Mike Eibey

Hmmm. I was hoping to give it a little more momentum on its back side mainly. This kite has 4 brass tail weights. Planned on removing 3 of them and putting about an equivalent weight near each wing tip and just see how it felt. Mainly just to keep trying new things and playing around with it and seeing how things change by doing certain things. I tried a cross active bridal on this same kite which taught me a fair amount of relatively useless things haha

I'm trying to figure out a decent way to weight the wingtips of a couple different kites. My Hydra has brass tail weights but want to experiment with moving some weight from the tail to the wing tips or potentially at the lower spreader connector if wing tips aren't a good option. I'm trying to think of a way to do that without causing lines to get snagged easily on the wing tip or spreader.

Same haha. While watching the video it seems so clear and obvious. Its the real world part thats hard. I have a DS on order but won't see it until a week or two before Christmas. Really excited for it though.

If you've never seen this video by Tim Benson its a fantastic resources for learning alot of dual line tricks. He has a different approach to a handful of tricks than I've seen other flyers teach. For example when going axle to fade he pops with one hand and then a quarter through the rotation pulls to fade with the opposite hand. Can't for the life of me do it that way but that seems to be his way of doing it. Another great video of him linking tricks together is this:

I had been wondering that same thing. Just a little standoff type fitting to get the nose a few inches of clearance. I mean its not very difficult to just avoid getting in this position, but it still happens from time to time ya know. And despite some people not calling it "the walk of shame," it really is the walk of shame when you have an audience. 😂

I usually only try a handle full of times but usually just give up. But I did get it one time on my Hydra just the other day for the first time. Granted the ground had the slightest bump that allowed me to get a pinch more air in the sail. Just wondering if anyone has a method of relaunching from this position that they find to work consistently.

Is there anyone that can say they're proficient at the dead launch? I'll admit to my best move being ground recoveries because I've done so many of them 🤣 I mean I'm alright when the kites in the air too. 😎 But I've only ever got one dead launch ever and have attempted atleast 100 for about 5 pops each. My success rate is very low. This is really the only ground recovery I cant do besides maybe the occasional ultra stuck multiple wrapped wing tangles.

Yeah! Thats always good news! I think I'll atleast wait to get this kite before buying another. I dont think my wife would quite understand. Haha

Let me know if end up going that route. It may be a pretty fun little project. Someday I'll have a nirvana in the bag but it won't be this year for sure.

The hydra for $112 is definitly the way to go. Its worth more for sure so id think of picking one up before they disappear. I also own the Skyscraper. Definitly also a great value. The hydra does fly better than the Skyscraper. It's really excellent in yoyo based tricks and if you fly one for a bit you will le a en those tricks. I feel its pretty unstable in the fade though, or maybe I just suck at holding fades 🤣 The Skyscraper will hold a fade better but imo thats the only up it has on the hydra. The hydra is also built better and looks cleaner in the air. You can't go wrong with either but while the hydra is only $112 id go that way.

Awesome! 😃 Now to just wait 6 weeks. 😐

Ouch. Thats alot of money just so the government can get theirs. I dont think it'll be too bad but haven't really heard of what it could be here. Hopefully someone who's been in this situation can chime in for incoming us import fees. I did buy a kite from Lam Hoac a few months back which shipped from Canada. I didnt pay any extra fees. I believe shipping was like 20 bucks. If you've never flown or done business with Lam he really is one of the greatest builders, flyers, and coaches you could have. He's just so helpful and knowledgeable. When talking to him he'll always ask what kinds of tricks your working on and will break down exactly how he learned and opened that trick up and what seems to be the key to each trick to unlock it.

I honestly don't know. 😅😅😅 The Benson website said 19 euros to ship anywhere out the europe area I believe. I think thats like 25 dollars US. I assumed he knew how to do the international shipping. Now I'm worried haha I'm not sure if there's an import fee. I wouldn't be surprised if there is. Hopefully its not too much. I got to fly a tica the other day that another kitelife member brought out for a meetup. I'm not really sure how well it does alot tricks but that thing felt absolutely perfect in air and did the nicest and cleanist half axles id ever seen. Which says alot because the half axle is not my best trick by a long shot.

