good all around size for bay area?? 14 or 16.

[jayms]

i ve been in tulum mexico learning to kitesurf, been using a 16 cabrinha co2..
can only afford 1 kite, right now, is 16 ok to bring back to sf/alameda/san mateo??


im handling kite quite well here, but not sure if i should use smaller for sf wind..

thanks!!

[billy]

This of course greatly depends on your rider weight so I will assume you are somewhere between 160-200lbs. I would go with a 12M or 14M, definitely not a 16M for the all-around kite in the bay area. Depending on where you think you'll spend the most time, the wind usually blows between 15-25mph in most bay area sites. 3rd ave in san mateo is probably the most consistent site in the summer time and it is usually in the 15-25mph range. Alameda is not as consistent and tends to be lighter as well, if you plan on being there mostly I would go with the 14M for sure...There is a great used market out there if you are interested in reducing the startup cost and possibly getting 2 kites which would greatly increase your wind range.

Good luck

[fearlu]

Agreed. I use a 16-meter as an "everyday" kite in the Bay Area and I weigh 260 pounds. I would think that for the Delta, Peninsula, City and Coast you'd be safer with a 12 or 14. Alameda folks may think the 16 is just right though. Even I own a 10-meter for the truly windy days.

[zgur]

It all comes down to how often you want to ride/where you want to ride. A 16m kite will be ok in Alameda/Berkely. It may be too much for 3rd, Crissy and Sherman, on most days....then again, you will have many days when you can ride this size kite anywhere.

Check out used gear - there is a lot of great quality equipment available at dirt cheap prices.

Good winds,Z.