RobB

I like the Laser Pro for dual line flying, it is less stretchy than the Skybond. I fly Revs on Skybond because the stretch doesn't matter as much. I do have Skybond sets for dual lines, but don't use them as much as my LPG sets. I've never flown on Shanti Speed line, so can't comment on those.

I would suggest to use 'Jaco' connectors. Whenever I have to replace sail fittings, I use Jacos. They pop into the hole in the sail, and are retained from the other side by a small O ring. These are so much better than the clip type, and the screw type is nice, but in my salt water environment, the screws tend to rust. http://www.thekiteshoppe.com/products/JACO-Standoff-to-Sail-Connector-3mm.html Nice Prism collection, by the way, I flew the same combination of Prisms, except I had the 3d, the 4d wasn't released at the time. You have all flyable wind conditions covered with that group.

Both the Quantum and Kymera are of high quality, and both very capable of tricks. The Kymera is going to trick better, or easier. Very subtle differences between the kite dictate that, a little wider, a little shorter, the sail might be a little deeper. But why are these kites better than a low-end kite ? Low end kites (not either of yours) suffer from lower quality materials and inconsistent builds. If you're comparing the Quantum to the Kymera, you'll find that the Q does some things better than the K-kite. The Q will bounce off the ground better when you crash, for example. A crash that might kill the Kymera will make the Quantum pop up and ask for more. The Quantum will pull you around better in a high wind... But, the Kymera is more refined and will more perform the subtleties of trick flying better. Not that the Quantum can't trick, the Kymera is more forgiving and will more easily fly tricks. Fly them both. When you feel like beating on something, or the wind is a little high, fly the Quantum. If the wind is lower, or you want to learn some tricks, the K-kite is the better tool. I have both kites, too. I fly the Kymera, and offer the Quantum to interest bystanders. The Quantum is tough to break, so I don't worry if a new flyer nose-plants it a few times.

I would stick with the same line strength. You will need more wind to lift longer lines. I think the 65' lines should be perfectly suited to your kite, if you get too far away from the kite, it becomes more difficult to see what it's doing. That's really only a concern if you're going to fly tricks. I fly on 50' (light wind) to 85' lines with my kites. I have longer lines, but never use them. With a full sized kite, I fly 90# in all but heavy winds, and 150# in heavy winds. Your kite is a little smaller than full-sized, I wouldn't think it would need more than 90# (or 100# (pretty much the same thing)). Anything lighter than 90# is likely to break, I swore off 50# lines for all flying except for a true zero wind day.

Great point... I have worn out a few bridles, probably due to sand. Another booger about sand is when you get sand in the endcaps, they are super difficult to remove from the spar when it's time to pack up.

I think you'll be very happy with the K-kite. It can fly in a pretty low breeze on short lines & a little footwork, better than most standard kites. I never flew mine in winds over 10mph, so I can't comment on that. Probably winds better suited for your BackTracker or even Quantum. I just got my Kymera back in my bag, and am so looking forward to flying it again. Welcome to KL !

yes, pictures... videos... there's got to be someone with a camera there that can help us East Coasters fly vicariously through your eyes...

I didn't really like the Widow Maker for quite a while, but recently had a chance to throw the nose further back than usual (lowered bridle point) and had a really good time with it. Good to hear that... glad I'm not crazy, I think the WM is a great kite, one of the best I've flown. Good news... I got the Kymera back in my bag, I think the next video will be K-kite all the way !

Andi, thanks for that... I love your designs & strive to fly like that ! The only thing that would've been better would have been to have seen that with my own eyes !

The NikNak was my first real SUL. What a difference it made in my flying ! If you're considering a Prism 4d, you should really look at this kite twice !

I had the offer out there to trade my Zen for a vent for about a year... no one bit. Well, someone talked me into selling the Zen for cash, and that's how I'll fund the vent, at least partially. I am certainly open to buying a lightly used vent, but I haven't seen many out there... Does this mean you have sold your Zen? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Yes, I sold the Zen, I haven't flown it more than twice since I offered it up for trade. Since it didn't fly in winds lower than my 1.5 with black race rods, I really had no use for it. The one thing the Zen did for me was make me appreciate the 1.5 std. more. I was really hoping that the Zen would be something that I could fly in the same winds as my SUL dual line kites. SUL winds are more rare than 20+mph winds here, so a good solid vent is so much more valuable in my bag. I've got a line on some nice looking used vented kites, but if I end up buying new... I am still tossed between the NYM triple & the Extra vent... 3 weeks until the kickoff of kite season, I better make up my mind soon !

I had the offer out there to trade my Zen for a vent for about a year... no one bit. Well, someone talked me into selling the Zen for cash, and that's how I'll fund the vent, at least partially. I am certainly open to buying a lightly used vent, but I haven't seen many out there...

