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I've been waiting for this since the end of May... the beginning of Kite Season ! I haven't flown much of anything since Memorial Day. If you count flying the SLKs that I keep in the car, OK, a few times... Yes, that's where my profile pic came from. People around here are programmed to go to the beach between Memorial Day & Labor Day. An Island with millions of people, and only ~100 miles long and 15 miles wide at it's widest. Yes, we have ~600 miles of coastline, but most of that is inaccessible unless you have a boat. So, nothing but crowded beaches in the easy to reach spots. I don't like to fly with anyone in my flight zone, unless they're also kite people, and tuned in. The general public around here is too tuned out to realize that it might not be a good idea to wander through the flight area.. maybe walk around ? Nah, this looks like a good place to setup a chair & umbrella... But, luckily, Labor Day & later, all the way until next May... the beaches are EMPTY ! Everyone goes back to the rock that they climbed out from under, and kites can once again rule the beach. I am excited to try out the Red Kymera, that I was so lucky to win in last month's drawing. It will be interesting to see how it compares to the original green one that I've had since they came out. Unfortunately, the maiden flight of Red will have to wait, since the weatherfolks say that it's going to be ultra-super-mega-vent four line flying weather here this weekend... Yup, thanks, NOAA ! That's OK, the winds will probably be good for flying for the next 36-40 hours, I plan to put some color in the sky before it gets too rough... The wind is all ready solid over 10mph, which is ruling out dual lines (for me), but I have a couple of cool SLKs to fly that I haven't seen in the air yet, and my Full Vent 1.5 is freshly repaired, better than new, ready to go. I'll follow up to this, the start of Kite Season is so exciting, sorry, couldn't wait until the green flag dropped... dizzy with anticipation !

About two weeks ago I took my grandson out for the first time to try flying a 2 line stunt kite. I haven't flown it in years. We were flying my 28 year old Hawaiian Spin-Off. After about 30 minutes he was getting the hang of it without pounding it in the ground too frequently. He seemed to really enjoy it and lives very close to the field where we were flying. He has a birthday coming up in a few weeks and I thought he might like a kite of his own. He's 13 (soon 14) but big for his age (5'11" or 6'). I'm looking for suggestions for what to buy, but would really like to keep it under $100. I know that limits the choices, but it seems to me that some of the more expensive capable kites are also more lightweight and fragile. Any input would be appreciated and considered. Thanks !!!

I am aware of that, I watched your video a couple of hours ago. Very nice, you can do things I am not capable of....or my kite isn't. I like to think it's the kite (but I know better). It's quite old and I know that most of today's kites are capable of much more....but that doesn't mean that I am. Until two weeks ago, I hadn't flown a kite in years, many years. So I'm just getting back into it. I just bought a Rev 1.5 SLE that was delivered Monday, but it's been calm all week. Today was the first day that I was able to take it out and humiliate myself. I have never attempted to fly a quad before today. You don't see ME posting any video do you!!! I spent about as much time on the ground as I did in the air! I popped the end tension caps out of the leading edge probably 25 times. I was actually beginning to get the hang of it by later in the afternoon. Not good, but a start.

Just a reminder and a note to the newcomer, we have a kite shop in town if you need anything for the clinic. Kites, lines, stakes, handles, kites, etc. Single, dual, quad. And repairs. Not that you'll need any repairs, but I just thought I'd throw that in.

Hey John, Thanks for the warm and automated welcome. I live in Victoria, BC, Canada. I've always liked flying kites, but had only ever flown cheaper sub-$30 kites (single and dual line). Within the last year, I bought a Prism Snapshot 1.2 while on vacation, and was hooked. Soon after I procured a Prism Quantum and couldn't be happier. I generally fly at Clover Point, and once was lucky enough to chat with a man named Terry from Team Island Quad. He took the time to let me fly his Rev, and gave me a bunch of pointers and tips on Quadlines. So now I am also lusting after a Rev too. Cheers, Will

