RobB

Thanks, John. Where did I post this ? I thought I did put it in the off-topic...

Did someone say XTra vent ?

The most important thing to notice about Martin's video is that he powers the kite up (pulls back on both lines) as it's heading straight for the ground, and at the last second he slacks off and makes the 1/2 axel move at the same time. The powering-up portion is the key to getting this... Once you get that, it's just about timing. When you practice it, put the ground 3 feet higher in your mind. Instead of a landing, you should end up in a low snap-stall. Once you're confident that you're not going to drill it into the ground, go for the landing, 2 tips or 1, either looks great !

Matt, you're absolutely right... the Kymera would make a great 'desert island' kite. It has an excellent wind range, can do all the tricks, and is pretty tough. It could keep me happy for a long time. If only there was an UL version... (hint...)

An hour is well worth the time in the car. I've been flying alone for years, but the times I remember most about flying involved a long ride to meet up with the closest people to my area. (2+ hours each way...)

That's one Prism kite I don't have, and haven't even flown. I'm in ! I have my Karma prize all picked out all ready... it's in keeping with this Prism theme you guys have going.... (wink!)

I really like most of my kites, I think it would be easier to list the ones that I didn't like ! Anyone who flies dual lines should have a Kymera in the bag. Like you said, it can do anything pretty well. I keep a roll-up bag in my car at all times... the Kymera, a few from SkySport Designs, a couple from SkyBurner, and 3 Revs are inside. There's also a Plutz and a 333 for when I'm feeling silly. The rest of my kites stay home most of the time, and come out maybe once or twice a year.

Prism should be ashamed of themselves. There is no reason to spend half the value of the kite for some repair parts. I'll assume that you didn't call them, though. I found the only way to deal with Prism is over the phone, their support over the internet is terrible. They are really nice to deal with over the phone, though. Another angle is to contact the reseller that you bought the kite from originally. Most kite shops have access to repair parts, and are easier to deal with than having to call Seattle. That is actually the preferred method, providing that you bought from an authorized reseller. I hope you get your kite back in the air soon, but I bet this downtime has you thinking about getting another kite. That's one of the reasons I have more than a few kites, I can't stand not being able to fly because of a broken kite, or the wrong kite for the Wind-du-Jour.

Good for you ex-smokers, like me ! I gave up slowly, started by not smoking in my car, because my last car stunk after 3 years of smoking in it. The stink actually made it worth less at trade-in time. So, I haven't smoked in the car since 2010, and I drive 3-5 hours per day. The strangest thing when I finally did stop smoking was not knowing what to do before I got in the car, and when I got to where I was going (I used to have a butt-break). Vaping allowed me to 'smoke' in the car again, without affecting the resale value. I also used to smoke while winding out/in the lines... while setting up the smoke would give me a good idea of the wind conditions. I was only a pack-a-day smoker, but at $11 a pack, $80 a week, after a month I save enough for another new kite. Not to mention feeling 20 years younger ! My setup is an Apollo E-Go with different clear-o-mizers. Like Pete, I had to get a bigger supply for the long day... Now if I could only get the wife to give up the TAR ! 8)

Just wondered how many of you have given up smoking for the e-cig ? Smoke on the kite field is very helpful in low wind conditions, but after 25 years of smoking, the e-cigs have gotten me off of the bad stuff and I can still tell which way the wind is blowing ! Thoughts ?

To fit the 4D in its case, you have to break down the LE. Same as the Zephyr in the hard case, and the Hypnotist to fit in its case. I keep all of my kites long, except the 4D & Zephyr. You just have to spend extra attention & care when you assemble them, or abandon the factory case and keep 'em long !

As far as Prism kites, the Zephyr and the QPro would be the way to go. The QPro is very durable, but requires a little more wind than the Zephyr. Both kites will stand a good amount of abuse. The E3, on the other hand, is not as well built, and it's flying characteristics are... well let's say a little unique. I have all three, and would say to pass on the E3. I also have a Maestro from HQ, and it sits in the closet next to the E3. I like the way it looks, but could never fly it...

