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Wayne Dowler

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Posts posted by Wayne Dowler

  4. Quadline Beginner Questions

    in Quad Heads

    Posted

    You will feel like the tops are way long and bottoms too short. Short leaders to the bottom and attach your lines out on the ends. Longer to the top and put your lines where ever you are comfortable. If you find that you're mostly in the middle, that's ok. Once you find a knot you are happy with, try going out one more knot and fly a bit. You might find you like it. If not, change it back.

    Be prepared to add a fair size backwards step to your launch. You'll find it a bit more to launch, but appreciate the control you'll gain flying. Also watch your thumbs. It's easy to get "lazy"  and let them fall forward, basically telling the kite to go backwards. Pay attention to them and learn to hold your drive.

    • Like 1

  6. Quadline Beginner Questions

    in Quad Heads

    Posted

    Can't put a specific age on them, the SLE type line has been around a long time and might still be sold.

    Caps - the caps on the kite are all that is needed, no need to buy new for each type. SkyShark and the Rev 1/4" rods will all fit Rev caps. Stay away from that 7/16th" SLE rod set, they don't flex well and hurt control.

    2 lines are popular, both Spectra - LPG (Laser Pro Gold) + SkyBond. SkyBond is distinguished by its yellow color, LPG is white. There is also a line sold thru Ocean Shores Kites. He doesn't have a name on it, The others can be gotten at places like - The Kite Shoppe, Kite Connection, A Wind of Change (AWOC), Into the Wind (ITW), Flying Things, or Ocean Shores Kites. Have done business with  all of them - no issues. Shop for best deals. Will say that Theresa at the Kite Shoppe has some of the most equal line sets I've found, most of the rest have needed some small adjustments.

    Yep, a lot of info can be old, but there are current posts always going on. If a question arises, ask!

     

    • Like 1

  7. New Member. Cocoa Beach, Florida

    in New Member Introductions

    Posted

    One piece of advice - if no matter what and the kite is going to crash - LET IT!! Step forward, take all the power out. The kite crashes with little impact. Pulling does nothing but drive the kite harder into the ground, risking breakage. Better to go set it back up, than go down and find a broken kite! Learn to "Give to the Kite!!"

    • Like 2

  8. Quadline Beginner Questions

    in Quad Heads

    Posted

    OK - lines - 90# x 120'  No major delay, just does take some time to get used to.

    Rods - SkyShark will interchange with each other, but not the Reflex rods. They do sell a cap on some sites that would accept the SS, if you choose to put them in the Reflex. 

    A midvent will handle those 15 - 20 mph better, but that would be the top of that sail's range for sure. A better choice would be a full vent in those winds - IMHO! It really depends on how much pull you can handle. Having had a stroke, I don't need too much pull. So I get something out that has more holes in it!

    Think about those leader settings as a manual transmission in your car. You want to set them at "neutral". Meaning to make it go forward or back, you have to "tell it" or put it in gear! You want to take out that surging feeling, that out of control feeling, and get it back to where you are directing the sail.

    PS: had 2 HA's and both hips replaced!! But still flying!!

    • Like 2

  9. Quadline Beginner Questions

    in Quad Heads

    Posted

    Let me see if I can answer a few:

    Lines - yes, you can use the lines you already have. You can also invest down the line for some longer. 120' lines are the team standard length, if you ever hope to fly with others - get some.

    Is a 1.5 the same size as a Reflex? Depends on the Reflex model you have. The "XX" is just slightly larger, the others are pretty much the same.

    P-90 + P-300 -  rods sold by SkyShark. Slightly different diameter than Rev rods, but an excellent replacement for them. As the numbers get bigger, the spar gets stiffer and heavier. 90's are very light, 400's would be pretty stiff and heavier, 300's are sort of middle ground.

    Modded one to midvent - Yes he cut out a section of sail and replaced  it with mesh Allows the kite to fly in higher winds by letting pressure out of the sail, keeping it manageable in flight. If not exactly the same, should be very similar to the mesh in the LE.

