Prism Flip Single-line Kite

After two tries I was finally able to get this kite up, and what a joy!Pros:1) Very durable: Definitely the most well built kite I've ever owned. Feels strong even in heavy winds. It will probably last several years.2) Eye catching: I flew this kite at a park and runners would stop and stare at this kite. People also ask where to buy it.3) Stays up in the sky well: Due to the way the kite is designed, once it's up in the sky, it will stay there. The ring that goes around the kites stabilizes it, while the round oval inside the ring constantly generates lift. I had a simple diamond kite flying simultaneously next to it that was going all over the place, while this kite stayed put.4) Easy to set up, then pack up: By far the easiest kite to set up and store away. All you have to do is flip the center oval so that it is perpendicular to the outside circle, attach the string and you're done! AMAZING!5) Strong line: the flying line that this kite comes with feels a lot stronger than all the others I've used.Cons:1) Hard to get up into the air without sufficient wind: So far I've only flown this kite in the park. The first day the wind was less constant but I was able to get the diamond kite up, not this one (it was around 5-10 mph). On the second day, it was right after it rained so the wind was still pretty strong, I'd say around 12-20 mph. After a few tries and a bit of running, I got the kite up. The key is, if the wind isn't strong enough to make the oval spin fast, it won't be able to get enough lift.2) It's harder to hold on to: Due to the strong winds needed and the fact that theflip kite is always spinning and creating pull, it will require a bit more strength to hang on to. I wouldn't give this to a young child, but an older child should be able to handle it fine. Personally, I find it more fun and exciting to feel the line constantly bouncing and pulling.3) Difficult to pull back down: I think because this kite was so well designed to fly, it takes a bit of effort to bring back down. It generates so much pull that winding it back takes a while and I wouldn't recommend a child doing it. But that's a testament to how much this kite just wants to stay in the air!Overall I would highly recommend this kite. I was able to fly it in the park and I can't wait to take it to the beach. It's a lot of fun and draws much attention. After using this kite, I have a very positive impression of Prism as a brand, and look forward to trying their other kites. Those cheap kites you buy at department stores do not compare in quality.*6/26/13 update: I flew this kite at the beach and wow it was so easy to get in the air compared to my nearby park. It goes up real easy with the steady wind coming from the beach and it stays up there refusing to come back down. This is definitely a kite you can tie to a cooler (anything lighter and this kite will drag it away. It's pretty strong) and leave it there. Love this kite!Unfortunately, this kite was so fun that it forced me to buy a beginner's stunt kite to expand my hobby. Goodbye money in pocket!*12/5/13 update: Six months later and this kite is still going strong. It's very durable and seems like it will last for YEARS!

Very well made as all Prism kites. This is the top kite maker in my opinion at this time.This kite is totally unique. It works. It needs a bit of wind though to fly well. This narrows the fly-able wind range (-1 star reason). With the right wind, it climbs briskly and with strength. It is so "different" it is worth getting and flying. If you are buying just one kite (vs a collection), this may not be for you.The spinning catches many eyes and generates comments. It is a relatively small kite, so you can't fly it too high or its uniqueness will be lost to the eye.The spinning causes the line to have a significant thrumming beat...very unique. It's design means it is NOT a compact folder like most Prism kites.It is the oddest kite I own...that alone makes it worth buying. Unique in every respect!!!! Well made. It is so unique that this negates my -1 star from above.BTW, this is by far the most number of times I have every used the word unique...reflects the kite precisely!

This is kite only for strong and steady winds (force 5 and above). It has no aerodynamic surfaces and only relies on brute wind strength and flies better sideways and down than upwards. And then it folds on itself and crashes. Nice idea, but needs more work (design and construction)

This kite was amazing! All you had to do to launch it is to have someone spin in and have them let it go while someone holds onto the line which took us a while to figure out but we still got it. This kite was super cool to watch when it would fly. I would still recommend having a good amount of wind to fly it because after we launched it the winds gradually went down and it almost reached the ground. The line was sometimes tedious to use because with other Prism kites mostly had a line where it was a ring not just a standard wrap around with this kite. There is virtually no assembly you just flip it open. This kite also has an odd pulsation to it when you hold onto the line. We had a great time with this kite at the beach.

Our family recently started flying kites together. We purchased 7 different kites and try a few of them together every time we go out, so we can compare how different kites do in different wind conditions. Flip Rotor kite is definitely beautiful, when we can get it to fly. So far we have only been successful once, on a very windy day at the beach. In order for this kite to fly the wind needs to be very consistent, and strong. We love this kite- it is so interesting to watch it fly- absolutely stunning. Unfortunately more often than not it stays on the ground while we fly our other ones.

Lots of fun when you get it airborne, but you will need sustained winds of 10mph or more to keep it there. I didn't have that at Austin's kite festival. In lesser winds, I was constantly manipulating the line to generate lift (almost like a yoyo - a short series of tugs would cause it to spin faster temporarily, generating lift, but it was a constant battle not to lose more altitude than lift gained using this method)Launching is also a challenge - hold the line, not the kite, and wait for sufficient wind to start spinning the kite. No spin, no lift. Then be prepared to run.HOWEVER - when you do get this puppy aloft, it's worth the effort. Easily the most eye-catching kite in the sky, and lots of fun to fly. Just be mentally prepared to sprint across large open fields trying to get it there.

I am a novice kite-flyer - hadn't flown a kite since I was a kid & that was a cheap paper/balsa wood version. This kite is really well made & looks & flies beautifully. Doesn't take a huge wind but maybe just steady/strong. The Prism website says 6 -25 mph wind. I think it was about a 12 mph wind the first day I flew it.I went to the "Prism" website to watch a video of the kite being flown before I flew it. I think it helps if you get it spinning before you launch.