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@Mike Eibey. I believe the UK is one of the worst for import duty, I imported some model land yacht kits from the US, and it cost me about €80.00. I used to make model yacht sails, semi commercially, I still worked for a living, and never had trouble sending them to the states. 19 euro good price, I pay €8.50 for just 90.0 miles. 🙂

I was kinda wondering about doing that same thing before. But I wasn't sure if you needed to source all the connectors, bridal, bag, and obviously spars. Seems like id order atleast half the parts wrong 🤣 Its like doing plumbing around the house. Can never just go to the hardware store once and have it work out perfect. I think out on the east coast of the US in the Carolinas that there are a few good kite manufacturers and retailers. Here on the west coast, mainly Washington state their really isn't any kite shops around my area. Theirs the kite shoppe down south that everyone really loves, and Ocean Shores kites. Its a dying hobby I suppose. This next spring though I really want to go take a couple kite boarding lessons and get into that also.

I don’t know about the US, but kite shops are few and far between now in the UK, used to be more about 10 years ago, most kite shops are now into power kites and kitesurfing.

@Andy55Actually I went for the Superfly UL in the end as a contrast to my Hypnotist but as you can imagine I've only had a few hours on it due to the weather. I also got a good price on a HQ Infinity which feels like an upgraded Hypnotist and has become my main kite. With the recent weather ordering a Benson DS vented has crossed my mind! Good luck with your DS UL. Be good to hear your thoughts after you've had some time with it.

Get a Benson, I’ve just ordered my second DS, a UL this time, hope winds die down by the time it arrives, the way wind has been here I should have ordered a vented vent, yes that is correct, vents on a vented!!!😀

Pulled the plug on a DS UL, must be over half way through delivery time now, since I ordered it, haven’t had a chance to fly my STD because winds too strong when I am off work, mind you winds have been too strong in work as well, I am the skipper of a vessel maintaining navigational buoys etc and struggling constantly with work as well as kite flying😂😂👍

maybe I’ll just order a n3e sail I have 6 5pts. Maybe order some nitros and frame her up. I’ll try that next time I’m out and theres some standard wind. I’m getting very sensitive to inputs and am starting to see how it should feel based on description.

Deep space it is Can’t go wrong with two bensons lmao.

Yes. Being old has it's perks. Here is the Syncro. The case has a handwritten note from Herb Weldon wishing Kurt from Avia Sport, and Curtis good luck at competition. It has herb's handwritten instructions on making adjustments to the Active Bridle. Kurt sold it to me when I owned my Kite shop in Cocoa Beach. That was a long time ago.

What a great story! Being old has perks, too. 😉

Breezin' I understand the frustration you have with never knowing when you launch for the first flight, if you're going to feel it, or if it will click in. One day, many, many, many years ago, I was struggling to do a flat axle. I mean FLAT. I was a rookie, and just learning. I couldn't get enough slack in the line before the leading wingtip was tugging it. I was lunging forward, running, snapping my arm as far as they could go until my shoulders hurt. I could never complete the turn. Normally, it was only 3/4 turn before I came up short, and I struggled to recover. I could NOT figure it out. I called Mark Reed. The Owner of Prism Kites. I will never forget what he told me. It changed the way I fly, and it was the one thing that got me over the hump from mediocre to advanced, and then into expert. It holds true today, and it will always hold true. He told me: "Stop trying to fly your KITE into tricks you want it to do. Instead, fly your LINE. Focus on the terminal end of your line at the bridle, and the kite will follow." Blew. My. Mind. I was always a stickler about my line, but never made this connection. Suddenly, everything changed. I didn't look at the kite directly, I looked at the bridle connections to my line. I focused hard. The kite became blurry and the line was my focus. I was able to see what was needed for my input. I began watching the slack in the line, and the tension, and the pull, and the release. Every movement was about what input I had to execute, to make my line go where I wanted it to. And, true to Mark Reed...the kite followed. The best trap and skeet shooters in the world look at the bead on the end of the barrel, not the target. The best fly fisherman cast the line, not the fly. The best welders focus on the tip of the welding wire/rod, and not the puddle of weld. Make sense? Once I flew the line, it didn't matter what kite was there. Next, I shortened my lines. I began flying 65' line on average, with my longest at 85'. Rarely did I fly 100". It was much easier to fly the shorter line, and because I changed the perspective of my focus, there were no more struggles to fly any kite at any time, in any wind. That's my perspective. I hope it helps. I can discuss making micro adjustments on the bridle, or to the stand-offs to add or deflect more or less wind another time. I can also discuss active vs. passive bridles, sail tension, etc., because they all make a difference. Also, (and Lam will agree) kites made from different parts of the world, are designed for those typical flyers. I'm 5'7" and have very wide shoulders, but I am a finesse flyer. I struggle with flying any of the French kites because my body frame is not lean and thin, as those kites demanding quick, explosive movements. Drachen is a German kite. They are designed for taller individuals with longer arms. Those long arms generate more LINE input than my short arms can give. BUT... if you fly the line, the kite will have to follow, no matter where the kite is made, and for whom it was made for. Let me know if I can help in any way. Best, Dave

Well...here we go! In proper form, I listened to you all. I started by contacting Lam Hoac. Check out the custom I-T-M (Intense Trick Machine) he made for me. I gave him complete artistic license. Also, if anyone needs a KILLER kite bag, Lam crushes it! I have two Prism roll-up bags, but the bag I got from Lam is like nothing I've ever seen. I'll keep you updated as I grow my collection again. I think a Moonie Mamba and a Benson. For the Benson, I can't decide if I should go old-school-original Outer Space, or go new-tech supernova. Anyone with Benson experience, I'd love a review.

SKD kites are pretty stunning but cost an arm and a Lam...hah! that cracked me up yeah, you probly have the 2nd best wind situation on this forum, 1st being someone on the pacific coast...me? i think we had winds over 4mph maybe twice in december, not much better in november...who knew? i didnt pay much attention to the winds til kiting came along...now im a slave to the wind. i try to fly 3 or 4 times a week for a few hours maybe every day if nothing else is happening and i usually have a list of things to work on (in my head). like you ive got a pretty good quiver to choose from starting with the Echo, the ATM, the Zephyr, the E3, the Hydra and back to the E3 for 18 to 25mph. sounds pretty good, right? noooo ive been mostly flying the Echo in 2 to 4mph for day after day unless i drive a couple hours to the coast ($50 well spent). funny thing is when i do get those rare 10 to 20 minute gigs on a real trick kite the tricks that are pent up in my Echo muscle memory just come boiling out...im like what the f#$%! whered that come from? i uusually have the Atm hooked up and waiting on 50x50s i like the wind range and general toughness of the 7' Superfly but also thought the Supernova would fill a gap for me being slower, more stable, replacing the Hypnotist i gave away...well enough of this rant, im going flying. thanks for sharing

I was thinking that exact same thing today. So far the winds in my area, are favoring the 4D and other very low wind kites, and affording not many opportunities to fly the Revs, unfortunately. Hopefully that situation will change. You can have some of my wind!! Please take it! It has been a gusty 15-25mph+ ( sometimes up to 50mph+) more or less contantly since NOVEMBER!. ...I got a nice pre owned Benson Deepspace for Christmas and I've been able to fly it for less than an hour!.. .......the only kite that has been seeing any air time is the Delta Hawk!.....I now have very long arms.........