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Great advice up above. I did not do hardly any of the correct things starting out. I survived it all & had a great time in the process. I eventually achieved a fairly decent flying ability despite my worst efforts. I did really excel in acquiring kites, but that's another story. SHBKF

I have flown Revs on lines from eight feet to two hundred and fifty feet long. The shorter the lines, the faster the kite moves, and the perimeter of the wind window decreases. You have less time to react to the kite's movement and this makes it harder to learn. The advice most experienced pilots give to folks just starting out is to use 80ft or longer lines. You can do it with 65's, it's not impossible, but it will be more difficult and take longer unless you are a "natural". Some people pick it up in minutes. Some people will still be having a hard time after 10 hours on the lines. You will probably fall somewhere in between. I would recommend a 120ft set that you may fashion into two shorter sets eventually when they begin to wear. 120ft are the common length you will fly in a group should you get the chance at a fest. 120's also give you a huge area to fly across. I would recommend learning on 120's and timing your learning to when the tide is out. I know that's a pain in the ass and won't let you fly each time you get the urge, but you'll get more smiles per gallon when you're not fighting the kite. Most beginners start backing up when trying to fly the kite, walking backwards until they run out of room. Don't. One step back when launching, then try to stay in the same spot or even move forward a few steps when the kite is pulling well, so if you do need to add some oomph if the wind slows down you have the room to do it. Don't fly in the upper or lower recommended wind range stated for the kite. Stay about five mph away from the extremes until you have mastered basic control of the kite. It will only frustrate the crap out of you if you try. The techniques you will need for those conditions will come to you with time. It may take as much as 80 hours to get the hang of it. Remember, you're doing this to have fun. Don't make it like work. You will have some frustrating situations arise if you will be learning on your own without an experienced flyer by your side telling you what not to do, so check out the beginner tutorials available on this forum and watch each one several times until you nearly have it memorized. Then watch them a few more times -- seriously. Pay very close attention to everything John says in them. He does not give you any info you won't need. If you do it exactly the way he describes it, you will have zero problems, especially the videos on setup and breakdown and handling the lines at those times. Treat what he tells you in the tutorials as GOSPEL and you'll do well. These are proven methods that will not let you down. Once you have established a routine way of doing things you will begin to develop your own "style". Until then stick with what is guaranteed to work. And just so you know you're not alone, at least 95% of all quad flyers have tangled their lines, horribly. Frustrating as hell -- oh yeah! Sit down, untangle them, get over it. __it happens. If it feels like the kite is out of your control most of the time and you'll probably break it. You may consider taking a couple of spare frame pieces with you just in case. You will use them if you fly fairly often. They do wear out eventually. Buy no-snag handles if you can get them at the same time as the kite, and extended leaders for them. If you end up with the hog ring style handles, we'll tell you how to modify them to make them snagless. Definitely get or make extended leaders for the handles. If you don't, you'll never have your kite adjusted well for conditions. I'm sure others will chime in to give you some insight into their experience with quad kites, so stay tuned. If you have questions, ask. We'll give options you may not have considered, and tell you what will only cause frustration even though it may seem like the logical solution. If you're going to do it on your own once you get there, stay in touch so we can give you a hand with it.

I am beginning to learn international morse code. That is my amateur radio license in morse code. In phonetics it would be" Kilo November Four Kilo Quebec Tango", quite a mouthful & difficult for other hams to get on the first try when I am transmitting on SSB. I recently got my ticket as a General class operator. Kind of a "secret handshake" for anyone out there listening in the ether..... But you likely figured it out. Currently running only a hundred watt station so even SETI may have a hard time hearing me. Too bad I can't get SHBKF as a call sign. Quite a bit off topic, I digress, SHBKF

Yeah, now that Kansas Flier mentioned it, if one line stretched 2 feet you won't be able to fly the kite. It will only turn in one direction, and be difficult if not impossible to control.