RobB

The added benefit to the WindBreaker is that you can hang onto the wooden 'ears' on either side for a strong grip with a hard pulling kite. They really wouldn't be too hard to make with basic tools & some wood. The crank handles might be a little tougher to recreate.

I'm not familiar with the Carey winders. I use wooden bobbin type winders, They're tough, really unbreakable, unlike the plastic yoyo winders. They're easy to hold on to, and easy to tie the line off at any length you choose to fly. I don't use the crank handles to wind the kite down, I walk them down like you.

Sorry to hear of your loss. The loss of Furry family is especially tough, since they are unaware of what's happening to them.

I would like to offer something up that's a little different, something people wouldn't think of buying on their own, but maybe everyone might 'want'... I don't remember where I got the Prism Kite banner, but it's kinda cool to put out on the field to mark your 'spot'. This package is kind of long, so if the winner is outside of the continental 48, we'll have to negotiate shipping. For example, the last time I shipped a 'long' package to AUS, the shipping was $110 ! The banner & pole are folded down to ~5 feet, but might still be an issue outside of the lower 48. Same Kamra rules... *Boilerplate*... Some rules and guidelines: Don’t play unless you’re willing to put up a prize and ship it to whoever wins. Shipping is paid by the original poster, the winner pays nothing. Be prepared to ship your prize anywhere in the lower 48 US States. Sorry, but due to shipping costs, we really have to limit this to the lower 48 US States. RULE CHANGE (7/31/2014): Members from Canada, Alaska, and Hawaii are welcome to enter the Karma drawings provided they are willing to pay half of the Karma prize shipping cost. The method and timing of the payment will be agreed upon between the two parties after the drawing for a particular prize. You can choose the length of the giveaway, but keep it between 1 and 2 weeks. Try to ship the prize promptly. You should be able to ship it within a week, but if you can’t, PM the winner and let them know. Sometimes life gets in the way! This whole thing works on the honor system so if there are any problems shipping or receiving a prize, it needs to be worked out between the two parties. Don’t forget…Karma! This isn’t a competition, but feel free to be generous! If you can only put up a hat, or a tail for a stunt kite, great! If you have something in your kite bag that you never fly and would be willing to ship, that’s great too. Either way, the people that join to win it will appreciate it. When you receive your prize, post a thank you to the thread where you won it. The thread will be locked after that point so the new **KARMA** stays above it. Good luck, and have fun! List of Entrants... #1- @jeepinjeepin #2- Mike Klaiber

I think mine is 259, or something like that.... It used to be in my signature line, but got lost in one of the forum upgrades.

Maybe some of the new tails will be a better match to my Revs...

Wow ! Thanks, Anthony ! I'm down for the tails... I'll get you shipping details in a message, my address hasn't changed. I'll also get down to the kite stash and see what goes up for the next drawing...

From the picture, I would say to put the fitting on the leading edge rod. Feed the line through the loop on the end of the fitting, pull tension on the line until the fabric is tight along the leading edge with no ripples or puckers (?!?) and then tie it off with a series of half-hitches. That will get you flying. Once I find my 4D ( couldn't find it last night, wasn't upstairs, will have to take some time to goto the basement...) I will get you a picture of the way it looks from the factory.

I will have to look at my 4D and see what it looks like. pictures of yours would help. It's been awhile since I've had the 4D out since my son has graduated two full-size kites. Sent from my [device_name] using http://KiteLife mobile app

Ok, the 4d is a versatile LITTLE kite. That's the biggest drawback to it, it's small. But, it is semi-durable, and has a wide wind range. My son learned to fly with mine when he was really little. You might consider the Kaiju from Kite Forge, it is a bit bigger. I got mine, but only got to fly it once so far because of all the stormy weather we've been having. If you can wait until I find you at the beach, you could try either, or at least see them if winds are too high for SUL kites.

You know, if Prism says so, I'm sure it will be OK. I wouldn't worry too much about it, as a popular 'mod' for the Quantum & Hypnotist was to remove the assembly entirely, maybe to save weight. I don't know, the Quantum I have didn't have it (it was heavily modded by the guy I bought it from) and the Mirage (Hypnotist) that I had never showed any signs of wear. I gave my Mirage (Hypnotist) to my nephew many years ago when he showed an interest in kiting. The other suggestions above are probably good ideas, too. I never gave too much thought to attaching tails, I usually figure a way to tie them to the spine and let 'em rip ! Not that I fly duallies with tails very much, I usually save the tails for the SLKs.

