Kite Question

[Error401]

like riding a bike with both hands on the bars. Once you get the hang of it, it's easy. try not to "pull" on a line to turn, but more like lean into it and the kite will follow. Use hard pulls just for radical spins. And yes, tune for the wind.

Candyman, thanks for the tuning tip. I just noticed that my harness (bridle, whatnot) was adjusted about 2" to the rear. There's a red mark on the main lines and where they're bundled together to hookup to the lines is 2" toward the rear. Is this more of a light wind setup?

 

[FastEddy]

I just took a look at, and adjusted my bridle. As with Errors mine has marks on the lines for factory settings. The marks on one of the sides was around 1/2 inch different than the other. I evened it to the front.

Tomorrow is a new day and I will see what kind of trouble I can get into.

Welcome to rckitetalk.com

 

[Candyman]

Usually when you get a kite new, either the factory will mark the neutral bridle position, or you should first thing. This is like the factory carb settings. That way if you screw around too much you can just reset it. That mark should be the center of the lark's head knot when you adjust it.
Error, if your marks are 2" down the bottom leg, that means the kite is leaned forward. Typically more a light wind setup. Higher angle of attack, better lift. It will reduce pull, so you have to have a bit more feel.

Eddy, if your bridle settings were 1/2" off of each other, that can destabilize the kite. You'd find that when your hands are neutral, the kite flies more to one side. First thing is to even them out. As you are, reset the bridles to factory setting and go from there. As it's a new kite, you have no clue how it flies at various settings, so start from the beginning. That kite will probably fly well in winds above 6 mph. You gotta have that there, don't you? LOL. And as far as feeling like a spaz, I know the image. Have you hit yourself in the face yet jerking your hands around? One bit of advice. Keep your hands below your shoulders. Once they go up that high, they're useless. It's like driving a tank. Hands low. Pull left, turn left. Pull right, turn right. Don't be afraid to move. I never stand still when I'm flying. And always be aware of where the wind is coming from. Keep it directly on your back and you'll be fine. Practice, practice, practice....

 

[FastEddy]

Got out of bed all excited to go fly and wouldn't you know it, NO WIND LOL. Looks like a good day to go to the beach. Hopefully there are some kite flyer's there I can watch. Hopefully one of them will take pity on me and help an old dog out.

I found this article that says exactly what you did about tuning.
http://www.cuttingedgekites.com/bridle.htm

If I decide this hobby is for me what kites do you recommend for the beginner to use that will not get outgrown to quickly?
I have found these 4 and am looking at all of them except the 3rd one due to its lack of higher wind rating. I would be looking for a kite that I could fly in just about any wind condition. Do you have any personal recommendations?

Again, thanks for the help.

 

[FastEddy]

As I research kites in my aria there seems to be a nice size group that fly. We are off to Bodega Bay (20 Min). There is a kite flying competition today on the beach sponsored by the local kite shop. Out of all the names, get a load of this. Its called "Candy and Kites".
http://www.candyandkites.com/homepage.html
My wife actually seems interested in going with me. She knows I probably get a better kite and wants to choose the color.

Off to the wild blue yonder.

 

[robmob]

I know that place. My kids make me stop every time we are in the area. Guess which they like the best, the candy or the kites.

 

[FastEddy]

Just got back from a day at the beach. Saw some great kites and fryers there. We stoped in at Candy and Kites and got some of each.

Its a small store but he had a lot of kites to choose from and the owner was a knowledgeable guy. We ended up getting 2 kites. One for me and my wife surprised me by getting one for herself. Off to the beach. We setup my kite and were up and flying in no time. I wanted to step up and get a good one rather than a run of the mill so I chose the Quantum Prism there is mo comparison to the garage sale kite I got yesterday. Up-Up and away. Is easy to fly and responsive. The second kite we got is a New Tech Pyro In comparison its not near as nice to fly and feels lame and lethargic. We are going to return it and get an upgrade to another Prism.

My wife took a liking to the kites and seems to have picked it up much faster than me. As a matter of fact I had a hard time getting her to let me fly it.

All in all a great day.

 

[Candyman]

Sounds great Eddy. You can't go wrong with Prism kites. I love them. I have a Prism Micron which is this tiny 3 foot kite which is a blast to fly. I think you made an excellent choice and getting Viv a Prism kite is a good move. I'm glad you both can enjoy the hobby. Soon you'll be pushing the limits. There's no feeling like doing your first axel....