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Re: 3rd Avenue for Beginners

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 4:39 pm
by nick_80044
Jox wrote:Huh, well that is good to know. I was under the impression that high teens and low 20s were too much for 11-12m kites...thats the whole reason I went ahead and purchased the 9m. I find myself alittle confused as to which kite to fly if that 20+ wind at 3rd Avenue was supposedly best with my 11m.
My 12m is (supposedly) rated to fly in up to 25 mph wind, but I think that much above 20 starts getting uncomfortable real fast.

Rather than rely on numbers, though, I usually go by:

1) The way the wind feels. Over time, you develop a sense of how much wind translates into breaking out the 9m. Usually, it's a lot.

And:

2) Other kites on the beach. This almost never fails. When I see that almost everyone has 9m or smaller, I know my 12m won't work. Taking into account, of course, that there may be a handful of beginners who only have a 12m and are determined to fly it even when they shouldn't.

If it's sort of "in between," I'd rather be a little overpowered on my 12m than underpowered on my 9m 'cause I know that it's most likely the wind will eventually die down, not pick up.

Re: 3rd Avenue for Beginners

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 4:58 pm
by Jox
Awesome advice, thanks! I contemplated switching kites when I saw that my 9m was the smallest out there...but it was a long walk back from the north launch. In the future i'll go with my gut and save myself some underpowered sadness when i'm floundering in the waves :P