Looks good, but the really amazing thing to me is that those pictures look like they could've been taken at a beach that is only a few miles from me, not on the other side of the world ! I'm sure you'll have a great time with that vent, I know I love mine !

I have a bunch of Prism roll-ups, they are pretty durable and serve the purpose. I have a few of those HQ bags for my SLKs, and also a full length New Tech bag. The HQs are pretty cheap, but as you found out, you get what you pay for. The New Tech bag has proven very durable, and I think it was less than $50. My HQs haven't failed yet, but I don't stuff them full, and they really don't get out of the basement more than 3 or 4 times per year. If you want the best bag out there, Lam Hoac is making half length Rev bags and full length sportkite bags. Quality comes at a price... the full length bags are $225, but I'm sure you would never have a complaint with those...

I chose the 1.5b. I have a set of those, and now I'm considering the Zen as my next Rev. I can fly anything from 3mph to 40mph wind, but anything under 5mph is work, and not good in the summer heat. That's why I think the Zen will be next... The 1.5 pros are made with more care, by hand. I figured I don't need that level of quality while I'm learning. Maybe for my second set.

Clear box packaging tape would peel right off, and leave no residue, I think. As long as you peel it off right away, that is... I just have so little time to fly that I never tried it. For me, I found a full sail that I just couldn't say no to. Bought it because I loved the design. Because that kite was so twitchy when I first started flying it, I bought the mid-vent because it was such a good deal I couldn't refuse. If I hadn't found the mid-vent B-series for less than $200, I probably would've tried the tape trick eventually. All things being equal, I prefer to fly the full vent when the wind will support it. Like today, the wind was a solid 15-20mph. Flew it for 1/2 hour after work... I would've flown longer, but even in all that wind it was too hot to stand out in the sun. Damn triple digit heat ! BTW, the dew point here is 77 degrees ! I hate the summer !

My first kite was the Gayla Bat Kite, bloodshot eyes & all.

Yes, it's the Barbara Meyers design. And yes, you can get them from ITW. They have a number of DCs to choose from. I bought my first on there when I randomly wandered into their store on Pearl street in the 80s. So, it's all their fault, my kite craziness !

The wind was probably pushing 20mph this day. The kite is a Speedfoil RM10, similar to a Flexifoil Stacker 10. I used to snap 300# lines with it... I had more energy then.

The double DC is around 12 foot. I have a 10' double DC (my original 'real' kite) that has wooden spars ! Still flies great after almost 30 years... Here's the 12' and a 7' DC. The 7' DC has 25' tails on it, just to give the OP an idea of what the tails would look like on his Delta !

I have a few big pulling kites, and I don't really fly them anymore because of an incident with this kite... The pull of this kite is tremendous, it can drag me 50 feet or more in the sand, and I've also been lifted up in the air by it 5+ feet. It is possible to do an axel with it on the edge of the window, and I was doing that one day. The move requires a lot of slack on one hand, and somehow the line wrapped around my wrist while it was slack. Once the kite exits the trick, it powers up and takes off like a rocket, so I had to move REALLY fast to get my hand out of the loop before the line cut my hand OFF ! It was a pretty scary experience, and I really haven't flown the kite since. Respect the power of the wind, there's no way you can control it, it will hurt you if you're not careful.

I'll try lucky #7 for this one... I'm not sure what I need from a kite store... But I hope they sell 'pro' handles for my four liners !

What did you find ? I thought of doing this, but it's too late. I all ready bought a mid-vent and full sail. I was going to try putting some packing tape over the vents on my full vent, but never got around to it... I would be interested to hear if any one has done this, and what the results were...

No, that is just a DC that I searched up on Google... This is my Double DC, though...

That's a big tail... you might soon be in the market for an 11' Delta ! Or, consider a DC, they're more stable...