Breezin

Did research for close to a month before I got my 1st kite. Started by looking at the cheaper kites wanting something durable for the grand kids.Watched a video of a guy doing some amazing things in a wheel chair. Became totally inspired for myself. Now I'm hopelessly hooked.You might be best served by getting a cheap foil since you're not sure how far you want to go . Most of the smaller ones need a 10 mph plus wind to fly in though. A 2.2 will fly lower then the 1.2 for the most part. Learning basic controls on one of those might get you a feel for what draws you to the kites. Get the kite going as fast as you can. Getting as close to the ground as you can without crashing will hone your control pretty quick.Direction you go could be quads, duels and gliders for tricking or precision.Power kiting or the joy of singles floating in the air.Then there's speed kiting. More popular in other countries but intrigues me a lot.Imagine hanging onto a kite 150' out flying past you center window at 100 mph plus. Gives me shivers of anticipation. Most people on the forums do more than 1 and a lot do it all. Most important to me is feeling the wind. If you like it and start watching a lot of videos you soon realize it's kinda like interpretive dancing. Even the people who put up huge anchored kites have a rhythm while their tending their kites. I'm a duel flier who wants to trick like a pro. It's harder than the pros make it look. It's the reason I moved up the food chain into the higher end kites pretty fast. I still fly 2 fairly inexpensive 3/4 sized kites a lot. The Premier Nighthawk and Sky Dog Black Dog.I had sold them to get a boutique kite. They're discontinued now and getting harder to find. Missed them a lot. Got lucky and they have been replaced. Tough, fast and very tricky. Both fly lower than there stated wind range for me. The Nighthawk has evolved into the Wolf ng. Don't know which Sky Dog would be the next gen Black Dog if any. I still have a difficult time in 0 to 1 and 30 plus. In between though I have a blast dancing with the wind.

Whump on a foil is surprisingly fun huh. Still makes me giggle at times and I am somewhat grown up. Couple whumps on a framed today not so much. More a shiver of dread followed by a tremble of relief. In a few months I hope we get to see you folks being dragged around by that kite on a saucer or something. Giggling!!!

Put a rain coat on my Widow. Didn't work very well. Ground was soft so I didn't break anything. White kites don't look good all muddied up.Black Dog being black and all doesn't look 1/2 bad.I think it's the only kite I got that's rip stop polyester. Handles the wet pretty well.Next time though I'll wait till it stops 😞.

Oops Thanks John.

Thanks. Maybe I'm getting a run of luck. Lottery ticket today? Naw need to save for another kite .

I've taken down the other offerings and put up this due to lack of interest. If this is bad form please let me know. Don't want this Karma thing to fizzle out. Especially on my watch. Think it's pretty cool. Extending it out for another week. Keeping the Windbreaker winder for my next single line kite. Never used 20# x 200' Quick Retrieve will be included. First single line was 19'. Way to big for me to fly alone. Got this and it's still pretty big. If there's interest it'll be replaced with a 9'. Bigger kites are not always better 😞. Learning the hard way LOL Some rules and guidelines: Don’t play unless you’re willing to put up a prize and ship it to whoever wins. Shipping is paid by the original poster, the winner pays nothing. Be prepared to ship your prize anywhere in the lower 48 US States. Sorry, but due to shipping costs, we really have to limit this to the lower 48 US States. RULE CHANGE (7/31/2014): Members from Canada, Alaska, and Hawaii are welcome to enter the Karma drawings provided they are willing to pay half of the Karma prize shipping cost. The method and timing of the payment will be agreed upon between the two parties after the drawing for a particular prize. You can choose the length of the giveaway, but keep it between 1 and 2 weeks. Try to ship the prize promptly. You should be able to ship it within a week, but if you can’t, PM the winner and let them know. Sometimes life gets in the way! This whole thing works on the honor system so if there are any problems shipping or receiving a prize, it needs to be worked out between the two parties. Don’t forget…Karma! This isn’t a competition, but feel free to be generous! If you can only put up a hat, or a tail for a stunt kite, great! If you have something in your kite bag that you never fly and would be willing to ship, that’s great too. Either way, the people that join to win it will appreciate it. When you receive your prize, post a thank you to the thread where you won it. The thread will be locked after that point so the new **KARMA** stays above it. Good luck, and have fun!

