Help choosing a kite

[Michael Waldman]

I am sorry if this is in the wrong place or has been answered already. If it is please direct me to the correct area.

I currently have a Prism Nexus that I have flown for about a year and a half. I feel proficient with my basic control of the kite and can perform snap stalls and a few other very basic tricks and occasionally pull off a sketchy axel. I feel that I will need a different kite to progress to more advanced tricks.

I am looking to get a kite that is advanced enough to do many tricks and that I will not need a new one soon. Price is an enormous factor to me. I want to spend as little as possible. I have considered the Prism Hypnotist, quantum and E3. I would like to know what alternatives there are and what kites you would recommend. My price range if flexible but I would really like to pay around e3 money or less.

-Thank you ,

[Michael Waldman]

I forgot to mention that I usually fly on a beach with varying wind conditions and occasionally in a large open field.

[John Barresi]

Hi Michael, welcome to the forum!

To help folks assist further, I'd like to ask a few questions...

1. What is the budget you're aiming for with your new kite?

2. You mention varying wind conditions, is there an average wind range or do you really get all kinds, all the time?

3. Are you looking for a trick monster, or a well-rounded kite for both tricks and precision?

We've got a lot of knowledgeable folks here, a little more info and I'm sure you'll get some great suggestions.

[Michael Waldman]

1) I would like to keep the price under $200. If there is anything good in the low to mid 100s that would be great.

2) The average winds near me are probably around 10-15 mph steady on a good day but it can go from 15mph to 5 mph in one day. A local airport puts the yearly average at 10 mph almost every year.

3) I am looking for a well rounded kite that can handle tricks but is also precise. Hopefully when I become more skilled with tricks I will seek another kite.

- Thank you Again

[RobB]

If you want to stick with Prism kites, go with the Hypnotist. I'm sure the ITW Kymera would be a better choice than the E3. There's also the Silver Fox and the Widow that would be in your price range.

For around $300, you could get the Widow Maker, which is currently my goto kite. It has a great balance of trickiness and precision, and a wide wind range.

Good luck with your choice...

Rob.

[theflyingmick]

I'm like you Michael, I started on a Nexus than I moved on to a Flying Wing's Silver Fox 2.3. It's a good kite and I'm learning a lot of the freestyle tricks on it. I haven't flown any other trick kites so I can't give any other recommendation.

While I was saving for the new kite I really went to town trying to trick the nexus. Changing the bridle setting, adding weight to the tail/nose and anything else I could think of. Some of the weights I tried were coins, blue tac and even an alan key left in my pocket after work. All though nothing really worked it was good fun trying and I learnt about the blance of the kite.