Fractured Axel

I bet you haven't heard that before eh?

Well, hi,

I got a bit of a bug about kites last year when we bought a cheap stunt kite on the beach at Blackpool and proceeded to smash it to bits very shortly afterwards and left it in the bin. I went home and dug my 10 year old Flexifoil Extro out of the garage and took it to the park and had immense fun with it, given that it is a tiny thing that doesn't really do much except swoop around at high speed. I lived in London when I bought it and it only got used twice as there was nowhere to fly it nearby.

Now I live near Huddersfield where there are plenty of good places to fly.

I then went the route of getting a Flexifoil Buzz 0.8 2-line power kite which is great beach fun and a Flexifoil Sting 2.4 4-line Power Kite for more of a work out.

I also got a couple of single line pocket kite things off Amazon for my young lads, (2 and 4) who haven't really shown any interest yet.

So... I want to try some more of the trick / stunt type of flying as I do have more fun with the Extro but I'm not really in a position to spend a fortune on something that I may smash to pieces so have been looking around for a good starter kite.

I think I've narrowed it down to a Prism Nexus or HQ Salsa II... both around the £50 mark. I had considered the HQ Limbo but that seems a bit basic and I would like to get something that might be capable of at least some trickery.

Can anybody please give me a recommendation as to which might be the best option of those, or offer an alternative at around the same price point or slightly higher maybe?

I'd be grateful for any advice and also would love to hear from anybody nearby who wouldn't mind me tagging along to pick up some tips from

Cheers,


Jaybo

Hi Jaybo, welcome to the addiction!

Of the kites you've mentioned, the Nexus is a bit on the small side, quite quick and a bit restricted on the trick side. The Salsa is a better kite but is designed more for 'ballet' style flying than tricks. If you can run to a little more the HQ Jive 2 would be a better starter kite - it can do a good range tricks, flies in quite low winds and the carbon frame is cheap and easy to repair when you break bits ( you will break bits, everyone does when they start). If you look on Ebay - 271074842104 - you can get one for £62 + post.

Thanks for the quick reply Steve,

I hadn't considered the Jive, I thought something like that would be my next step up... shame the green is full price, not sure I like the colour on the cheaper one enough to go for it. Also, I watched a few youtube videos of it and it looks pretty hard to handle?

Maybe a bit more research... although I am swinging toward the Salsa now, with the option of being able to get it into my suitcase a big plus! If it's more ballet orientated, maybe it'll give me the skills to control it more easily after switching from the power kites... while I consider my next purchase, maybe a Hypnotist?

Are the Salsas as repairable as the Jive?

Cheers,
J

The Salsa is a decent little kite, not as tricky as the Jive but it will do most of the basics - it's not a bad idea to learn kite control before you really start getting into tricks and the ballet style flying will help with that. It should be easy to fix, the frame is 5mm carbon fibre tube - try here if you need spares - http://www.thehighwaymen.co.uk/PBSCProduct.asp?ItmID=10256322

It's usually the leading edges or lower spreaders that go ( usually from over enthusiastic beginner heavy landings!) so worth keep a couple of spares if you go away.

Review here in German - http://www.invento-hq.com/images/stories/downloads/reviews/sdd_0509_seite18-21_salsa.pdf Put it through Google translate.

The Jive is currently on offer at The Highwaymen at £65 (in red or green - £15 off) including a set of lines and straps on a winder. It's definitely a better kite than the Salsa and shouldn't be any harder to learn on or more expensive to repair (the frame is just standard 5mm and 6mm carbon). If you can stretch to the extra few quid this is the one I'd say to go for.

Another vote of Jive over Salsa. Jive, being a bit bigger, will be easier to control, which is exactly what you want when starting out; £65 is a good price for it.

Thanks both, I might refrain from jumping in just yet and try and spend my pennies wisely then.

Thanks for the link Roy, good bargain.

The Jive was my first kite and it certainly behaves like a "proper" kite, I would back up the recommendation. Bigger kites are easier to learn on than smaller ones, in general, because stuff happens at a more manageable speed. The other plus for the Jive is it flies in very little wind for its size, and I have found that you learn more about how tricks happen in light winds than stronger ones. Longer lines (=fly further before having to change direction) taught me quite a lot too, plus you can use them on your next kite!

Just to throw it in the mix, but isn't the HQ Yukon on offer for £25 at Highwayman still? It is smaller though at 164cm.
1080 sport have a good sale on too, but not sure if they stock any trick kites.
I'd go for the jive over the salsa though

Hi Jaybo. The Jive 2 was the first kite I bought and I highly recommend it to start learning on.

You say your in Huddersfield so if you can get over to one of our fly-spots (Pontefract, Leeds, Halifax) you can try one to see what you think....and if you bring your wallet.....well..

Right then,

Thanks for the posts all... I spoke to Highwaymen this morning, just about delivery times and he said he didn't have any Yukons left. 5 Mins later they were up to £39.99. Thanks anyway Broady.

Went to Anti Gravity in York for a look at their HQ selection and decided that the Yukon was good for me as a starter, for £40. I did have a good chat with the guy there and I think the Jive II was a nicer bigger kite and I reckon I quite fancy one but I liked the Yukon. I also quite fancied the Maestro but there are so many other kites around eh...

The Yukon looks capable in the right hands on youtube and given that my current skill level with the Flexifoil is fast circles and figure 8's, at least I should be able to learn a bit of control with it, stall, landing, take off etc, while I consider the options for my next investment?

I can hand it down to the kids to learn on too when they're ready... if I don't wreck it.

Happy days... reckon I might have to try it out tonight...

Happy flying! I'm sure there will be a few more kites by the end of the summer.

jaybo wrote:

Right then,

I also quite fancied the Maestro but there are so many other kites around eh...

.... while I consider the options for my next investment?

The Maestro 2 is a Very nice and capable kite for £100...love mine! And with minor mods it gets even better!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NBK6CCliYY

Tips - Check both your lines are the same length. Don't try your first flights in strong winds - 8-12 mph is much better than 15mph+! Try to find someone to fly with, you'll learn much quicker.

The Maestro 2 is a Very nice and capable kite for £100...love mine! And with minor mods it gets even better!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NBK6CCliYY

Tips - Check both your lines are the same length. Don't try your first flights in strong winds - 8-12 mph is much better than 15mph+! Try to find someone to fly with, you'll learn much quicker.[/quote]


That's just what my Yukon looked like tonight... LOL

just about managed some erm, figures of eights, circles and nose dives in some very blustery gale force wind packed up after 20 mins.

How is it even possible to get a kite to do that?

jaybo wrote:

The Maestro 2 is a Very nice and capable kite for £100...love mine! And with minor mods it gets even better!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NBK6CCliYY

Tips - Check both your lines are the same length. Don't try your first flights in strong winds - 8-12 mph is much better than 15mph+! Try to find someone to fly with, you'll learn much quicker.

That's just what my Yukon looked like tonight... LOL

just about managed some erm, figures of eights, circles and nose dives in some very blustery gale force wind packed up after 20 mins.

How is it even possible to get a kite to do that?[/quote]

Practise.....lots and lots of practise..

If you can find someone to fly with you learn more quickly - it takes ages from videos.

( not me in the youtube vid by the way - I wish- but it shows what it can do.)