RobB

It took me 6 hours of driving last summer to go hang out with the Jersey crew. It's not distance, it's just traffic. Plus $20 in tolls & gas... I never really get more than 2 or 3 hours of fly time per week, so something like that is like a months worth of flying time. When I did go to meet up with them, it was SUL wind, so I had to fly dual line. (the Zen would be my next choice of Rev) I did have to show them that I had a Rev in my bag so they would let me hang out with them. 8) A great bunch of people, and Ben D. happened to be there that day, too.

That's part of it. All I know how to do with a Rev is flying patterns and holding hovers in different positions. Fly real fast and stop inches before hitting the ground. That kind of thing. I know there's a way to do an axel, or a flic-flac... but is there anything else ? It's all in the precision of the hovers, right ? If it's all about the social aspect of it, that's where I get lost. No idea why no one else flies where I live, but they just don't. It's a sad waste of lab-grade perfect wind.

Interesting... I only fly a full vent Rev. Is that somehow limiting my experience ? I have other kites with 4 lines, but that's the only Rev. I wanted to learn how to fly & control it good enough that if I ever did get a chance to fly with others that I wouldn't embarrass myself. (And because John B. makes it look so cool.) Unfortunately, the closest fliers are 1/2 day's drive from me, so I'm lucky to see them once a year. I never got to listen to music while flying, maybe I should give that a try. I've been happy just listening to the waves, the wind & the birds... I enjoy all kites, single, dual, triple and quad. It's just that duals give me the most challenge because of the endless combination of tricks that they can do. I know there's more to the whole quad thing, just pokin' around trying to figure out what that is...

How does one get counted for coming over to the dark side ? Do you guys count me because I have a Rev in my bag ? It serves it's purpose, gives me something to fly when the wind is too high for other kites, but I just don't get the whole thing. Maybe it's because I fly alone ? I've heard that Rev flying is a social thing and you need people to fly with. Is that the case ? As it is, I just can't fly it for much more than a half hour... hardly long enough to justify the extra effort of setup/breakdown. -Puzzled about the whole 'Dark Side' thing.

You made a good choice. The Hypnotist was called the Mirage when I got mine, and it put up with endless abuse... even being flown & crashed in a parking lot ! The whole time I had it, it only broke once when it got rolled in an angry wave. Water landings aren't always soft...

Pictures would help out... I've never seen this kite, but pictures might get you some good suggestions. Found the one on eBay, is that it ? Try contacting the guy selling them on eBay, maybe he could measure the different spars. Or just buy another so you both have something to fly...

I know who you guys are... I've seen your videos. Some of the best video arguements to risk your neck & get into power kiting ! I have most of the stuff to go out there and get hurt... wish you guys were closer by so I could pick up some pointers from you. Keep it up, it looks like you guys have a blast !

Hey Dave, That is some great stuff, I especially like the jump OVER the chase boat. You guys are nuts ! I mean that in a good way... ~Rob.

Of course there will be pictures/video. I'll either have to get to the beach real early of fly them at my inland spot if I'm to get shots of them flying in the next 58 days. Yes, there's only 58 days of the summer season left, then the beaches will return to normal & we can get some good flying in !

Wow, I am stunned ! The kids will love these... that's me included ! A single line kite always looks better with a tail, I think these look awesome. You guys probably think of me a dual line flier, but I started out with single lines and still fly them frequently. I have just enough sand anchors to fly these all at once, I can't wait to see these flying in formation ! Thank You !!! ~Rob.

That is some REALLY nice flying ! The total control over the kite is inspirational...

Yeah... wind makes a huge difference in how good the flying is going to be on any particular day. Sometimes there isn't enough, sometimes there's too much. Either way, the tricks you can do are a lot less. My favorite wind speed is barely enough to get the kite in the air. This varies from kite to kite, but I like the wind speed to be in the bottom of a kite's stated range. As far as Hypnotist vs. Kymera... tough question because they're very different kites. The Hypnotist is built like a tank and meant to be punished. The Kymera is more refined and capable of more tricks. I fly my Kymera, and save the Hypnotist to hand off to interested people that want to try to fly. So, the Hypno is a kite you'll out grow, and the Kymera will challenge you & still be fun after you've been flying for years. ~Rob.

