Breezin

For the past 3 days AM winds have been running to 30 mph. Early afternoon dropping from 0 to 15. Very bumpy and hard to fly in. The first 2 days probably less than 5 hours in the air. Winds would go to high for the Tekken and to low for the Mind Trick vented. They do the best in bumpy, gusty winds. So I flew the Nighthawk. Yesterday when winds dropped I took out the HQ Delta Hawk for the 1st time. Winds were between 15 and 20.Don't believe the gusts hit 25. I've had some serious fun flying my 1.4 Snapshot in winds like that but WOW the Hawk takes it to a whole nother level. Glad I have padded straps . Rip through the power window for 2 or 3 minutes and would then head for the side to take a break. Lasted about an hour and already am in awe of this kite. Very impressed with how it handled the gusts. Not the fastest kite in the HQ lineup but for now I am more than okay with that.30+ days are going to be awesome.Should have got one of these sooner. Gusts dropped a bit and got out the vented. Sure seemed slow after the Hawk in a very good way. Woke up this morning a little stiff and sore. Could have been the Hawks fault but I don't want to point any fingers. I was pretty sure at the start of this kiting thing that speed kites would become a major aspect of kiting for me. It will be. With the Hawk I'm just now dipping my toe into this world of speed kiting. Man I want a Tiger.

Uhh I'm a weakling and I think I remember my Zephyr being tighter. Believe it's due to the Z having Mylar along the spine. Both sails have broken in really well and I don't recollect much trouble with either.After experimenting I keep the leech line snug on both. I do a lot of tip drags so both kites tips are wrapped in electrical tape. Only kite that the dang end caps stay on is the Widow Maker. As I'm progressing I find myself listening to the kite more. Especially in gusty winds.The Mind Trick vented is fairly loud. Gives me another split second on inputs. Doesn't seem like much but in higher winds it is. Prefer quieter kites but now learning something else that was unexpected.

A kite that was on my short list for low winds. Got a good deal on a Zephyr or I'd probably have one.

Bag is very nice. My music/sewing room is just about ready to assemble. Got 2 kites that need bags and that's where I'll start.

Sigh just went and put this dark hearted beast (Boris Karloff /Black Sabbath)together for the first time. Sail sure is crisp and purdy. Toes at the edge ,staring into the abyss, hoping the cookies are chocolate chip.

Yup, moderators are pretty vicious here . When you screw up it's like getting beat with a rose petal. Doesn't hurt much and you come out smelling okay.

Aha that explains it . All this time I thought it was a bad attitude 😎. Going to try shrinking the tubes with a hair dryer. Low temp tubing hopefully will work.I'd like to keep the extensions. Every kite I have without them has sliced connectors. Yeah I know bad flying technique but what's a poor flyer supposed to do. Tried to get to the fly in NE couple weeks ago. Hopefully I'll get to Pine Bluff this Saturday. Still have a tough time driving long distance (snivel). Trip to ITW does me in for the day. Got plans made for the big fly in Long Beach next year. Think I'd have a blast being part of the ground crew. Doubt I'll have any quad skills by then. These duels seem to take up all my time. Sister is going back to China next month for a 4 year stint. Scrambling to get the cash to go see her off from SeaTac and pick up a new Fearless 2 at the same time LOL. Funny how kites seem to interject themselves into most everything.

I was going to go to ITW last week and get a Kymera and Echo. Doo doo happens. 2 weeks ago Paul said they had 40+ blue,10 red and no green. Didn't get the impression prices were going up. Hopefully they're working with De Bakker and something new is on the way. Hydra is the kite that I really started to learn wrist and finger inputs on.I second Exult on the easy inputs. That can be a pain for me at times but the kite recovers from mistakes incredibly well. No matter the kite now because of the Hydra my inputs are much smaller and smoother. Less crashes. Still fun in higher winds to go yankity yank though.Watching JB fly the Kymera and PD flying the Focus Hydra the differences in the kites justifies having both for me. Pretty cool watching them fly knowing the kites were built for their differing styles. One day JB would have the edge. Next day Paul. Then I'd step in with my Mind Trick and blow them both out of the sky(insert as many deflating ego comments as needed here 😰).

If you're going for tricks sometimes it's better to have a wrap or 2 in the lines. Axle no wrap, 1/2 axle 1 or 2 for example. Kite and skill set dependant also.

I buy Carhartt coats. Pricey but I have a light jacket one that's over 20 . Only wear it at home cause it's pretty ragged. Not to many stores sell Carhartt coats. My heavy winter one is over 12. Still go in public with it but for not much longer. People figure out it's worth spending a little more up front for good stuff. Cheaper in the long run. Would a person be happier with a Kite Forge or a Hengda? Depends on what you want to do. Me I'll save and go Kite Forge. Hold on a second I don't even know how to fly a quad.Never mind!!

