Nexus 2.0 Pilot's Guide
Welcome, and congratulations on your selection of a new Nexus 2.0 - we hope you'll love it as much as we do! In this guide we've put together all the info, tips, and tricks you'll need to get the most out of your new kite: From assembly and launching instructions to maintenance and customer support, we've got you covered! Read through to get the full story on your new kite, or use the table of contents to jump straight to a specific topic.
Not finding the answers you need? Contact our team at info@prismkites.com and we'll get back to you ASAP. We look forward to making your flight a success!
Smooth winds,
The Prism Team
Safety Information
As a pilot, you - and only you - are responsible for your safety and the safety of those around you when you fly. Read these instructions thoroughly, and make sure you understand how to properly use your kite before launching. Below are some important notes to keep in mind in order to ensure a safe flying experience:
Make sure your flying space is clear before launching. Kites can move quickly and unpredictably, and your kite or its line could seriously injure anyone in their path if something goes wrong.
Never wrap your flying line around your hands. In a gust, the wind can cause your kite to pull hard enough to for the line to cut you seriously. Always hold the lines by their wrist straps.
Parts Overview
Front
1 - Upper Spreader
2 - Lower Spreader
3 - Center-T
4 - Tail Attachment Loop
5 - Standoff
6 - Standoff Retainer Fitting
7 - Leading Edge Fitting
Back
8 - Lower Leading Edge Rod
9 - Upper Leading Edge Rod
10 - Spine Rod
11 - Leading Edge Ferrule
12 - Wingtip Nock
Assembly
Unroll your kite and lay it out at as shown. Package should include kite, upper and lower spreader rods, flying lines, velcro kite wrap and bag.
Connect the upper and lower leading edge rods at the leading edge ferrules. Hook elastic loops over the wingtip knocks to tension the sail along the leading edges.
Insert spreaders into leading edge fittings and center T. Then insert standoffs into retainer fittings on spreaders. Check assembled kite for symmetry and tangled bridles.
Attaching Tails
You can attach a tail to your Nexus using the short gray loop located near the bottom front of the kite, just above the Prism logo. Clip-on tails can be clipped in place here, and tails without clips can be connected using a Lark's Head Knot (see Useful Knots below).
Managing Your Flying Lines
About Your Flying Lines
IMPORTANT: The flying lines that come with your kite require proper care and handling to ensure their longevity. Used correctly your lines will last many years, but if mishandled you'll risk breaks, tangles, and even the loss of your kite. We've outlined the most common issues flyers encounter with their lines below, along with information to help you avoid making these mistakes yourself. Replacement flying lines are not covered under your kite's warranty, so be sure you read and understand the information in this section before you start flying.
Broken Flying Lines
The included lines are sufficiently strong to support your kite when flown within the advertised wind range (5-25 mph), but if those speeds are exceeded your lines may break. To prevent this, avoid launching your kite in winds near the very top of the recommended range. Wind speeds are variable, and flying at the maximum wind speed will leave you vulnerable to breakage if conditions suddenly change or an unexpected gust of wind comes along. Wind speeds are also generally stronger higher up in the air, so if you notice ground level speeds near the upper limit it's best to wait until conditions calm a bit before launching.
Breaks can also occur when attempting to tug your kite free of something it's become tangled in. Stay away from trees and other obstacles to avoid getting stuck, and if you experience an unplanned landing, check to be sure your lines aren't caught on anything before re-launching.
Lastly, keep a safe distance from other kites when flying. Lines can cut through each other when they get tangled in flight, so leave enough space for your neighboring kite flyers when choosing a spot to fly.
Tangles & Knots
Tangles and knots can be hard to fix, but luckily they're also very easy to prevent. Just remember this - your flying lines should always be either completely wound onto the included winder, or they should be making a straight line from the wrist straps to the kite. Avoid dragging your flying lines on the ground, unwinding them into a pile at your feet, or taking 'shortcuts' when winding them up at the end of your flight session, otherwise you're likely to end up with a tangled mess as your reward.
Attaching Your Flying Lines
We've designed the Nexus with bridle clips to make connecting your lines as simple as possible. Just clip the end of your flying lines onto the bridle as shown (red on the right, blue on the left) and you're ready to go!
