Well I was recently at Orewa a few weekends ago and the wind was blowing in excess of 30kms and I thought I might as well invest in a small kite for higher wind conditions.

So I popped into the "friendly" kiteshop at Orewa. I explained to the owner that I currently owned a 4.9 meter Felixfoil Blade and that I found it to be a bit too overpowering in winds over 30k's. He then pointed me to the "Best" 3 m trainer kite. He explained that it was perfect for landboard kiting in winds above 30kms and generated huges amount of pull.

So I went to the beach and tried it in 35kph winds. For starters it did NOT generate enough pull for a guy my size. It bobs and weaves like a stunt kite and does not hang in the wind window like my blade and it even says on the kite that it is rated to 27 kph winds max.

Our dear shop owner refused to give me a refund even though I pointed out that his information was false and misleading.

This kite is fine as a trainer and teaches you the skills to get into powerkiting but its not ideal for anyone in excess of 80 kg for land based kiting sports.

I basically wasted my money on this kite. Anyone else had any experience with this kite?

I have a 2-line best trainer kite, (purchase direct from Best, not from Lee), and I have no issues landboarding in winds as low as 12 knots, (22kph), and I am over 100kgs. My Best trainer has a ton of pull when flown aggressively and will sit very nicely at the top of the wind window.

In fact it is the kite I learnt to fly with, and it comes out from time to time for friends to use or when the wind goes above 5 knots. I even took it with me to Africa and used it in the blustery Saharan winds...

BTW... 30kph is hardly howling, (16 knots), but it should be enoughg to get you moving.

Thanks Spiglord for your views on the kite.

I am just pissed because I intended to use it for 30 k + winds and get close to the speeds the blades pulls me at in 25 kph. Quite often at murawai it gets up to 40 - 45 kph winds and I cant really do much with the blade as I risk damaging it. (I have already snapped several bridal lines in the past using it in those conditions).

I contacted best direct and they even said that damage would be caused to trainner kite if I use it in winds above 16knots.

Obviously the shop owner is an arrrse. don't ever buy anything off him again.
By the way you are intitled to a refund as per the consumer gurantees act if you have been given misleading info the lead to the purchase. in this case i believe he has mislead you as a 3meter kite isn't gona be much chop at 16 knots unless you in a buggy.

i have used a the best trainer in around 20+ knots in which it had plenty of power. however its a cheezy 2 liner and very annoying to re-launch if you crash it.

after a little practice you should be able to hold your blade to higher that 16 knots.

look for a smaller 4 line foil like a pepper or reactor.

ps i really like my 10m venom as a higher wind kite. look at depower!!1 come to the dark side.


pss sell it on trademe newbies pay big $$ for trainer kites as they don't know the true buy price. one of my mates sold his best trainer that was 3 years old for around $250.

i used a best trainer for 3 years, 2 on a kitedeck and one on a buggy, even baught a second one, and 15 knots or 30kmph is fine, you just need to work the kite. top speed on a board was 40 kmph and in a buggy 60.2 kmph , if you already had a blade 4.9 i would have got a rage or blurr 3m , but instead of 300 bucks you would be talking about 1k so i guess value for money wise you are sweet. Flexi Blurr 3.5 is my reccomendation as the next step down in wind range from the 4.9 blade.

Those best trainers go for 220 on trade me so if your truly fed up you blew 80 bucks, however i dont think you have found the sweet spot for the little best yet, its still the longest i have ever owned a kite i must have done 1000km with that (i have a gps so im not joking)

Yeah I don't plan to buy off him ever again. Informed him that he is breaching the Fair Trading act but he doesn't seem to care about what he says to sell products or keeping customers satisfied. I will try and sell it on trade me otherwise take him to the disputes tribunal on sheer principle!

I know what you mean about re-launch with it too. Can't beat 4 liners when you come to reverse re-launch too ..... simply tug on the too brake lines and your up and away in a blink.

Shoot ..... I was looking at a 3 meter pepper online before I was talked into buying the best 2 line trainer on the day. Oh well live and learn I guess.

The venom's look like great kite's. I have seen heaps of footage of them being used on youtube for traction and snow kiting.

community.flexifoil.com/

reviews here, the blurr is basically brand new to the market, the blade 4 is 2-3 years old now , the blurr is better for handling gusts and the 3.5m is the next step down from 4.9 so put the two together and you have a winner. the only blurr i have seen here so far is the 5.0m blurr at kiteworks.co.nz , unfortunatly last time we went out it was 30-40 knots and the 5m came out but didnt go up. a perfect day for a 2m kite though !! on chap flew a rage 3.5 on that day and a yakuza 3.4 (in a buggy) to give you an idea of what can be done with a 3.5. when i get a go with the 5m ill let you know, but i have flown a 6.5 B4 4.9B4 3.5 rage and loved them, the blurr is already taking over Blade 4 quivers oseas.. it would be a shame to invest in the wrong kite again, try to get a demo of a blurr .

Thanks jimmy for the heads up I will look into it. I have really enjoyed the flexifoil so far, so maybe I should stick with that brand

Great to get feedback off everyone.

bugger! sad to hear bout your dealings with lee, ive had nothing but good stuff with him.

i think if your landing boarding you should get a depower kite, ive had my 9m phanton in in 30kt and it was to to small to lift me unless i made it (im 76 kg)

a small kite like the best will fly so fast in that wind it make it very hard to kgb with, ok for buggies but.

depower kite are the way to go with landboarding once your passed the first leaning stage, get a 10-12m peter lynn 16m if you want air time check their web site for specs. , or a 8-10m ram-air type kite

yes
" come to the dark side damienvdv"
its only a matter of time and you not be able to resist!!!
hehe.

for me the real landboarding fun started when i stepped into depower.
i have a 10m frenzy for winds under 18knots and 10m venom for winds from 16 to 30knots.

i'm looking at an even bigger depower for sub 10knots..... oooh yeah.

mr psi is correct the 3m best will be a pain to fly in real high winds it'l zip around like box of squirrels. and if it hauls you into the air it will drop you real quick. ouch. far better to hauled into the air and float down real nice on a big floaty depower.

Yeah I am keen to look into the depower option. What sort of dosh would I be looking at for something new and secondhand? What size would be the best seeing I already have a blade 4.9 m?

you can get a real cheap lei (pump up kite) for a couple of hunge. but i wouldn't recomend it for land.

you want to look for a foil like my frenzy. they don't pop up much but your probably looking at $750 for a near new year old one or $400 to500 for one a couple of years old or more.

arc's are worth a look to they are real nice kites to fly. you can pick these up between 200 and 600 depending on the model.

Arc's are a real pain to launch and land compared to a foil but they do have wonderful gust absorbing skills.

You should come to the moose meet in october. there should be dudes with a range of kites you can try.

If you want something to sit above your blade in wind range then maybe a 10m venom or geurilla.

truthfully once you step into depower you will probably want to sell the blade for a light wind depower.

Go for a bigger Blade, they love light wind......