Postby Ittiandro » Sun Dec 03, 2017 11:35 pm
Hi
I assume somebody of Kitemare will read my post, because a couple of answers to Snowkitejoe seem to come from Kitemare people.
My questions are addressed to them bu also to anybody who knows about these kites.
I am in Montreal, Canada. I wonder if there is any dealer in Quebec, but maybe you can answer my questions. It may speed up my decision, because I may start using the kite on the snow in a few weeks..
I am considering one of the HQ Hydra trainer kites, ( the Hydra 300 or 350) but before buying, I’d like to see one or at least have some feedback on this Forum.
I have questions and mixed feelings. I know German products are reliable , but I wouldn’t want to buy a top quality..toy, as the word “ trainer” can easily be interpreted in this sense ( thanks for being frank, anyway, Kitemare!) .
The following questions arise in my mind:
1. Somebody in this thread , an instructor, says that he always mentions the caveats of these kites to students or potential buyers .
I don’t know if he means the usual safety caveats or if he means that , for the price, the buyer should expect some serious limitations in performance, as compared to top-of-the-range and more expensive kites. If I were to pay $ 500 for a Hydra kite kite instead of $ 1000 or $ 1500 , I would still have wasted my money if all I get is a..toy, good to play on the beach, but with little or no lift to kite around seriously.
Bottom line, how do these kites compare in terms of lift and speed to other more expensive kites?
2. If the amount of air in the cells cannot be controlled with a pump and depends on the “ natural” air flow into the kite as it flies, isn’t there a danger that the kite may remain under-inflated and become too floppy, with little lift, like a rag..?
After all, if the vents are open enough to let air in, they may be also open enough to let it escape ...In other words , there would never be a full air flow getting in and air would always escape.., unless there is a way to control the outflow ...
This is what may have happened with Snowkitejoe above . He probably got carried away when he vented out his bile after using the Montana and Hydra kites, but as usual truth is not always on one side…Maybe he did set it up wrongly, but maybe it was also the kite itself for the reason mentioned above.
3 The manual says that the kite will hold the air for" SOME TIME(?)" . This worries me. I’m a beginner and the kite will be in the water quite often. It would be annoying, if not dangerous, if it deflated on the water and I cannot re-launch it.
4 Can ( or should) it be used with a harness? I windsurf and I know that a harness is less tiring for the arms, probably even with a kite. I can certainly easily install a harness line on the control bar, but I want to make sure that it is safe.
5 By the way, some people use kites with windsurfing boards or even SUP’s in light winds . Do you recommend it from the safety standpoint?
6 Size: here in the Montreal ( Canada) region winds are usually low in the summer( about 10-15 knts most of the time) . Which one of the 3 sizes do you suggest, considering I weigh 185 lbs? The 2.6 m2 may be too small for light winds. I would love the 4.2 m2 for more traction in low winds, but may be it is too powerful in 15 knts or more.
Perhaps the 3.4 is a good choice. By the way I may be using it also as a snow kite in the winter. Which size do you recommend, overall?
7. How long are the lines? I want to have an idea how high it can go up as compared to other kites, because I think there is a correlationbetween the height and the wind power, which maybe an asset with a small kite in low winds, but a liability in a large kite in strong winds.
Please try to answer ALL the questions point by point. THey are important to me. If I have the least doubt, I won't be comfortable in buying the kite.
Thanks
Ittiandro