Tempest
Tempest is an outdoor dual line sport kite designed for precision with dual line teams in mind.
Standard: $475
The original design, flies comfortably in ~5-10mph.
Other variations are still being designed, check back for updates.
About the Tempest
Tempest is a dual line kite designed for use in teams.
After competing in quad line individual and dual line pairs at World Kite Cup in 2024, I took notice of the kites teams were using. This market was mostly dominated by kites like the l'Atelier Avatar, and Robertshaw's Fury: both oversize kites, but on opposite sides of the framing spectrum. The Avatar was very soft making for great pressure management and precision, but making stalls and landings more difficult. The Fury was stiff and capable, but is not easy om the arms. Both of these kites were commercially available, in the $400 - $500 range per kite.
One of the things that I've wanted to see more of in American sport kiting is dual line team. There are many hurdles to overcome for a team to come together, but I figured that the cost of outfitting a dual line team with kites that behave the same is certainly one of them.
So, I identified two niches to fill:
- Something in the middle between the Avatar and the Fury. A kite that has great precision, doesn't pull too hard, but can still land, stall, and half axel easily.
- Something affordable -- not through reduced quality or undervaluing my time, but by making the plans available for free so would-be teams can make their own kites at home, saving a lot of cost.
When designing a kite, I like to start from somewhere. Of the kites I've built, the closest thing to a team kite was the 100Sixteen, mostly because it's already a bit oversize. So, I started with the 100Sixteen, and started making changes and experimenting before finally landing on the Tempest.
The tempest has a carefully selecting frame and shape to achieve what I set out for: great precision, manageable pull, solid landings, accessable half axels and stalls.
As intended, the plans for the Tempest are available on my website, here. However, I am available to build Tempests to-order for those willing to pay for the effort. Each tempest ordered from this page is hand made to order by me, Spencer "Watty" Watson.
Here are some overall specs:
| Category | Specification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wingspan | 100in / 254cm | Distance between wingtips when kite is assembled |
| Leading edge length | 63in / 160cm | The length from the nose to the wingtip |
| Package length | 42in / 107cm | This is the length of the kite when folded down and stored |
| Weight | 500 grams | The weight of the entire kite |
All orders are made custom
Please choose your colors using Kitepaint. You can use the embedded editor below, or go to https://kitepaint.com/create/34 to create your design.
Because each sail is handmade by me, it may take up to 2 months for an order to be fulfilled, but it's typically done within a couple of weeks.
Each kite includes a custom made sleeve, and is fully framed. Lines are not included.
Recent Builds
Place an Order
Standard: $450
Submit the form below to place an order. I will follow up with you to confirm details and sending an invoice.