Getting back into flying

[Alpha Betta]

I am getting back into flying stunt kites after a long hiatus. The first stunt kite I ever flew was some sort of Prism delta dual line from the mid 90's, closest model I can find that is in production today is the Prism Nexus. I was at my parents house cleaning out a closet and I found the kite, it is my mom's kite in truth, but she always let my siblings and I fly it. She told me I would have to get a kite of my own now, so I did!

I decided to get a Prism Quantum, mostly because I really wanted a kite, the local stores had them in stock and it is rated to fly in slightly lower wind conditions then the Nexus. Even though I was able to learn a lot about flying with the first Prism kite, I remember many painful days when the wind was just below 5mph and we couldn't get the kite to fly. One of us would launch the kite in the air while the pilot ran backwards as fast as they could, as long as you ran the kite would fly but as soon as you stopped it would stall. If it weren't for those memories I may have gotten a Nexus

The design of the quantum is not that different from the kite I remember, it is bigger, and also the wrist straps are a little different. The concept of having many lengths of line with wrist straps is not something that I see as practical yet. I learned how to fly with dual flat wrap handles, if the line wasn't long enough you could play out the line in mid flight until it was the right length, or if it was too long you could just wrap up the extra line. There are drawbacks that I see as minor annoyances, some times the lines wouldn't be the same length, and some times the string could fall out of the notch that locked it into a specific length but these things could be fixed without too much trouble.

So with this new kite I am not really sure I want to go with wrist straps and have many different lengths of line or if I will go back to my old ways and find some flat wrap handles.

thanks for reading, looking forward to learning more about kite flying and talking to new people.

[hyzakite]

I don't fly dual line kites any more, but have had several different ones, I would think the quantum would need more wind than a nexus just because of its weight and size. I've flown, actually started with a quantum years back and really can't picture using those plastic winder handles on such a powerful kite, seem to me those plastic handle/winders would either cut into hands, rip out of your hands or maybe even break apart in your hands. I'm sure others may say go for the plastic handle winders, but with 150# line and a strong wind, straps around your wrist seems to be a safer way of hanging on to a kite like the quantum.

[RobB]

Those flat wrap winder handles really aren't that good, as it is critical that your lines be evenly matched. You just get as many wrist straps as you have linesets, the wrist straps are cheap, at least compared to the lines. The lines that come with the Quantum are 85', I believe, and should be fine in most situations for that kite. 50' lines might help you fly it in a lighter wind, but the Quantum isn't really going to fly very well in winds under 5 mph, no matter what you do. Like the Nexus, it's a heavy, durable kite.

[Wayne Dowler]

Yep - fixed line sets are where you're headed with that! Having several lengths of line, you can either get several sets of straps, 1 for each or remove them and switch them line set to line set! Doesn't take a long time to switch, they're larksheaded on and easy to remove! Plus you can get much better lines than those on the plastic handles! Usually those are dacron which stretch badly, making control a big issue! You're looking for more Prism line sets in much better materials, or if you want to make your own, you can buy a bulk roll of LPG (Laser Pro Gold) and some sleeving!! In any case - stay away from those plastic handles!! Take a few moments to even up some good lines and you'll be much happier!!

[makatakam]

The wrist straps also serve a purpose as an additional safety in stronger winds. If you have the strap around your wrist and you lose your grip, the strap is still around your wrist and you won't end up possibly hurting someone or breaking the kite when it goes spinning completely out-of-control. They will also help greatly in easing hand fatigue when you fly for an extended length of time because you can ease up your grip without fear of losing control. If you watch some videos of experienced flyers, you may notice that they hold the straps with a fairly light grip with one finger touching the line to increase the feel (say sensitivity) for the pull on each line.

However, what works well and feels good to you is the "correct" way to do it -- there is nothing written in stone when it comes to kiting, just recommendations from people who have made mistakes and learned what works best most of the time.

P.S. -- Straps are very affordable, compared to everything else.