The little Micron is one of my preferred higher wind kites. Just a fun little kite. It will do some tricks but if you blink you'll miss seeing them. My first flights with a Rev were similar. Did not have that ah ha moment until the third session when I finally had my breakthrough by steering with brake inputs. Here's a picture from my second session as I had advanced to the launch, veer to the right & crash stage. Moments later I was walking to the kite, again. Note the very poor hand positions in the third image. SHBKF

i have been thinking about going to that clinic, but I have no experience. I just bought my first Rev 1.5 SLE and it arrived Monday. I have been watching the weather there very closely, trying to decide. It's probably a 10 hour drive for me so I'm considering it, but cautiously. Thanks for the up close and personal update..

I wrote the instructions up and posted them for your use. This takes a small Dual line foil to a whole new level. Stops on a dime and spins like there's no tomorrow. With a few materials and bit of time you can tweak an otherwise good stunt foil into a Quadline Contender.. ***Note the plans are for 8 point bridles and will work fine.. The kites I customize will have a 9 point bridles which aids in reverse flight and stability. http://www.riffclown.com/kites/HQ2.2.4Conversion.pdf Flying Demo And in a bit higher wind I even took my first buggy ride using this kite.. Enjoy..

I have an inflatable kite that lights up. I only flew it once at night though. I know your line has to be lit up as well after so many feet but I wasn't sure what the measurement was so I kept it low. [/img] Sent from my SCH-I545 using KiteLife mobile app

i tried to see how Rev1 is acting with springs like Reflex and is doing exactly ta same only differences remain the slow react and great grace on movement so...i go further with the risk of destroy the sail. Now i have a Rev 1 75% vented and the test was made on September 1 around 6 PM on Prat beach Chicago hawing 16 to 20 MPH estimated wind from N-NE and is flying great.

And now, with no further ado, I am pleased to announce that our next Karma drawing is all about the BUBBLES! A big shout out and thanks to Theresa at The Kite Shoppe (awesome KL sponsor) for helping me put this package together. The winner of this Karma drawing (RNG chosen, order of entry determines entry number) will receive a set of bubble wands, a 3 foot bubble loop, and some bubble juice. When the wind dies and your legs get tired of keeping your SUL's in the air, break out the bubbles and thrill the kids. http://www.thekiteshoppe.com/categories/Bubbles/ Entry with "I'm in" or some variant thereof that makes it clear you are all about having a chance at this prize. International entrants will be responsible for paying the shipping difference. Once we have a winner I will let Theresa know where to ship them. Congratulations, Josh ( @jeepinjeepin ), on your new additions! (Our previous winner's wife delivered a set of twins the day he won this drawing, which is why I'm helping set up this drawing instead of him) Standard Karma Note from the Moderators This is a Karma Drawing. The winner of the drawing is expected to pay it forward by offering their own prize for the next drawing. Please do not enter unless you are willing to offer your own prize, preferably not the prize you just won. Drawings should be open for entry approximately 2 weeks, and the next drawing should be posted as soon as possible to keep the Karma rolling. These drawings are run by and for KiteLife forum members and DO NOT require a paid subscription to enter. The moderating team only ensures that your drawing post contains all of the pertinent information (drawing date/time, adequate prize description, drawing rules) before approval. If you are a KiteLife forum member from the US or Canada, you are eligible to enter. You do not have to be a paid subscriber. Members from Canada, Alaska, and Hawaii are welcome to enter the Karma drawings provided they are willing to pay half of the Karma prize shipping cost. The method and timing of the payment will be agreed upon between the two parties after the drawing for a particular prize. Here is the link to the original Rules and Guidelines thread: http://kitelife.com/forum/topic/5426-rules-and-guidelines-please-read/ The mechanism for the drawing itself is entirely at the discretion of the person offering the prize. In the past, entry number has been determined either by order of entry or by the post number in which the member declares entry into the drawing. The drawings have been performed using the RNG method (http://www.random.org/sequences/) or by choosing the numbers out of a hat (I believe an adorable daughter did the picking in that scenario). The only requirement is that the method of selection is clearly spelled out in the drawing post. Entry into the drawings is done by STARTING a post in the drawing thread with the entry phrase chosen by the drawing host (Traditionally "I'm in", but "I LIKE" has been used as well). In order to remove any confusion or misinterpretation, only entries with posts that START with the phrase will be considered. As with all other KiteLife drawings, bantering is encouraged. This is for fun after all.

