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One time investment for a lifetime of fun ?


RobB
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5 hours ago, ACrop said:

Who do you know that is a lifetime flyer and only has one quad? or even just one bag of quads? Haha

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I only have one bag of quads. There's 17 of them, assorted line sets handles and other accessories, stuffed in there. Just one bag, though. :D

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Hum, I think you (and your likely sore shoulder) do more to make my point than disprove it. That ain't "a single purchase for a lifetime" territory.

I have been debating what is my upper acceptable limit on number of quad kites to own....Needless to say my thoughts vary by the moment...

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For me there's no upper limit (more of a wallet limit ) however I like to vary my kite collection. For example at Blue Ridge Kite festival, I started with a large single line, then flew a dual line and finished with a quad line. Of course I'm more of a jack of all trades person too.

Sent from my XT1575 using KiteLife mobile app

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like golf clubs, you're only one new driver away from becoming a scratch golfer, just a new putter, the latest greatest design and you'll never 3 putt another green, EVER!  How about a sand wedge that assures leaving the beach on the 1st try.  Who wouldn't want that too?

I've promised my bride several times "I'll never ask for another kite if I can have this one"  I've had friends approach Barbara to ask if I can acquire another, (I'm afraid to) even had builders craft stuff "my way" and then they're forced to finagle the sale negotiations over dinner and adult beverages with the best gal in the whole world.

Just acquired my 3rd set of Harold Ames' famous Baby Revs (6 pack stack and single kite to learn on).  So I guess I have more babies, (19 for low wind and 6 more for when the port-potties blow over) than any other model.

I've been thru most of the stock offerings from Revolution, only kept one speed series wing, (supersonic) the rest were liquidated.  Didn't connect with the REv1 but own 3 Zens, go figure!

Factory direct purchases total over 25 thousand dollars, and that was when Dantonio was still there.

How many kite bags?  One double sided Baby Rev case, one oversized Rev Bag (holds map-case tubes of both Reflex models and another tube of Indoor kites), one roll-up Rev Bag and one larger sized Orvis fishing case.  Handles and lines, Gortex rain suit, tarp, suntan lotion, sun glasses, headphones, team radios, etc are in a backpack.

Ideally you'd have at least four or five kites as a quad-head faithful, 

(1) indoor,  (2) SUL/Full sail, (3) mid-vent, (4) full vent, (4) howling vent.  Naturally, there are models available that fall in between these parameters too.  An example?  75% Shook Mesh, it's exactly between a mid vent and full vent,... or in other words,.. it's almost always to correct kite (but it costs about the same as TWO stockers, so it should perform like that!)

If I never got another quad again I'd be okay, but we all know that won't happen until at least "after retirement".

I am living on an agreed-upon daily allowance ($5 & $10 bill/ea morning) but I do get killer lunches also and I never worry about any bills that show up in our mailbox either.  Buy a new odyssey van? That doesn't come out of my allowance.  Want a jelly donut,... that I buy myself.

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Three years ago I was very close to retiring from the world of manufacturing.  My thought was that I would need to eventually reign in my spending in general & kites were included.  So, the logical thing, two years earlier, was to buy at least one a week while I could.  That made perfect sense & I went after some pricey kites I thought I really needed.  Right.  Thought I was done buying vehicles too. Sure. So it went.  Anyway I continue buying more kites to this day, quads included.  Going to do one of my larger kite deals tomorrow even.  The madness continues.  I can hardly wait.  But actually I have not really retired completely.  Still working in the family businesses so I do have some cash flow.  Someday I may have to just fly what I have acquired at that point.  But there is still trading instead of outright purchasing.  I have it under control don't I?  Undoubtedly.......  SHBKF

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You only need as many kites as you have until you run into the situation where nothing you have in your bag will fly in existing conditions. So you buy the one that fits those conditions. Conditions change. You buy another. And so on . . . . until you have about ? kites. Anything after that is greed. That why professional flyers travel the world so much. To find new conditions.

