scooby_doo_do Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I just bought a 5m power kite.. I've flown them before (a 3m anyway) but not too sure if this will be a little bit too much! Shall i call the ambulance before i go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 The difference from 3 to 5 is HUGE, as I found out when flying in high wind.. The 2.5m beemer I have just generated a nice manageable pull, the 5m picked me up carried me 10ft up in the air and then dropped me I'd highly suggest flying it with a power bar, helmet and padding I fly mine in the hospital grounds near my house anyway, so I don't have to be dragged too far.... One thing, you will use the brake lines a lot more to fly the 5m than you would say on a 2.5/3m version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heckler Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I have a 5m beemer, and a 1.8m ozone imp, now looking for something inbetween (4 line) I blame my GF for getting me into this! - I went straight to a 5m! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I have a 5m beemer, and a 1.8m ozone imp, now looking for something inbetween (4 line) I blame my GF for getting me into this! - I went straight to a 5m! Si, Do you fly at Cliddesden, there is a kiting/buggy/board club which has rented an open field up there. Costs £15/year for individual membership. There might be some additional BPKA (British Power Kiting Association) membership fees which will cover the insurance as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I have a 5m beemer, and a 1.8m ozone imp, now looking for something inbetween (4 line) I blame my GF for getting me into this! - I went straight to a 5m! Highly recommend a 2.5m beemer, I love flying mine, big enough to give pull, small enough to be quick on turning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Nice option.... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hq-Beamer-3-6-Metre-Power-Kite_W0QQitemZ260260827483QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item260260827483&_trksid=p3286.m14.l1318 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heckler Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Si, Do you fly at Cliddesden, there is a kiting/buggy/board club which has rented an open field up there. Costs £15/year for individual membership. There might be some additional BPKA (British Power Kiting Association) membership fees which will cover the insurance as well. ooh, do most of fly down in salibury... big big grassed areas! deffo want to have a gp with a buggy though.... hmm.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 ooh, do most of fly down in salibury... big big grassed areas! deffo want to have a gp with a buggy though.... hmm.... Sadly the windspeeds seem low today 10mph, but I'd be tempted to head down to crabtree (Next to the M3 and blackdam roundabout) on Friday to fly. I'll take my board with me if you want to pop along you can have a go on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heckler Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Sadly the windspeeds seem low today 10mph, but I'd be tempted to head down to crabtree (Next to the M3 and blackdam roundabout) on Friday to fly. I'll take my board with me if you want to pop along you can have a good on it cool, you can watch me make an arse of myself... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 cool, you can watch me make an arse of myself... and what makes you think I'll have the time to see... I'm usually extracting myself from the ground or nearby tree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seb Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I really enjoy kites but have only ever flown small (1m), single strings. I'd like to try something a bit bigger but one that can still be used safely in parks etc. and won't need huge areas to fly in. What do you recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Very thick socks and extremely comfortable shoes - is my 'power kite' tip of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foodfreak Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 as you seem fairly new to this,make sure you get some 'kite killers', or you'll be dragging your face along the ground. My 7 meter Radsail can easily lift me 10-15ft off the ground. you may also want to get a cheap windmeter ( tenner on ebay, & check the wind range of your kite) it's better to play safe........These things are not toys Seb the small 3 meter kites are a good place to start....just take it easy in light winds at first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 as you seem fairly new to this,make sure you get some 'kite killers', or you'll be dragging your face along the ground. My 7 meter Radsail can easily lift me 10-15ft off the ground. you may also want to get a cheap windmeter ( tenner on ebay, & check the wind range of your kite) it's better to play safe........These things are not toys Very wise words actually... I had forgotten about the kite killers as I fit them as standard on mine, and even then I still get a face full of grass every now and then. As you say, they aren't toys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I really enjoy kites but have only ever flown small (1m), single strings. I'd like to try something a bit