I think the Zen's mission should be to convert some hopeless dual line flier...

OK, if the RNG chooses my number this time, I'm keeping it ! The Widow Maker is one of the best kites out there, and I will wear out the one I have sooner or later. I am actually thinking of trading my new Solus for a Widow Maker UL. That's how good the Widow Maker is, whoever wins this won't believe how nice it flies, even if dual line isn't your thing... ~Rob. 8)

Definitely the Hypno over the Quantum... you get a better kite, plus the Prism video with the Hypno. Some people have even upgraded the spars and installed yoyo stoppers in the Hypno to make it perform close to a high-end kite. You will fly the Hypno for longer without getting bored by it. I have both, but if I had to choose one, it would be a simple choice...

Welcome, Joel. Don't waste your money on a whole bunch of cheap kites. You won't find one better than the Quantum. Learn to fly on the Quantum and save you $$$ for a nice kite. Cheap kites will end up un-flown as your skills improve, and they don't hold much re-sale value. ~Rob.

Another great prize ! I never did get the lines away from Dodd when I was flying with him a few years ago. He could certainly fly the wings off of the SE, looked like a real blast.

All right ! That's a kite that I've been itchin' to try... and ALL white, no less ? Sounds perfect... now I just need the RNG to forget the recent #s it's chosen ! 8)

The E3 is a huge disappointment to me. So much so that it has been in the basement for the last 2 years. Mine was poorly assembled and exploded in mid-air the second time out of the bag. In a 15mph wind... I know the rating is 25mph for the high end, but don't believe it. Prism fixed the huge gashes in the sail with teldar tape and returned it to me in less than 3 months. I could've done that in less than 15 minutes. I've heard that this has happened to others with the E3, but these were all from the early batches in 2009. The E3 can be tuned to fly acceptably, but not impressively like other kites in the same range. You would be a lot better off going for a Zephyr if you're stuck on the Prism line. ~Rob. BTW... I haven't updated my slideshow in a while, there are a few more to add... 8)

The wind was all over the place, in the process of swinging around, NE to W. Where you see the kite almost falling out of the air, 3 mph. When you can hear the sail, 10-15mph. Hopefully the video shows the versatility of the Kymera. ~Rob.

Another quick plug for the Kymera. in the ~$200 range, it's good bang for the buck. It can fly square corners, and is crazy tricky if that's how you like to fly. I would recommend against the E3, it's the boat anchor of the Prism line-up. I love the way mine looks, but hate the way it flies. Another option is to buy second hand, I got a number of $300-$400 kites for around ~$200 that way. My Kymera video...

What's going on with the Airbow ? Did it sell ?

Thanks, guys. I do need to mix the tricks up more, but am having trouble learning any new ones at the moment. Of course, it's the off-season for kiting around here, so I won't be getting out too much with the dual lines. It's so nasty hot & sticky here all ready, I think I'll be flying a lot more Single lines and maybe even pick up a 4 line kite that can fly in less than 10mph of wind... ~Rob.

A fun flying session with a good, smooth sea breeze. Winds were ~5mph. Kite is a SportKiteDesign 'Seven' std. It is a very tricky full sized kite, flies similar to the modern Gemini. This has been my goto kite for smooth 5-10mph wind for a year now. Totally worth the $$$ !

Yeah, watching the video at home, and trying it out in the field.... yeah, something gets lost on the way. My mind just blanks out most of the time when I'm trying to learn something new. But learning a new trick is rewarding because it takes so long to get to that point of claiming another trick in the bag. At least that's my experience. My first real trick other than stalling & figures was a Lazy Susan, too. ~Rob.