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Favorite SUL?


podenbeck
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@John Barresi, it certainly looks gravity defying when you pull the lines and speed the kite up when it is going downwards and you instantly carry on like nothing happened. Normally I'm used to in low wind flying that you relax lines and gain ground when the kite is going downwards, but then I've never used a Prodancer SUL. The video gives a speedy rather than a slow floaty impression kind of (if viewed casually) hiding that it is a low wind session. An enjoyment to watch!

Added 5th of August (two days later): And it also serves as an illustration/reminder of that you can have fun with trickless DLKing and is an inspiration on actively flying by powering up/down the kite/lines. Today however it instead served as a reminder in a quite different situation to practice the sail loading on/off when using my full vent quad.

Edited by Exult
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I got to say ProDancer SUL for sure. Before I bought one if my weather app said less than 4 mph wind I just stayed home. Now when it's less than 2 I take the prodancer out and fly with intent. Even when the wind is around 0 to .5 you can fly 360 degrees around yourself barely walking backwards. Yes it is somewhat expensive, but flying when no one else is is priceless. Wait, where I'm at my son and I are always the only ones flying. Jack my son is 14 and has a ProDancer too so we fly together on 50' lines with relatively no wind.

 

 

Sent from my IPhone

 

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My first favorite SUL was the infamous Prism 4D.  I flew it so much I had to repair it a couple times in several places.  Vulnerable areas are the center tee, which bends, the nose, which wears & the spine pokes through & the leading edge fabric, which is quite light & thin.  I even bought a spare one eventually.  Still flying this one.

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But then I splurged & bought a new Sky Burner Pro Dancer Super Ultra Light.  After my mentor, RobB, told me about it & I watched his amazing videos, I had to have it.  It is an "old school kite".  This is still my go to kite for amazing flying in very light winds.  I prefer flying this full size kite on 90# x 100'.  When you are gliding out to regain ground you can run quickly, well quickly for me, and the kite will keep going effortlessly until you stop to turn & begin the next up flight.  I call this kite "My Beloved".  You know you're a kite nut when you begin naming some of them.  It remains my favorite for the type of flying I am able to achieve with it at my current level.

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But then, in March of 2016, I finally reached Nirvana.  Another true SUL & this one is legendary.  Dang!  This one is stealing my heart.  It is helping me fly super light air & allowing me to learn some slack line tricks at the same time.  It will also handle a little higher wind as it has a deeper sail than the PD SUL.  It is a good example of a bit of mass making the kite have a bit of inertia that you need for getting completely through a maneuver.  Not everyone likes a "Frenchie".  It's working for me.  Now I find myself leaving the first two at home.

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So that is my 3-2-1 list, SHBKF

See ya in the sky....

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  • 1 year later...

JB - What would be the other 2 you would put in "your" top 3 other than the ProDancer? My low wind choice as of now is my old, out of production, Prism Ozone. Don't get me wrong - it flies great in it's range, but can't compete with the PD for pure light wind flying. 

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Sadly, I’m not sure if either of my two favorite SULs are available new any longer. :(

Shiva SUL by Cavalier du Ciel (definitely no longer made).

My other favorite in terms of sail pressure / control might be the Ocius SUL by Skyburner, but it is very sensitive and I wouldn’t fly team with it.

 

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Interesting. Thanks.

I wondered why they stopped making the Aura. Sounds like it fly's down to about the PDSUL wind range, and is less sensitive than the Ocius. Guess the larger kites are more popular. I will have to keep an eye out for one.

PDSUL next for me though.

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Believe I got this right(asked)but maybe not. The rise in material cost,decline in kiting interest and the price point of both kites made production unprofitable. Asian price points are hard to compete with no matter what one builds. Sucks cause I'd like to have both in sul. Believe we lost the Inak and Nik Nak for the same reasons.Prism 4d the culprit? Not a brown nose here but looking around the globe at prices the Kaiju is impressively low.  Keep looking for a tricky PDSUL replacement. Keep going back to the Air One kites.The indecision here is getting to me a little. Won't be that many 0 wind days around here for awhile though.If it takes until April 1st hope I don't fool myself.

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The other strong issue is the MASSIVE attrition in both high end kite buyers and cottage kite makers... Also, manufacturers and stores both used to be owned and staffed by hard core kite folks, those are farther and fewer than ever and practically none in the US, so most of what we have available isn’t conceived by true end users.

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My only one has been the trusty Ozone. It flew always before anything else. Bit that’s gone now, it tansformed in other kites. Specifically a N3WW. I’m also trying the GForce skinnies that I have left from the Oz on the Benson SuperFly UL, probably removing the weight too. That should bring that kite around 200gr. Not quite the 156 of the Ozone...but still. 

Problem with the Oz is that was very limited in tricks, other than super flat spins. Still a great classic. 

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The Grid from Air One uses the G Force skinny.A lot of differing opinions on them. Not a love it or hate it thing. Seems to me more kite specific and style of flying kinda thing.Makes it a bit confusing trying to figure out if I'd like them on any given kite.Leaning more towards the 2 panel Arrow because of the Sky Shark framing. Seems like 1/2 the kites flown in competions throughout Europe are R-Sky. Got one more kite to get and then a Superfly. Going for the standard but really curious on the ul reframe.Do not like the mylar on my Zephyr much at all. I'll be staying away from kites with mylar unless being used to beef up a TE like on the Hydra. Mylar panels sure look pretty in the sky though.IMAGINE a back lit Tiger racing by at 80mph made totally of mylar. Jaw dropping I would think.

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The Mylar panels on the SF (and SN) are pretty thick and with a line grid structure inside. It’s not the light, completely transparent Mylar. The kite feels very solid and flies with some walking and pumping in 2 mph as it is. Its a great kite IMO. Tried the Hydra, but too little wind that day. Feels pretty solid too 

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Got to fly a Ocius SUL today.Very little time on a Aura or the Ocius. Took to the Aura right off. Ocius not so much.Frame is really light and I was afraid of  breaking it. Very sensitive is a good description. I think I could get a Aura SUL and get right to it. The Ocius SUL I'd need to be real careful  and become a better flier before I'd be real comfortable on it. I definitely liked the speed of the kite. Could have flown it longer but a 00 frame with my skills is a little intimidating. Especially being OPK. If someone were to put them side by side and say you can have one 😁 I'd take the Ocius no doubt. Then try like hell to buy the Aura.There was a 7 sul in the air too. Wow is that a neat kite. Fella has a full set of the 7's and a Mohawk. Maybe one day he'll think I'm good enough and trust me to fly one. Wouldn't if I was him but ya never know LOL.There was another sul kite that I got to fly maybe a 1/2 hour. Came from England but don't know what it's called. Story was 6 or 7 years ago a teenage guy kinda lit the stunt kite world up for a bit.Won some competitions and built some kites. Speculation was he's at college studying engineering to hopefully be heard from again soon.The one I flew he built when he was 16 😲 Pretty high aspect and when turning at about 2/10 o'clock there is a clicking sensation. Little unsettling till I got the feel for it.It's like a little tell that helped me with timing. I didn't get to do enough on the kite but I bet that sensation is at 4/8 o'clock too.Really,really liked that kite. 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On ‎12‎/‎2‎/‎2018 at 7:12 PM, Breezin said:

Came from England but don't know what it's called.

 It occurred to me that you might be talking about the Sturdydesigns. Saber II kite by Will Sturdy.

I read a kite review about them when I first was looking into kites.

 

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