Vimeo seems to have good stuff. I'm on satellite and getting 1080 HD can be a pain sometimes on You Tube.

If you want you can send the Q Pro here. I'll fly it for you at least 3 times a week for a year and keep a log on all the damage occurred ⚰️.Might cost you more sending me spare parts than the project would be worth though LOL.Try to beef up the battans so you don't lose them on the Hydra. Did it when I first got the kite. ITW did the next patch but one is already out. Sitting on the shelf and I can't tell any difference flying without it. Think the issue is more from roll ups than anything else. Cut the sleeving on one extended leader. Did a cheap tape repair but it didn't hold up. Going to put some heat shrink tubing on both leaders to keep it even. If that doesn't work I'll cut them down and keep it going. I have had an absolute blast with my Hydra. Flies lower than stated. For me not very sedate in flight. Always seems eager and wanting to go, go, go. I seem to be wearing it out faster than my others. Think it's me not the kite.

Me too. Really irritates me at family reunions 😬. Tried Facebook quite a while ago and was not impressed. Supposed to be a lot better now BUT burned once. Now I'm looking at where to put my kite videos and thinking about Facebook again.

Started the grand kids on a 1.4 Prism Snapshot and GFK with a bar. They don't get going until 8 mph. The ones that are really into it are 5 to 9. 3 girls and 4 boys. The older ones (11 to 17) seem a little embarrassed that the younger ones are better.The younger ones have flown a lot more. Above 13 mph the youngest need some help unless butt sliding.They all learned what the power zone is and do a pretty good job of avoiding it when necessary. On a foil they all know to drop 1 line when needed.Kite comes to the ground and won't blow away.Winds were up at the top for the 5 year olds one day. The girl got face planted and dragged across the playa. We were running after telling her to let go. She kept going and I feared she might be tangled in the lines. Got to her and she was laughing quite hard. Asked her why she didn't let go. She said she was having to much fun to let go and it's a long wait for her next turn. The 5 year olds and one 6 year old have not moved to framed yet.The others have flown Premier Vision, Nighthawk and Addiction. Prism Zephyr, ITW Hydra, Sky Dog Black Dog and as of last Monday a Sky Burner Pro Dancer. Hour and a half into the day the wind dropped and never went over 5. Took a bit for them to understand the PD is a precision kite not a trick kite. 6 hours later I was wore out and they still wanted more. Nerves got pretty frazzled letting them fly the Pro Dancer 😱. One moderate crash and no harm done. They all loved that kite and did really well.Their favorite is the Zephyr with the PD running a very close 2nd. Everything else is faster and they still struggle with the speed.Winds get much over 10 and it's back to the foil for them.We've had one line burn on the neck. Kite got crashed.Kid didn't see the pilot recover into launch position. Jumped in the way going to reset the kite as it launched. Surprised us all because that was the pilots 1st recovery and launch. Think the pilot was the most surprised. Boy with the burn said it stung for 3 days. Safety is pretty simple but needs to be adhered to. Leaned over a kite in 20 plus wind.Got popped pretty hard in the jaw when unexpectedly the kite decided it was time to fly.There is such a thing as the CONCEPT of the perfect kite.Problem is that It takes a dozen or more kites in a quiver to create it LOL. As you guys learn you'll gravitate towards certain kites and figure out how you like to fly. For me it's very satisfying learning tricks and flying in less than 12. Lots and lots of zen like moments.Above 12 now that's when the fun starts. I like fast. In 30 mph winds the I can't believe I didn't crash moments are scary fun. Some kites will go over 100mph. Whee I gotta get one. You guys have been having fun with the cheapest of kites. Gonna be a lot more fun now.

Well lucky me 😊. Call this one done. Pm me your address drdemonx and it'll be on it's way Monday. Thanks.

Worried myself into a mild frenzy thinking I might have gotten banned. Had some trouble connecting to GWTW too. Affected my flying so bad I just about broke a LLE . Wife went out to my kite shed(yes I now have a special place). Did not go very well and I was quite uncomfortable. Trying to justify ones behavior makes one look rather foolish .Yes sorry to say even with kites.

Thanks Riff.

When I edited this it only posted the pics. No description or rules. Couldn't post here or on open topics yesterday. Kites a 12' GFK. Think it''s in good shape for it's age. Had a 19' Premier that was to big and replaced it with this. DOES NOT come with the wooden winder or a bag. Will come with a Quick Retrieve 20# line set that has never been opened. Hope this sparks some interest.

I give up trying to figure out which color scheme I like best. Really I'm just going to stop!! This grey stuff gives me a very smooth flowing type feel. Really like it. Keep them coming and I'll keep enjoying.

