have in terms of which kites you have flown etc. We don't wanna throw you in the deep end too early, as there maybe an interim kite we could recommend to get you rolling while you learn the ins and outs of getting momentum on the board while learning the wind and how to fly in tandem with that.

[SeriousB]

Thanks for the replies!

I am not a full beginner, but still have a lot to learn. Have already experience with an Ozone Flow 4m kite on handles, however don't really like the on/off power of the fixed bridle kite when the winds are getting higher or the gust factor is 50% or more. Also have tried couple of times a 9m foil kite from a friend - it was nice, but only started going ~13-15kn of wind and it was a bit frightening when at the same time the gusts were around 23-25kn.

At the moment I would opt for a beginner/novice kite that would handle well in the 8-20kn range. I assume a 12-14m kite should be the size?

[bakersdozen]

Awesome! I think go for something like a second hand Ozone Access. Very forgiving kite and a great intro into learning depower - they can be had for quite cheap on the second hand market. If you were to be able to put your hands on an Access, I wouldn't hesitate to say a 12-14 would work for you, however for other more agressive kites - you would still potentially get a fright when the gusts come up. Of course, this is only at this stage of your development - as you progress, you will learn how to manage gusts with bigger more aggressive kites no problems. And you will want to get further into that territory when you start jumping etc. Let us know what options come up and we can chime in further.