Winding Your Flying Lines
When you're done flying for the day it's important to properly store your flying lines back on their winder, ensuring your lines are ready-to-use and tangle free when you start your next flying session. Here's our preferred winding method:
Hook the colored cords from both wrist straps through the slot in your winder to anchor your lines in place.
Holding both flying lines together, wrap them onto the winder in a figure-8 pattern, continuing until all the line is on the winder (single line shown for simplicity).
Once the lines are fully wrapped, fold the wrist straps over the wound lines. Pull the elastic cord around the winder and slip the knot into the notch on the winder’s handle to secure.
Equalizing Your Flying Lines
Your new lines will stretch as you use them - don't worry, this is normal! The adjustable wrist straps that came with your lines can be used to quickly even them out as you break them in over time. Here's how to make this adjustment:
Anchor the sleeved ends of you lines to something sturdy and unwind them fully. Note any difference in length between the lines.
Pull the knot out from inside the wrist strap on the longer line, and slide the wrist strap forward to access the adjustment pigtail.
Tie an overhand knot in the pigtail. The distance between the new knot and the old knot should be equal to the difference in length between the two lines. Slide the wrist strap back into position, seating the knot inside.
Confirm that the lines are now even (within a half inch)), and reposition the knot if necessary.
Useful Knots
Double Overhand Loop
Used to finish the end of your flying line. Works well for both sleeved an un-sleeved lines.
Blood Knot
Can be used to join two pieces of line if your flying line breaks.
Lark's Head Knot
Can be used to connect your flying line to the line attachment point on your kite's bridle without the aid of an attachment clip.
Choosing a Flying Location
Choose your flying spot carefully to avoid turbulent wind. Like whitewater in a river, wind that flows past obstacles like trees, buildings and hills becomes gusty and choppy and can make launching your kite and keeping it in the air difficult or even impossible.
The best place to fly is an open beach or field with wind blowing in from off the water. If you have such a place available, it's worth the extra travel time to get there because you'll have a much easier time launching and flying your kite. If you have to fly inland, look for wide open fields with no trees, buildings, or hills for at least a quarter mile upwind.
Flight Basics
If you're new to dual-line flight we recommend getting started on a day with wind speeds between 8-12 mph to ensure you have enough wind to easily launch your kite, but not so much wind that your kite is difficult to control. Be prepared to crash a few times as you get the hang of things - "unexpected landings" are a perfectly normal rite of passage for new flyers, so don't be discouraged! Read through this entire section before you get started so you'll know what to expect
The Wind Window
The term wind window is used to describe the space around you in which it is possible to fly your kite. This space extends overhead, downwind, and to the left and right of your location on the flying field, creating a 1/2 dome around you as shown in the accompanying illustration.
Directly downwind, in the center of the wind window, is the power zone (shown in red). This is the easiest place from which to launch your kite, and once airborne this is where your kite will develop the most speed and pull. As you steer your kite toward the edges of the window, you'll notice it will start to slow down and will pull less strongly.
Launching
Lay your kite on its back, pointing away from the wind. If the wind wants to blow it away, you can keep in it place by scooping some sand or small, smooth rocks along the trailing edge of the kite. With your kite in position, attach your flying lines and unwind them from the winder as you slowly walk into the wind, laying the lines out in a straight line on the ground behind you. When you reach the end of your lines, stash the winder in your pocket and hold the wrist straps in each hand (red on right, blue on left). Although not strictly necessary, it can be helpful to untwist the two lines before launching by passing the wrist straps from hand to hand a few times.
Stand in a relaxed position facing your kite, with your hands in front of you but not fully extended. Keep your arms relaxed, and focus on maintaining this position as you fly. Keeping your hands in front of you ensures you'll always have room to move your hands in order to control the kite.
Gently pull the lines toward you evenly, raising your kite into an upright and slightly nose-back position. Anything you placed on the sail to keep it in place will slide off, freeing your kite for take-off. Check to be sure that your kite and lines are not being snagged by anything on the ground.
Keeping the kite in position, fully extend your arms in front of you at about shoulder height. In one rapid motion, take a step backwards and sweep your arms sharply downward and back alongside your hips. Your kite will leap from the ground and begin flying upward. Once the kite is moving, keep your hands together and at the same distance from your chest and let it fly straight up. Wait until the kite is fairly high in the sky before trying a turn. This will give you more space and time to react before you get too close to the ground.
