jimmcp

Mario, Please, please, please understand that the following is not an attack. You said: I added the bolding to make my point. No, not all people do research. Many people see kites on the beach and rush to the local shop to buy one. It happens every day and those merchants count on that business. This applies to, in my opinion, everything. People will buy cars, houses, boats, and other big ticket items based solely on looks and/or that first test drive. Is it wise? Probably not, but it DOES happen. Next, I don't believe that ALL information helps when doing research. A lot of information is irrelevant or without credibility (more on this in a moment). Finally, you need to be VERY careful when stating "everyone knows". Simply put, there is nothing out there that everyone knows. So let's shift back to the topic at hand: kite reviews and information. It all comes down to credibility. When I go to a kite maker's web site I expect to find some pretty solid facts such as wing span, weight, wind rating etc. If they review their own products head-to-head with another maker's that impeaches the credibility of their review, not necessarily their product. When I fly with other people and they endorse or pan a particular kite I ask them why. The most credible thing they can tell me is how well the kite fit their expectations. If they bought a kite and it does everything they thought it could do and more there's a lot of credibility there because they underrated the kite to start. If they tell me they were disappointed because of quality or durability, I can relate to that. If they tell me the kite sucks because it's brand X that has no credibility with me at all. Information on kites, to me, is valuable when the reviewer can objectively tell me what they did and did not like about the kite. And I don't care what they pack in their bag, even if it's full of Brand Y kites. If the information can be related well and objectively then it's a "good" review regardless of the stance. Any review (or reviewer, or reviewer of reviews) who flames a kite or review due to subjective reasons has zero credibility with me. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. For instance, if Joe Someone tells me that so-and-so reviewer of Brand Q kite can't be unbiased because their bag is full of Brand Z then the discredit goes to Joe Someone, not the reviewer. If Joe Someone shows me in that same review that there is a bias due to objective reasons I'll give the credit to Joe Someone. So in closing, I respectfully ask that when you have a strong opinion about something, kites or otherwise, if you choose to relate your experiences distill it down to objective, credible observations. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the results. Thanks Mario! Jim Camas WA http://www.tksmidair.com

Mario, Can you help me out here? First you say: And then you say: Is test flying an option or not? Between those you have: I don't mind saying that everyone is biased, one way or another. Kites are very subjective things. Features that someone loves are bugs that someone else loathes. I don't have time to read "everything" out there. There's way too much for me to spend a lot of time sifting through it all. For me it's all about how the kite flys in my hands, not what anyone else says. Through involvement with my local kite shop I can fly just about any kite out there before I buy it. Some I connect with (or they connect with me depending on your perspective) and some I don't. Frankly, nothing anyone writes or says about that particular kite will change the (dis)connection. I have to realize that includes me as well. If someone asks my opinion (and I stress that word) I'm more than happy to give them my impressions. But I also make sure that they understand that my opinions are based on my experiences and their experiences will be different than mine. Not better, not worse, just different. The contents of my bag are just that: the contents of MY bag. If you think that makes me unreal I take exception to that. If you think it makes me biased you are absolutely correct. One final thing I have to ask. You state: If it's not needed, why have it? Regards, Jim Camas WA http://www.tksmidair.com

Coming from a different point of view, my first quad was a Rev Blast. And that it was! Lots of pull but there's still nothing like having the control of four lines. That being said I wish I had gotten a 1.5 FIRST and then transitioned to a Blast, SS, or SW. I think my learning process would have been more refined. Jim Camas, WA http://www.tksmidair.com

John, Hey, it's only been 12 days. It just FEELS like 3-4 weeks! I work in IT, I feel your pain! Best of luck getting this worked out. Jim