Flexifoil Blade II 3M

Ok, so this isn't a new kite but I'd like to give a view of this kite, first as a secondhand buy, and second as to it's suitability for a beginner.

I took up kiting about a month ago, spent a couple of weeks asking for advice from the members of this forum, then almost completely ignored them all (apart from the size of kite i chose), and bought a Blade 2, 3 meter off a guy on the flexiforum for £120 about average price for a kite that showed some signs of use, with new flexi handles and lines.

My first experience of flying it (or it flying me) was in a horizontal hail storm. While all other kiters sheltered under their enormous de-powered monsters - yes it is probably kite envy - I was untangling my lines (white on a now white field) with blood streaming out of my nose from the sheer cold. I know I should've packed it away but in truth i had no idea how!
Eventually someone took pity on me and showed me how to fly it then how to put it away. I went home aching, bloody and with a grin i couldn't remove.

Over the next week I religiously "went up the hill" to battle the beast, and these are my views on it:

To start with I was terrified of it. After a while i became respectful of it. Last weekend, in 18-nearly 30mph gusts i became terrified of it again.

I honestly don't think you could ever feel totally in control of it; if you take off in anything less than about 10mph it veers to the left and any efforts to steer it straight steers it straight into the power zone. Anything over about 15mph and it goes straight up - and keeps going, quite alarming when your 17 stone!

I think its main problem for a novice like myself is its unforgiving nature, take it too far across the window and it overflies, luffs then reinflates with vitriolic and spiteful joy right in the middle of the power zone; fly it to the top of the window and it sneaks behind you, luffs then reinflates etc.

The fact is that over the last month I've come to think of the blade as an animate entity with a pronounced sense of humour, not outright malevolent but definitely with a cruel streak. There have been times when I wished I'd gone for the "soft" option of a Beamer or Pepper. There have been other times when I've been surprised at how much pull it has in virtually no wind at all. There have been yet other times when I've whooped with the sheer joy of having my arms nearly ripped out of their sockets (only prevented by the handles being ripped out of my screaming fingers- thank you kite killers).

So is it a good secondhand buy? Well yes, of course: the build quality is superb and unless it's been driven by a complete idiot (check for blood stains) it's virtually bomb-proof.

And finally, is it suitable for beginners? Hmm that's a more difficult question to answer. On the one hand, on paper definitely not. It's very frustrating, tricky to fly, and like a hornet's nest on a hot day, very quick to sting you all over.

On the other hand, you didn't take up power kiting to stand and watch the pretty kite fluttering at the end of its string, did you? Even though it bites you, spanks you and generally abuses you, I guarantee you'll be coming back for more. If it wore black, studded leather and high-heeled thigh length boots, you'd probably even pay it!

And just like the s&m analogy, make sure you have agreed a "safe" word for when it takes you too far, in fact try two - KITE KILLERS!

By : mikeymustard