SOLD SOLD SOLD HI, I am selling an essentially new Revolution Quad line kite. Its an SLE with all white icarex sail with black stitching. Again, this kite has been set up but not flown. Comes with kite, 2 wrap frame and sleeve. There are a couple places on sail where you can tell it was set up out side. If you have any questions please let me know. Thanks. Free usps priority shipping to lower 48 states, if you need other shipping let me know. Payment through paypal only and hoping for no fees. $180

I ran out to fly for my lunch break yesterday The wind was pretty ideal so I finally started working on half axles! I got 50min of "kite assembled" time in but only about 20min of flying because of all the walking and relaunching. I should probably figure out all the ground recovery tricks sooner rather than later! I edited out all the walking an have this 20min video. I've managed to borrow two action cams and I thought Id set one up on the kite and one on me this time. Unfortunately I forgot to check the camera pointed at the kite and it recorded a time lapse the whole time. I still got good footage from the gopro but I'm in frame for a lot of it! I'd love feedback on my form as I'm not usually so visible. I'm trying to keep my hands at the side but have flown a lot in low wind and keep forgetting. The first 8min is mostly stalls and slides. I need to work on snapping my left hand better but I'm starting to get it with the right. Lots of half axle practice after that especially 10-14min. I think I'm usually not giving enough slack on the lower line/not pulling on the lower line after giving slack but it is hard to tell yet. I can't wait to get better at them cause this was the most fun I've had since my first time out!!

The calm before the storm... well, not too calm, the winds were 10-15mph, but they were clean off of the water. My daughter, Bailey (7 years old), wanted to come out and fly her new Butterfly kite. The kids aren't as interested in kites as I am, so I always jump at the chance to fly with them. The Butterfly is made by X-Kites, and is better made than most kid's kites. It did fly well, right out of the box. It's amazing how cold a 70 degree day feels after weeks of hazy, hot & humid 90 degree days. Yay ! Sweatshirt weather ! Bailey also took a turn wrangling the Ultrafoil 15. It seems really big to her, and with any much more wind, would probably lift her off the ground. It was much easier to fly once it was properly lashed down to a convenient piece of driftwood. This is the one kite that I was itching to fly... the Joel Schultz Skyscraper. Yeah... this one's got some pull ! It's a very unique SLK that's going to get flown alot. It flew really well, even if it did make my arms a little longer. 300# line required ! Thanks, RC ! SO, Kite Season 2016 is off to a great start... hoping to get all the kids more involved this year, the other two seemed a little jealous when they saw the pictures. Bailey worked on her dual line skills today with the Snapshot foil. I think she'll be ready soon to fly the hot pink Action Kite that's been hanging from her ceiling since she was a baby. It will be good to see that classic in the air, it's 20-25 years old, but has never been flown !

PLEASE don't worry about being a beginner! Will you be a quad flying master after one weekend? No, but you WILL be a better flyer. You'll pick up things that you don't know you've picked up until later when something clicks and you go, "Oh, THAT'S what he was talking about! NOW I get it!" and then you'll progress by leaps and bounds. Just be a sponge, soak up all the great experience and knowledge, try to not get frustrated with yourself and most importantly, have FUN! Really want to go, grumblegrumblegrumble...

New drawing posted. Locking this one down. BUBBLES! Y'all are awesome. Thanks for staying involved in this. @jeepinjeepin enjoy those babies.

