beginning kiteboarder looking for kite advice

mjo · Post by **mjo** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 5:58 pm

i am a beginning kiteboarder- have had lessons at the delta and abroad- and am nearly up and riding on a board. (still probably looking for a few more lessons) i'm thinking about investing in kites for the season and am looking for suggestions on "beginner" kites.

have been thinking about the north rebel or slingshot fuel.

from what i hear, with the hybrid/flat kites you can usually get away with a 2 kite quiver?

thoughts??

-mj

windhorny · Post by **windhorny** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 6:27 pm

Sonny · Post by **Sonny** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:03 am

Last year I watched beginners learn on both C kite and the bow kite. The pace they learned on the bow kite over the c kite was night and day. The good thing about buying a used Fuel is that they are very cheap on the used market and if you decide to learn on a c kite, Fuel is actually pretty good to learn on. If you go with Fuel, I would recommend getting at least 2005 model with the 5th line.

windhorny · Post by **windhorny** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:41 am

adamrod · Post by **adamrod** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:12 am

Yeah dude, I'd base your decision on what you want to spend. if you're a high roller and can happily drop $1k per kite, by all means go with a hybrid or bow. you'll learn faster and be happier. If you'd rather spend something in the $500 range, get a medium aspect C like a Vegas, Torch, Fuel or any of the other medium aspect kites out there. you'll have the advantage of riding a cheap kite you can abuse, because we all know you're gonna wreck your first kite eventually.

as for the 2 kite quiver, it's what you make of it. Most riders on this forum have way more than 2 kites, bow or c. bow kites DO have more range, but that doesn't mean you can go out in 30 knots on your 12 and be happy. theoretically you might not die, but it won't be fun.

super_monkey · Post by **super_monkey** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:53 am

I have 9m/14m 06 North Rhinos for sale for 300/450 in nearly perfect condition.

mjo · Post by **mjo** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:33 pm

i am a chick- about 130 lbs- so might not need a 14m? but am definitely interested in the 9m!

i am also definitely not a high roller... but i do remember loving the depower of the bow kite while i was taking lessons. made me feel a lot safer. then again, it was a gusty spot, so pretty necessary.

maybe the rhino is the way to go?

tough decision, i guess... but thanks for the feedback!

super_monkey · Post by **super_monkey** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:53 pm

I'm 155lbs and there will be days when you will want a 14m especially if you fly in alameda.

It really is a tough decision and you will have to make it :), whatever you do, make sure you feel comfortable on the kite you buy as that will make your learning experiance that much more pleasant. Also, in season, gusty is not in our weather dictionary. We get some super nice steady winds around here (unless you storm kite).

elli · Post by **elli** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 7:43 pm

Definitely go hybrid/bow. Wind range, safety and learning curve. You also do not have to spend 1K, there are many used for less. I am 150 and my biggest kite is a 12, and it is the only kite I used last year in 3rd Ave. When the wind gets light its more about the board than the kite anyway.

Fassn8 · Post by **Fassn8** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:19 pm

mjo,
I started last year and asked the same questions. So here you go:

Last year I bought a 12m Cabrinha Switchblade used for $900. Dakine Fusion Seat harness for about $125. Used North Dragon Large 134x43 board (I call it the "orange door" because it's so wide) for $300. The 12m was awesome for me. I weigh about 165lbs and was able to go out almost every day I wanted to at 3rd. I went to sherman a couple times and could only go out in the early morning because it was blowing too hard in the afternoons for my 12m. This year I plan to add a 9m to quiver.

I feel like the bow kites ease of re-launch and depower REALLY helped me. I'm no pro now, but by the end of last season I was able to jump, do back loops, and some basic grabs.

Since you're new I would recommend buying a used bow kite and a bigger board. You'll likely crash the heck out of your kite so IMHO it's better to learn on a used one. You can get a few used C kites for the price of one bow, but I think that learning on a bow is easier.

Seems like you need a bigger kite in Alameda than at 3rd (this is probably a huge generalization).

Here are the kites I'm looking at this year:
Best Waroo 9m & 13m
North Rhino 10m
Cabrinha Switchblade (no pulleys) 9m & 12m

Feel free to PM me with any questions. Again, I'm certainly not a pro but since I was in your shoes less than a year ago I thought this might help.

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beginning kiteboarder looking for kite advice

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