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.

Let me know how the Sulerfly is. I just ordered a Deepspace STD last night. Tim said the lead time was 6 weeks so I may as well forget I ordered it and let it be a Christmas surprise. 😀

I've heard good things about the badass but it's a bit odd looking in flight. It really bows as the sail fills but I believe its intentional. That being said jts definitly near the top of my list but the benson and nirvana are still the top 2 at the moment. I attempted to order a nirvana a couple months back from a guy in Europe, he told me he wasn't carrying RSky products at the moment but highly recommended getting the level one badass as it was available in the US. The yo fade isn't too hard on the hydra. Just needs a light flare with a very firm pop and alot of slack. Then try to catch the fade. I haven't been able to do a downward yoyo on the hydra that I caught in normal flying position with a wrap. Its either catch it in a fade or rotate it up and immediately rotate it out. Haha

He told me everything was 6 weeks out at Benson. I assume that means 6 weeks until its shipped, probably add a week or 2 for shipping. Might just be a Christmas present to ourselves!

Haha. I feel it. The hydra yoyos so well that no other kite i have comes anywhere near it. I mean most will do a yoyo at the top of the window but the Hydra is the only kite where I can do just a small flare and give a solid pop and rotate it it one wrap and into the fade down low or anywhere really. I too don't like the deep turtle very much so the deepspace sounded better to me. I'm still working on the jacobs ladder. The turtle is easy, the half lazy to fade is relatively easy in decent conditions, but that freaking fade to turtle transition is definitly my weak point. My fade on the hydra is hands down my worst fade. I dont know why but it just seems so much more difficult to hold than any of my other kites. I hope I get it down solid though, that kite can we a real blast to fly when you clicking with it.

Just ordered a Deepspace Standard today. I really considered the Supernova but briefly talked with Tim Benson and he said that the deepspace is more suited to yoyo and backspin tricks and the Supernova is a bit more precision based with a deeper turtle. He mentioned the deepspace having a noticeably shallower turtle than the Supernova so it can't do cyniques very easy were the Supernova can. But he did make it sound like the Deepspace was a bit better on the tricking side if the shallower turtle wasn't an issue. Personally the super deep turtle some kites have isn't always that enjoyable. I like more of a moderate turtle you can pull out of anytime and am willing to lose the ability to reverse a lazy susan to achieve that. Really looking forward to getting this new kite on the lines. Finally got a few solid yo fades and 540s on the hydra last night. Definitely adding feathers to my hat nearly every time I'm out.

I put a leech line in a Widow. Worked out really great. Only thing I wish I would have done is started loose and then tightened it of needed. Seems mine is a little tight and makes the wings flutter and twitch in moderate winds. Need to add a little chunk of line to my leech to let it relax a little. But it's so much more enjoyable to fly now for me. I fly around alot of people usually and some are reading or having picnics with their family. I hate having a super loud kite in situations like that.

Exactly at the improvement club. I live just outside of the boundary to gain membership there so I use the public parking lot just north east of the boat ramp. I love flying down at that field there. Definitly need some 60' or shorter lines though usually.

I need my pocket book to match my kite bag desires. Haha I'm hoping to buy a Benson in about a month. The Lam kite is really great and someday ill order another probably in Standard. For now though I like to get different tastes of different kite builders products.

They both sound like great kites. I'd like to know by someone who has flown both which one they really think is the better kite in terms of tricks. Yoyos, fades, slot machines, etc. Which kite will make me look better. Haha

Man I wish there was good kite stores near where I'm at. The deepspace sounds great. I was just never really sure if the nova was an improvement above the deepspace or if its better suited toward precision over tricking. Newer model usually sounds better, just not sure if it really means it'll give up tricks easier.

Well atleast you got a refund. What made you decide on the deepspace? My next kite will more than likely be a benson but can't decide deepspace or supernova.