RobB

Hey All... I have a light wind kite that seems to loose its edge in a turn> I don't know how better to describe it, but a pull turn will almost immediately loose the edge, and a push turn holds the turn for about 90 degrees, and then skids out. I've experienced this with two smaller, cheaper light wind kites (HQ Floater, and Rhombus Kamakaze) but the new kite I got is actually used, and it was sold to me as a NikNak or possibly I-Nak. It has no markings on it, and it came in a generic sleeve. It's 6-7 feet across, and has battens at the wing tips. I can't tell how old it is, but it could be ancient. It looked like it would be the answer to my light wind woes, but it just isn't a great turner, and I think that maybe I should give up on it and buy a real kite like the Silver Fox UL. I've seen what people are doing with that kite in videos, and I can barely get this one to do much of anything. I would be interested to know if anyone recognizes this kite, and whether it's worth anymore time to learn it, or if I should just bite the bullet and buy a real kite. And of course, which one ? Thanks... ~Rob.

Hey LongLine... I have both the Quantum and Hypnotist, and I think they're both great. They are both very durable, will definitely stand up to many a crash. Trust me, if I haven't broken either yet, they must be bullet-proof. As far as variable winds and low wind, the Hypno will fly in anything 3mph to 30mph. The Quantum seems to need a little more puff to get off the ground, and I've never flown it in over 15mph, so I don't know it's upper threshold. If your winds are really light and variable, I think the others here are going to recommend a different kite. I don't have a decent light wind kite yet, all of mine are fragile and twitchy so far, so I can't recommend a good alternate. I've read great things about the Silver Fox, and it's right in the price range of the Hypnotist. Anyway, good luck, I hope you find a spot with a good, steady wind. ~Rob.

Hey Dave... I wish I could do half of those tricks... How long have you been flying ? I realize that I'm kite-challenged, better at breaking & fixing kites than flying them. Did you have any in-person instruction, or did you learn from video & print only ? Do you think flying a higher end kite helps to build skills faster ? My best kite is 2 notches lower on the Prism scale than yours. I'm just curious, because I feel like I've been flying for more than long enough to be better than I am, I just don't feel like I've been able to learn anything new in a long time, no matter how many times I watch my Prism or Dodd videos. Nice work with the video. ~Rob.

Being that I all ready have a Spirit (Love it) Can I give my entry to Antman, so he's got twice the chances this time around ? ~Rob.

Hey Ant... I stumbled across these a while ago while doing a google search, and bookmarked them. I figured I would come back to them once I get out of my real estate deals (last 1 1/2 years) and had some spending money once again. Now you've lit the fire and brought them to the front burner. If I forgo the next 2 weeks of Starbucks, I can order one of these... seems like a small price to pay for a quick backyard flying fix. I've been playing around with an air-yo recently, because I haven't had time to get out to the beach. The 333 looks like it will do more to satisfy the flying itch... Thanks for sharing your 333, and if you've come across any videos of someone flying them, or the Decas, could you tell me where to find them ? ~Rob.

Yo Ant... Thanks alot ! Now there's something else I have to have... My wife's gonna kill me when she sees that box at the door! I thought those 333s looked cool when I saw them, and I've always had it in the back of my mind that I'll get one someday... Now I need one sooner ! ~Rob.

Hey Dave, I don't know about the lines, but when the sail gets wet, it makes the kite heavier, and sluggish. I'm sure you can still have fun zipping around, but tricks are very difficult. I dip my kites accidentally once in a while into the water, and once they're wet, they drive like a school bus. I've experienced this with Prism and New Tech kites. I'm sure some of the more exotic sail materials wouldn't absorb water, and would work better for wet flying. ~Rob.

Sorry Rob, We'll switch to PM's Hey guys... I was just bustin' your chops, just kidd'n around. Seriously, this was an excellent topic, and obviously sparked some interest. It's too bad that the brick & mortar kite shops are becoming extinct. We used to have a kite specific store here, but it's long gone. There are 3 stores on Long Island that sell kites, but they carry a limitted selection of Toys 'r' Us style kites (you know what I'm talking about). Maybe some of you are lucky enough to live near a real store that you can actually go into and see what you're buying. It's a difficult thing to do, dropping hard earned cash on something sight unseen. With the good experiences being listed here, it's really going to help people to not get burned going down the road. ~Rob.

