Brand spankin new/ What to buy?

[toddnkaya]

I am 52 years old , 180 pounds and will be flying in Pittsburgh Pa.

I am not sure if I want a foil or stunt kite.  Both look incredible !! I am sure I will own both in quick order.

I would like to fly with my 11 year old daughter, at some point, but I am assuming I will need a separate kite to fly with her. She is on the weak side.

So, maybe I should just focus on my needs for the first one.

I would like to stay under $100. Can I get a nice foil or stunt kite for this price.

Looks like we average 7-10 mph winds here .

Thanks for your input/guidance !

Todd

 

[makatakam]

Hi, toddnkaya, and welcome to the forum. I look forward to flying with you someday.

Figure on spending about $150 for two kites that are of good quality. About $65 for a foil and about $85 for a dual-line stunt kite. Make sure your daughter has her own kite. She will not appreciate waiting for you to finish before she can fly, even if she gets to go first. Visit a kite shop in person if possible for advice and direction. You don't want to start with something that is very difficult to learn to fly. You want to keep it fun, or what's the point, right?

Most better quality kites will have ratings on the packaging to let you know if the kite has light, medium or hard pull. Smaller kites have less surface area, therefore less pull, and are faster. Larger kites are slower and more precise, and easier to learn how to control.

Small foils zip around pretty good and don't have any hard parts to break when they make fast, sudden contact with the ground, however, all they can really do is fly around in circles and figure-eights. You can get two 1.2 to 1.4 meter foils for about $120 or a bit less.

Framed stunt kites are less forgiving when they hit the ground, but allow you to do a bunch of things that a foil can't, by stalling the wing to make the kite do tricks. Start with one that is at least six feet across. You can buy a dual-line kite starting at about $40, but at that price it is toy-grade. The better quality ones start at about $70.

You can either mix or match, obviously, so what you start with is up to you. I started with a foil, but within a week had a framed dual as well, and shortly afterwards a quad-line. It can escalate quickly if the bug bites you good. Both you and your daughter should select whatever appeals to you most. Remember, it's all about having fun.

Smile, and don't forget to breathe.

[toddnkaya]

Thanks for the awesome reply makatakam!!

Someone is gifting me a stunt kite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A total stranger is sending me a kite he does not use anymore!!!

He is a member of an audio forum I frequent . I just pay shipping.😁

He is sending me a Skyburner Freestylist UL , which looks nice a very nice kite that will work in our low winds. I saw a guy on YT flying it like crazy in a 4 MPH wind.

So now , I am thinking of buying a 1.4 foil kite . I saw these listed for under $50. It's a

Prism Synapse 140 Sport Kite.

So, It looks like I'm ready to fly!! I'm smiling big time.  :-)

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[Breezin]

Wow that is awesome !!! Sky Burner is top of the line stuff. Another kite designed at Kites and Fun Things. The 140 doesn't have very good lines. Go for the 170. Lines are better and you'll use the lines on other kites. Do some more research on the Freestylist. You are going to be blown away on what a great kite you got coming. 

[Breezin]

Getting ready to go fly and I just needed to add a little more.Only been at this 6 months but you have got be having one of the most fortunate experiences Iv'e heard about. I would trade you my Zephyr + $50.00 and feel a little guilty for doing the deal.Till I got the kite LOL. You have scored a AWESOME kite!!! My Sky Burner Widow Maker Pro is my favorite kite for a lot of reasons.Sold 1/2 my kites to get it and as much as I miss them it was worth it. I'll be getting another Sky Burner in the future.

[makatakam]

1 hour ago, toddnkaya said:

Thanks for the awesome reply makatakam!!

Someone is gifting me a stunt kite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A total stranger is sending me a kite he does not use anymore!!!

He is a member of an audio forum I frequent . I just pay shipping.😁

He is sending me a Skyburner Freestylist UL , which looks nice a very nice kite that will work in our low winds. I saw a guy on YT flying it like crazy in a 4 MPH wind.

