How to Choose a Trainer Kite
Alright, now on to the big question. By far, I get asked this question more than any other. Which size kite is for me? To answer this question, we will use a scale from 1 to 5. Our starting point is dead center on the number 3. To move the number up or down, let’s look at the four elements that go into picking which kite is right for you. When we are done, where ever the number ends up will give you a good idea of what size kite you need. The four factors that will help us out are:
- Wind conditions
- Your skill level/fitness
- Your size
- What you plan on doing with your trainer kite
The end result of answering these questions is that you should have a pretty good idea about which size is going to best suit your purposes. There is one catch. This is only a generalization and each person is different. This will only guide you in your choice.
Wind Conditions
Wind conditions are the biggest factor in choosing which kite is for you. Generally speaking, if you live in a location that has heavy winds, you can go with a smaller kite. The opposite is true as well. If you have small winds, the only way that you are going to get sufficient pull will be with a larger kite.
Here is an example. Near my house, I have a park that gives me a good place to fly my kite. Let’s say that the regular winds in this park blow around 5 to 10 miles per hour. These are pretty light winds. If I want any pull at all out of my kite, I have to use a large size. In this case, I use a HQ Rush III Pro 350. On days when the wind picks up a bit (let’s say around 15 to 20 miles per hour) the HQ Rush III 350 will generate a great deal of pull. In this case, the better kite may be something more along the lines of a HQ Rush III Pro 250.
The underlying idea here is pretty straightforward: Bigger winds = Smaller kite. Smaller Winds = Bigger kite.
For the sake of your scale, if you will usually be in light winds (less than 10 miles per hour), add 1 to your number. If you are in heavy winds (15+ miles per hour) subtract 1 from your number. If you are in moderate winds (10 to 15 miles per hour) keep your number where it is.
Your Skill Level / Fitness
Put simply, a larger kite is going to take more upper body strength and stamina to control than a smaller kite. This factor is more of a safety precaution than anything else. As the size of the kite increase, so does the strength that you need to keep thing under control. If you are a water skier or a wake boarder, you know that it take a tremendous amount of effort to get out of the water. Once you are up, the amount of effort that it takes to keep going is much less. Imagine a kite as your boat. When flying a trainer kite, you are staying in one place and you never reach the point where you are just going. You always have that same pull.
If you are active, add one. If you are kind of active, do nothing. If you get winded going to the fridge, subtract one.
Your Size
When deciding on your kite, size makes a huge difference (pun intended). If you use a kite that is too small for you, you will not get the challenge that you need to learn control. It would be kind of like training to race NASCAR in a go-kart. Sure, you will learn the technical aspects, but you don’t get the full package. On the other side of the coin, if you train using a kite that is too large for you, you will risk losing control of your kite and injuring yourself and others. Not only that, but you just won’t have any fun. For example, I would be crazy to allow my 4 year old son to fly my HQ Rush III Pro 350, but he can fly my Symphony 1.2 all day (he crashes the kite a lot, but he stays where he is standing).
Size is probably the trickiest element to rate. If you weigh 150 pounds do nothing with your number. For every 50 pounds above 150 add 1. For every 50 pounds below 150 subtract 1.
What Do You Plan On Doing with Your Trainer Kite
This factor takes everything we’ve done so far and throws it all out of whack. One thing that I hear quite often is this, “I want a kite that can pull me on the ground, but I also want my wife to use it to just fly for fun.” This doesn’t work. EVER! The purpose that you intend on using your kite for is going to decide how big it needs to be. This is important! A kite that you try to use for two opposite purposes will not work well for either use. The same kite should not be used to pull a 200 pound guy around on the ground and “just for fun” for a 120 pound lady. Everything else being equal (wind, kite size, etc.) the kite will not pull less just because someone else is holding it.
If you plan on using your trainer kite as a traction kite, it will need to be a little bit larger. The surface that you are being pulled on will make a big difference. In order of least amount of pull necessary to most amount of pull necessary here is how the surface that you plan to be on will affect you scale:
Blades on ice: -1
Wheels on hard ground (skateboards): -0
Wheels on soft ground (ATB): +1
Skis or Snowboard on packed Snow: +2
Skis or Snowboard on Soft Snow: +3
Add It All Up
Once you have your number compare it to this scale:
| Final Number | Kite Size |
| Less than 1 | 1 meter |
| 1 | 1.5 meters |
| 2 | 2.0 meters |
| 3 | 2.5 meters |
| 4 | 3.0 meters |
| 5 | 3.5 meters |
| 6+ | You need more than a trainer |
With these numbers here is an example:
Start at 3.
I fly my kite in moderate winds: +0
I am very active +1
I weigh 200 pounds: +1
I fly my trainer kite as a trainer kite: +0
My total: 5 – I should use a 3.5 meter trainer kite.
Notes
This is just a generalization to get you started. The average person will end up with a 2.5 or 3 meter kite. With that being said, there are two schools of thought when it comes to deciding on what size of kite to get. Go big and enjoy the rush or go smaller and be safer. It is your comfort level that will set your limits.
Last but not least. No trainer kite, no set of videos, and no amount of reading will replace a lesson. If for no reason other than safety, take a lesson.
If this helped you or if you still have questions, drop me a line at mike@thekiteline.com. If you are ready to buy a kite, check out our selection. Be sure to check our events tab for any special deals. Thanks for visiting.