Starter quad line with room to grow?

[DannyB]

I love messing about with single line kites and zooming a dual line around the wind window. I'm tempted to get into quad lines. What is a decent starter kite that won't leave me bored or severely limited when I get more experience? In the dual line world, the Prism Quantum fits the bill perfectly. Is there an analog in quad line kites nowadays? I appreciate any tips or advice.

[riffclown]

How you start and how you progress both have very big effects on the equipment you choose. You will likely quickly outgrow your first quad. If you are local to a quad flier, suggest trying out their equipment if possible. Shop used.

Don't put all the money into the kite and be lacking on lineset and handles. A good lineset and handles is as important as the sail you choose. Freilein Vertigo is a good starter kite and I still keep a few in my bag. (a stack in fact)

Getting a higher end kite like a Djinn or similar can always be a good long term move. A few extra frames would be a good move there. It has the lowest risk of being something you'd outgrow.

That being said, I have an older (no brand) very entry level quad that I no longer use that's looking for a good home. It doesn't include lines or handles but if you want, I'll ship it to you on condition that when you outgrow it (and you will) just pass it on to someone else that wants to learn.

DM me if interested.

[Cot51stState]

Everybody's quad line journey is different. I'm not suggesting mine is right, it's just the path I took. I had gotten an excellent mid-vent kite with the intention of regularly driving 1.5 hours to the beach to fly with the local kite club. Well, then COVID and the lockdown came. Left to my own devices, I quickly became frustrated by the fickle local winds and endless "walks of shame". Ultimately I decided to go 'Windless'... Ultralight kite and short lines. With an ultralight kite and short lines combined with a 'fly anywhere' attitude you can quickly log hours learning. I feel everything I learned on short lines in low/no wind is directly transferable to flying with the more traditional line lengths and wind speeds. The main downside I've noticed, once hooked up to say 120' line set, is filling such a large wind window. It seems like every maneuver takes forever to complete. 😂

Edited June 22 by Cot51stState
Omitted and duplicated words

[DannyB]

On 6/16/2024 at 9:44 AM, riffclown said:

That being said, I have an older (no brand) very entry level quad that I no longer use that's looking for a good home. It doesn't include lines or handles but if you want, I'll ship it to you on condition that when you outgrow it (and you will) just pass it on to someone else that wants to learn.

DM me if interested.

Riffclown - thanks for the offer! I found someone closeby with a Rev Tarantula for sale, and when I bought it, he threw in an Albatross quad for me to learn on. He didn't want me learning/beating up the Tarantula so he sent me a bit of a beater, I guess.

Kite flyers sure are good people!