Wow Exult, thanks for such thoughtful feedback! I'm glad you are enjoying watching as I learn, I'm super happy to share the process with both current and future flyers. I know I spent awhile before getting the Quantum looking for videos of beginners learning the basics! I think I know what you mean about "provoking" the kite. I noticed that I could really 'wobble' the kite going across the window with subtle movements. I saw some people talking about the "less is more" school of flying and I can see how awesome developing a real solid sense of how the kite is going to respond while 'unstable' would be! I heard the phrase flying with intent on the forum (and thought about it a lot out on the field) but didn't realize there was such a great article linked to it! I'm going to try some of that figure flying and build a couple of multi-component routines into my next session. It would be cool to have a 10min warm-up routine that I could try each time I come out. ReedDesigns has some cool stuff too! I've seen some of the trick animations on YouTube but didn't realize how many there were Thanks for the link and comments on trick difficulty! I think I should plan on trying a routine a few times then working on ground recoveries like the cart wheel next time. If I'm ambitious or if the wind isn't right for groundworks I might try an axle or two and turtles (think you are right about the fade by the way, I'm still not 100% on trick terminology)! I'd love to see these at some point! I'm flattered that some of my flying was a bit inspirational Finally, I couldn't imagine being out flying without a big grin on my face, it is too much fun. There aren't a lot of areas where repetitive practice itself is so rewarding!

You are doing well after only a summer! You are also aiming high when going for the fade and half axel. I started out in a different order (not guaranteed to be a better one but a different one) - flying squares (well you do as well), doing ground work, turtles, landings launches - more simple tricks but striving after doing them cleanly (still do btw.) rather than doing more advanced tricks. Another approach I had when starting out was just to see what I could provoke the kite into. Can't say that this (the provoking i.e.) gave me a new set of tricks - perhaps some knowledge of a kite's general behavior and how to get out of less controlled situations was gained. On the other hand I guess any attempt on a difficult trick could do this (i.e. handling a tumbling kite). I had bought a couple of Dodd Gross kite school videos (on VHS-cassettes) and read written trick descriptions on the web (videos on the web were rare (or too bulky) at the time). One good complementary reading that would have been good to have had at the time (an impossibility since it wasn't written yet) would have been http://kitelife.com/kl-archive/tutorials/tutorials-dual-line/flying-with-intent/ - really good reading IMHO. Another thing - if much of your time is consumed by making the walk of contemplation - try learning Card Wheels. It is kind of an investment giving you more time to learn other stuff (sorry if you did but I missed it). Tough starting out with an half axles as early as this - it is not half as difficult as an ordinary axle - quite on the contrary. Personally this is somewhat of my nemesis "move": they don't look good, are not reliable, the pop part is not performed well and attempting an half axle cascade it typically ends up on it's back after two to three cycles. During the session this morning (local time GMT +2h, daylight saving time) I tried to mimic the turns you made at the end of the wind window when attempting the half axels. The closest I got was when I did an aggressive 180 deg push turn upwards (or rather punch turn throwing the lower arm forward) either maintaining a slight tension on the upper line or doing the push turn with a fraction of the movement that one does when one enters a snappy turtle from horisontal flight. It can actually be made to look quite striking and could perhaps be useful in turning when space is limited. Hm..., I wonder if the fade close to the end of the video is more of a turtle (it is quick and partly outside the window so it is a bit difficult to see)? Don't let this put you off. I quite often learn (or notice) things that I didn't intend to practice initially - learning doesn't always follow a pre-determined path. Your question regarding the contents of future videos at the end of the video is almost a bit to humble, I think this is your kite piloting and that you therefore chose what to display. However, on the other hand, I'd think practicing things like landings, figure flying, speed control, getting in and out of a turtle till it shines could add another angle to your flying. The small parts adds up to your total session. Besides if the Illusion 2K is close to the Illusion it should be well suited for precision/figure flying. But I feel a need to repeat myself - mind the LLes. I broke one just when landing a bit hard on a wing tip in light wind - didn't even intend to do a hard tip stab. I've seen a list of recommended tricks to start out with when learning in http://www.idemployee.id.tue.nl/p.j.f.peters/kites/ , in the "Tricks" > "Adding difficulty levels" section (the actual trick list is under "Contents" last in the page). A small part of me envy the stage of exploration and discovery that you are in, even though I'm grateful for the knowledge that I've had the opportunity to get (especially since there is long way ahead before I reach the goals that I've set). But most important - fly and have fun!

