riffclown

That's the entirely personal choice you must make.. I will say you will want a larger one like the 2.2 eventually. FWIW, I wouldn't go smaller than the 1.8 .

Symphony Beach and Symphony Pro are both Sport size. The Symphony Beach has tied Bridles versus the Sewn Bridles of the Pro.. Synapse is a Sport size as well. The Prism Snapshots are also Sport Size.I honestly do not know about the Big Buzz. Your are on point for the most part with the power portion of your analysis but there are notable Power kites that also havea lot more speed through the air.. The Flexifoil Bullet and Blurr come to mind as definite power kites but really quick through the air..

Wings Span and Square meters.. A 2.2. Symphony (Sport Size) is roughly equivalent to a 1.5 or 1.6 Power size. Symphony is abut 2.2 meters wide.. but only has about 1.57ish Square Meters of area. A 2M Power kite is MUCH larger than a 2.2 Sport size. I know I'm going much deeper than you probably envisioned but it's a very common mistake to make when starting out and it can be a dangerous mistake if you aren't careful. Power kites are a real joy to fly but you need experience to fly them safely.. Sport size is the right place to get that experience. 10 minutes of reading will save you a ton of grief in the long run.. Again I think the 1.8 would be a good start for you.. You'll want a larger one for yourself soon enough..

Take a few minutes to really understand Sport and Power kite sizes.. I think as a beginner, the 1.8 Sport Size (Symphony 1.8, Synapse 180, etc.) fits the sweet spot for you. I'd personally lean towards a bit larger 2.2 but will admit my strong personal bias towards that size. If you buy the 1.8 you'll buy a larger one eventually. It's almost a guarantee.

I like the Symphony Pro because the bridles are sewn instead of just tied. it makes the kite less prone to tangles in packing and unpacking.. The card I pictured above shows how everything is attached.. I like the Symphony Pro 2.2 so much because it can be easily retrofitted to be a quad line which bumps up the fun factor exponentially.

Bottom line is the Symphony 1.8 is a good all around kite and comes with everything you need to fly except a stake. It's a great beginner foil for reasonable wind ranges. You will outgrow it fairly quickly and will want a larger one. I keep a Symphony Pro 1.8 in my bag to share with the public. Going smaller than the 1.8 is only my recommendation for children 8 and under. My Favorite foil sport kite on the planet is the Symphony Pro 2.2 but that a much longer story. Just so you don't get confused by Sport Sizes and Power Kite sizes I highly recommend you read this thread. Pay especially close attention to the Sport size vs. Power kite size. Ignoring that is a quick way to get in over your head with Power kites. The Symphony 2.2 a sport size roughly equivalent to a 1.5 M Power kite. Lots of fun and greater for lighter breezes. but still enough kite to pull you around in the right wind.

The Symphony Pro lines and straps are on a separate included winder.. The card that comes with the kite explains the larks head knot pretty well. I've attached a scan of the card for illustrative purposes. Card and image property of HQ Invento.

First, @jamesy Welcome to KiteLife. You come to the friendliest kite forum on the Internet. I highly recommend the HQ Symphony Pro. Attaching a second set of lines at the kite end quickly gets convoluted and confusing. Now you CAN attach a second set of straps on 3ft pigtails to the first.. that way your son can just let go and you still have the kite. Have him practice just letting go when he gets in trouble.. You then go retrieve the kite and try again.. ONE huge key to the foils if it's flying straight down, DON'T pull back on both straps or you'll accelerate the kite into the crash and possibly POP the baffles inside.. Train yourself to yank on one strap only. The kite will turn every time. Again worst case scenario, let go of both handles and just go retrieve the kite.

To all in the path of the storm, Stay Safe.

@John Barresi We're here.. Some of us are bunkered down getting ready for the storm.. To all our folks in the Mid-Atlantic and South Eastern US, especially in the Carolinas. Stay Safe.

I plan to update the Colorizer this week to include only currently available Icarex colors.

The Gray Fade has a new home.

Field Debut of the Gray Fade.. Again this is piloted by @jsc2501 who did me a great honor by choosing to compete with my kite instead of the one he was intending to use..

Grey 2 Flown today for the first real flight. A bit of video.

Pretty. Look forward to seeing it fly..

They do get tight.. I use Skyshark most of the time now but I have been known to sand the inside of the caps a bit if needed to get the fit I want.

Good luck with your work.. Remeber to share pics and vids here at KiteLife.

I'll be thereSaturday at least.

Ocean Shores Kites. These are the Freilein caps

First, @John Barresi Thanks for staying on top of the issue despite your travel. Travel safe and have fun. The experience over the last few days was different I'm sure for each of us.. Some were going through forum withdrawals. Some simply diverted over to social media. While you were unable to post, for the most part you were able to at least read. I got the chance to chat with folks that usually only show up in chat as what we call a ghost. They are online but not really in the room. Reconnecting with those individuals as a pleasant reprise. I mourned the passing of a friend. @Roadwarrior26 I did fly a bit one afternoon to get ready for this weekend's event. So my question for you is; While you were unable to post and there was really nothing new to see, what did you do? Did you take the time to fly? Did you suddenly realize your family had a puppy or kitten?

@Breezin I added the rules back in the original post but you'll need to edit to add your original description and drawing info..

I want to share a story about a relatively new friend in my world of kiting. Early this year I moved on from tails material to making kites from "proper" materials. Having made one in honor of Air Force Tradition and with the Air Force Symbol I called it Yonder in a nod to the Christmas giveaway riddle I held in 2017. Midnight Royal was One of my first endeavors and involved mixing nylon and poly in in a Hadziki wing. It was a 1.5 -ish sized version of Yonder. Larry spoke up and wanted one of my kites with the Air Force Symbol since that branch of service was so integral to his life. I took my time and placed the Air Force logo on Midnight Royal to create Yonder's bigger Brother. This was one of the first non-tails kites I ever made. And I sold it to a friend. By this point, it was already a given I had sold this to a lifelong friend. We only flew together once when I walked him through the basics of his kite. One thing I shared with him that day stuck with him when it came to hand control. I asked, "Are you cheering or flying the kite?" Like many newbies his motions were lateral instead in a direction that would influence the kite path. We did not live close enough together to fly together so, I decided as part of the deal he should have a membership to KiteLife which I paid for eagerly to help him get the best remote instruction I could provide. Tuesday, I got a call I never want to receive.. My friend passed away over the weekend in his favorite chair. There will always be an empty place in the sky for this new flier who was eager to learn and honestly one of the most genuine people I have ever known. @Roadwarrior26 Rest in Peace, Larry. You are already missed..

Whoop!!!