Reef Runner

I know the feeling, exactly, but as someone famous, once said: "You can fool some of the people, all of the time, And all of the people, some of the time, But, you can't fool all of the people, all of the time !"

Welcome aboard ! This is a great place to hang out...............

I'm in

Very Cool ! How fast was the boat traveling ??

'Learning to Fly' ? Into the distance, a ribbon of black Stretched to the point of no turning back Flight of fancy on a windswept field Standing alone, my senses reel Fatal attraction that's holding me fast Now, can't escape this irresistible grasp Can't keep my eyes from the circling sky There's no sensation to compare with this Suspended animation - a state of bliss

Hmm, and I just discarded a box full of (cassettes ?) tapes last year No, you didn't mean TAPES ?

Heck, get yourself a 5th gen Nano (it's still got the wheel), and you'll have up to 4000 songs to listen to, plus a selective screen, to do your choosing, if necessary. I got two of them, one for flying, and one for the docking station, in my shop (which plays 24/7). That's a lot of tunes to get through, and it takes a bunch of flying to hear them all. None-the-less, with all of those tunes, I still listen to "Pink Floyd", when I'm flying. It just seems to fit. But, as Mystaynedskin said, "Music makes the world go 'round", and round, and round, and round........

I always fly alone, and I always fly, listening to "Pink Floyd". It just seems right..............

Sounds great ! I likewise, self-taught, myself, and (knock on wood) have never broken, or cracked a spar, nor torn a sail. Lucky, I suppose. And for sure, no disagreement from here. If you've got the nerve, and you've got the bucks, nothing wrong with learning on the very best out there, and I don't think it gets any better than a B-Pro. (and yes, that first crash will definitely get your attention - something inside will tell you - don't do that, again)

The SLE is also rip-stop material.......... "rip-stop high-grade nylon", according to Rev. Again, Michael, you probably should just take a look at the "products link", over on the Revolution website http://www.revkites.com/ It shows all the details and specifications, for all of their kites........... Look in particular at the SLE, and then under the Signature Series, take a look at the "B-series". Now the "B-series Pros", are going to be custom kites, and somewhat in another league. Likewise, they will be a bit more pricey, and probably would be better suited for you, once you have mastered the basics, like not crashing. Just kidding, but you probably don't need a Pro, to learn on............

Yes and No ! As for sail material, "Revolution Kites", the company, pretty much determines what material is used, and in what models, so just go with whatever, your choice of kites, happens to be made with. No problems, there......and you shouldn't have to concern yourself with that............. As for rods.......... All Rev I rods, fit all Rev I's All Rev 1.5 rods, fit all of the Rev 1.5's and All Rev II rods, fit all of the Rev II's & B2's That's the three main size Revs, until you get up into the power and speed series............ And yes, you can buy additional frames, most anywhere that sells Revs.........

Hey Tom, I bet we've really got him confused now ! Just kidding Michael.........We are all, simply trying to help, in our on special ways I'm sure you'll hear a lot of other opinions, and they will all be good, but you've surely got a good starting point, already! Oh, and there's little chance, that you won't get hooked ! One day, when you have that perfect wind, and you have learned how to manage your lines, and they unwind for you perfectly, and everything goes great, and finally, you see that Rev in the sky, and you realize, that you've, more or less, got control, you'll be hooked

You are very welcome, and I'm really glad that you & Dust were able to correct the problem. As for lines, it's still the consensus, that Laser Pro Gold is tops. That should definitely be on your "wish-list", somewhere down the road, but at least for now, you can fly your new kite, learn, and enjoy it........... I suppose that when I run into a problem, like you were having, I always look for the most obvious cause, and knowing for sure, that the Revolution kites are tried and true fliers, the logical explanation had to be the lines, and the only thing that is going to cause a set of lines, "not to fly", is because they are not of equal lengths (assuming they aren't broken). The right and left lines, must always be equal, on both the upper (drive) lines, and on the lower (brake) lines. You can get away with a little difference, from upper to lower, as long as both upper, and both lower lines, are equal with each other. As a normal situation, after a bit of flight time, you will begin to notice, that your upper lines, are just a little bit longer than your lower lines. This will first become obvious, as you pair your lines and wind then back onto the winder. You will eventually notice, that the upper lines are sagging, just a bit more than the lower lines, as you finish winding up. This is normal, and simply due to regular flight, where the upper (drive) lines, take a bit more abuse and stress, than the lower (brake) lines, causing them to extend a bit more. To remedy this situation, move your upper lines to the bottom, and your lower lines to the top, and then continue to fly as normal. Over time, the upper and lower lines, will eventually equal back out, and all should be well. It's also good practice, to switch ends on the lines, occasionally. After a while, you will begin to notice, what appears to be a section of your flight lines, that look to be, a little roughed up. This is due to the lines rubbing against each other, where they cross during normal flight. Again, to spread this wear out over the length of the lines, just take the time one day, after you are set up, and disconnect each line, one at a time, and switch ends (kite end to handles, handle end to kite). This will shift the wear area on the lines, and help to extend their life span. You probably won't have to worry about that for a while, though, as your lines are somewhat new.............. Hint: All of this switching lines, from upper to lower, and from one end to the other end, will be much easier to accomplish, if you will proceed to set-up your kite (in the inverted position), just as if you were going to fly, or had landed, and then stake the handles to the ground. This way, you can deal with one line, or one pair of lines, at a time, and it will be much less confusing. Good luck, and remember - "This ain't rocket science"...............just close ! Again, good luck and enjoy your flight

