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Originally Posted by Big Pappa
I took my first lesson last friday. I was only able to learn to fly the kite, the wind died out so I was not able to get in the water. I flew a 3m and a 4m and I was just about to launch a 9m Cabrinha Access when the wind died. I will not be getting back anywhere close to a school again until next summer. I am thinking about getting a trainer to fly and get better at flying the kite until then.
I have been looking at the Blade III in a 4-5m range. What do you guys think. Should I be looking for a different type of kite? The reason I am looking at this size is because here In Birmingham Al the wind is not all that strong and I weigh around 230 lb.
Any help would be great.  |
Sorry to hear the wind died out, weather dependent sports!
Anyway, the Blade III is a good ram air kite, I bought a Blade II 6.4 m for snow kiteboarding a while back. Still, it is a fairly expensive option for a trainer (foil), kite. The idea behind the trainer foil kites is to hone kite handling skills to make them more second nature. Kite power generally doesn't come into consideration for foil trainers. The foil trainers are quite light and need little wind to fly as a rule. You should be able to find a new trainer for around $100.
I wouldn't recommend a Blade III for a beginner water traction kite say for body dragging for a couple of reasons. A big one is that there are no ram intake valves. If you drop it on the water particularly if you are new, that is where it is likely to stay. Secondly, at 230 lbs. you would need a substantially larger foil than 4 to 5 m for body dragging particularly in lighter winds.
Is there any possibility of your doing a road trip to a school, say in the Florida Panhandle, St. Aug. or even Corpus Christi for some more lessons?