40 MPH with this kite should do it nicely. Problem is I'll have to readjust all my lines AHHH. Thanks Jeepin!!!

Awesome. This is going to take some practice. 0 to 3 the last few afternoons. Landed a few times with the PD but backed off for fear of breaking something. In 1 to 2 I can float the kite nose down fairly well. 2 to 3 feet off the ground I give a slight flare slow down while moving forward. Kite drops like a stone. When I get this for the 1st time it'll probably be on the Black Dog in winds under 5. My other kites seem to come in to fast right now. For a trick seemingly so simple the finesse is pretty difficult. It looks like such an excellent punctuation mark to end a series of combos. Thanks a bunch for the info John. \Thanks a bunch for the info John.

The designs are fantastic. Way to go you two. Excellent !!!

Yup 1st timer gives you the 51 me the 49. 😡 I suck at craps too LOL.

I can see that accept the only part of the kite that touches the ground is the nose. I do think the flare at the start of a Pancake is key.The launch really stumps me. Going to try spinning on the nose like doing a wingtip pirouette. Don't think that's it but maybe I'll get some insight.Pancake to belly launches are my favorite way to get air born. Tried a little bit on the Hydra yesterday. Can't balance on the nose very well with that kite. Could also be that the era in which the trick is described the kite had a straight nose instead of rounded. Tilting the kite onto the squared edge of the nose could give a kick to the launch. If I can get this I MIGHT be able to call myself a level 5 flier 😏.

Probably more of a 51/49 in my favor. Beings how I'm not self centered or the like but there's no one in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD that needs that kite more than me. I'm sure the rng knows and understands. The black models are a little narrower at the wing tips and nose. They're 58" and the newer rainbow is 57". So I've read.I prefer the black and red. Surely that ups it to 52/48.

In one of the archived magazines(can't remember which one) at a competition in Hawaii the winds were blowing most everyone out of the sky. Fella flew nose down, landed, took off and never put the LE on the ground. Nose diving was the very first trick I learned after take off. Extremely easy to do.Learned that even before landing 🤪. Intentionally landing a duel on the nose in light winds seems so counter intuitive let alone 20 mph plus. Then the take off!!! I tried the trick again today in winds 5 and less on the Widow Maker ,Tekken SUL and Black Dog. Closest to success on the Black Dog. I can hit the landing and stay balanced 10% from the fade, unrolling or snap stall with a 1/2 turn. Coming straight down center window I think the only way to do it is just before the nose hits push with a slight flare. Do not have the nerve to try that yet. I can't take off without touching another part of the kite to the ground. The only small success is flipping the kite into a rising fade. My rising fades still need a lot of practice. None of the approaches I use are what was described in the article. Seems impossible. Yesterday in 20 to 25 mph it feels like the higher winds provide the best chance for a take off. Balanced on the nose , pull the kite forward, push, pop but I drag the wing tip.Not enough elevation.Nose landings in those winds are beyond me for now. I'm thinking after the kites nose hit the ground maybe it bounced a bit. If that's the case then I should only try on my carbon tubed kites. Psycho, Black Dog and grand kids Addiction.Problem with that theory is I think it was done on a sandy beach.Watched some quad videos of kites coming full bore to a dead stop inches off the ground but can't connect that to a duel in my mind at all. Can't find a video of it being done. Don't even know what it's called. Does any one do this. Can any one explain how it's done?

Spin that kite up and zoom close as you can to the ground in 20 mph winds. You will gain some control skills for sure. Some days when winds are 15+ I still grab my 1.4 and go bombing around for a bit. Always will. Dang it man now I'm thinking about getting a bigger foil.

Took awhile but after much deliberation camera is on it's way. Didn't want to go over $100.00 and the research was tedious at best. Not that into electronics. Cost was at the top at$100.44. Includes shipping and a 32 gb card. Aluminum chassis,6 axis gyro, 4k at 60 fps(not interpolated),1080p at 120 fps, 720 at 240 fps. 20 mp photos. Not all all the bells and whistles of a Go Pro 6 but with the newest chip technology should compete really well at this price point. Does not come with a ton of accessories I'd never use either. 1/4 female built in for a tripod. Never had anything like this before. Hopefully I'm not one of the first suckers for this new stuff. If I guessed right by Christmas 2019 Go Pros will be 1/2 what they are now.

I did to. Just don't know what it means LOL.