I am a beginner too if that helps. I know that driving 10 hours is no small commitment - but if you want to come out you will not be the only true newbie there. I plan on sucking all I can out of the two days flying at the clinic. Headed out right now to use what local wind I can...thanks to the hurricane it is a perfect flying day here- quite a rare thing.

Hi Will! This is Chris, we talked at clover point last week! Glad to see you on KiteLife. John and really everyone here are great people! Maybe I'll see you at the point this weekend! Sent from my SM-G935W8 using KiteLife mobile app

Thanks for the offer. I drink just about anything other than beer. Can't stand the stuff. I wish I did like it....it seems like most any event I go to has plenty. I can handle diet, caffeine free or good old sugar. I'm not wild about Dr. Pepper though, it reminds me too much of the cherry flavored cough syrup mom gave me as a little kid.

I am also bringing my husband to haul the stuff in.

Steve, I am bringing a couple of shade canopies and a cooler. Since you are having a long drive, is there any drinks or food I can stock for you?

Just 3 spots left open now! Welcome Steve.

Ok, Thanks. That's what I suspected. But a 10 hour drive after wrapping up at 7 would have me driving ALL night! It's just most of the night this way.

I am starting to realize that crashing (or at least losing control a bit) might be needed to actually get better! But yeah I spent half that last session on the ground too so fear not Can't wait to hear how it goes for you next time! I think the Quantum must be built with stalls and beginner tricks in mind as it seems very forgiving. More so I'm sure than your Hawaiian must be! I don't have a ton of experience in different kites to compare it to yet. Smaller kites are great too so if the Quantum on eBay doesn't work out a Nexus might be a good choice! I flew one recently and liked it. Can't speak to any other manufacturers! Sent from my SM-G935W8 using KiteLife mobile app

Great that he is past the "completely random" crashing phase! I second the Quantum. It is what I'm learning on now. It took a decent amount of punishment yesterday when I was trying half axles and had no problem. Sent from my SM-G935W8 using KiteLife mobile app

The early forecast for next weekend is winds 10-14 mph on Sat. and 7-10 mph on Sun. You couldn't ask for better. Let's hope the predictions are right. Oh, and temps. in the high 80s.

In this price range the Prism Quantum (not Quantum Pro) has been recommended so many times I finally had to buy one myself. It comes ready to fly with decent lines, straps & case. It is a larger kite which means it will fly more slowly than the medium sized ones. Your grandson's size will allow him to easily handle the pull of the Quantum. It is a tough kite which helps when you are first flying or allowing someone new to give it a go. It is a nice looking kite also. It really got to me when my wife saw me flying it for the first time & said it was my best looking dualie. I have several kites that I like the looks of better & of course they cost more, much more. It has a good presence in the sky & is able to pull a long tail if you wish to do some sky writing. Some have modified theirs to give it a bit more performance but I have left mine completely stock for the sake of reference. One consideration is that it takes a bit of wind to fly but that is true of all standard kites especially when you are first getting started. I am not a really advanced flier but I can do some of the more basic trick moves with mine. But that is a topic for another post as progress is achieved. Their are many other choices & I am sure the Widow NG by Premier also deserves mention. Best wishes, hope to see you & yours flying some day. SHBKF

Pictures!!

Difficult pulsing winds last night 0-5 mph and changing directions like crazy. But I still got the Zeph to fly and it is far more responsive and tracks much better than the Quantum as predicted. Really psyched to try and progress with this kite! Thanks everyone for all of the help.

Thanks Exult! I'm hoping to film myself to force me to think harder about my actions as well as to communicate my progression to whomever is interested! It has worked well in other areas of my life and been lots of fun at the same time. I'm not much of a videographer yet so that's also going to be a constantly improving process. I'm loving the hunt for used kites too! I have all the time in the world to get into brand new ones We are a pretty industrious household so I'm hoping to get into kite repair and building in the future. That's the most abuse I've ever given the ozone by far and mostly because the line slipped off my finger... whoops! I'm pretty happy with the range I can fly in, but I haven't pushed the upper limit of the quantum much as I'm still not good at handling the pull after a failed snap stall in the middle of the window.