So now , I am thinking of buying a 1.4 foil kite . I saw these listed for under $50. It's a

Prism Synapse 140 Sport Kite.

So, It looks like I'm ready to fly!! I'm smiling big time.  🙂

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Cool beans. Way to score. Just remember that it is an UltraLight that is more fragile than a standard kite because it is built with lighter materials. If it makes contact with the ground at high speed . . . . well, you get the idea! Mind the wind speed.

The Synapse 170 does come with better quality lines, but if your daughter's weakness is the result of physical impairment it may be a bit too much kite for her to handle. Again, mind the wind speed. At 10mph it will pull pretty well. The 140 will fly just fine with the cheaper lines and you can replace them when they eventually begin to wear with better ones. You can also fly it on the lines that come with the Freestylist, assuming he's sending you some. Of course, at that price for that quality of kite I would not complain. 

A Synapse 140 and a Freestylist for under $50 total is the bargain of a lifetime. Well, it's damn close anyway. Nice catch! 

[toddnkaya]

Thanks for the words of encouragement Breezin!!  I could still get  the 170 as the kite won’t be shipped  out till next week .

i just thought the smaller 140 would still be fun to fly without all the pull for my daughter.  I don’t want her getting dragged around. But we rarely have winds over 10mph.  So what to do??

Awesome to find out that the Skyburner is such a quality kite. It seems like your Zephyr May cost more money new retail?

How much would the SB go for retail? I have not found a ton of info, a couple of videos and discussions here on KL.

Breezin, I am having a great night intro into the sport!! Besides getting gifted a sweet stunt kite and a nice foil for cheap, I got a generous offer from a local Kitelife member , to mentor me.  This is very important to me , as I May have been frustrated and clueless trying to do this on my own.  Now I hope to have a new friend that I can fly with. 🙂

Thanks for your input Makatakam!!

I’m a little concerned that I will nose dive the Ultralight , but maybe I will use a friends kite or purchase a cheapo until I am feeling more proficient. 

My daughter is a healthy 11 year old tomboy,  so not sure if she can handle the 170? I think it might freak her out if she is getting pulled around.  I’d rather have her focused on how to steer, loop etc.. I can still upgrade I’m sure. We do have light winds here in Pittsburgh though. 

I can hardly wait to get my new kites up in air!! 🙂 

Todd

[makatakam]

2 hours ago, toddnkaya said:

I’m a little concerned that I will nose dive the Ultralight , but maybe I will use a friends kite or purchase a cheapo until I am feeling more proficient. 

My daughter is a healthy 11 year old tomboy,  so not sure if she can handle the 170? I think it might freak her out if she is getting pulled around.  I’d rather have her focused on how to steer, loop etc.. I can still upgrade I’m sure. We do have light winds here in Pittsburgh though. 

You will. If you do you will also learn repair techniques. If you want to keep "lawn dart" damage to a minimum, fly in manageable winds, and run towards the kite when you are about to crash to lessen the impact, or just drop the handles. Most folks' response is to pull which only makes the kite go faster. You will probably crash and break any and all styles of kite with which you are not familiar. Don't worry about it. That's how you learn. Just do what you can to lessen the impact, which will mean that you can't always fly when you want to. Don't push the limits before your skill level can accommodate them.

So, if your daughter is not physically impaired, the only advice I can give you is "father knows best". Yes, the big can drag you around, but is a bit slower and therefore easier to learn with. Again, if you don't push the limits until you know what they are you will have no problem. The smaller one is zippier and more fun to fly, but just a tad more difficult to learn with, but foils are super-easy to get the hang of. I'll let you make the call. Simply go with what moves you, what you think will be the most fun.

[Edmond Dragut]

if your daughter is a tomboy for sure will enjoy 170 and some pull and adrenaline rush. best move to learn is release a line  when you feel is to much power