I need motivation after a year of frustration trying to learn this sport. Had 2 lessons nearly a year ago was just getting on the board by the end of the 2nd lesson. Since then every weekend I've tried to get out there's either been not enough wind, too much wind or when there was the right wind have blown the bladder on my LF sprectrum II 12m at least 6 times and gone through 3 bladders now . Also missed some weekends after slicing my foot open on an oyster one of the 2 times I managed to get the kite up without bursting the fuggen bladder. The other time my waist harness was riding up so much it was painful, exhausting and a little scary.

So that's my sob story now I'm thinking I'll give it one more shot but looking for advice.

Should I buy a seat harness?
sell the Spectrum II with a busted bladder for a couple hundred?
buy a Peter Lynn Venom or Venom II?
new or 2nd hand?
13m or 16m? ( I'm 85 kgs in Brisbane )
go back to windsurfing?

I could afford a new PL but after my experiences I'm kinda reluctanct to fork out 1500 bucks or so unless I'm confident it's gonna be worth it. And with only a couple of months of the season left would I be better off waiting til spring anyway then having another crack?

AK

as a keen PL Venom 13 (mark 1) flier, I'd say go for it. They are great kites to fly, heaps of depower, take a bucket load of punishment in the first season or two & are heaps easy to fly. On top of that, they are easy to launch & land. Can't comment on Mk 1 v Mk 2 but.

Bro, Its Worth it!

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Originally posted by DaveSpruce
Sell you busted one, or repair it but DON'T BUY A FOIL.

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Dave,


Why that?
You've got a LEI and love it?
I've got a foil and love it!
We both have lots of fun on the water.

That's sounds very similar to me.

See you on the water!

Fred

quote:

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Originally posted by AK47

I need motivation after a year of frustration trying to learn this sport. Had 2 lessons nearly a year ago was just getting on the board by the end of the 2nd lesson. Since then every weekend I've tried to get out there's either been not enough wind, too much wind or when there was the right wind have blown the bladder on my LF sprectrum II 12m at least 6 times and gone through 3 bladders now . Also missed some weekends after slicing my foot open on an oyster one of the 2 times I managed to get the kite up without bursting the fuggen bladder. The other time my waist harness was riding up so much it was painful, exhausting and a little scary.




oops.

try this... give it a go for6 months then come back and try and write "is it worth it"
So that's my sob story now I'm thinking I'll give it one more shot but looking for advice.

Should I buy a seat harness?
sell the Spectrum II with a busted bladder for a couple hundred?
buy a Peter Lynn Venom or Venom II?
new or 2nd hand?
13m or 16m? ( I'm 85 kgs in Brisbane )
go back to windsurfing?

I could afford a new PL but after my experiences I'm kinda reluctanct to fork out 1500 bucks or so unless I'm confident it's gonna be worth it. And with only a couple of months of the season left would I be better off waiting til spring anyway then having another crack?

AK

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quote:

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Originally posted by flemboyant

ps. dont try and write on a forum at 2 am drunk... it doesnt work... trust me

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Instructional Dvds are the answer.
watch them then when your finished rewind em (showing my age!) and watch them again.

Yes it is worth it! From a personal point of view I find the Peter Lynn kites easier to use and more forgiving than LEI and the auto zenith is great. No pumps and will most likely last longer than LEI. Sure both types of kites work (obviously) and I just don't understand the rivalry between LEI and foils. Foils have been around alot longer and if you notice the new LEI flat kites have a shape more like a foil anyway . A seat harness is good as it gives better back support and won't pull your lower half of your body from your top half if you get dragged. I often see many riders pushing their waist harness down as it rides up towards the arm pits. Don't you use a seat harness for windsurfing? Ankle rubber booties can save your feet from getting cut up depending where you are kiting.Try before you buy with the kites. Get a demo of a Peter Lynn if you can. Put windsurfing on the back burner, you can always do it again if you feel like it. Perservere and choose conditions you feel comfortable in. Happy kiting .

Hi Andrew

Sounds like the bladder wasnt repaired properly? Did you patch it up yourself or had it professionally repaired? Bring it to us and we will check it out mate. We are at Sandgate Beach both days this weekend.

A refresh lesson with the right size kite in the right wind condition (kiteschool should have a full range to suit will recharge your adrenalin. We also have both seat and waist harness for you to try out on water so you can decide which is more comfy for yourself. Look on the water you will see both. A good fit waist harness should not ride up. If you take a lesson with us, you can also try out the latest bow or hybrid kites which are a lot more forgiving and easier to ride. We have 3 instructors running lessons 7 days a week so just give us a call if you would like one arranged.

Padi

quote:

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Originally posted by AK47

I need motivation after a year of frustration trying to learn this sport. Had 2 lessons nearly a year ago was just getting on the board by the end of the 2nd lesson. Since then every weekend I've tried to get out there's either been not enough wind, too much wind or when there was the right wind have blown the bladder on my LF sprectrum II 12m at least 6 times and gone through 3 bladders now . Also missed some weekends after slicing my foot open on an oyster one of the 2 times I managed to get the kite up without bursting the fuggen bladder. The other time my waist harness was riding up so much it was painful, exhausting and a little scary.

So that's my sob story now I'm thinking I'll give it one more shot but looking for advice.

Should I buy a seat harness?
sell the Spectrum II with a busted bladder for a couple hundred?
buy a Peter Lynn Venom or Venom II?
new or 2nd hand?
13m or 16m? ( I'm 85 kgs in Brisbane )
go back to windsurfing?

I could afford a new PL but after my experiences I'm kinda reluctanct to fork out 1500 bucks or so unless I'm confident it's gonna be worth it. And with only a couple of months of the season left would I be better off waiting til spring anyway then having another crack?

