Build a Breeze 4-line kite

The Breeze is a quad-line kite designed by Spence Watson (Watty) primarily for indoor use. It is smaller than most indoor quad-line kites and aims for more maneuverability than they offer, without sacrificing too much sail pressure. Watty calls it his go-to indoor quad-line kite.

This page gathers the materials, tools, plan, framing and bridle notes, converted to metric. Watty does not publish a written construction guide for the Breeze: the plan gives the dimensions of the pieces to cut. The Method section explains how to use the Essentials guide, by the same designer, to build the sail. If you would rather buy than build, Spence takes orders in his shop.

This plan is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. You are free to use it as long as you don’t use it for commercial purposes.

Examples of builds are collected in Spence’s build log.

For building a Breeze, Watty lists:

• 2 yards of Icarex, about 1.83 m. Another ripstop can substitute, but Watty highly recommends Icarex;
• 1 yard of 2-inch, 3.9 oz Dacron, about 91 cm of 5.1 cm tape;
• 1 yard of 4-inch, 3.9 oz Dacron, about 91 cm of 10.2 cm tape;
• 3 yards of 2-inch, 1.5 oz nylon, about 2.74 m of 5.1 cm tape;
• 1/4-inch double-sided tape, about 6 mm;
• bonded polyester thread, which Watty finds works best when sewing through tape;
• 3/32-inch bungee cord, about 2.4 mm;
• 2 enclosed 2P quad-line caps and 2 open 2P caps;
• 2 2P quad-line T fittings (the caps and fittings are 3D printed, see 3D printable kite parts);
• 2 small zip ties;
• 5 Skyshark 2P spars;
• 0.196-inch pultruded carbon, about 5 mm, for the internal ferrules;
• 100 lb Spectra bridle line, about 45 kg;
• BSI Tire glue or equivalent CA tire glue.

Unlike the Essentials, the list has no mylar, crinoline or mesh. Use the Watty Breeze page for supplier links and possible updates.

Watty gives the same tool list as for the Essentials:

• a 48-inch metal ruler, about 122 cm, with metric and imperial markings;
• an 18-inch metal ruler, about 46 cm, with metric and imperial markings;
• a bone folder;
• a clear protractor;
• fabric scissors and thread scissors;
• hemostats and tweezers;
• a soldering iron;
• a lighter;
• a sewing machine capable of straight stitch, single-step zigzag, and multi-step zigzag;
• a walking foot if the machine does not already have one;
• universal 90/14 needles;
• aluminum tape;
• Ram Board or similar protective board;
• a threader tool;
• a mechanical pencil;
• sewing weights;
• a heat-resistant work surface, such as glass or metal;
• a Dremel with abrasive wheels;
• a mini cut-off saw;
• a face mask.

Here is the plan in PDF format: Blueprint and panel templates. It has two pages: the blueprint with the bridle diagram, and the panel templates.

Watty recommends printing the plan at an office supply store, as blueprints, on 36 x 48-inch paper (about 91 x 122 cm), printed at actual size. Check the 10-inch scale bar on the printout (25.4 cm) before cutting anything.

The blueprint lists these dimensions:

QuadKites.org note. The blueprint gives sizes only, not materials. By matching sizes to the materials list, we infer that the 4 inch Dacron is the sleeve, and that the 2 inch nylon is the leading edge, since 82 inches fits in the 3 yards listed. The leading edge reinforcements would then be cut from the 2 inch Dacron. This is our reading, not Watty’s statement: check it against the panel templates and the build log photos before cutting.

There is no real bridle on the Breeze. Watty suggests making pigtails to attach your lines to. He sets his up with adjustable pigtails attached to the kite on the top lines, and keeps his handles free of extra knots to avoid tangles while flying.

The blueprint includes a bridle diagram: a top bridle with 7 knots and a bottom bridle. Read it on the printout, as the knot positions are only shown there.

The Breeze is a small Hadzicki Wing sail:

• 5 spars of 27 inches, about 68.6 cm, with Skyshark 2P as Watty’s ideal reference;
• 2 internal ferrules, which Watty makes from 0.196-inch pultruded carbon (about 5 mm) cut to lengths of about 3 to 4 inches (about 7.6 to 10 cm).

Watty gives no written steps for the Breeze. The closest method is the Build the sail section of the Essentials page. Its techniques carry over: hot-cutting the panels, hot-tacking and sewing them, working with double-sided tape and Dacron, making the bungee loops, fitting the T fittings and the frame. The two kites also use the same tools and thread.

Treat it as a guide to technique only. The Breeze is smaller and its pieces differ. Step 7 (leading-edge mesh) has no counterpart in the Breeze materials list, and step 9 (bridle) does not apply, since the Breeze only has pigtails. Follow the Breeze blueprint and the pieces table above for shapes and sizes, and study the build log photos where the Essentials guide does not apply.

You can plan your colors with the KitePaint Colorizer, the tool Watty points to for the Breeze.

• Watty Breeze page — source reference for the plan, supplier links and possible updates.
• Breeze build log — builds of the Breeze by Spence Watson, for inspiration.
• Build an Essentials — the step-by-step guide adapted from the same designer.
• Frame, connectors and bridle — other builders’ methods for the same steps.

• Build an Essentials: the full-size sibling, with a complete step-by-step guide.
• Mini Pulse: another project available in several venting levels, with a complete filmed build.
• Your first kite: an illustrated first build, with feedback on materials, sewing and framing.