More kite advice for buggy work

[Clive]

Sorry if I'm hogging the forum, but the advice I have had so far has been terrific.

Very happy with the result of my last enquiry, I bought Crookeds 5 m samurai 2, had it out for a day and it gets the big thumbs up.

My next purchase needs to be a little larger, my big kite is a 6.5 m method, which I'm very happy with, but once wind is below 7 knots it hasn't got the beans to pull you along..... So what I need is a kite to work between say 3 and 7 knots, Im presuming 8 meterish, but having never used that big I'm needing advice.

Ideally something not too lifty or racey, I did look at jamponys 8.5 m blade but am concerned it will want to give me a hiding (???) given it's a jumpy type of kite.

Had wondered about a large century II. At this point I want to stay with handles.

Open to suggestions, and if you have that good quality kite gathering dust.... Who knows . Will purchase a new one if needed.

Once again thanks

Clive

[BGKD]

When the wind drops below 7 knots then its time to look for something else to do

Personally Id suggest giving the larger kite a miss for now, if anything Id say you need a smaller kite circa 3m range, your quiver looks a little top heavy, and you don't really have an option for high wind days or a get me home option when you are a couple of Km from your car and the wind picks up.

[Jonesy]

Hi Clive

I have to agree with the above comment but if you are really set on low wind riding with handles then I would recommend a large race kite (10 m or so), there was a guy trying to sell a 17m Yakuza some time ago, that would allow you to have some real fun in low winds depending on your flying experiance ( it would be one hell of a beast to handle if hit by a gust of wind).

[BGKD]

Talk about big race kites with a guy who has little more than 2 months experience is a bad idea.

The last inexperienced buggy pilot on this forum who bought a race kite despite having very little experience ended up posting pictures of badly grazed arms after getting dragged face first across a salt lake within a week of owning the kite!

The difference between having quiver of large kites vs a quiver of small kites is the difference between sitting on a beach drinking beer with your mates on a low wind day because you don't have a BIG kite, and lying on a hospital bed on intravenous pain killers because you didn't have a kite small enough on a windy day..... trust me, I've done both, and Ill take no wind and beer anyday! (just make sure you don't have to dive home afterwards)

clive, we all bin there, rocking up to the beach and being frustrated because you cant fly your biggest kite is frustrating, but on the other hand... Id also suggest that you are probably not getting the most out of your kites yet, and maybe you should persevere in trying to get a little more performance out of your exiting 6.5m kite

[JKS]

Big race kite I also reckon thats a bad idea

Get yourself wired into what kites you have ... don't go too crazy buying new ones yet. Your best bet is hooking up with the local crew and do a little bit 'swap and go' ... assuming you have access to a local crew

[Clive]

Thanks for the quick replies, I have currently a 2.2 and 6.5 method, 4 m flow and the 5 m samurai. ..... Funny thing, when I started this I thought the 4 m flow would do everything I needed.. BIG learning curve, but getting there.

I know I'm jumping in the deep end, and yes some more kites in the 3 m range would be good,

I've got a thing for doing thIs long run on the 90 mile beach. I reckon it's a fairly easy task, ( beginners ignorance perhaps but I've got out options every 20 k, if I bail out so be it) , I just didn't want to find myself half way and the wind dropping just that bit low, as I've been in that situation before, so I was just looking for that fill in option. That is the main thrust of my desire to purchase.

Race kites are out, I did see that nasty arm scraping thread not so long ago, advice taken on that one.

Lifty kites scare me at the moment, I've been lifted out by the beginners kites, and thats not an experience I wish to repeat too often ( I did get hurt on that one) but it was huge winds and I was unaware just how fast a small kite reacted..NOW I DO KNOW

Yes a little impatient I know...... But gees you should have seen this beautiful long wide empty beach...... It's calling me.

I'm taking the speed thing slowly at the moment, I got my 50+ k which I was chuffed about, but i have no great desire to overpower and do great speeds until I have more competent skills. So will be content with that one for a while, if anything I would do this long trip underpowered for safety reasons.

The local buggy scene on my side of town ??? As far as I know.... I'm it. Have met John H and Mick on 13 th, but the wind died on the beach so all I did was talk. So far all my buggying has been done solo, bar when I've let a couple of friends have a quick play.

Will give it all some more thought for now.

[Guest]

8.5 C Quad. Not every ones favourite but I have ridden past flags hanging limp on a pole with mine. The 10 and 12 pull a buggy in even less but the 8.5 handles properly and does loops and all. There must be a very cheap one 2nd hand somewhere. If you can get over the big bag and the small set up time the 8.5 is a brilliant light wind kite.

[Oooo]

Hey Clive welcome , like the others have said don't ya just love the addiction that is kiting !!!! but yes mate small steps first this beach sounds the bom for sure but if you want to kill it already with just the little experience you have that's kewl ! Some more time learning would be better and you would have more fun for sure now don't get me wrong I'm not saying don't and you are doing the right thing by asking lots don't and get in trouble or hurt , as a dedicated addict to kiting myself some times it's hard to hold back a little to make it safer or find someone to come along for the ride if I could I would love to do it myself with you and as far as kites go ANY kite can spank ya as you found out its all about knowing WHEN to fly said size kite an small kites kick ass faster than the big ones both my big OBE's have been on small (under 4m2) kites I have a 7.2 m combat race and it's an awesome kite for lightish wind but is a monster when it picks up I'd never fly it if it was over 6 Knts once upon a time now I've flowen it in 14knts and man scary but awesome all at once I'm not saying thats what you want or need but just to give you an insight into what can happen with time and a little more experience WE all started outlike you some of us were lucky enough to have others round to help and then there are those that don't and progression is a bit slower but hey go hard on it and best of luck you lucky buggar to have that so close

Regards mick

[Clive]

Thanks wolf, fatty. General consensus is practice some more first, and maybee get a smaller kite.

Plenty of shorter beaches to explore around here,..... There's woolami, kilkunda, Portsea back beach, cape coastal park, sandy point, sections of the 90 mile... All vacant beaches.

Ive got much better choices than the western side of town, where it's surfers galore.

I probably need someone to ride with to move to the next level, vie watched just about every YouTube video on buggying.

There are a couple of meets down at sandy point each year so there is an opportunity somewhere.

[andy666]

I agree with what others have said, that a big kite in the hands of someone starting out can be dangerous, but if you are set on getting a big kite for low winds then you are going to do it.

Have you considered the hq toxic? not so much of a race kite, so in low winds it wont bowtie and fall out of the sky as easily, but still looks like it has some decent speed to it.