KITES - DIY or BUY?

Every New Kite Is An Adventure!

Diamonds never go out of fashion!

Diamonds never go out of fashion!

Either way, this kites site has the info and products you need. And either way, there is a lot of fun and personal satisfaction to be had!

Why not save a considerable amount of money though, by going DIY first.

Flying a kite can be great fun for all the family, from age 2 to 102. Small ones for small kids, even toddlers. Larger or even huge flying creations for, well, the more mature among us who enjoy a building challenge. Besides, bigger usually flies better!

Nothing quite compares to seeing your own work floating way up there. The bigger the better. Bask in that 'I made it myself' feeling.

But don't get me wrong - the world of modern retail or designer kites is fascinating, and you will find plenty of images and commentary here. There's an Amazon shopping link too, near the bottom of each page. Handy, if you are in a position to purchase these more hi-tech or nicer-looking items.

It's almost never too calm - or too windy - to fly, as long as you make the right choices. The information here makes that easy!

This site has 3 areas of focus....

1. Learning to make a kite, of course! Roll your sleeves up and enjoy the construction process. Then get out and fly, with the sun on your face and the wind on your back. Anyone can afford dowels or bamboo skewers, some plastic bags and sticky tape. And the soft designs don't even need dowels or skewers! Sounds very homey and humble - but we routinely have some amazing high flights with these light-weight craft. And yes, there are plenty of photos and videos of all the building and flying action.
2. Visitors contribute their own building and flying experiences. Photos too, from time to time. New stories are always coming in, and the variety is unending!
   
3. General kiting information abounds here, particularly when you dig a little deeper into the site. A large body of researched facts and photos provide an interesting and educational background on the hobby. Find out about the most popular kinds of fabric and paper designs being flown these days, or in times past. Discover things you never knew. With a click or 2, buy something relevant to what you are reading about.
   

Plus there is some info here that is just plain different, and intriguing...

Like the radio-controlled variety being deftly flown indoors in Singapore, or a flexible flying monster the size of a football field! But we'll get to that later.

By clicking the Home | what's new! link in the menu at the top of this page, you can stay up-to-date with the latest additions to this site. From any of those areas in that numbered list above.

Rip-stop nylon carpets the sky at the AIKF

Rip-stop nylon carpets the sky at the AIKF

This includes those occasions when I write up flying outings as Flight Reports.

We are based in the city of Adelaide, South Australia, home to one of the biggest annual kiting festivals in Australia, and possibly the whole Southern Hemisphere.

The picture over there was taken at one such event, from near the jetty at Semaphore Beach. A moderate-strength Southerly was blowing along the sand, and music boomed from loud-speakers arranged along one side of the wooden planks.

At other times, live commentary kept everyone informed about interesting aspects of the aerial display.

The Benefits Of Flying Kites...

Although not strenuous most of the time, flying these tethered craft is quite a healthy activity!

1. Office workers can get some much-needed Vitamin D from sunlight, when out flying.
2. Sunlight alone can have a positive effect on your mood. If your kite's up there too, it can boost your mood even further!
3. It's good exercise for your eyes, focusing near and far all the time. Helps slow down the progression of 'old age sight'. I know all about it, trying to unpick the tiny Lark's Head knot at the end of a 20-pound Dacron line...
4. Breathe that fresh air! We're very fortunate here in Adelaide, in that respect.
5. You can even fit in a bit of moderate exercise sometimes, when towing up to search for faster air! Or even just going for a walk around the field while a reliable kite does it's thing up high.
6. Getting the kids involved too is good quality family time. Depending on how well you can compete with all those electronic devices!
   
   

In my opinion, every new kite is an adventure. Whether scratch-built or fresh from the delivery tube. Come and join us!

The view, hanging a camera from the line of a large kite

FREE E-Book!

I'm referring to Simplest Dowel Kites, my popular kite-making download. It's a printable PDF file. Make a diamond, delta or sled. Each kite is capable of flying hundreds of feet up for hours on end.

Could you do me just a small favor though?

Please sign up for my free monthly publication, "Tethered Flying". No other emails will be sent, and your details are safe with me. You need to be at least 16 years old. There's...

• A huge "photo of the month" (via a link)
• 3 "tips of the month" (one each for beginners, parents and the more experienced)
• A "flight report of the month" (selected from my own flying logs)

Need winders, reels, flying line?

We earn a small commission if you click the following link and buy something. The item does not cost you any more, since we are an "affiliate" of Amazon.

Click here to buy anything you need. Just use the Search box in there if you need different weights or lengths of line, for example.

P.S. Keep an eye out for books by kite author Glenn Davison, a prominent kite person in the USA.

What's New!

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1. Flight Report:
   Indoor Canard Near-Disaster

   Jan 17, 20 12:00 PM

   Just prior to getting some in-flight photos, I came close to re-doing the whole kite from scratch... Going back a few steps: After printing out the spar shapes and applying most of the sticky tape on…

   Read More