Flexifoil Super 10

Well I bought this kite as I wanted to get into power kiting, which is a sport that uses powerful kites for jumping, traction, skidding, and surfing. This kite was on offer at £90 when I purchased it 6 months ago, but these offers have been around recently. They come in a large selection of colours but in offers they usually only have a few colours to choose from. Mine is in fluorescent yellow. The wingspan is about 10 foot, hence the name super 10.

The kite is provided in a fairly strong zipped fabric sleeve, which is about 1/3 of the kite's wingspan. The carbon wingspar is made of 3 rods which are connected using 2 brass connectors. The kite itself is made of chikira ripstop nylon which seems very light for its strength. The spar then needs to be threaded through one of the wingtip through to the other end. This is a very simple task that even children can carry out. The instructions are good at describing the steps. The 2 lines are made of dyneema and seem to be pre-stretched well as I haven't needed to make any adjustments to length. Again the instructions are good at showing the placement and type of knots required, 4 will need to be made in total. The padded handles are red and blue and are colour coded along with the lines to make set-up easier. The plastic line winder makes keeping the lines tangle free when packing away a doddle.
Note: The kite comes wrapped around a length of cardboard, do not dispose of this as it is very useful to wrap the kite around for repacking after use.

Well with the wind on my back at 8mph+ this kite flew for the first time. Self-launching is easy if your have nobody to assist you, provided the grass isn't too wet. Make sure you fill the kite with air beforehand though and make sure it is the right shape - similar to an aircraft wing. On launch it shoots straight up, faster if the wind is stronger. Steering is more responsive in stronger winds. In weak winds you are just flying it but in strong winds 20mph+ you are fighting it. I have recently flown it in 35mph+ winds and its a great substitute for the gym for the upper body. After 1 hour everything was aching, especially the hands. In strong winds you will also get skids in if you drop it into the power-zone directly in front of you. I haven't managed to get much height from jumps (maybe 1ft), though it depends on your weight and wind-speed, I'm 68kg. In gusts you may find the kite overpowering, in which case don't let go of both handles, just one, this will kill the power but not let it blow away. The instructions tell you all about the power-zone and wind-window so you'll be an expert in no time. This kite is also good for older children in weaker winds, friends who want to try power kiting, or those days the wind is just too strong for anything bigger.

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