I've watched Lams videos of the Silver Fox. Awesome as all of his videos are.Winds will be around 20 all day. By 5 pm going higher. Went up this morning for 1 1/2 on the Mind Trick vented. First time using my fully padded straps with the MT. Really like them a lot. The way the winds are here I'd probably have a 1/3 less flying time with out a quality vented. IF (crossed fingers) the Solus gets made this fall it'll be the UL.Much as I love my UL and SULs I want a bigger kite for a different experience. I've flown me Tekken SUL to 18 mph. I'm not to smart either. Fun though and the kite handled it. Will not repeat cause then I'd regress back to stoopid.

Okay I'll ask a silly. What's a half kuk1? Nice review.

Lams kites are ouch pricey. Mine came used or I wouldn't have one yet. Learned the higher winds on a Prism Micron and Snapshot 1.4. I was a disaster on the Elliot Jet Stream Reloaded. I've crashed the Mind Trick in winds that have broken other kites. Haven't figured out why this kite is so different yet. Some of it has to do with the softer connectors. Pain sometimes cause the spreaders will pop out pretty easy. Saves the kite on hard crashes though. Going across center window in 25 kite will kinda of hiccup instead of speed up. It gives the impression of actually slowing down. It's not but feels like it. Catch the kite at the hiccup and the tricks I can catch at those wind speeds are extremely exciting.Got to be careful at times cause if I sneeze kite will immediately turtle.In 20+ I still need to work up my moxie to go fly. It's a ton of fun but flying on the edge is still a little intimidating. Yesterday morning winds were low and real smooth for here. Up on the Tekken for a few hours. Winds increased and got the Hydra. Hour later went 20+. Moxie wasn't there and I called it a day.Similar wind pattern for today. Must gird the loins for this afternoon.

Read a bunch when looking for a vented. Got the Mind Trick vented. If I could only have 1 kite it would be the 1. Helluva deal used or I would have gotten the Challenger Max vented. Kite that I want the most is a Fearless 2 light vented. Pricey but I'm a Lam believer. Worth more than you pay.

AHHH don''t punch holes in a E2 unless you really really know what you're doing. Sliding stand offs are cheap to make and won't damage a soon to be classic kite. For 10 to 15 most 3/4 kites will have less pull at 15 than a Widow ng will at 10 mph. My Sky Dog Black Dog has cool graphics, non fancy design, basic 6 mm carbon frame all around, tough and flies like the dickens. Pretty precise for me. I've only flown a Addiction, Jewel, Nighthawk and Cadet in the smaller kites to compare. Black Dog beats them for precision hands down. Inputs need to come more from your wrists on the smaller kites to minimize over steer. You'll trick more on a 3/4 kite too. Won't know why for awhile cause when you yank a line the kites kinda go 🦇💩. They'll hone your reflexes for sure or you won't fly them. Black Dog is the slowest of the ones I've flown. From what you're describing the Sky Dogs might give you excellent bang for the buck. Very pleased with my Sky Dog. Yesterday winds were pretty bumpy between 3 to 12. Went up on the Zephyr and just sucked. Heavy handed day and that kite doesn't do bumpy very well. Put up the Black Dog and had a blast.

I'm in. Noticed earlier that my left arm is 1 1/2" longer than my right. This kite and 35 mph plus winds ought to even me out. Thought about getting one of these many,many times.

Well luck ran out on the tip stab. Got some very high winds and rain around noon Late afternoon took out the Zephyr. Winds were staying pretty steady between 5 and 10. Still honing my 1/2 axle skills so my comete has not been very good. Caught a really good one for me. Went right back up and did another. I'm still to heavy handed and don't have the small push timing to keep the kite floating more. Result is kite comes down the window fairly fast. Landed on the wing tip. Pretty pleased. Tug and push on the top wing and pulled the bottom attempting a rotational launch.90% sure I didn't have a wrap. Thinking the tip went pretty deep into the soft ground. Got the launch a split second after the dreaded crack. If I would have launched straight up wouldn't have broke. Got to remember this when the ground is soft or on a beach.Have a spare LLE so hopefully that's all it needs and it'll be up tomorrow.

9 AM Trixie showed up . About an hour later after much wobbling ,crashing and burning she got the basics . Kinda like flying a kite. Once you get the basics you're good to go. Takes some persistence though 😊.

They're all very, very cool. The one with the insignia. Now that one makes a statement!!! Love it.