Basic Controls
Your kite will fly straight in the direction its nose is pointed as long as you hold the wrist straps evenly at the same distance from your chest. It will turn as soon as you pull one of the wrist straps so that your hands are no longer even. The kite will continue to turn as long as you hold your hands offset. The more you offset your hands, the faster and tighter the turn will be.
To make a right (clockwise) turn, gently pull your right hand 4-6 inches toward your chest. Remember that as long as you hold your right hand close to you, the kite will continue to turn clockwise and will even complete a loop if held long enough. Any time you return the controls to an even position, the kite will fly straight in the direction its nose is pointed.
To turn left (counter-clockwise) make a gentle pull with the left hand. Some people find it helpful to steer by imagining that the control handles are the handlebars of a bicycle, and that pulling one handle will cause the kite to turn in the same way that pulling one handlebar will turn a bicycle.
Once you have a comfortable amount of altitude, begin to experiment with turns. Keep your control motions small at first (4"-6"), and keep the kite generally in front of you, not too far left or right. After a little practice you should be able to fly the kite back and forth in a sweeping motion by alternately pulling on your left and right lines.
As you gain control and confidence, you may want to try some refinements. Practice making each sweep straight and horizontal. Plan the timing and size of each turn and try to stick to it. Expand your sweeps to the left and right to explore the edges of your flying space.
When you get the courage to attempt a loop, afterwards you'll find that your lines have become twisted together - this is completely normal! Your flying lines are made from a special material that allows them to slide past each other even twisted several times, and the controls will not be affected. Keep track of how many loops you've completed, and perform an equal number of loops in the opposite direction to untwist your lines.
TIP: Once you've learned to untwist your lines in-flight, you can skip that step when setting up your kite. Just launch with the lines twisted together and do a few spins once you're airborne to separate them.
Landing
If you haven't already "accidentally landed" your kite and you're ready to end your first flight session, try this: Turn your kite gently toward the left or right, and fly it all the way off to one side of the wind window. As you near the extreme left or right, the angle at which the kite meets the wind will cause it to lose its lift, and the kite will begin to slowly settle to the ground. Keep your hands steady and make small adjustments to guide your kite to a gentle landing.
Training Videos
Way to Fly Series
In 1996 we released our first comprehensive training video, Way to Fly, and it's still a great resource for new flyers to learn from almost 30 years later. While the kites we shown in the videos are no longer available, the concepts and skills discussed in the training are still relevant today. Start with Way to Fly: Part 1 to get a good handle on setup, basic flying controls, and core concepts, then move on to The Advanced Way to Fly once you've mastered the basics and you're ready to take on more challenging tricks and maneuvers.
Freestyle Pilot
Freestyle Pilot is an organized, step-by-step training program designed to guide you from your first basic landings to the most challenging freestyle tricks being done today. Includes many new, more challenging maneuvers that were developed after the release of our original Way to Fly series.
Bridle Overview
Your kite comes with its bridle set to perform at its best in moderate 8-12 mph winds. It can be fine-tuned for optimal lift in different winds by sliding the red and blue line attachment pigtails up or down along the outer bridle legs.
Two knots about 1-1/2” apart mark the limits of the adjustment range on each side. In light winds, loosen the prussik knot and slide each pigtail towards the nose. In stronger winds, prevent shuddering and make quicker turns by sliding the pigtails down, away from the nose. Make adjustments in 1/2” increments. With experience you’ll feel bridle adjustments more easily.
Packing Your Kite Away
When you're done flying for the day, you'll want to pack your kite back into the bag to keep it safe and ensure you don't lose any parts while it's stored away. Here's how we recommend folding your kite for storage:
Remove the upper and lower spreaders, and unhook the elastic cord from the wingtip nocks. Lay the kite out on the ground face up and gather the bridle on top of the sail.
Disconnect the leading edge rod sections and fold the wings in half, bringing the wingtips up to the nose of the kite.
Bring both folded leading edge rods the center of the kite, and grip them together in one hand along with the spine. You should be holding all the rods as a bundle in one hand, with the sail fabric hanging below.
Make sure the standoffs and bridle are tucked into the sail, and roll the loose sail fabric up until it is neatly gathered against the bundled rods. Tuck the spreaders into the space between the rods and sail, and secure with the included velcro kite wrap.