Guys.. get a room... you hijacked an interesting topic for a personal chat. I have to do all of my shopping mail order, because the only retail kite store that had anything good has lost her enthusiasm for kites. Because they don't sell as well as webikinz... Sad thing is is that in an area with a HUGE population and HUNDREDS of miles of beaches, there aren't many kite fliers. I'm lucky to have never been burned by mail order retailers. I've bought some stuff recently from MidWest kites, and they have SUPER service, and fast shipping (like 2 days to NY !). I've been a customer of Into the Wind since the late 80's when I walked into their store in Boulder. They've been really good to me as well, have a great catalog, but if you're in a hurry, you need to pay the vig for overnight or second day shipping. Standard shipping from them usually takes 2 weeks to NY. Keep in mind that the whole computer & internet thing is new to alot of people still... Just because someone has a web site doesn't mean that they know how to use it. If you have a problem, the best way to fix it is to call them and work it out. If they don't have an 800 number, I wouldn't place an order in the first place... ~Rob.

Hey p23, I use an big old screwdriver as my ground stake. I find it easy to stab into all kinds of ground surfaces. Hard pack grass and dirt gave my store bought kite ground stakes terrible trouble. Best thing about the big screwdriver... .25 cents at a yard sale ! ~Rob.

Hey All, I know I sounded a little harsh about the people I have to share the beach with. After reading about Antman's recent experience, it might make it easier to see where I was coming from. I also tried something that worked better than expectected... I put up a couple of single line kites on either side of where I was flying, and anchored them down. It seemed to make people more aware and respectful of the area in between. I worked for me, if you have the time to do a little extra set-up. ~Rob.

I find that the quick pumping action makes the kite tend to flip into a backflip position, especially when you have the bridle adjusted for light wind. I'm sure once you become one with the kite, there's a place for quick, jerky tugs on the line, but I try to do everything slow and steady so nothing gets too far out of control. Almost all of my abrubt inputs result in too much response from the kite, requiring compensation in the oposite direction, kind of like driving on ice. I must say that I still don't fly too well in low wind, but I blame my low quality light wind kite for my slow progress. On the other hand, I'm sure the more advanced flyers could make my Floater kite do things I never imagined possible. ~Rob.

Hey there... I can see where John is going with his theory... I have both 50' and 75' 50# lines, and have found the same thing that John was describing, with my 75' lines, I can gain back ground quicker, and have more time to fly inbetween the ground gaining excercise. I thought by going longer, I would tend to drag down the kite more, but I will try using even longer 50# lines as he suggests. I'd bet having a good light wind kite would really help, too, I have an HQ 'Floater' that is kind of cheap and twitchy. I have also found that an oversize kite flies well in very little breeze. With 1-3mph I like to fly my Firestorm (10' wingspan) with 90# lines. It's super slow-mo style flying, but it doesn't require the constant back and fourth ground gaining excercise. ~Rob.

Hey All... I wasn't west coast bashing, more like east coast bashing. I don't think something like this would even happen on the west coast, but if it did, you might be able to solve it with a little mellow diplomacy. I know a few people that have been beaten up just for being mellow hippies. ~Rob.

Hey Ant, My blood boils for you buddy ! You have to live here to understand how big of idiots people can become. Walk & talk with him... maybe that works on the west coast... I feel bad, you say the guy was a tourist, did he have NY plates ? I wouldn't be surprised. We call them F.L.I.Ds around here, I think you may have heard the term before. I admire your restraint, I don't have the kids to set a good example for, I probably would've lost it. It's not about kiting, it's more than that, a jerk like that would've caused trouble if you were playing Frisbee, your radio, or whatever. I guess your revenge is that you can go back to your beach tomorrow, while that jerk is busy getting an ulcer from all of the nasty crap that's inside him back in the miserable place he came from. ~Rob.

Hey Huf... I did most of my early learning on New Tech kites. Myt first stunt kite was a Premier Vision, but I quickly learned I needed more. I bought the New Tech Big Bang about 2 weeks later. I still love to fly that kite. Since then, I accumulated a Pyro XS, a New Jam, a Firestorm, and somewhere in there I got a Cherry Bomb. I keep the Cherry Bomb on hand for a loaner to those that are just beginning. I am on my second stage of learning, after mastering all of the rudiments described in the Dodd video, like the box turns and stalls that you're describing. I have gotten some easy tricks down like Lazy Susans and once in a while I can pull off an Axel. At this point, I'm crashing alot again, but not breaking kites as much as when I first started. One thing that I find is that a larger kite (7-8 ft) flies a little slower and more precise. And in less wind. It might be just me, but bigger is better when you want control, and you can see exactly what's going on at the other end of the lines. I really like my New Tech kites, I even bought the quad line Spirit, but don't fly it much because it take longer to set up. I only get to fly for 1/2-1 hour at a time, and I can set up a 2 line kite in about 3 minutes now. The other kites that I have that improve my skills whenever I fly them are a FW Acrobatx (a prize of the month from Kitelife (thanks, John)) and a Prism Hypnotist (Mirage). It will probably take me years of flying to even come close to the incredible tricks & stunts that you see in the videos, but every little step forward is incredibly rewarding. If you don't have anyone to teach you 1 on 1 in your area, the Dodd video is real good, and the Prism video that comes with the Mirage and the E2 is very helpful, too. Best of luck with your flying... ~Rob.

