After Darren’s kiteboarding lesson with SoCal Kitesurfing, he was hooked! He wanted to practice on a trainer kite before transitioning to an actual kite of his own so we picked up the Slingshot B3 Series Trainer Kite and he and his brother gave it a go on the weekend. Lightweight, compact, and packing a powerful punch in the wind, the B3 is hands down one of the best light traction kites on the market. The B3 is Slingshot‘s original 2-line foil light traction trainer kite that features a lightweight aluminum control bar, a compact storage bag, and just the right amount of pull to get you going.

The lightweight aluminum control bar has EVA foam grip and is easy on your hands while providing a similar kiting experience to the actual, larger water kites. Most trainer kites don’t include the control bar, making it difficult to practice kiteboarding techniques, but the B3 is ready to launch with all the right gear.

The simple design and instructional DVD safely taught us the basics of kiteboarding. The foil design means that no pumping is required to inflate the kite; the open celled leading edge self inflates into a wing shape upon launching. With a 3 square meter surface, the Slingshot B3 generates a good amount of power and the durable material provides peace of mind when you crash the kite. After all, it is a trainer kite and a few crashes are expected.

The compact storage bag fits just about anywhere and the light weight is great when you’re carrying other gear. We easily carried it with all of our other beach gear and we didn’t even notice the extra weight.

If you think you’d like kiteboarding, pick up a trainer kite and give it a try. It’s a fun way to familiarize yourself with the technique without worrying about the cost.

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