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Prism Jazz or Nexus for 8 year olds?


parasko
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Hi Everyone,

My first post in this forum.

I’ve been searching for a kite to buy my two 8 year old nephews for Christmas. 

I have bought them each a Prism Zenith 5 but now that I’m learning more about kites I’ve realised that I should’ve bought a dual line/stunt kite instead, as they will be bored quickly with the single line kite. 

Here in Australia the Prism brand seems to be the most prominent and so I’ve narrowed the choice down to the Jazz or the Nexus. Can anyone advise on which one would be more suitable for an 8 year old boy? 

I have read that the Nexus is larger and so it is easier to control. However I also read that it has more pull. What does that actually mean?

Should I be looking at the Jazz which is lighter and buy a tail for it so it slows it down a little?

As you can read I am a novice in the kite world so any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

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You tube the Rock On by Flying Wings. Cheaper than both  Prisms and one of the few kites that can relaunch without walking to the kite. Constant walking to reset the kite leads to major frustration at times. Even for us so called grownups. Fun With Wind has them pretty cheap. You'll find a video of a woman and her 2 daughters about that age doing some great flying. Daddy is Bell Chu designer, builder and excellent flier. HQ Bebop would probably take them a bit farther in tricking than the Prisms too. I've got grandchildren in that age group and they learn this stuff fast. Pull is in relation to how hard the kite is to hold onto in wind conditions. The hardest pulling kite I have is a 5' speed kite that will drag a 200# person around in 30 mph if you're not careful.

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hi Parasko, welcome to Kitelife

My first kite last summer was a Nexus, my wife's a Jazz. both good kites to learn on. The Jazz would probly be my choice for kids...a little slower with a forgiving fiberglass frame and 85' of (relatively) stretchier polyester line than the Nexus which comes with a carbon fiber frame and 65' of more sensitive dyneema line...the length and type of line has an effect on how fast the kite turns and generally responds: shorter lines will tend to make a kite seem faster, dont know why they send the Nexus out with 65'. anyway, polyester lines (ok) are cheaper and stretchier slowing the signals to and from the kite, Dyneema line (better) and Spectra line (best)  are used by experienced fliers. When my wife tried the Nexus early in her learning curve it was noticeably fast for her and she stuck with the Jazz. Tails would help to make the kite more docile but require a bit more breeze to fly. one thing to be aware of is Prism recommends 13 to 14 as minimum age for their kites so you should plan on starting them out with you backing them up, literally. You said you were a novice...can you fly these kites? Maybe unpack one of them and teach yourself to fly before  Xmas! There are some good videos on Youtube that will get you started, good luck let us know how it goes.

BobL

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4 hours ago, Breezin said:

You tube the Rock On by Flying Wings. Cheaper than both  Prisms and one of the few kites that can relaunch without walking to the kite. Constant walking to reset the kite leads to major frustration at times. Even for us so called grownups. Fun With Wind has them pretty cheap. You'll find a video of a woman and her 2 daughters about that age doing some great flying. Daddy is Bell Chu designer, builder and excellent flier. HQ Bebop would probably take them a bit farther in tricking than the Prisms too. I've got grandchildren in that age group and they learn this stuff fast. Pull is in relation to how hard the kite is to hold onto in wind conditions. The hardest pulling kite I have is a 5' speed kite that will drag a 200# person around in 30 mph if you're not careful.

Thanks for the advice. I do like the idea of relaunching without walking to the kite so I will have a look at the Rock On kite. I can envisage that my nephews would get frustrated by this!!

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4 hours ago, BobL said:

..one thing to be aware of is Prism recommends 13 to 14 as minimum age for their kites so you should plan on starting them out with you backing them up, literally. You said you were a novice...can you fly these kites? Maybe unpack one of them and teach yourself to fly before  Xmas! There are some good videos on Youtube that will get you started, good luck let us know how it goes.

BobL

Thanks BobL.

I'll have another look online in terms of age range. I read some user reviews where pre-teens were able to learn to fly the Jazz, without too much trouble, that's why I was considering it. I was leaning towards the Jazz as it appears to be more beginner level (even for an adult).

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I would go with soft kites for them. My son learned a lot from flying dual line soft kites on his own. There are no parts to break, and boys that age love the satisfying WHUMP that they make when they do a full speed death dive into the ground ! My son quickly learned how to relaunch on his own and was back up in the air, zooming around. He had a small Prism Snapshot... That's him flying it below...

054.jpg

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9 of my grandkids started on a Prism Snapshot 1.4. One boy loves the whump so much it was hard to get him to stop whumping framed kites. Self launching foils for 8 year olds NEED adult supervision. 150# lines in 15 mph winds is dangerous. Out in 20 to 25 mph on the Snapshot I staked the kite. Gust launched it and lucky for me I dodged the lines. Live on a open prairie so kite didn't get caught on anything. 1/2 mile walk I finally caught up with it. Put a old dog toy on top of it now instead of staking. If needing to stake it's with 1 line. When winds go 15+ I angle my kites close to the windows edge so if they launch they'll head away from center. Let go while leaning over a kite in high winds 1 time. ONE TIME!!! Jaw hurt for 3 days. Lessons learned 😡.

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  • 7 months later...
On 12/14/2019 at 10:12 AM, parasko said:

Hi Everyone,

My first post in this forum.

I’ve been searching for a kite to buy my two 8 year old nephews for Christmas. 

I have bought them each a Prism Zenith 5 but now that I’m learning more about kites I’ve realised that I should’ve bought a dual line/stunt kite instead, as they will be bored quickly with the single line kite. 