The bungee cord is part of what Prism calls the 'crash dissipator'. It absorbs the shock of an unplanned nose landing, and is standard equipment on the Quantum and Hypnotist. One of the reasons the Quantum is a great beginner kite !

Note to self... bring tails. Yes, you will probably look back & laugh over the first few kites in the bag. I lost count of how many I have, and I'm always looking for more. I am supposed to meet a family in Connecticut soon to buy a collection of an old kite flier who has flown off to better places. I saw the first dozen or so kites, and told them that I would be interested in whatever he had.

Someone say Canarsie Pier ? They still fly there, I've taken a break from traffic on the Belt many times to fly with the Islanders and their 'Mad Bull' kites. I agree with what was said above, another Quantum or similar sized kite. Make a list of kites you'd like to fly, I have a few for you guys to try. Once you get a few hours of flying in, I think new kites will be arriving at your door on a weekly basis...

I don't have one, but I would imagine that it's similar to other soft kites. All the bridle legs should come together at one point, that's where you would larks-head your flying line to. Just make sure all the bridle legs are straight and not tangled. That's it... once you've got that, throw it into the wind and watch it fly... As far as line strength, I wouldn't trust the 150# in winds over 10mph. I always fly on line that is heavier than I think I need, maybe I'm over cautious. Like I said, I don't have the kite that you describe, so maybe it's not as big as it sounds and 150# would be fine. You will have to judge when you get it in the air and feel how much it pulls...

Flying in the snow is a special treat ! I think I'll go after work today, it looks nice out. I think you made a great choice for a first kite, that will certainly get you guys going. The next kite will be a light wind kite, I'm sure. There is nothing more frustrating than getting to the beach and not having enough wind to fly. The Quantum needs at least 5mph of wind to get off the ground, and that's not always the case when you get to the beach, especially in the summer.

Tails ? Someone say Tails ? I'm In !

Prism is a good choice, but I would recommend the Quantum or Hypnotist. I haven't heard much good about the Jazz (never flew one) and the Nexus needs a bit of wind to fly. I've flown a Nexus, it wasn't as bad as some people have claimed. You can't go wrong with a Skyburner (Kites & Fun Things) kite, They make great kites. One thing I would shy away from is a smaller kite. You should be looking for something with around a 7 foot wingspan, or bigger. You will also need something to stake the kite lines down, none of the RTF packages come with a stake, and It is a critical piece of equipment when parking the kite on the beach. A large screwdriver works for me, but there are official kite stakes available, just make sure you get a long one, if you're flying on the beach. Shorties pull out of the sand. Hopefully we can meet up and fly, I've got lots of tips & tricks that will save you guys hours of trial and error. The Kitelife family helped me out immensely when I was starting out, but I'll tell you, I spent tons of time learning things the hard way.

Cedar Beach is the best spot I've found on the North Shore. Even though it requires me to drive, that's where I usually fly. West Meadow is pretty good, except when the wind is out of the East. I'll keep an eye out for you guys...

No, not overthinking. Its always right to observe 'best practices'. I would have to see a picture to really make a suggestion, as I use simple winders for my single line kites, I've always looked at those fancy winders, but decided to spend my kite $$$ on a new tail or some other kind of accessory. My best suggestion without seeing it would be to experiment, start with your gut feeling as to what's right. If you're starting from scratch & loading the line on the reel, I would say to tie it off first and then wind it up. That way you don't lose your kite if the reel spools all the way out when you're flying.

Thank you. I borrowed the music, though. I am happy to help out if you guys have any questions or issues with your kites, or if you need a suggestion of where to fly on the island... I've flown in lots of spots, Suffolk , Nassau & the city.

Thanks, Ralph. I fly all kinds of kites, not just duallies. TR didn't say what her preference was, but I've got it covered... except I don't have the 3 line kite anymore.

Glad there's one more out there flying. Let me know if you want to fly sometime !

Welcome to Kitelife, TR. Good to hear from another LI local ! There aren't any festivals in Nassau or Suffolk county anymore, but there is a festival at Coney Island in the Fall. I fly on the North Shore in Suffolk County, mostly, but just flew at Jones Beach last week. There is a group that flies at Jones Beach, field 6 on Sundays when the weather is good, but nothing official, and not anything big like the festivals in New Jersey (Wildwood, LBI) or Newport, RI. There is only a handful of us Kitefliers on Long Island, which is surprising, since we've got great wind, great beaches, and a few million people... You'd think there would be more !