AK

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quote:

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Originally posted by supra

If you've got a bit of a gut(as I do)then you have to wear a seat harness- the waists only work if you have a chest to stop it working up- that means young or skinny blokes. I had a hell of a time learning with a waist- went to a seat and instant improvement. Also going to Waroos improved my skills quickly - they are so good and yet easy to use, if a little light on the fabric. Haven't had any bladder problems though and I pump them up real hard.

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I agree with everything else, but the 07 Waroo is anything but "a little light on the fabric"... they're built as tough, or tougher, than anything else currently on offer. (The 06, on the other hand, is a different story. But, if you can get a cheap one, they're still a great kite to advance on.)

...it is worth it.

quote:

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Originally posted by supra

If you've got a bit of a gut(as I do)then you have to wear a seat harness- the waists only work if you have a chest to stop it working up- that means young or skinny blokes. I had a hell of a time learning with a waist- went to a seat and instant improvement. Also going to Waroos improved my skills quickly - they are so good and yet easy to use, if a little light on the fabric. Haven't had any bladder problems though and I pump them up real hard.

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A waist harness only works if you got a chest to stop it working up?!? What are you talking about??? It's called a waist harness for a reason. It goes around your waist? If you've had a waist harness that wants to work its way up, becoming a necklace, then you've worn a crap waist harness and/or too big. Simple as that..

Neil: I'm not an idiot. You don't know me so please don't make assumptions. As for foil kites. True. I have never flown one, and I don't want to either. But, can you please tell me why I've only seen about 20 foilkites throughout my years, kiting in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Spain, and now Australia (not seen one here in Australia). Please.. enlighten me

AK....first up...welcome to kiting...DEFINATELY STICK WITH IT !!!!!

A lot of us are ex-windsurfers...very few(if any)go back coz its just too good and you'll never ever get it completely sussed. Always something new to learn and challenge you...thereby accelerating your addiction to the sport.

Guys like Steve and Lach have been in the sport since day dot, have sold and ridden hundreds of different C kites,bows and PL's. Dave Spruce,on the other hand, has not been here long and must not travel within OZ to make such narrow observations.Be careful who you listen to AK.

I have bought C's,Bows and PL's over the last 6 years from both Lach and Steve (Andy as well)and travel the country each week as flight crew,kiting pretty much everywhere. A few unbiased (i hope)observations.I dont work for a shop and have owned 7 different kite brands.

1)Every city has its local fave brands.Sure you'll see all the brands but there is always an abundance of 1 or 2 brands due to the fact that the importer or major retailer of that brand is a local. People buy what they learn on for their first brand generally. Adelaide and Newcastle would be the biggest hubs for PL, Perth for Airush etc.Do your homework and don't be conned by local bias.Beware those shop assistants that only ride one brand and call everything else crap...a lot of fairly experienced riders have been burnt.

2)C kites:
PROS:short bar travel,less trimming before unhooking,no pulleys,5th line safety unhooked, constant steady pull unhooked...EXCELLENT for wakestyle. OK at surf and freeride.
CONS:less gust response/depower/wind range due to smaller range of angle of attack (AoA) (angle of incidence)due short bar travel.Smaller projected area for same size kite with less max AoA= less hang time. Slightly more complex relaunch method.If I was a wake freak this would be the one.

3) BOWS:
PROS:exactly the opposite of C's
CONS:exactly the opposite of C's
EXCELLENT at surf and freeride.....Not really suited to unhooked/wake.

4) Hybrids: Have only ridden 2 hybrid brands so far and will change to these next quiver. The 07 range is truly bringing out the best that both C's and Bows have to offer without too many cons at all.

5)Peter Lynns: the venom is lower aspect and relaunches fine...its a different method but it works fine.You won't get to practise much because they auto zenith to the top if you drop the bar and dont luff and invert if flown properly. No pumps.Low internal pressure so they last forever and hold their value well. Very quick to set up /pack up. Big floaty jumps...same height but less rate of descent.
Very very very light bar feel.IMO more suited to freeride and surf.

6)Flysurfer....I haven't flown them since the Psycho 1 about 3 years ago so cannot offer educated comments on the latest kites but I can still say that jumps on these things are FRIGGIN SCARY BIG..you dont
drop down...you just glide off somewhere so dont do it close to land.
From a design perspective these are as close to an aircraft wing(complete with trailing edge flaps) as you can get in any kite period.

Try to imagine what sort of riding you want to become better at over the next 18 months....shredding waves, freeride(massive jumps,rolls,spins,transitions....the old school stuff that crowds love to watch) or unhooked new school stuff that blows kiters's minds.Target the right style of kite first then do your homework on the brand features....culling your choices down in the huge second hand market. 18 months down the track you'll be ready to re-assess.
Instructional DVD's are a must.

Waist harness will transfer load to your lower back and lower rib cage...for me (44 yo) a really sore lower back and a broken rib once.Seat will transfer load into your pelvis which is good but bar is further from he shoulders and leg movement in board grabs is a little restricted. I didn't have a choice but you probably do....borrow a mates and try them both.

After 6 years I know that no matter how much you kite you will never get to be excellent at any style because the highest standard keeps improving, but something that you cannot control makes you get up every morning and keep trying harder anyway. The addiction sets in.

DONT GIVE UP AK
Hope this helps a little.
Cheers
Tezza

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Originally posted by DaveSpruce

Neil: I'm not an idiot. You don't know me so please don't make assumptions.

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So don't post stuff that makes you *look* like an idiot then. Your quote about seat harnesses says it all. They look geeky? Who gives a rat's bollocks what they *look* like, as long as they work for you??