Cheap beginners kites ?

[povlhp]

Hi all,

I got a Rev style quad kite, and a 1.4 m2 no-name chinese flame parafoil. It is not that good, looks like it is almost collapsing the side where I pull the line to turn it. It helped a lot that I replaced the nylon lines with Dynema fishing line. At least it was only $12 all inclusive. And my 7 y.o. son also likes it.

Going cheap, what is recommended ? Is there any of the very cheap (< $50) from china that are worth getting ? I want a fun kite, some pulling power, not yet any jumping and other dangerous stuff. Possible some 4-liner for more control. I have seen "original" Peter Lynn Pepper 2.5m2 from China for everywhere from $17 (probably without lines/handles) to $170 for a complete package.

There are Albatross kites on eBay in various sizes from 2 -> 5 m2, all for < $50 kite only. Both 2 and 4-line variants. Anything larger, and the price jumps to $200+.

I am 200 pounds, and I think in good wind, even the 1.4 m2 shows some power when I fly aggressively. Not enough to make me move, but enough that I can feel the force of the wind, and the forces that are applied when I turn it.

What size should I get ? Seems 3-4 m2 is recommended for beginners, and the Peter Lynn Pepper 2.5m2 at $17 is almost too good a deal to pass on. If it is bad quality clone, I can just dispute that it is original, and get a refund. A friend who used to import leather products from China told me, it is likely original, as most companies producing in China must sell like 5% to the Chinese market.

Should I just start out with some cheap chinese and see where it takes me ? And then later switch over to brand names when I want to do air-time ? As a skydiver, I know the importance of safety in equipment. Peter Lynn, Wolkensturmer, and HQ are all available mail order from Germany.

[povlhp]

The chinese too good to be true deals were such. Got a refund from AliExpress.

Bought a used Peter Lynn Hornet III 3.0m2 for 110 euros. My flying with the Revolution quad easily transferred to the power kite.

It will generate some pull, and can make me sweat, but I am already planning for a larger and faster (HQ Toxic II).

[RobB]

This is what I found out the hard way, too. I ordered a few of those too-good-to-be-true deals, and they never flew very well (anything will fly when the wind is high enough) and are currently gathering dust in my basement. The used market of quality kites is a much better way to spend your $$$.

[Craig Best]

Sadly, I have quite a bit of experience trying to get by cheap and I still haven't learned. The end result for me is typically the cheap one (whatever it is) sits and gathers dust while I go out and spend the money on the more expensive one I should have purchased in the first place.

I'm a big fan of HQ Symphony kites and have a Pro 1.8 and Pro 2.2. The 2.2 is probably right at the edge of dragging me across the field......I think the 2.5 would! In addition to the hard pulling action, the kites really pick up speed in the strong wind too. You can get the HQ Symphony Beach which is the lower price point version on Amazon.com for around $50 US. Mine shipped from a store in England.

You can check my previous posts at the link below that shows me flying the HQ Symphony Pro 2.2 in some strong winds. You can see a video link in my post just under the pictures. FYI, I run around 235lbs.

http://kitelife.com/forum/topic/6147-san-francisco-kiting/

My dad purchased one of those cheap Chinese kites. He's new to flying dual line kites so I had to help him. I struggled to keep the kite in the air and turning as one side of it would collapse during the turn. My Symphonies don't do that.

Cheers!

[povlhp]

Did not get anything from the now closed cheap seller. My $12.50 2m China flame foil needs 10 kts to fly ok, and with Dynema it actually flies fine. Also had issues with side collapsing. But that is because it needs more wind.

Bought a symphony beach III 1.3 for my son, and a slightly used Pro 2.2 for me for $50.

60 lbs Son can fly the 2m China kite up to 20 mph without getting pulled. So it does not have much pull power.

[Hasek]

I correlate cheap kites to work boots. You can go to the discount department stores and buy a $35 pair of work boots or you can get a $125+ pair of work boots. The $35 pair won't be nearly as comfortable, their construction is very sub-par, and how long they last will be far less. For daily use of work boots, you can go spend $35 every 2-3 months when they fall apart, or you can just spend the $125 for a good pair, they'll be comfortable, and they'll last you a year or two until you need to spend $60 to have them re-soled, and then another year or two, rinse and repeat.

As far as low cost but quality quad foils go, Peter Lynn designed the Cross Quattro. No frills, but flies well. I have the 1.5 and it'll pull a bit bit in 16kph/10mph. The Cross Quattro 1.5 is $140usd/$933Krone here in the U.S. for a ready to fly kit. Add about $25usd/$166Krone for each size up from the 1.5.

http://www.crosskites.com/cross-quattro

[Tmadz]

I concur on research and quality over cheap and easy. I am vary particular on what tools I buy. I research and want to get the best one for my money long term. I've learned the hard way and apply the same reasoning to all of my purchases from clothes to cars.

[flexikite]

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Edited March 28, 2017 by flexikite
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