bigger but one that can still be used safely in parks etc. and won't need huge areas to fly in. What do you recommend? Small power kites are relatively easy to fly without giving too much pull, however if you do enjoy it, you will find yourself wanting.... I'd suggest starting with a 1.5 - 2.5m power kite or even a stunt kite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heckler Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Small power kites are relatively easy to fly without giving too much pull, however if you do enjoy it, you will find yourself wanting.... I'd suggest starting with a 1.5 - 2.5m power kite or even a stunt kite. 1.8m ozone imp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foodfreak Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Just make sure you start with a 4 line kite, there are a load of cheap 2 liners on the market that can be plain dangerous in moderate to high winds ( No brakes) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Also to add, one of my daughters (11yr old) flies the 2.5m fairly easily and she is a complete stick pin to boot... All my kites are 4 liners, as FF said above... it is crazy to fly a cheap (ebay) 2 liner as it won't deflate if something happens and it usually does. There is a place in Basingstoke called KitesUp which I've recently found, odd bunch really, proper kiting hippy types with a big V8 out the front of the shop, but they have got some really nice bits and are local. http://www.kitesup.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Oooh dear I've just bought another one, keep an eye out for me in the sky near you Airush Flow 10m http://2006.airush.com/products/kites/flow.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Here it is, next to Ben's... Mine is the red Airush Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Just off to the field with it now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyT Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Oooh dear I've just bought another one, keep an eye out for me in the sky near you Airush Flow 10m That's a big kite. http://2006.airush.com/products/kites/flow.jpg Mad kite Gav. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
and1c Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Just dont get caught in a storm with it like this guy here Reply by quick capture - Reply by uploading content MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- The condition of a kite-surfer thrown airborne into a Fort Lauderdale building by strong winds this week has improved, his mother said Wednesday. Broward General Medical Center upgraded Kevin Kearney's condition from critical to serious Wednesday morning, said his mother, Alicia Paradise-Garza. Monday's incident, which a television crew captured on video as Tropical More.. Storm Fay approached Florida, left the 28-year-old Kearney with spinal fractures, brain swelling, a broken rib and a broken ankle, among other injuries. Kearney was harnessed to a kite, or sail, along a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, beach when strong wind caught the kite, sending him into the air, WFOR-TV reported. WFOR video shows Kearney rise into the air before slamming into the beach and being dragged for a brief time along the sand. The kite then lifted into the air again, slamming him into a nearby building, WFOR reported. Paradise-Garza said Wednesday her son is able to walk but has spent a lot of time sedated at the hospital so his injuries could be treated. Don't Miss Fay drenches parts of Florida; Crist asks Bush for help She said Kearney has no recollection of what happened, and that no one has yet shown him the footage of Monday's incident. In a statement given to the news media the family said Kearney, a Fort Lauderdale resident, is an "experienced kite-boarder." Kite-surfers stand on boards while winds catch their kites and move them across water. The video showed no board at Kearney's feet while he was airborne. Kearney's friends said his harness had emergency releases, but that it is possible things happened too fast for him to unhook his clasps, WFOR reported. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Whhooops Got another one... This time a Wipika 11.8 AR jobbie (which is approx 16m long).... I wasn't quite expecting it to be as big as it was.... It stretched across 4 parking spots...yikes http://www.kite-surf.com/reviews/wipika_airblast/images/varc118_thumb.jpg Look for me in the new forest this weekend PS : The picture isn't of mine, will take some when it is daylight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLicense Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Bloody 'ell. I've had a 3.5 Bullett since they first came out about 5 years ago I guess. That can be fun when the wind picks up, but is absolutely nothing compared to the 5m+ jobs. The problem I found with a kite of the size I've got is that because it's fairly gusty, or no wind at all here, you're either flogging a dead horse or constantly having your arms pulled off followed by a lull, then back to having your arms pulled off. I did think about getting something much bigger for the calmer days but couldn't justify the cost. Bloody good fun though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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