Sport, Trick and Freestyle Kite Flying Forum

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kluson
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Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:16 pm

Where to start

Mon Aug 05, 2013 8:10 pm

Hi Guys

Hope you can guide a newbie. I have had a few little kites which we flew on our holidays , but I would like a larger 2 line stunt kite.
Can you please recommend a good Kite which will be sturdy enough to take the knocks of a beginner but will also allow me to progress.
I can see that this whole hobby is one where you can end up with quite a few Kites. But where is the best place to start.

The second question is where to fly it? where I can also get some expert advice? I live in the Andover Basingstoke, Salisbury area

Really appreciate your help.

many thanks
 
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SteveC
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Location: Lincolnshire

Re: Where to start

Mon Aug 05, 2013 8:48 pm

Roughly how much are you looking to spend?

Are you planning to just fly for fun or start to learn tricks?
Current Bag:- HQ Shadow, Spiderkites Zodarion, Flying Wings Soul, Old blue HQ Jive , 'PAW' modded HQ Maestro II, Delta Hawk,
 
kluson
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Re: Where to start

Mon Aug 05, 2013 9:39 pm

I'd like to fly for fun but I would like to advance to tricks. ( I'm assuming the tricks are fun too :D ) Could I get started for £100? or do I need to budget for more? I guess I am looking for something which would also have good spares availability.
I will also need lines , etc. Should I go straight to a level of say Benson or can I budget for less?
 
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SteveC
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Re: Where to start

Mon Aug 05, 2013 11:04 pm

£100 would certainly get you started with something pretty decent. You want a 'standard' kite with a good wind range and ready to fly a few to look at might be -

HQ Maestro 2 - Nice big kite, easy to fly, does pretty much all the tricks and comes with a decent set of lines. Most of the frame is 6mm carbon so cheap and easy repair if you break it ( I have one and haven't managed to yet).

Image

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2cqTGiNzrg me messing around with mine.


Also Prism Hypnotist - Another big kite made for beginners and comes with lines and a DVD - will do most tricks, a bit on the heavy side but a nice kite.

Image

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBHivxhI-0Y

For something different the Spiderkites Zodarion is slightly smaller but still a great starter kite. All 6mm carbon so cheap to fix.

Image

http://vimeo.com/3258307

And of course you can get secondhand kites come up in the sales section of this site.

Whether to get something like a Benson yet depends on what you want to spend - if you did get one and later find you didn't like it you would get most of your money back if you sold it but if you break it then repairs are a bit more expensive ( they are pretty tough though).

Maestro & Hypnotist from http://www.kiteworld.co.uk
Zodarion from EmKay kites - http://www.kites4you.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d62.html
Current Bag:- HQ Shadow, Spiderkites Zodarion, Flying Wings Soul, Old blue HQ Jive , 'PAW' modded HQ Maestro II, Delta Hawk,
 
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jaydub
Posts: 1228
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Re: Where to start

Tue Aug 06, 2013 6:47 am

Definitely try and go the second hand route. New kites are a bit like new cars in that they lose value the moment you buy them.

I'd heavily recommend either a Deep Space or a Talon as a starter kite for tricks. At least you know it's you and not the kite when you are struggling.

I've never flown any of the kites that Steve recommends so can't really comment on how good they are.

What I would say though is that as and when you meet up with other fliers, you are likely to meet people who have flown Deep Spaces and Talons and can give you advice based on their personal experience with the kites.

You hould be able to find a decent used version of either of these kites that will still have plenty of life left in it.

Hope this helps.
 
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Hawkerhunter
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Re: Where to start

Tue Aug 06, 2013 7:13 am

Some great advice there from Steve and John. If you do decide to go with a new kite and are trying to keep costs around the £100 mark then I would endorse the Prism Hypnotist. I started with the Hypno and would highly recommend it. It is a full sized 8ft wing which is almost bullet proof. It has a wrapped carbon and pultruded carbon frame and even though it can take the knocks of a beginner its wing design and performance will accommodate a medium to advanced skill level. It also has a shock absorber system built in to stop the spine ripping through the sail during nose plants. It comes with the Prism "Freestyle Pilot" DVD and a set of lines so it really is a great starter package. I still carry mine in my bag.
Steve

In the bag
Talon UL, Talon standard(x2), Talon vented, Talon SUL Prism Q Pro, Elixir, Zephyr, E3, E2, Hypnotist, Nexus, 3D, Micron


http://www.facebook.com/northernmonkeyskitegroup.nmkg
 
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SteveC
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Location: Lincolnshire

Re: Where to start

Tue Aug 06, 2013 8:46 am

There are certainly some nice secondhand kites to be had at good prices. The problem we have in the UK with buying new kites is , that because kite flying is a minority interest you tend to get lots of cheap(ish) sub £50 kites for the beach and occasional user, some very nice bespoke £150-£200 + kites for the real enthusiasts, but not much inbetween for people who want a decent kite that will still do most of the tricks but without going the whole hog. At the moment in the new market Prism and HQ seem to be the main choice.
Current Bag:- HQ Shadow, Spiderkites Zodarion, Flying Wings Soul, Old blue HQ Jive , 'PAW' modded HQ Maestro II, Delta Hawk,
 
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Flying Fish
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Re: Where to start

Tue Aug 06, 2013 9:10 am

Skydog Dream On would also fit into that 'in-between' niche IMHO, and was available from kiteworld, but it doesn't appear on their web-site anymore.
 
kluson
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Re: Where to start

Tue Aug 06, 2013 8:04 pm

Thanks very much for the replies It gives me some choices to make.
Thanks again, I really appreciate your help
 
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Cadenza
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Location: Hinckley

Re: Where to start

Wed Aug 07, 2013 12:14 pm

Worth looking into the silverfox range, all of them are quite bit and trick and fly very nicely, within budget and well made.

the 2.5's will be a bit easier to learn with as they do things a little slower.
Triboard Kitebag Blue: Cesium, Gemini,Silverfox 2.5 UL, Silverfox 2.5, Silverfox 2.5 Vented, HQ Breeze, Fury.85, SKD MX COMP #1, JoE Skull Trident #Omega, PAW Buteo.
 
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Infinitive
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Location: Bristol

Re: Where to start

Thu Aug 08, 2013 10:33 am

Hudson's Field on north edge of Salisbury is ok, especially for Westerlies. But, a better field is here, just off the A303 near Bulford / Amesbury.

Image

Love this field, it is quiet and large, has short grass that is well looked after. The surrounding area is very flat: good wind from west, north and east. Not quite so good from south but certainly not bad.

I don't know who flies around your area to give you some beginners' advice, and I don't live in Salisbury any more.
-------------------------------------- Al --------------------------------------
 
kluson
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Re: Where to start

Sat Aug 10, 2013 7:01 pm

Thanks for all the tips

the place you marked on the map is not so far from me. Is it private land? do I need permission etc? Many thanks
 
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Infinitive
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Re: Where to start

Sun Aug 11, 2013 12:53 pm

It is public land and you need no permission. There is a car park, but there are no other facilities. (It is normally so quiet that you can just pop to the wooded edge of the field should you need a wee.) There is an astroturf cricket wicket at one end that I have never seen used, and you occasionally get military helicopters landing there. It needs not be said but avoid the western tip of the space since there are pylons beyond the field, though they are away from the field and would only be reachable if you were flying long-line (single-line) kites, over a forest. The field is entirely safe for dual line / quads. (You can check it out on google street view.)
-------------------------------------- Al --------------------------------------
 
kluson
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Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:16 pm

Re: Where to start

Sun Aug 11, 2013 9:03 pm

Many thanks