By the way, I just got my Lycos! This thing is INCREDIBLE! Very fast and the pull on it is outrageous! Sent from my SCH-I545 using KiteLife mobile app

Yep, its like with a new car, you can never really enjoy it until the first scratch :-) Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

I have standard JB 1.5 and Shook mesh. Was about to pull the trigger on a JB Pro when all the hullabaloo went down. A Phoenix Pro is on order. I've seen the Freilein before at a distance, put my hands on one for the first time a month or so ago. Materials and build quality looks surprisingly good but no experience flying one yet. Soon. The future of quads looks just fine, even with what's going on with Rev.

For those in the path of the storm, please stay safe and live to fly again. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Good philosophy. I like to get a bit of dirt or grass on a new bird BEFORE I fly it. Takes the pressure off. Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app

It is Tim Benson...just a typo...but to the issue: once I gained my basic flying skills, I followed a good advice and started buying only secound hand kites made by recommend builders. For me, with less then one year in this addiction, this is working fine. I am not to afraid to brake the kite and can experience real high-end products. Believe me that you can always see and feel the difference in the air. Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

Yeehaw got the kite. Love the colors! Way better in person than on the web-o-sphere! Now I just have to wait till after work to fly it.

I totally get that... wanting to get every kite that you put your eyes on. I bought about 1 kite per month for years. There isn't really anyone else around me who flies seriously, so if I wanted to try a particular kite, I had to buy it. That has left me with a number of kites that I don't fly, that have only been flown 2 or 3 times, even after selling off a couple of bags full. What I'm left with is a bunch of kites that aren't worth my time to sell & ship... mostly beginner/intermediate kites that didn't really measure up to their marketing hype. I'm hoping that they'll be good to hand out to kids at the beach, to be used & trashed as learning tools.

I'm working on putting together a drawing prize for Josh. I hope to have something posted soon. - Barton

Many congratulations in order! Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app

I found another new one for a killer deal in Inferno. It should ship today. PSYCHED!!!!!

Yes still available, still never out of the bag or put together. Last one.

Another kite that has received good reviews here is the Skyburner Nik Nak. Captain Bob preferred it to his 4D. Search this forum and read his comments. Size-wize I think it's a six footer, right between the 4D and Zephyr. Others say it flys more like a full size kite. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Congrats Rob! You winning it makes it almost seem like a karma drawing. Thanks for all your great advice on this and other sites, and for your great videos!

Hello all! I have realized that I have a special situation that most would drool over and should probably take advantage of it. My day job is at Mystery Ranch backpacks and I have access to just about everything needed to build kites especially the most expensive things. I probably should take advantage of this opportunity... I was wondering if there are any digital patterns out there for dual line framed kites? Like optitecs files etc? Or are their just hand patterns? It looks like everyone uses a zig zag stich which is smart. Has anyone made any Cuben fiber kites? What fabric characteristics should I be looking for? Did you also glue the seams? Where do you get all of the fittings for the carbon rod?

A very fortunate situation, I would call it! [emoji38] [emoji41] True, kitebuilder.com is a good resource, but not so much for dualline. For those there are better. I'm currently in the process of building my second dualline. Start with a website called Tom's kite building site, where you'll find a lot of those questions answered. PM me for more websites. Good luck!

A fellow I recently met kept saying "you gotta want it", so today, with my new Zen, I worked on recovering that 50' and gliding! I wanted it enough to get it but whew! It's thick out here on the east coast. Thanks Paul for making me see the work pays off! Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app

I realize it's an older topic but still relevant.. I made mine out of a Halloween tablecloth and cheap kite tails. Hold 13 kites, Plenty of Handles/lines and spare spars.. I do have to make another one now.. This one ifs getting overfilled..