Slide the packed kite back into the bag, and store the flying lines in the mesh pocket.
Troubleshooting
If you're having trouble with your kite, check below for answers to the most common problems that come up. Not seeing your issue listed below? Reach out to our support team at info@prismkites.com and we'll be happy to help you get it sorted out so you can get back in the air.
Kite feels uncontrollable or keeps crashing
Control movements are too big
Sport kites take small, precise movements to control and beginners often overdo it at first. Try keeping hands low and close together. Don't let them go over your head.
Obstacles disturbing the wind
Trees, buildings, or hills in the area create turbulence, making the wind gusty and inconsistent. Choose a different location or wait for a different wind direction that is less obstructed.
Tangled Bridles
Check to be sure bridle lines aren't snagged around spreaders, standoffs, or wingtips before each launch.
Kite shudders in higher winds or doesn't fly smoothly
Frame is overpowered by strong winds
Adjust bridle for strong winds as shown in Adjusting Your Bridle. If winds are too strong, you may need to wait to fly your kite until conditions become calmer.
Kite turns to one side
Uneven flying lines
Flying lines can stretch unevenly. Check that they’re equal within an inch, and if necessary shorten the long one slightly by shortening the wrist strap pigtail as shown in Equalizing Flying Lines.
Tangled bridles
Check to be sure bridle lines aren't snagged around spreaders, standoffs, or wingtips before each launch.
Launching in wrong part of the wind window
Make sure that you are launching your kite in the center of the wind window, directly downwind from where you are standing.
Kite is reluctant to fly upward or feels sluggish
Not enough wind
Flying in light winds takes practice, especially with smaller more responsive kites. Wait for a windier day or try adjusting bridles as shown in Bridle Tuning. In the lightest winds you can also remove the upper spreader to reduce the kite's weight slightly.
Obstacles disturbing the wind
Trees, buildings or hills in the area create turbulence, making the wind gusty and inconsistent. Choose a different location or wait for a different wind direction that is less obstructed.
Flying lines are different lengths
Lines can stretch out unevenly as the braid settles during first flights
You can quickly even out your flying lines using the included adjustable wrist straps. See Equalizing Your Flying Lines.
Broken frame part
Hard unplanned landings, yanking on lines when the kite is on the ground
Be gentle in stronger winds when your kite is near or on the ground. Parts are easy to replace and spares are available online at www.prismkites.com.
Maintenance & Repairs
Maintenance
The materials in your kite are durable and designed for a long life with minimal maintenance. Here are few tips to keep it healthy:
Give your kite a pre-flight inspection before you launch to be sure everything is properly assembled, the frame and sail are intact, and the flying line isn't worn.
Beach sand is abrasive and will wear on lines and fittings, so do what you can to dust off the sand after a session at the beach. Compressed air or a soft brush work great if you have them, and a freshwater rinse is a good idea if your kite has been swimming in salt water.
Keep your kite out of hot car trunks and avoid using solvents to clean the sail as they can dissolve the adhesives in the seams. Warm water and a little dish detergent on a soft sponge works best for cleaning kites.
Keep your kite out of the sun when not in use to prevent the sail from fading or becoming brittle.
Repairs
Sail tears are rare, but can happen if your kite lands in a sticker bush or needs to be yanked free from a tree. If this happens to you, don't despair! Our favorite repair tape is made specifically to make permanent, nearly invisible repairs to torn sails.
Broken or lost parts can be downer, but we've got you covered with replacement rods, fittings, flying lines, and tails ready to ship so you can get patched up and back in the air ASAP!
Support
Our Warranty
We’re confident you’re going to have a great time with every product we make. We guarantee that your new kite will arrive ready-to-fly and defect free, with all parts and accessories included. If you run into any issues upon inspecting your new kite, let us know and we’ll do what it takes to make things right.
Need Help? Get in Touch!
For help with general inquiries, repairs, or warranty issues, please contact us at info@prismkites.com. We’ll respond within 24 hours, Monday through Friday. To ensure fast service please include any relevant information in your email so we can get started helping you right away. This could include the model of your kite, the name of a part you are looking for, or your mailing address if we need to send something your way. We look forward to hearing from you!