Easier to learn Flic Flacs then this trick. Sooo after reading what JB replied I got this today.No label so I don't know what it is. 4mm frame and spreaders.Connectors are kinda like a electrical wing nut shape. Notch at the bottom on either side where the lines slip into after larks head over the top.One piece LS slides thru the stand offs and center tee. Spine is a little longer than the LE.Makes the kite tilt slightly to one side before launch. Left lower bridle connection was jacked. Probably why the kite is in A shape. No wear on the nose. Bridle still had the marks so the retie was easy.Bridle to line set connection are metal rings. All 3 sail tension bungees need replaced. Jeez this stuff might be a sickness or something. Got this to learn ONE trick cause it ticks me off so bad that I can't do it. Might take a bit but by golly .

Hate to say it but pretty soon you might look forward to doing repairs and stuff like that. Gives a person the confidence to hammer down at times. After Tuesdays air time Hydra is sitting on the bench. Couple repairs need redone and once again lining up c clips. No I'm not looking forward to it. Thanks to the forums though I know what to do. What the heck would happen to kiting if there was a super glue shortage.😟. Wow like I don't have enough to worry about learning this stuff!!! Put a mark at the bottom of your connectors. It'll save time because it's probably going to happen again. At the very least the glue will weaken over time.Think you have an excellent kite.

Since I got the White Widow I believe I'm now at level 4. Taken me longer to get from 3 to 4 than 0 to 3. It'll take even longer to get to 5. 8 could be as much as 3 years away .Maybe more. Gets harder the higher you go. Iv'e always admired the skills of watching a great flier.As I get better the appreciation for the finesse it takes to make things look smooth and seamless keeps growing.As does the respect for the time, effort and dedication that it takes.It's not nearly as easy as most of you make it appear. I've been a little intimidated by this kite. Not because of it's nature but because how I got it and who had sewn the sail.It's the one kite I truly cherish. My basic skills are just recently improving to the standards that this kite demands. It is the least forgiving kite I've flown but the most elegant and rewarding. Not the high exciting fun factor on other kites. More like the Lam kites. Something that seeps into your being and is just so incredibly satisfying. I've not read anything from someone who has a Tapp sewn sail with the wing tip tweaks. If you have one please chime in. I'd read quite a bit about WMPs sewn by Heads Up Kites and I'm sure some of the reads were from WMPs sewn by Jon T or someone else. The info I'd gathered was from doing research on the Widow ng. I was more than startled to say the least when I didn't feel the same in comparing the 2 kites. Been some chatter about the Premier Widows lately and been thinking about it. Today winds were running between 10 and 15 mph. This morning towards the low. This afternoon towards the high. A little gusty but very nice winds. Couple hours this morning on the WMP and close to 2 this afternoon on the Nighthawk.Started getting tired. Had such a good day quit early so I didn't ruin it.The end of the day is when I'm most destructive. This is speculation so take it with a grain of salt. Had to sell my 1st Nighthawk to get the WMP. Knew I'd miss it the most and did. My new one has around 12,13 hours in the air. I believe the Nighthawk and Widow Maker were designed around the same time. To me their shape and flight are far more similar than to the Widow ng. Nighthawk being obviously faster and easier to over steer . Due to size easier on the ground work.The Widow ng was designed as part of a series. Don't think it was built to be a cheaper version of the WMP. Designed to be the big sibling in the spider series using knowledge gained from the WMP development.I say this because the smaller Jewel I had seemed more like the Ng than the Pro does.Read the Wind of Change review of the Jewel. 100% agree. Haven't flown a Wolf ng yet.I'm guessing Pam and Dennis started sewing the WMP around the middle of the Spider series development and promotion. Life happens and Steve showed up adding another layer of magic to the kite. Read Steves tweaks on the Blue Moon Elixir. Having been here long enough to realize how much kite people love and appreciate the innovation and progress of others makes me think the tweaks on those 2 kites put a big smile on the faces of Ken and Jon. Now a newbie has a very different opinion of the Widow Maker Pro except that most of us think it's just awesome. Really keen on hearing from the folks who get the next batch of Blue Moons and Sky Burners.Tweaks will have been made.It's what masters do. Hydra has to be replaced because of the way I fly. Love that kite. Don't know what to replace it with other than the Benson Superfly. Been wanting one of those anyways. Watching videos it doesn't seem to be much like a WMP. Now Ken has a next gen Mamba and a couple other kites that I haven't seen disclosed yet up for grabs. I've become pretty enamored with the older kites and how things have evolved around the world. Blew my budget for the Superfly on classic kites and just starting to get it back. Then along comes a run of Blue Moon sport kites. AHH desicions. I'm so confused 😁.

