Last of the Floaters, Enter Tango
Last night I flew the floater for the first time. Strangely, I was flying a discontinued kite from HQ Kites. We purchased 8 of the last ones, and have them for sale while they last.
It was a cold day, 50 degrees. And the wind was only registering 3.5 on my meter. Not many kites in most folks bags will fly in that low a wind. But here in Portland, we keep some low wind kites in our bags for just such a day. The flags on the Portland Raceway field were just barely flying on the pole. So I chose the Floater. I was not disappointed. It performed beautifully. At 63 inches by 31 inches, this kite is moderately quick. Pull in this low wind is light, but the kite is very responsive. Turns are definite. The kite comes with 65 feet of Dyneema line (read European Spectra). I think 50 foot would be better in such low wind. 65 feet was a bit long for my taste. But it performed well. This kite meets my requirement of: velcro closure at the base of the spine, has well seated standoffs, and strong bridle. The case has velcro openings at top and bottom. How many times have you tried to get a standoff out of the bottom of a long narrow case? And there is a separate pocket for the line set. Just remove the retail card and you’ve got a pocket for a lineset. The spars are 4 mm Carbon.
The literature says it is a beginner kite. I agree. But would add that it has plenty of fun factor for intermediate as well. In a stronger wind, I imagine it could be plenty fast and give even an advanced flyer some hours of fun. All in all, the Floater is a great kite.
UPDATE: I FLEW THE FLOATER AT THE LINCOLN CITY KITE FESTIVAL JUNE 23 IN 15 MPH WIND. IT WAS VERY RESPONSIVE AND QUICK IN TURNS. IF YOU FLY IN SUCH WIND, SWITCH YOUR LINES TO SOMETHING LONGER AND STRONGER. SAY 85 FEET, 100 POUND. THIS IS GOING TO BE ONE OF MY FAVORITE KITES IN LOW AND MODERATE WIND!! I ALSO FLEW THE TANGO. NOWHERE NEAR THE KITE THE FLOATER IS. TOO BAD HQ DISCONTINUED SUCH A GOOD KITE AS THE FLOATER. THE FLOATER IS ONE OF THE BEST KITES I HAVE EVER FLOWN AT ANY SIZE OR ANY PRICE!!
Now if you don’t get one the last Floaters, There is a replacement. The Tango, at 69 inches by 27 inches it is almost the Floater’s new twin brother. The narrower sail should be better for trick flying. Everything else seems the same. It is listed at 1 to 18 miles per hour. Best take that with a grain of salt. While the Floater did well in 2 mph, The Tango is less definate, harder to handle than the Floater even at 4 mph.
Every inland flyer should have a Floater or Tango in their bag. Even at the seacoast you can get low wind days. Either the Floater or the Tango, the Desire or the Prism 3-D are a must for those days when no one else can fly. We have all of these in stock, so visit elmersflag.com to purchase your choice of low wind kite.
Lets Fly,
Kiteguy
October 18th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
I agree with everything on this post that Kite Guy has mentioned and also love the Floater. It was the first kite I really learned on. After progressing (and buying) some other kites; I came back to this kite, and was pleasantly surprised. As I improve, I am able to learn my craft a little easier and hone my \\\”touch\\\” on this steady, forgiving kite. The Floater will keep you coming back to it.
I have been flying the Floater at Delta Park East (since Homeland Security has usurped our flying field for this month) and at a middle school, up the street from where I live. The kite handles beautifully in less than optimum conditions. There are plenty of cross breezes, and \”dead air\” patches in both places. The Floater doesn\\\’t let me down. Lately I have been working on freestyle moves, and have been \”floating\” the kite overhead. It grabs the lightest breeze, and is forgiving when the wind becomes gusty. The only slight drawback I\’ve encountered is: during some intermediate combinations, one side of the bridle can wrap around the base of the spine, causing erratic movements. I have been able to unhook the bridle in the air (doing a back flip) occasionally; but will just usually land the kite for a minute, re-orient, and re-launch. I have been able to hold a fade with this kite for over a minute; and love the way I can keep it continually stalled, or \”floating\”, anywhere in the window.
One thing I didn\\\’t see in this review was the durability of the Floater. It is very solid. I don\’t ever worry about breaking it. The most that happens is the lower spreader pops out of the elbow. I have even flown it with the lower spreader hanging out on one side. It\’s design is simple and durable. It takes about a minute to setup and another 2 minutes to unwind the line. There is a lot of flex in the lower standoffs; they bend like crescent moons. Everybody in my family flies (and crashes) the Floater regularly. It is a lot of fun, and a great learning tool. I have yanked on the kite pretty hard (both in the air and on the ground), with no ill effects. The only thing that IS difficult with this kite is the Dead Launch (I have about a 30-50% success rate with the Dead Launch using the Floater).
I would highly recommend the Floater as both an introductory kite and for beginners or children as well as a great light wind kite; it has earned a place in my bag for years to come.