Hey Huff... I got started with a Premier Vision kite. TOTALLY indestructable, but only good for zipping around with. Skitch was right, though. Once you have one good kite, you'll need a backup for when your primary breaks. Then you need one for gentle wind... then you need one for strong wind... then you need another one because it looks cool... then you need another one because it's the newest latest and greatest... then you need a quad to see what they're all about... then you need another quad because they're a blast... then you need to get a BIG kite, then a super small kite......... Good luck, ~Rob.

That is a really nice looking kite... like Ant said, just a little tape. I would be interested in it, but probably can't afford it right now. There is a 'flight squadron' of 3 Hawaiians for sale on eBay right now, if anyone with deep pockets is interested... ~Rob.

Hey Sean... The line clip is the attachment point for your flying line, One for each side. The light wind setting is closer to the nose, and allows the kite to float on less wind. The high wind setting is back from the nose, allowing the nose to pull back and catch more wind, creating a stronger pull. I usually fly in 5-15 mph wind with the setting close to the middle, a little bit biased towards the nose. I guess it might be worth mentioning that both sides need to be as equal as possible, just like the length of your lines. ~Rob.

Hey There... I would agree with WOC, the Prism Hypnotist (Mirage) is a great kite, flies in a variety of wind conditions, and seems to be very durable. The DVD is also VERY helpful. I've learned alot with mine, and haven't broken it once. I also think the Acrobatx is a great kite, but it needs more wind than the Hypnotist. I've also managed to break it twice, but that's probably my fault. I think they both fly great, and are much more capable than I am. Another worth mentioning is the Big Bang from New Tech. I've seen it for ~$100 and it comes with an instructional DVD as well. Those 3 kites are the ones that come out of my kite bag most frequently. Good Luck... ~Rob.

Hey Sean... Hopefully the picture that I found for you will help... From what I understand the Quantum is a very capable kite. I have a Mirage/Hypnotist and a, still impressed with it after having it for a year. ~Rob.

Hey there... I found the Prism DVD to be very helpful. I got mine with my Mirage kite, what a deal. Don't forget the New Tech Big Bang comes with the Dodd Gross video. The Big Bang is still one of my favorite kites. ~Rob.

Hello All, First, let me say that I never confront them aggrressively. I land on the edge and wait for them to pass. There is plenty of beach where I fly to walk around. It's not like I fly on the public beach where the bathers are. I fly about a mile away from there. Fully out of the way of anything. And I am the first one to offer the handles to an interested passer-by. That being said... You guys don't understand about morons & idiots. I live on an Island that has 3 million people, 3/4 of them are morons/idiots. Ever been to Long Island/ New York city ? Then you know what I mean. If you had to deal with these people every day for the last 30+ years, you might have a different opinion. Kite flying is a way that I get away from the hell that I live in. When the hell comes to mess with this one little thing that I have that keeps me sane, I get a little aggitated. That's all. ~Rob.

Hey SF... I have the same problem no matter where I fly here. I fly mostly at the beach, and since I am there all year round, the space is mine, right ? I actually fly on an out of the way spot at the beach and the IDIOTS still walk out of thier way to get into my flight area. Or parents that let their little monsters chase and play (attempt to catch ?) under my kite. There isnt much space per person here in NY, so I guess we all have to get along. I usually just land and wait for the morons to move along, all the while giving them a harsh stare. If they are the real stupid kind, I'll have to ask them to stand behind me if they want to watch. It is amazing the low levels of common sense and common courtesy that's out there. I guess it's just another TEST of your patience. ~Rob.

Update on the stubborn 1.8 meter foil... Thank you all for your input, I got a chance to fly the foil in 20-25mph wind. It flew pretty well, and had a good amount of tug to it. It's surprising that it just won't fly until the wind gets close to 20mph. After an hour of flying, the wind died down to 10-15mph, so I got out a stunt kite and practiced stalls & slides. Awesome to fly in New York in January with bright sun & 65+ degree weather ! Thanks again... ~Rob.