Here in Australia the Prism brand seems to be the most prominent and so I’ve narrowed the choice down to the Jazz or the Nexus. Can anyone advise on which one would be more suitable for an 8 year old boy? 

I have read that the Nexus is larger and so it is easier to control. However I also read that it has more pull. What does that actually mean?

Should I be looking at the Jazz which is lighter and buy a tail for it so it slows it down a little?

As you can read I am a novice in the kite world so any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

 

Just been doing that... See my thread

 

 

 

I was looking at the  1.2 m Cross Air (Wrist Loops)

The 1.3m BQ Symphony Beach 3 

(Can come with Write loops or a bar (Bar about £17 more)

 

or

 

 

And the 1.3m BQ4 Fluxx

Comes with Bar and can Get a kite killer strap...

 

 

But look at the replies Ive been getting from those who know more than me/.

 

If in the UK

 

These are advice I got from Stores

 

Thnx for your email with questions. 
To put it simple: all the kites you mentioned are OK for an 8 year old kid. 
It is the size of the foil in combination with the wind that gives the kite its power and speed and really all, I repeat all, are very similar in that way. 
Flying with straps gives you the possibility for more precise steering, flying with a bar does not give you the same precise steering options, but it is a bit easier to handle and looks a bit more professional. Neither of these kites will pull the chap away unless he flies during a hurricane, he will need a bit of practicing during low winds for a start and ofcourse a bit of help and support from his uncle... perhaps... 😉
Kites flown with a bar are called Trainer Kites, the word says it all. 
Only with a Trainer Kite a safety leash or kite killer makes any sense, because it is connected with the flying bar and the pilot's wrist, it doesn't work while flying with straps... 
With any kite, considering his age and flying level, he needs to start in low winds and practice with some help, that will make it pure fun for him and when he is a bit handy he will fly the kite all by himself within 15 minutes and ask for a larger and more powerful kite within 7days, you will find out 😊
 
Best regards, 
 
Pierre Paar | Kitesurge
www.kitesurge.com
 
 
Hi
The Fluxx will have a higher pull due to the sail profile and carries a 14 plus rating so I would suggest either the Symphony Beach Sport 1.3(with bar) or the regular Symphony Beach 1.3 both are rated 8+.
In terms of control  i.e bar or straps its down to personal choice but if you want to fit a kite killer it will be easier with the bar
Best Regards
Stephen
Kiteworld
 
Hi
If you look at the Cross Kites Air range, either the 1.2 or 1.5 are aimed at the 8 plus age bracket, obviously as a retailer we cannot suggest you go against a manufacturers age recommendation.
These are well proven kites and perform very well.
We are temporarily out of both sizes but have more on the way and these should be here around the end of this week, I have attached a link to details below
 
Any quad line kite would be too much for an 8 year old to handle both in terms of power and control
 
Best Regards
Stephen
Kiteworld
 
 
Hi Chris,
Yes it is fine for his age to get into kite sports in adult supervision.
Normally I would suggest the kites similar to you selected but also the
symphony beach too as an option. You are right in the size a 1.8m
wingspan is pushing your luck for an initial kite.

The bar version like the flux can be easier to wrap up as the lines wrap
around the bar rather than a smaller line winder.

So in summary, I would suggest the cross kite 1.5m or the symphony beach
1.3m or the hq fluxx 1.3m

https://www.atbshop.co.uk/power-kites/hq-symphony-beach-power-kite
https://www.atbshop.co.uk/power-kites/cross-kites-air-rainbow-power-kite

https://www.atbshop.co.uk/power-kites/hq4-fluxx-trainer-kite

At the moment we are awaiting a restock into europe for the cross kites
range so are out of stock of them for a couple of weeks. We have the
symphony and the fluxx. If you are trying to sell the safety to the mum
then the fluxx with the wrist strap is a better option to be honest. 
The kites with the bars are always a little more expensive due to the
bar cost but are great and very popular.

Hope that helps your selection? Any other questions please get in touch
again.

regards, Stu

 

Hi

We have just received an update from the manufacturer of the Cross Air 1.2 and 1.5 and unfortnately delivery has been delayed and we cannot yet give an eta on these 

A similar kite to consider would be the HQ Symphony Beach 1.3
 
Best Regards
Stephen
Kiteworld
Hi
If you look at the Cross Kites Air range, either the 1.2 or 1.5 are aimed at the 8 plus age bracket, obviously as a retailer we cannot suggest you go against a manufacturers age recommendation.
These are well proven kites and perform very well.
We are temporarily out of both sizes but have more on the way and these should be here around the end of this week, I have attached a link to details below
 
Any quad line kite would be too much for an 8 year old to handle both in terms of power and control
 
Best Regards
Stephen
Kiteworld
 

Hi Chris,

 

Thank you for contacting us.  The Sting 1.2m² is an option for your 8 years old nephew, although it might be limited in use due to the power it generates when the wind would pick up.

The Big Buzz might be a better option with a wider range of use in different types of wind and still give him the trills of feeling the power generated by the kite.

Although the Big Buzz is a 2-line kite it is still great fun and the option for self launch and relaunch with a little bit of training.

 

The Sting 1.2m² won’t come back into our product range, the new Sting that will be available in a few week’s time will be the 2.4m² in size so that would definitely be too powerful.

The Big Buzz is also planned to come back on stock at the same time as the Sting since we sold out our entire stock in the last few weeks.

 

Many thanks,

 

Peter Vanden Bussche

Sales Operator

Flexifoil International ltd

www.flexifoil.com

 

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