    3-5 mph winds - light? Yes and no. Yes for most beginners. Pretty tough learning how to control the kite when there isn't much wind. Just keeping it up is a chore. Light wind flying is a learned skill. No flying in one spot. You learn to move, how to feel every puff in your sail, how to use those puffs to your advantage, when to glide and when to power up. How to recycle your ground, so you don't just keep going backwards. 5-10 mph is great stuff to learn in. Kite flies, you learn the controls, everyone is happy. 

    A word on those higher winds - do you know how to change your leader''s settings for the wind? Are your leaders adjustable? If so, make the top leader longer in high wind. Changes the kite's angle into the wind and makes it much smoother to fly. 10 mph should not be out of the Reflex's wind range, adjusting should cure that.

    • Like 1

  13. New guy's first kite

    in Kite Making

    Posted

    Sorry, just a little jab, didn't mean anything by it. But you now see how hard it can be. Glad riff is helping. He has built more kites in recent history than anyone I know.

    Do not know of any Zen plan out there. Bazzer made them for Rev. He hasn't built a Phoenix version.

    I did give riff some measurements for one, maybe he can help.

    • Like 1

  15. New guy's first kite

    in Kite Making

    Posted

    While not a builder in any way, my guess is that not all the materials mentioned would hold as sharp a folding mark or crease. Dacron is fairly "stiff" . Sometimes the folding crease is seen on brand new kites, before the kite stretches  out some. 

  17. Out of the blue

    in Quad Heads

    Posted

    The only thing to be careful of if you want to extend its life - watch how high a wind you fly it in. I know you like pull, but in this case, too much and the sail stretches and will never return to how it was.

    On lines - watch JB's tutorial til you are sick of it - then watch some more! Then when YOU have a method down pat - DON'T CHANGE IT! Do it exactly the same and make it a habit!

    • Like 2

  18. Out of the blue

    in Quad Heads

    Posted

    I am pretty happy with the OSK lines for quads. Still not 100% sure if they are the equal of LPG, but the price is reasonable and they seem to last OK. I did just get some new LPG lines for my new Hydra, but they were on sale and I snatched some up. IMO, you can't go wrong with any of those major brands or the OSK lines to start. I'd just look for any deals, to be honest

  19. Favorite SUL?

    in General Sport Kite

    Posted

    JB - What would be the other 2 you would put in "your" top 3 other than the ProDancer? My low wind choice as of now is my old, out of production, Prism Ozone. Don't get me wrong - it flies great in it's range, but can't compete with the PD for pure light wind flying. 

    • Like 2

  20. Alternative kite/gear bag

    in Beginners

    Posted

    My Rev bag outer pocket gave up the ghost, so I ended up getting an ITW dig bag. Easily holds the 5 kites I use, lines, handles, fix-it kit. I carry a bunch of stuff in my hydration pack, it was built to be a small backpack as well. My concession to age was to get a Wheel-Eze beach cart. Went to Costco and got a folding milk crate. Make up the crate, attach to the cart, load my bag, pop up,  hydration pack, ice chest, and any extra clothing - pull it like a golf cart to where we are on the beach. No more "schlepping" my stuff around!!!!

    • Like 2

  21. Votes Please

    in Djinn

    Posted

    YER on YER OWN with this one, fella!!! What ever suits your eye best is what works here! Don't even want to know how many hours I've spent on that colorizer .................................................. ...........................................................!

    • Like 6

  22. Out of the blue

    in Quad Heads

    Posted

    Got a set  of 150# but have yet to use them. LPG comes in 50, 90, 150#. That is mostly used by kiters. I use 50 or 90#, 50# for really light winds and 90# for just about everything else. Skybond comes in 50, 100, and I think 170#, and  I have used the 50 and 100#. Depending on how you fly and where, either will get you up and going. 

    Since you will be getting them separate from the kite, 80-85' is a good learning length. If you ever have aspirations of team, then 120' is standard. As was mentioned as 120's wear out, they can be cut down into shorties, like 30' or 50'. But to learn on - stick to the 80's.

    One piece of advice on learning - if the kite is  going to crash - LET IT! Resist the instinct to pull! Learn to - Give to the Kite! Step forward and don't pull! All that pulling does is drive the kite harder into the ground. Better to walk down and set it back right, than go down and find it broken. This is one time to RESIST!

    • Like 1
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