help buying first kite for me and my son

[Edmond Dragut]

try to find a kite club on your area or some fliers close to you. they will let you try theirs kites and on that moment you will have a better idea of what you will want. theoretically we may give you here another year time all kind of informations what you may use or not, technical data about anything you will ask but reality is a lot different when you drive a kite so...go out in the field and try

[jamesy]

I spoke with Prism who suggested that I stick with 170 or below as they felt the 200 would be to much pull for my son. I still havent bought anything yet. Not sure what route I should take honestly.

I like the idea of going with a larger wing span so that I can fly it in lower wind speed (which my historical data seems to indicate we have) .. however with that larger wing span I also get more pull which wouldnt be great for my son.

 

[makatakam]

Google kite shops in NC if you're anywhere within an hour and a halfish of the coast. Kitty Hawk Kites and Flying Smiles Kites are the two you should consider. Just wonderful folks who will go out of their way to get you started, and there should be a few fests and club flys before the end of the year where you can meet with people who can help. There's lots of events up and down the coast you can attend. Use Google to find them and go. You won't be disappointed. 

If you must start out without any help just go for what moves your spirit. There is no "perfect kite". You'll soon find out that everyone's idea of the right kite is different. So will your's and your son's be. Pick something and jump in. If you like flying and stay with it you will most likely end up with at two or three kites for different conditions, possibly dozens if you get addicted. Just keep in mind that shortly after the first one you'll probably want another, so budget yourself so you can.

[riffclown]

40 minutes ago, jamesy said:

I spoke with Prism who suggested that I stick with 170 or below as they felt the 200 would be to much pull for my son. I still havent bought anything yet. Not sure what route I should take honestly.

I like the idea of going with a larger wing span so that I can fly it in lower wind speed (which my historical data seems to indicate we have) .. however with that larger wing span I also get more pull which wouldnt be great for my son.

 

You have been given tons of advice.. Some of it conflicting. I suggested a minumum of the Symphony 1.8  which is very similar in size to the 170.  I personally don't like the bridles on the Synapse but that's also a personal choice.  I also shared the 200 Synapse or 2.2 Symphony will get a lot more use from you if you go that size in the long run. That would be my absolute first choice. Start out in a bit lighter winds and you (and your son) will be confident enough to enjoy the pull instead of being scared of it..

Edmond also gave great advice on find someone that has what you are thinking of and try theirs. There should be other fliers near you.

The bottom line is it's a personal choice of what you want..  Advice is easy.. Understanding only truly comes with time holding the handles..

[RobB]

Not going to suggest anything, other than to be careful. I don't fly foils much (doesn't mean I don't have a few...) but one question did jump at me. The question of the force of the wind and danger. Yes, the lines will cut you. What's worse than a paper cut ? A string burn. They cut deep and hurt for weeks.

My point ? Be careful and respect the power of the wind ! Oh, and have fun, too !

[Breezin]

Started the grand kids on a 1.4 Prism Snapshot and GFK with a bar. They don't get going until 8 mph. The ones that are really into it are 5 to 9. 3 girls and 4 boys. The older ones (11 to 17) seem a little embarrassed that the younger ones are better.The younger ones have flown a lot more. Above 13 mph the youngest need some help unless butt sliding.They all learned what the power zone is and do a pretty good job of avoiding it when necessary. On a foil they all know to drop 1 line when needed.Kite comes to the ground and won't blow away.Winds were up at the top for the 5 year olds one day. The girl got face planted and dragged across the playa. We were running after telling her to let go. She kept going and I feared she might be tangled in the lines. Got to her and she was laughing quite hard. Asked her why she didn't let go. She said she was having to much fun to let go and it's a long wait for her next turn. The 5 year olds and one 6 year old have not moved to framed yet.The others have flown Premier Vision, Nighthawk and Addiction. Prism Zephyr, ITW Hydra, Sky Dog Black Dog and as of last Monday a Sky Burner Pro Dancer. Hour and a half into the day the wind dropped and never went over 5. Took a bit for them to understand the PD is a precision kite not a trick kite. 6 hours later I was wore out and they still wanted more. Nerves got pretty frazzled letting them fly the Pro Dancer 😱. One moderate crash and no harm done. They all loved that kite and did really well.Their favorite is the Zephyr with the PD running a very close 2nd. Everything else is faster and they still struggle with the speed.Winds get much over 10 and it's back to the foil for them.We've had one line burn on the neck. Kite got crashed.Kid didn't see the pilot recover into launch position. Jumped in the way going to reset the kite as it launched. Surprised us all because that was the pilots 1st recovery and launch. Think the pilot was the most surprised. Boy with the burn said it stung for 3 days. Safety is pretty simple but needs to be adhered to. Leaned over a kite in 20 plus wind.Got popped pretty hard in the jaw when unexpectedly the kite decided it was time to fly.There is such a thing as the CONCEPT of the perfect kite.Problem is that It takes a dozen or more kites in a quiver to create it LOL. As you guys learn you'll gravitate towards certain kites and figure out how you like to fly. For me it's very satisfying learning tricks and flying in less than 12. Lots and lots of zen like moments.Above 12 now that's when the fun starts. I like fast. In 30 mph winds the I can't believe I didn't crash moments are scary fun. Some kites will go over 100mph. Whee I gotta get one. You guys have been having fun with the cheapest of kites. Gonna be a lot more fun now.

[SHBKF]

On 9/12/2018 at 7:41 AM, jamesy said:

...... I plan to attach a tail if I can find one cheaply. Any suggestions on places to get a tail is appreciated.  ......

A very inexpensive tail can be purchased at your local building supply store, surveyor's tape.  Check out the bright colors.  Just roll out how much you like & tie it on somewhere on the trailing edge of your kite.  Do several if you wish.  They are reusable and disposable too.  I have used other materials scrounged from various sources.  The most amusing one was a eight & one half inch wide piece black ribbon from an older fax cartridge. But that was used on a larger single line kite. 

Have fun!  SHBKF