My suggestion, for a first Rev, would be a standard 1.5 SLE, especially if you are looking for something tough, that can take a licking and keep on kicking. Your wind range will be in the 4 - 20 mph range, but being new at this, it will probably take you a little more than 4 mph, to get started (8 is ideal for beginning). I also see (I think) that the new, 1.5 SLE's, now come with two leading edge frames - the old 7/16" SLE (super leading edge), plus a regular sized, 1/4", 3-wrap leading edge. I think that is what it says, but I'm sure someone will correct me, if that is wrong. If not, you would do good to get a regular sized, 1/4" 3-wrap leading edge, to switch to, once you get past the crash and boom period. This will make the kite a lot more versatile, and will then be able to fly is lighter winds. Take a look, over on the Revolution website......... http://www.revkites.com/kite-product/revolution-1-5-sle-standard As for the handle question, I believe that the standard handles are 13", usually related to the 1.5 Revs. Then you will find 11" handles pretty standard on the Rev II's & B2's. There are also 15" handles, and probably even more, but the reason for the different lengths is the input to the kite. Shorter handles yield shorter, or smaller inputs to the kite, while a longer handle will deliver larger inputs. Hope that makes sense...............and good luck......... (sounds like it's time to go shopping)

Great news guys ! As I always tell people - here on Kitelife, "just ask, and ye shall receive !" Glad to hear all is A-OK now ! ps............Oh, and Dust............Good Work ! :rev_clockwork:

I agree 100%, Laser Pro Gold is absolutely the "best" way to go, and I read Kirkey's self-confession, concerning "the inferior lines" that he found on eBay, however, he was also quick to state that, "funds were currently allocated to more important things" (as in, "the Baby needs new shoes") I believe it's obvious to all of us, and now, to Kirkey, that he made a "newbie" mistake on the lines, but I understood that he was asking "us" for help (in the form of suggestions), just to get him by temporarily, with what he had ? I'm sure the he will be getting some better lines at a later date. I was only trying to help get him going (even if not under the best of circumstances). Didn't mean to be giving bad advice Kirkey.

We like to have a lot of brake (bottom lines), but sounds like you may have just a touch too much. First thing I would suggest, is to equalize all four lines, then do your adjusting with the pigtails, on the (hopefully) Revolution handles. Good Luck............ ps....................Oh, and welcome aboard - lots of great info and help here ! Just ask !

Chris, Good pic, and I can see 3M, etc, but can't quite tell the exact name of that stuff. Could you post the "exact" name of this tape..............looks like a good repair item, to have around.............thanks

Gosh, I'm learning something new here. Glad to say, but I haven't had to use either method, but I did just see something over on GWTW, which showed a couple of small repairs, and sure enough, they were both very small circles of tedlar tape (dime/nickel size). Yes, they were visible, but definitely not objectionable.

Yikes is right...............sounds like a rough go there, Wayne. Hope you fared better than your lines

Ditto, ditto, ditto.................I was just getting ready to post that, but Wayne has put it quite clear. And that part about, "until you are sick of it"........take that to the bank..........DO IT ! I would also recommend, in addition to the "Line Management" video, that you also take a few looks at the "Assembly & Disassembly" video, and the "Line Equalization" video. These are three excellent tutorials, made just for people that are new to Revs, but the info is invaluable. I'm sure these all sound elementary, but if they eliminate, just one really bad, frustrating experience for you, every minute you spent was "well worth it".......

10-4.................maybe next time................

I understand...........Wright Kite Festival................I will actually be arriving at the Outer Banks (Jockey's Ridge area) late on the 20th, but will try to attend (Wright Memorial) on the 21st.........., maybe I'll see you there (are you going to be there?) I'll be online, Saturday Nite, give me a shout...............................nick

Yep, I'm familiar with all of those. None are really close by. The closest group, by far, is the Raleigh bunch, however, the traffic situation there and back, make a day trip, just not worth it............. As for the Outer Banks, I do frequent that area during the summer, however. it seems we are always arriving as one event ends, or leaving as another begins. Timing never seems to work out. That is actually, where I do most of my flying............

Well, you see, you learn something new every time you come here. I didn't know that...........but then again, I've never had the opportunity to do any team flying. Thanks for that little tid bit of information John. ps.....just curious, does the Blue Line cut itself, or do the other lines cut it ??