Guildworks Synergy Low Wind 333
Synergy Low Wind 333
This is a genuine 3 line symmetrical kite - each of the three points of the kite is connected to the corresponding point on the handle. This particular Synergy 333 is the low wind edition (there is the much smaller Minergy 333, and the full size 333). I choose it because I really liked the look of the kites (like all the Guildworks range they border on art), and I wanted something else apart from the Revolution 1.5 SUL for low wind flying. And it was cheap enough to try out.
The flying lines come wound onto the handle and you can choose two different lengths for indoor flying - 1m for learning, and 3m for more advanced indoor stuff or outdoors in a light wind. All the 333's are designed to be flown with one hand - which of course opens the door to flying two 333's at the same time.....
Purchased: May 2003
Details
Width : 74 cm Height : 64 cm Depth : 11 cm Weight : 25 g
Spars : 2 mm Micro Carbon Sail : Ripstop Polyester
Wind Range : 0 to 10mph (indoor or outdoor)
Pack Down Size : 56 cm x 3 cm
Cost : Direct from Guildworks it was US$50 and around US$24 shipping to the UK (2003 prices/availability)
Good Things
- Very lightweight - a true indoor kite.
- Very beautiful - a true 3D design.
- One of the very few three line kites on the market.
- Kites are custom made for you - so plenty of chance to get that nice colour scheme.
Bad Things
- Difficult to fly as it's a very different technique from dual or quad line flying.
- Can only be flow outside in light winds as anything too strong just distorts the kite.
- The flying lines slip around on the spars - and it's not clear as to where they should attach (half way down or up at the points). This obviously doesn't help make it any easier to fly.
- The short flying lines make it even harder to fly, especially outdoors. It often feels like I'm not actually flying a kite but controlling a puppet (if that makes any sense).
Final Thoughts
This is a difficult one to catagorise. On the one hand I do like it's design and shape, but on the other I haven't had much luck in actually flying it where I feel I have the kite under control. One of the problems is that when you spin the kite it's easy to forget which point of the handle corresponds to which point on the kite - and therefore end up tangling and crashing it. It really is a different form of flying.
To be honest I don't fly the 333 much (it hasn't been helped by losing the handle and I haven't got round to making myself a replacement) since, so far, it hasn't been a relaxing experience!
Having said that I will be getting the handle sorted out and will see if I can make some more progress with it - maybe on longer lines for outside flying. I think indoor/zero wind flying needs experience of how the kite moves when the wind is helping. At least that is the theory.