Flexifoil Sting Power Kite Review
Excitement today as we got a call to inform us that our box of the latest Flexifoil Sting kites had arrived. I wasted no time in picking them up and as soon as the blistering heat of the day cooled down we headed straight to the beach to give them a try.
We headed down to Boggy bay just North of the entrance to the Cape Range National Park, great spot for power kiting with a large dune and plenty of space with soft sand and no obstructions, perhaps at times a little gusty in the stronger winds with the turbulence from the sand dunes but thats being fussy and its close to the base so perfect 🙂
We were instantly impressed on opening the bag. Ive been familiar with Flexifoil as a kite brand since the beginning of my kiting life, they were always known for their superior quality and nothing has changed. In the neat stuff sack/bag comes your kite, 4 18m lines, 2 handles, 2 kite killers and a detailed instruction manual including set up, pack down, flying and caring for your kite information. Great stuff again from Flexifoil, everything is made to the highest quality and you can tell as soon as you get your hands on the various bits and pieces that everything is built to last.
The lines come wound on line winders so the initial setup from new takes a little longer first time as you have to connect the lines to the kite and handles, this took us about 5-10 minutes to do, once you’ve done it once and its all set up next time you go to fly your kite you will have it out the bag and in the air in less than a minute.
The Flexifoil Sting is marketed at the beginner market, a perfect kite to introduce someone to the world of kiting. One great feature with these kites for peace of mind are the kite killers. The kite killers attach to your wrist with a velcro loop strap that then connects to the back/brake lines of the kite, which allows you to let go of the handles totally killing the power of the kite and bringing it to the ground. Once the kite is on the ground you can gather your composure get hold of the handles and try again. Great peace of mind when you are dealing with the power that these kites can and will generate.
Heres a picture showing the handles and safety system.
Once in the sky the kite flies great, the quality of the feel of the kite on the ground is magnified in its flight. Very easy to control and very forgiving which is great for a kite aimed at the more novice kiters. The handles were comfortable and the kite killers worked a treat every time we tested them.
Make no mistake though, it does generate a heap of power. We were testing the 2.4 in winds that would be in its upper limits of comfort, I think that at times it was perhaps around the 25knot mark (not recommended). When we flew the kite through the power zone of the wind window it gave a steady pull and skudding (being pulled along in a skiing motion) was easily achievable. Id think the 2.4 would be at its best in 10 to 15 knots. And definitely for the novice kiter no more than 15knots. Thats what impressed me the most with the Sting, Its a perfect kite to get you started in the light winds but not a kite you will outgrow in a hurry because of its higher wind ability.
We had a ball throwing it around
Our overall impression of the Sting are that its a great kite, we liked it so much that we are using it for all our Powerkite Courses. Build quality and ease of use make it perfect as a first kite.
Get in touch with us at Exmouth Surf Centre to enquire about power kite lessons. We also have Stings available for purchase in sizes 1.7, 2.4 and 3.3 something for all weights and wind strengths.