The special and the builds for Kitty Hawk were of a little more cost saving nature. Different sail panels and stitching. Not sure about the framing. Probably put 60 hours or a little more on my Widow ng before getting the Widow Maker. When I got my Prism Zephyr and Widow ng the sails did not line up. The Widows velcro at the spine skewed the sail to the left. The patch for the upper spreader was to high and had to adjust it just about every time when resetting the kite. The Z mylar going down the spine was way off skewing to the left also. Read up on sail break in so I waited to see what would happen. About 20 hours of flight the Widow lined up and I had no further issues. The Z took a little more than 30. Still fly it and it's just fine. Only b*tch I got about that kite is the hollow ferrules connecting the upper and lower LE. I'll get better and that will become less of an issue. I've popped the LE out of the nose pocket on my Z after breaking a ferrule. Once on a Night hawk with nothing broken (lucky). Looks like it's more what rporanga is suggesting. I can't see where any of the nose stitching has come apart. Take the leading edge that seems the least stable out of the kite and inspect it. Inspect and reinsert the spine also. I've popped the spine out on a couple kites too.Match the LE up to the other side and see what happens. A nose repair or reinforcement remedy is to plexi it. GWTW has a good thread and some nice pics from a fella in Israel fixing a Widow ng. Got the stuff for when my noses get thin but have not done it yet. Probably a good preventative measure on standards and vented.Get this figured out and your kite has a good 300 or more hours left in it I would hope. If not I'd be pretty disgusted. On a side note several times when my Widow Maker was new I'd put it together launch and the kite would spin out of control.First time it happened I was pretty frustrated and came close to breaking the kite. After the 4th time inspecting the kite with nothing out of place I remembered reading that with new Icarex some times you have to release the tension. Did that and away it went. Happened 3 times on the Widow Maker and twice on my Mind Trick. Still don't understand why.

Man o man we forgot to tell Kev to skip all this and immediately order a set of Benson Super Novas. Hang on, hold the phone forget that.That's my day dreams butting in again. MAN O MAN!!

When it's damp I grab the Black Dog . 1st one I let go but always remembered how smooth it was. Realized pretty quick that I should get another if the price was right.Glad it's back. Didn't have the same experience with my Widow ng. Took a few months but I could fly it in 3 to 4 w/o the weight. Wasn't good enough to trick but got good at window hunting and bouncing the kite practicing ground work.5 to about 14 was sweet for me. 15 up and the pull started my back a whining. Did not have the other issues you describe. Had to replace a couple spreaders but that was on me. LS on my Zephyr,Nighthawk and Hydra all more than once.I'm at a cross roads I wasn't expecting the last couple weeks. Love my Pro Dancer but I got issues that I'm not over coming. Kite is very precise and light on the lines. Not a trick kite and I knew that going in. Jon T also made damn sure I understood that when I ordered it. PD has taught me the most about loading and unloading the sail.The other cool thing is I can practice the set up for tricks that I can then try to complete on the other kites. Problem is that 0 to 3 I am not agile enough to control the kite other than basic moves. That bores the hell out of me real fast. I put the kite into a fade,turtle or pancake and most of the time it floats away on me. Can't back up fast enough to keep tension in the lines. When the winds are 2 plus I'm better off on the Tekken or Zephyr because I'm always trying to trick. This morning winds were 0 to 4 mostly on the lower side. Perfect for the PD but grabbed the Z because of those issues. Going to sell it. Do some research on it. Might be what you need. I am 90% sure I'll get the Solus UL when my turn comes at Sky Burner this fall. Between it the Tekken SUL and the Zephyr UL my low wind will be covered until they're wore out. They are pretty different from each other. The Z has the widest wind range and in low winds is almost methodical in it's moves. Very easy going kite up to 10 or 12. Tekken takes some concentration and timing needs to be more precise. Extremely rewarding to fly for me. Very agile kite. Stays the same throughout it's wind range.At 100" the Solus should be quite different. Not going to go big bucks on my next 0 plus kite. It'll either be a Kaiju or ITW Echo. Want both sigh. My other issue is my Hydra. Love that kite and it's the kite I've flown the most. I don't think it's construction is conducive to how my flying style is developing. I think it's well made but I am tearing it up. Today my right bridal extension sleeve split from stress. I've repaired and reinforced the battens but keep popping them out. The TE is frayed in several places with the leech line exposed. It's been repaired a couple times. Once by ITW. Fixed several tears at the center.One major.The issues keep appearing. Do not have the problems with any other kite. It is the shape of the TE not the build quality. Several repairs at the center tee. I push the envelope with this kite all the time.I believe I took to it so well because of my time on the Addiction. Hydra gives me that same go for it feeling. Tons of fun. When I put those 2 kites in the air they seem to start taunting me. Sissy man you can't do that. What's the matter scaredy cat SCARED. Then I have to prove them wrong LOL.I know that sounds a little Psycho but I got one of those too.Don't want to replace the Hydra but I'm going to have to sooner than later. Don't know what to replace it with that is similar though.Sucks.