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4 quads is enough for me, can fly quite happily in 0-60mph with the four basic sail variations and three frame types:

  • B Pro Standard (Diamond, Black Race or 3 wrap)
  • B Pro Mid Vent (Black Race or 3 wrap)
  • B Pro Vented (3 wrap)
  • B Pro Xtra (3 wrap)

Total frames required to be properly prepared with that attack plan:

  • Diamond (1 frame plus spares)
  • Black Race (2 frames plus spares)
  • 3 wrap (3 frames plus spares)

Anything else is just changes in flavor, not necessity, imho. ;)

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# Kites needed = # Kites owned +1

6 hours ago, SHBKF said:

...  Anyway I continue buying more kites to this day, quads included.  Going to do one of my larger kite deals tomorrow even.  The madness continues.  I can hardly wait.  ......

See you tomorrow:devil:

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52 minutes ago, John Barresi said:

4 quads is enough for me, can fly quite happily in 0-60mph with the four basic sail variations and three frame types:

  • B Pro Standard (Diamond, Black Race or 3 wrap)
  • B Pro Mid Vent (Black Race or 3 wrap)
  • B Pro Vented (3 wrap)
  • B Pro Xtra (3 wrap)

Total frames required to be properly prepared with that attack plan:

  • Diamond (1 frame plus spares)
  • Black Race (2 frames plus spares)
  • 3 wrap (3 frames plus spares)

Anything else is just changes in flavor, not necessity, imho. ;)

Oops, forgot the indoor, for flying on 50# 120's outdoors in zero wind. That's 5 total. (I just got an indoor, by the way. White with red, vintage, with wooden handles and blueberry lines at 25 feet long.) I would say that 40mph+ may require a tad more venting than found on an extra-vent B-Pro. I have one, and it moved me around dramatically in 35mph wind, to the point where I found it uncomfortably difficult to fly. I weigh in at 135 pounds, and at 66 years of age I find that I can no longer physically handle what was easy 10 years ago. As my age increases I find the need to expand my quiver to keep flying quads enjoyable as opposed to only possible. One must also consider that there are others who fly quads, or would like to, who have physical limitations that are much more challenging than those that most of will experience in our lifetime.

The ideal quiver for all age and ability levels, IMHO, would contain the kites and frames you suggest, as well as an SUL, an indoor, a Speed Series and/or a RevII, and something beyond extra vent like a Vicki or extra-vent RevII. In addition I would recommend an assortment of heavier and lighter line sets. Therefore, the quiver for me to cover all the bases would have a minimum of 7 kites, ideally 9, to keep me in my comfort zone in any conditions I encounter. Your mileage WILL vary. 

By the way, how many in your bag, now that you've whittled down the number you run with, John? (Just curious):D

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I was kind of getting at the fact that the kites only last for a few years not a lifetime. I agree with only needing four revs that's how many I have. I do feel the need for an extra vent but I don't think it will be a REV.

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While I agree with you about them not lasting a lifetime of regular use, I do think that they last better than I would have ever expected. With the number of bangs, bounces, over loading gusts, bowties, tip wraps and mistaken setups, ocean surk rolls, puddle dunks, dragging on grass past dandelion puffs attempting to get relaunched from flat that I have put my sails through.....Well I am shocked at how good they still look and work for my beginner self. I mean, if they were not so sturdy would OPK be a real term in the community?

That all said, skipping on basic cheep improvements that are widely known to increase longevity ain't cool either...

I really hope my quad doesn't bounce much more.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using KiteLife mobile app

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John can attest that my first generation Rev 1.5 is still flyable and isn't a bad kite. He did help breathe more life in it. Although it was not constantly flown over the 20 years, when I wanted to fly quad, it was the first out of the bag.

Sent from my XT1575 using KiteLife mobile app


All that being said, I'm working with the Shooks to get a Bazzer Ash that will hopefully last me another 20 years

Sent from my XT1575 using KiteLife mobile app

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