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Light wind, dual-line kite


acckl
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I'm looking for a dual-line kite for my son, that flies in winds from 1 (or 2) up to 15+ mph. I'd like to stay below $150 (preferably below $100). I'm considering the HQ Tango, HQ Tattoo II, and Cavaliers du Ciel Ticket. Does anyone have any other suggestions, or first-hand experience with any of these kites? Because this is for a younger person, pull should be low to moderate. He is past the early-day crashes with another kite, but durability is a plus. Thanks for any help / suggestions / guidance!

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Haven't had the chance to try the Tango, but the Tatoo II and the Ticket are both very nice light wind kites. I don't think you will be able to take either one up to the 15+ wind range though, they are designed for the lighter winds and anything over about 7+ would be putting some very serious pressure on the frames and/or sails. In the stronger winds you are just asking for the kites to be destroyed.

Another kite you might consider for the light winds is the Prism 3D. For the price it is a super light wind kite. Again it won't work for anything more than 7-8 mph but it will do nicely in the 1-2 mph range. The HQ Shadow will have a slightly larger wind range but you really need about 2-3 mph for it to start doing what it is capable of. I still wouldn't recommend flying the shadow in anything over 10 mph.

Ironically, the Widow Maker flies very well down in the 2-3 mph range and can handle up to 15-18 with no problem. Unfortunately it is well beyond your $150.00 target price and 2 mph is pushing the limits with good light wind skills.

Another option would be the Prism Zephyr, again beyond your 150.00 target but it can fly up to 15 mph (not much more and not really recommended) but will fly down to 2-3 mph with skill. Not good for the 1-2 mph range.

I doubt you will find a decent kite that can fly from 1-2 mph up to 15+ mph. Might be possible if you don't care about control or trickability, still I don't know of one that has that kind of range.

Maybe others will have some more suggestions.

Good luck with your search.

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Thanks for the helpful post Kent. I previously came across the Prism Zephyr that you mentioned, which has my desired wind range but is out of my price range. The Prism 3D and HQ Shadow are listed as 1-10mph kites, so I understand where you say that they won't work well over 7-8mph. However, the Tango and Tattoo II are both listed as going up to 18mph on the manufacturer's web site. Can you comment further on these kites? Are the manufacturer specs overly optimistic based on what you have seen/experienced? Also, how are the control and trickability on these kites?

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Most manufacturers have their kites evaluated by very experienced pilots who have full understanding of the wind ranges...and then it seems that they do try and stretch things just a tad more.

What this means is that "Sure, it will fly in 20 mph" But what they are not telling you that if you rocket it through the center of the window under full power it will explode. There is a big difference in "being able to stay in the air" and "actually being able to control and trick" a kite in different winds.

Think of it like this...a sheet of plywood will fly in 10 to 30 mph winds so does that make it a great kite?

I wish that manufacturers would give two wind ratings for kites, one for winds the kite will actually fly in and another for winds that a pilot would like to fly the kite in. As previously stated, I haven't had the chance to fly the Tango but I wouldn't dream of putting my Tatoo up in anything over 7-10 mph winds. Sure I could probably throw it in the air with 12-15 mph winds but I would be very nervous, the sail would be under tremendous pressure and I assure you that it would spend nearly every second out on the furthest edge of the window. To me this is not fun flying but more of survival mode.

The same goes for the light winds. The Shadow doesn't start working for me unless the winds are 2+, anything less than that and I am working to hard to keep the kite in the air and tricks are not really possible. 2.5 mph and more then the kite comes to life and is absolutely awesome. The Tattoo starts about 1 mph lower than the shadow and if you want to work it, you can fly it in nearly zero wind. Still, when the winds pick up you will want to reach for another kite. Not that the Tattoo is not a fun kite to fly, its just that in the stronger winds I would much rather fly my Widow Maker, Deep Space or Quantum Pro. When the winds hit 12-15 mph plus, the Silver Fox Vented comes out. I have flown my Widow Maker in the higher winds but it really isn't designed for those winds and the Silver Fox is awesome.

So, to sum it up...

The specs that a manufacturer puts out is usually the far extremes of what the kite can "handle" (usually with a little work or worry), not necessarily what the "fun wind range" would be.

As far as I know, you will need an SUL or Indoor kite for winds from 0 to 6-7, a standard kite for winds from 5-6 to 12-15 and a vented for winds over 15. You can customize your kite selection for specific wind ranges with an UL or mid-vent (variable vent).

It all really depends on what winds you plan on flying in most and what you really want to do with your kite.

My posts tend to run on a bit more than they probably should, Hope that helps.

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Just realized that I didn't comment on the last question of your post. Out of the ones listed (under or around $150.00), I would have to say that the Shadow has the best trickability with the Ticket right there with it - could go either way depending on the pilot, the Tattoo is probably next but still very capable and the 3D probably the least trickable but can still do the basics. Sorry I have not flown the Tango.

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