PKD

Model:

Brooza

Size:

4m

Introduction:

I have the full range of PKD Busters, minus the 3m and 9m and really liked them. They got me in to the sport of Traction Kiting and without them this site might not have been built.
I spoke to Roger Blake at PKD and told them that TK were going over to Tiree for a week during the Tiree Wave Classic and wondered if they had any new toys I could take over to play with.
Tiree is the perfect place to play with demo kit, the reason is not many people kite over on Tiree and so you get to use the kit without people asking you about it. Its a simple case of unpack the kite and fly!

The Kite

Roger at PKD was kind enough to supply me with a 4m PKD Brooza, this is PKD's replacement for the PKD Joy. The 4m Brooza comes in one colour scheme, blue/black/white. The other sizes in the range are the same design but have their own colour scheme so that you can identify what size of kite is flying by the colour.

The Brooza comes kite only, this means you have to supply your own lines and handles which can be bought from PKD or you can use your own preferred line and handle manufacturer. While I had the kite I used PKD lines and handles.

The build quality of the brooza is really good, all the cells and bridle attachment points are reinforced which helps the kite keep its shape in lighter winds.

The bridle lines are much stronger than the Busters and they are sleeved which the Busters were not.
The kite comes in a draw string bag the same colour as the kite, in this case, blue. The bag is perfect for stuffing in to a pocket when setting up.

Performance

Once I had attached the lines and handles to the kite I was ready to launch. The wind wasn't as strong as I would have liked, possibly 10 - 15mph, I didn't have my wind meter with me so I couldn't give an exact reading. The kite sat perfectly still on the sand waiting to go without having to be sanded down.

I gave a gentle pull on the lines and up it went, straight to the top of the wind window and sat there. It didn't try and fall back in to the power and it didn't fly straight over my head. All good so far.

A small tweak on the brakes and the kite turned smoothly to the right, a stronger pull on the left hand side brake and the kite spun almost on the spot and flew to the left hand side, straight through the power and then sat at the left hand edge of the window. I expected an edge to fold or tuck in when sitting at the side but nothing, it held its shape perfectly.

Time to get in to the buggy. Pulled the kite down in to the power and I accelerated smoothly down the beach. The first thing I noticed with this kite is that it sits perfectly solid at the edge of the window, it doesn't slide back from the edge as if the buggy is moving faster than the kite can handle, it just keeps on pulling. Remember this was tested in 10 - 15mph winds and I could feel that if you had the confidence you could get some extreme speed with this kite in the correct conditions.

You could fly the kite inches from the sand and it would hold its shape and when you want to turn, touch the brake again and the kite turns and then sits inches from the sand again without a sign of 'tip tuck'.

Smooth and predictable and a very enjoyable kite to fly.

I did try and get some small jumps with it but due to lack of wind this was not possible, just as well as I forgot to put my seatbelt on! I would like to try either a larger kite or the 4m again in higher winds as I reckon you could get nice small jumps with the Brooza. It's not designed to have lift but as with any kite, if you take it out in high enough wind it will lift and with the solid feel from this kite I would feel very comfortable that it wouldn't fold while I was airborne.

Conclusion

A very nice kite to fly, it looks nice while in the air, it has tons of potential and I would image it could out run similar kites that cost more.

The packaging of the kite is the same as any PKD kite, it comes in a draw string rip stop bag. This means there are no zips to catch the kite or the lines, the down side is it doesn't look as good as some of the other kites on the market which come in rucksacks. This could put off some buyers who are looking at the entire package, rather than the kite you will be flying.

The money that has been saved by using the draw string back idea has been put in to the kite, unlike other brands which have spent money on the bag as well. This makes the PKD Brooza excellent value for money.

Did I like this kite? In one word, Yes! I like the kite so much Judith has bought the 2m version and I have already got my eye on the 7.2m PKD Brooza which is due to come out very soon.

Sizes currently available

2.0m, 3.0m, 4.0m, and 5.5m

Review by Owain Williams, Photos taken by Donald Stewart.