TractionKiting.co.uk

OK troops ive been wanting to buy a depower recently. Now i am really bad for buying things i really like but not that practical.

So here goes, i really want big de power for all occcasions. I have my eye on this please give me ur thoughts.....

www.powerkiteshop.com/kites/fonebandit.htm

Looking at the 13m one. But as i say not totally up to speed on this gear.

Spoke to kev and he told me that kitesurf kites are cool to use as long as you keep bladders underinflated.

Stu.

Stu, don't take offense but learning to walk before you run is always a good bit of advice.

'You' need to master flying a fixed bridle kite rather than the other way round, before you even start to think about a depowerable. Kev's advice was certainly sound enough but only for people that have mastered the art of flying a kite.

When you get to the stage where you can launch the kite, fly it all around the 'wind window' up, down, side to side, figure of eight, and do it every time without the kite putting you where it decides, when 'it' want's to, then you can start to feel confident enough to think about moving in another direction regarding the type of kite to fly.

Last Sunday at the airfield, I think you would have got on far better with the 4.5 that Lisa said you also owned as what you had out was really to big for your experience and the conditions that were prevailing during most of the day. I know it was a new kite for you and you were desperate to try it, but part of the learning curve is determining what size of kite 'you' should fly for any given wind condition. Yes this can be as much of a trial and effort basis but you need to learn to realise when what you've launched is going to spank you to much.

Starting small is always better, you'll feel what the kite is doing better, you'll recognise just where the most power is developed within the wind window for any given wind and the particular size of kite you're flying. you'll find out how much more power can be generated by things like 'down looping', just take it at a bit slower pace.

I've been flying power kites for almost 10 years now, 'I' still get caught out by conditions occasionally, I kick myself for not having acknowledged the subtle changes that sometimes creep up on us. The latest instance was fairly recently during a race meeting, when flying a 5.5M kite in fairly windy conditions, kite at the zenith (top of the widow, above your head) when a slight gust came through and statically lifted my 17 stone about 2-3 feet in the air. Well to say I'm not used to that these days would be an understatement but it's just another lesson that's revived in the memory banks.

By all means get out and fly, but make sure it's you that's flying the kite and not the kite 'flying' you.

(Sorry for the rant)

Spanking you Tom. As i said looking for the experienced peeps opinions.

I have this real bad way of jumping before crawling. More liked the cosmetic look of it lol.

Need good few lessons in all aspects first. Me just being toooo impatient. HE HE.


Stu.

Good advice from Tom, the other thing to think about is what the kite is designed for, some are designed as lift machines, others are out and out power and others are a bit of both.
A good kite to get in to depower with is the Ozone Access, very small amounts of lift (but dont get me wrong, it will still spank you in the wrong conditions!), but I would go with Tom's advice and learn the fly a kite first, what I tend to say to students is, once you can fly the kite without looking at it, flying by feel alone, then you can start to think about other aspects of the sport. i.e. getting a harness for depower and things like that.

O.