Looking for a high wind kite

[kite-head]

Ok all,

I am trying to decide on a high wind dual line to add to my kite bag.

I am currently looking at the Prism Alien, and Carl Robertshaw's Matrix or Dot Matrix.

I have about a $200 budget. I am interested in what your opinions are in this subject and any other suggestions I should check into.

[Tedrick]

In high wind tricksters, I've owned a Psycho, Alien, and Dot Matrix. I prefer the Psycho, followed closely by the Alien. So from your list, I'd so go with the Alien. It's for sure a fun kite in big wind, and has very light pull. It's easy to spin stall, and it can be tuned to do lots of tricks.

If you're not too concerned with tricks, you might consider a Full Vent Shiva, which has variable venting and can be tuned to fly in winds up to 30 mph or so. I know where there's a used one in tip-top condition for sale at a very good price. You might also consider the Level 1 Easy Vented, a very affordable vented kite that supposedly is quite capable of both nice tricks and decent precision (I can't say for sure as I havn't flown one yet).

[audioRob]

Easy vented will NOT do precision. That kite is the antithesis of precision.

The merlin vented is an extremely good vented kite to start with. Light pull up to about 25-30 and will do all the tricks with little problems.

I haven't flown anything on your list though so I cant say from there. Personally the merlin vented is one of the nicest vented kite's I've flown in that it has a good range and requires "standard" movements for the high winds.

There are lots of options and most of them wont dissapoint.

[John Barresi]

I also enjoy the vented Shiva, when not looking for trick ability... Otherwise, for tricks, the Standard Sea Devil with 7PT bottom spreaders, about 40 grams of weight and wind diffusers across the wiskers works pretty well for me.

[kite-head]

well John, I think the Sea Devil is a weeee bit out of my price range if I'm not mistaken...beautiful kite though.

As of right now I'm looking at the Psycho and the Alien, from what I understand both are very trickable, the Psycho more so than the Alien, and both are quite fast. What I haven't read/heard anywhere is how they compare precision wise. Which of the two is more durable and will take a good crash better.

I am also wondering, when considering other possiblities, how do the vented kites fly in comparison to kites which are built for high winds? Is there a difference in technique?

[John Barresi]

Neither the Psycho or Alien come close to being considered precise... They're specialized trick kites, for sure.

On average, I've found that vented kites fly 1/2 to 2/3 as well as their full sail counterparts... The Shiva being the exception, which I feel maintains 80% of it's flight ability in the vented model.

[Tedrick]

Easy vented will NOT do precision. That kite is the antithesis of precision.

I stand corrected on this. I seemed to remember someone else mentioning this was a decent all-round kite, but after reading that this is the vented version of the Easy/EasyLight series, I would have to agree.

As of right now I'm looking at the Psycho and the Alien, from what I understand both are very trickable, the Psycho more so than the Alien, and both are quite fast. What I haven't read/heard anywhere is how they compare precision wise. Which of the two is more durable and will take a good crash better.

Precise?? Hah!! One really shouldn't even mention precise and Psycho or Alien in the same sentence. These two kites are fast, oversteering, and border on unstable. BUT, both are highly trickable, easily recoverable, and just tons of fun in big wind when you just gotta get out and fly. I would say that the Alien is a little more predicable in its tricks, a little easier to set-up for tricks, and easier to link combos together. On the other hand, the Psycho is one of those pull-a-line-and-something-will-happen, drop-your-jaw-as-you-wonder-what-just-happened kinda kites. Both are pretty durable, but the Psycho does have a tendancy to pull LS's out of the center-tee during harder nose plants. Not a problem really, as the standoffs will push the rod away from the sail so little risk of puncturing the sail. For my $$, I like the Psycho more than the Alien just because of that wow-what-just-happened character.

On average, I've found that vented kites fly 1/2 to 2/3 as well as their full sail counterparts... The Shiva being the exception, which I feel maintains 80% of it's flight ability in the vented model.

Completely agree with this statement. The Shiva Full Vent comes about as close as any vented kite I've flown to handling and feeling like its non-vented version (RonG's Machine, and ShawnT's Viper are two others). Too bad there aren't many other kites about which that statement can be made.