Unfortunately, the Shook is just not in my budget this year. I've had a bunch of unexpected expenses this summer, and I would find it difficult to justify the cost of a Shook, especially since I've never flown one. Considering the Polo would require considering Lam's ABS as well... ugghhh... decisions.... I just want to have something to fly when kite season starts here in a few weeks (YAY !).

So, I finally trashed my first Rev, the Full Vent. I've been really missing something, like there's a hole in my bag. The FV was my most flown Rev, partly because I've had it the longest, and also because we frequently get winds ~20mph +/-. I've flown the FV in winds up to 40mph (I wonder how it got trashed ?) I don't really fly Revs until the wind is over 10mph, and I have a mid-vent that comfortably takes me to 15mph. So, I'm at the point of looking for the replacement, and just noticed that the NYM triple vent is rated in between the FV and the Extra Vent. Up until now, the choice was between the two, but now, it looks like the NYM might be perfect because I can't buy both a FV and EV at the same time. Would the NYM triple be the perfect compromise ? Any thoughts ? Anyone flown all 3 ? Am I giving anything up by choosing one over the other ? Thanks for any input, I'm ready to call up my kite dealer, just want to make sure I ask him for the right one. ~Rob.

Hey Rob, easy on us old guys. Your day will come............ Oh, I think I'm in the 'Old Guys' category... past middle age at least. I'm enjoying the downhill slide, though !

Dodd could probably get up on stage and drum right along side of Mickey Hart, too !

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Dodd and his designs. I actually have a bagful of his kites & have flown with him. I'm not sure which videos you've seen of the kite, but if he was the person flying it, I will say this... He could fly a garbage can lid & make it look capable. That's the trouble with a number of the promo videos out there, the manufacturer gets a world-class pilot to fly in the video, leading consumers to believe that it will fly like that for them, too. Outgrowing a kite... becoming disenchanted, bored, frustrated... whatever the reason, the kite ends up not being flown. You point out that you have a foil, so you're really buying your second dual line kite all ready. I bought an entry level kite as my first dual line. It wasn't even as good or expensive as the Freebird. I think it was about $40 at the time. Within two weeks of buying that first dually, I was back in the kite store, buying something bigger & better. Here's one thing that you made mention of... you would rather crash an inexpensive kite than a $150 kite... the truth is that the $150 kite has a much better chance of sustaining no damage, while the inexpensive kite is more likely to be damaged & unflyable after a crash. It is rare that a crash would 'total' a kite, most damage is easily repaired. So, have fun with the Freebird. See where it takes you. It doesn't matter what you fly to us. The thing is that you fly. All the replies were meant to be helpful, we just wanted to help you skip ahead a few steps in your journey.

Sorry to have offended you in some way... the title of your post is Skydog Freebird... Thoughts? I answered with my thoughts. Just trying to save you from buying a kite that you'll quickly outgrow. Good luck with your new kite.

I would recommend getting a full-sized kite. If you like the Skydogs, something like the DreamOn or Jammin'. A full-sized kite should have a wingspan close to 8'. As long as it's over 7'... The kite will move a little slower and feel more controllable & predictable. Anything that I've flown that's under 7' seems fast & twitchy. As far as budget, you'll be happier in the long run if you save for a little longer, keep flying the foil & then buy something that you won't outgrow quickly.

You can't drive on the beach at WSIKF ? I thought that was the great part about those West Coast beaches, I've seen pictures of people with regular cars, not even 4WD on the beach out there. It looked like I could just fly in, rent a car, and park it on the beach & fly... You can drive on the beaches here in some places, but you need a capable 4WD to get on the beaches here, have to pay for expensive permit, and undergo an extensive inspection.

I don't think this fancy plug-in will work with my AARP flip-phone. Yeah, I know, a tech guy that still uses a 'flip-phone'?

Wow, that dogstake flying just warps my mind ! I have enough trouble keeping track of right and left... Do you put the right handle in the left hand, left handle in right hand ? Would that make it worse ?

Thanks for that, Dave. Light wind dual line flying is my favorite kind of flying. For some reason, I got out a standard that day, even though I should've gotten out a lighter kite. But it turned into a really nice low wind flying session. It's funny, I watch it and see lots of stuff that the timing is off, but covered by transitioning into another trick. It's like a happy accident sometimes... I will be getting out a trickier kite the next time I'm out in good wind and working on some variety !

Thank you, John. That's what the Widow Maker is all about... a smooth, forgiving kite. It might not trick as fast as a more radical kite, but it has a way to make tricks look good...

It was my understanding that when the Tensor is flown from the bar, the brake lines are tied together and still used for de-powering. I may be wrong, I only know what I've read. But a 3 meter kite flown on 4 lines is pretty easy to control in winds up through the teens.