Handle sizes

[rfcaddell]

What advantage does the 15 inch handles have over the 13 inch handles

[Wayne Dowler]

Some use them for lighter winds, I know that I do. Use 13", 14", and 15" handles. 13" in high winds, 14" are my regular handles, 15" light winds. The "advantage" is more leverage on the sail. Some like it - Paul L. uses even 17" handles, some don't feel the need - JB uses his 13" exclusively. It really is a feel thing! Get a chance - try them in lighter winds for yourself and see.

[SparkieRob]

15's will make your inputs more pronounced. They're a bit longer so the tips will move a bit more (on an arc) for any given rotation.

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[Paul LaMasters]

smooth & graceful or flailing jerks, high wind or low, all day session or a quick fix after work, ... each session has it's own needs for line lengths as well as handle choice. The size of the kite matters too! Small kite or very light weight float indoors you can get away with shorties, high wind means you want less wear and tear on your grips and forearms unless it's just a demo and your back sitting again watching others in a couple of minutes

I carry custom indoor mini-shorties 8" 1/4 inch diameter (1)

and Rev's stock indoor 14" handles (1)

13" no snags (1)

15s no snags (4 sets)

and a set of 19 inch titanium customs

which are a preference when given the opportunity to use 'em. The curvature matters too, these have most all of the metal's bend up at the top, straightening away to the bottom, grade five tubes, 3/8 diameter with fishing grips crafted by Glenn Haynes, which have since the photography was taken, been scrubbed throughly clean & bright again.

[makatakam]

For those who are just starting out, not much. If you can actually feel any difference you've advanced beyond total newbie. If not, don't sweat it, it'll happen soon enough. If you fly once or twice a week, you'll get it by the end of this year. The more you fly, the sooner it will come.

Depends on the kite and the wind. Longer handles give the kite a leverage advantage over your hands, which means you'll tire faster, but allow increased inputs. Some kites, especially those with a higher aspect ratio (Google it) prefer smaller inputs. Once you and any given kite "connect" with each other, note the conditions: kite, wind, handles, lines, etc. You will begin to acquire an intuitive knowledge of what will work best in any situation, and putting together the right combo will become instinctive.

Thirteen-inch handles are what most people use most of the time, for good reason. In most conditions that's what works best, and most folks don't have 10 sets of handles. As a beginner, if you keep switching handle lengths, it will make it more difficult to acquire a good feel for the feedback the kite is giving you. You want to build muscle memory as soon and as consistently as possible. Until you can make the kite do anything you want without "thinking" and can feel the subtle changes in wind and sail, stick with 13" and you'll do well.

[skline]

Did not like 15" handles at all until I started flying indoor. Now I will use them in light and moderate wind, and even tried them with my full vent last time out. I liked it, smaller movements on inputs and have gotten away from the jerkiness that I used to have with 15" handles. But like you guys said, it's all personal preference.

[John Barresi]

Aye, all personal preference - I find 15" gives me too much length, and requires a bit more leverage focus to operate accurately.

13" is all I use on any Rev type, be it Rev II, 1.5 or Zen.

[makatakam]

I'm getting a set of 11" made. Will let you know how they feel once I get a chance to use them. I have at least two kites, both home-made that they will probably work very well with, but I also plan on trying them with 1, 1.5, and 2 Rev sizes. We'll see.

[Wayne Dowler]

11' was what was sold with my Rev 1 back in '97-98! Son's Rev 2 was sold with 9" - tiny!! Still have both sets!!!