Bartman's Kite Adventures

Bart try not to get discouraged with short lines to quickly, In time what I found the best about flying with 50' lines which is mostly what I do is when I got on the 120's I was like super kiter.

Short lines mean quicker reaction time learning to control on shorter lines will dramatically improve your performance on longer ones, One thing I can say is you need to get the basics down on the 85's before attempting shorties or it can be aggravating.

Don't give up brother baby steps and practice we all don't fly like the top guys out of the box or even a few months later. It takes time and patience best way I learned how to do things with a rev is get some music playing and just goof around things happen when you're not trying

I must, must, must get a set of shorter lines set up. I like flying on 120ft in no wind conditions (catching thermals etc) but really ought to do some short line stuff.

I guess the problem then is my sloppy flying on 100 foot lines becomes just plain ugly on 50 foot lines! I do realize the control will be tighter and less room for over control. In all fairness to the short lines I was more comfortable with them at the end. I was trying to slide and I could keep it going longer between flipping a wing.

I must, must, must get a set of shorter lines set up. I like flying on 120ft in no wind conditions (catching thermals etc) but really ought to do some short line stuff.

I know what you mean with that Felix, I to enjoy ultralight (1-3mph) flying the B-Series standard on 120's the kite gets all floaty and at most times your using the weight and momentum of the lines themselves to steer the kite as opposed to actual handle control.

The power blast 2-4 is to me at its most fun in the 1-3 mph range on 120' x 150# lines again the ballast of the lines alone make that kite almost float on its own. Yet you can lock it in at that wind speed and have the kite pull you fwd Rev's are amazing once one understands how they work.

Bart, I had my first go on short lines today (30') and Hoo Ahhh! What a trip that was! The first few minutes were a crazy disaster, but then I started to settle into a groove with them. I'm still working on inverted hovers and while I couldn't get them down just yet, the short lines were a help for sure! I think once you get over the initial shock of the short lines... they seem to have great potential. Definitely don't give up on your 50s! Also, I don't know if you have them, but long handles are a huge help with short lines and light winds.

I made my first set of short lines (20') to learn the toss-launch. Short lines don't seem to be such a problem with the Rev as with other sport kites. Since you control the speed of the kite, you can keep it where you want it, unlike a two-line that has to keep moving fast. Even 50' seems short on a 10' Flexifoil in 25 mph winds. You NEVER get a rest. I think I could work 10s or even 6s with a Rev. You would have to keep your hands really close together to prevent slight wind-direction changes from throwing the kite out of control.