Having previously flown Ozone’s excellent Frenzy and Access 2 I knew that the Manta had to be something special. The Access makes a superb buggy kite with great handling, stability and speed when you need it. With relatively low lift you never feel overpowered…that is unless you fly it in really strong winds. The Access 2 has more lift than the Mk1. The depower system on the Mk1 was more of a speed control system and you never quite felt the power kick in when the bar was pulled back. The Access 2 feels a bit more like a Frenzy without the powerful lift. I’d always though a high aspect ratio Access would make a SUPERB buggy kite!

But what about the Manta? Its basically a high aspect Frenzy with all the features expected from Ozone including excellent quality fabric, workmanship, detailing, line set, bar and totally effective safety release system. Having seen the promo videos of Chasta snowkiting I knew that the Manta was probably better than me. I’ll stick to the buggy however I’m NOT into freestyle, prefering speed and endurance. Maybe this is not the Manta’s true environment so It was going to be interesting to see how it performed.

The 10m Manta.

The Manta is well presented with a useful, high quality backpack and a bar pre-attached to the line set. Its very easy to set up, even moreso if you’ve experienced an Access or Frenzy. The “brake” lines have a grab handle between them close to the bar therefore after running out the lines and teasing out any small tangles at the ends I tend to pop the grab handle over a ground stake. This will hold the kite down. Walking the kite out to the far ends of the lines, its attached in seconds. Just make sure that the primary release is set for normal flying and the kite will sit up on the lines without too much fuss. Then it’s a case of hooking the chicken loop onto the harness hook and securing it with the integral locking finger. At this stage the grab handle can be released to allow the kite to rise. Don’t forget that there is a central adjuster strap which adjusts the relative length of the main flying lines to the “brake” lines and its probably wise to set this IN i.e. a little MORE depower. This allows the kite to launch easier in light winds but also makes sure it doesn’t launch with too much power in higher winds. Bear in mind though that the depower range IS limited and this type of kite is NEVER fully depowered unless the primary release is pulled.

Whilst accelerating up to the zenith, the Manta has a slight tendancy to fold in the tips but its absolutely no problem. Static flying demonstrates good speed and response from such a large kite.

In winds of about 13-15mph the 10m Manta begins to really perform with the buggy. General power is very, very smooth and solid and it feels FAST! On a recent run I recorded 36mph in those conditions which is practically 3 times wind speed!! I use the central adjuster strap to “tweak” the overall characteristics of the kite, matching power with good forward speed. Full depower is required in the turns and having a large heavy buggy makes the power easier to handle. Sweeping the buggy a little downwind at the same time takes the edge off the pull. Once moving again, the kite is so smooth through the air with nice constant power. Its very easy to fly the kite feeling quite relaxed in which case the buggy simply cruises along. However for maximum speed and acceleration the bar can be used to adjust the power precisely but it does require effort and can be tiring fairly quickly! Looking at some kite surfing bars, one or two have a central camcleat which can be used to lock the central line into position and I feel its worth some experimentation with this set up. This would allow a specific bar position to be held easier on a long run (particularly here at Hoylake with several Km of beach to play with).

One of the main advantages of depowerables including the Manta is the ability to fly in a range of winds and adjust the power to suit. Whereas the power in a fixed bridle kite is by definition fairly constant in a specific wind, if the wind increases, the buggy slips sideways and scrubs off speed. With the Manta, simply use the central adjuster to tame the power a little and maintain a straight course without sideslip. As mentioned before, the depower range DOES have limits. In higher winds, the 10m is awesome – perhaps too much though for a large buggy but a freestylers dream whereby the bar can be pulled back for instant and powerful lift.

Another feature of Ozone’s kites is the superb safety release system. The primary release can be operated by pulling a toggle. Its worth stating that this has to be pulled INTENTIONALLY and positively – don’t forget the chicken loop is still attached to your harness ! Once operated, the kite is held (mostly) on the brake lines and comes down easily. I should say, that the system works better when the central adjuster strap is set for slightly more power. For example, if the strap is set for full depower, when the safety is operated, the relative lengths of the main and brake lines are such that the kite lands slower and pulls fairly hard whilst landing. This is also noticeable with the Access 2. Generally this is NOT a problem but certainly if the adjuster strap is set OUT, the kite does land quicker!

There are a number of entry level kites on the market however if you’re looking for high quality and great performance read our introduction and summary…

An entry level kite has to meet a number of different criteria:

· Affordable
· Durable
· Easy set up with good flying characteristics
· Provide a solid intoduction into the sport
· Allow the flyer to develop skills and experience

It’s a tough part of the market but Prokites recommends three kites which fit the bill: HQ Symphony & Beamer III, Ozone IMP and PKD Buster II. Yes, there are others and we’ll mention them in this article but for now we’ll focus on these particular kites.

HQ have an excellent range of sport and power kites so there’s always one to meet the requirements. The Symphony range of 2 line power kites has been popular for many years and fly well for relatively little money. The Beamer III is a 4 line kite suitable for static flying, landboarding and buggying. The Beamer package is good value – backpack, kite, lines, handles, manual and ground stake. Basically its all there and the latest Beamer III simply builds on the success of the previous kites with better performance and new graphics.

Ozone have an excellent reputation for quality and the IMP makes a great beginners kite, even moreso now as a 2 liner, a 3 line trainer (with control bar) and a 4 line “Quattro”. There’s an IMP for everyone. The Quattro is particularly interesting since it’s a 4 line development of the original 2 line IMP complete with good quality lines, handles and kite killers. The 3 line trainer fills a need for a manageable training kite with a view to flying larger and powerful landboarding and kite surfing kites. Its also an excellent introduction to control bar flying.

When the first PKD Buster arrived on the market it set a standard for a high quality, affordable kite which flew superbly straight from the bag with virtually no set up required. The only criticism was an average quality line set but the kite itself was excellent. The latest Buster II is improved with better lines, new graphics and flies great. The bag may only be a simple drawstring type bag but its perfectly OK and as I say to customers “you don’t fly the bag!”

Any of these kites meet the criteria. We feel that its important for an entry level kite to capture the new flyer’s imagination so that he / she wants to progress and get more from the sport. Although their flying characteristics are stable and predictable, none of these kites could be deemed to be boring. The Buster IIs in particular make a great buggy kite and are often seen flying in difficult conditions when a high performance kite would struggle. Even if the flyer doesn’t pursue other kiting activities, these kites are good for simple fun and recreation.

Why 4 lines?

A question often asked……..2 line kites are fine but 4 lines offer greater control and easier launching and landing. The 2 liners really started with Flexifoil’s first powerkites – the 6, 8 and 10 foot stackable powerkites which had a flexible spar along the leading edge. They’re still popular and VERY fast! The simple 2 line “soft foils” such as HQ’s Symphony fly well but only having 2 lines this type of kite can be difficult to launch and land unaided. Landing is often a “controlled crash”. Having another two lines (the brakes) attached to a simple bridle on the trailing edge of a kite allows it to be held on the ground, launched, stopped in mid air and landed. Ever seen a REVOLUTION kite? 4 line control is taken to the highest level on a Revolution which is a framed kite (not an inflatable “foil” / parafoil” kite). 4 line kites can be controlled using handles or a control bar. Whilst handles allow incredibly fine and precise control, a bar can be easier but the brake lines can’t be controlled as such and typically provide a safety release in case the bar is dropped. The brakes are attached to the flyer’s wrist leash and the kite lands safely. Handles fitted with kite killers perform the same function. A bar is often used for landboarding since it’s a more natural form of control and of course it can be held by ONE hand! Buggiers prefer handles for greater control – its down to personal preference!