when i started i was about your weight and if your on a budget a 12 metre c kite is all you will need. i had a 13 fuel and a 140 board. you wont want anything bigger than a 12 no matter how light it is. have a lesson but they will try 2 sell u new age bow crap 4 sure. tell em u want a c and u only want 1 lesson. if you have loads of money disregard this post.

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Originally posted by sleek1

when i started i was about your weight and if your on a budget a 12 metre c kite is all you will need. i had a 13 fuel and a 140 board. you wont want anything bigger than a 12 no matter how light it is. have a lesson but they will try 2 sell u new age bow crap 4 sure. tell em u want a c and u only want 1 lesson. if you have loads of money disregard this post.

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to paraphrase sleek, if you have loads of (actually any) sense disregard sleeks post.

at your weight and those wind speeds a 12 metre will be bloody useless, you'll want at least a 14, and i'd imagine a 16 would make a lot more sense.

bows are not new age or crap, one 16 metre bow is probably the perfect solution for you.

the only thing sleek said that made an ounce of sense is to get a first board of around 140cm.

like i said if your on a budget get a c kite

Don't buy anything but 16m they may be a bit slower but when you are over 90kg you need that size kite. Otherwise you will spend too much time trying to move the kite around to get some power. Find someone who can teach you the basics and keep with them whilst you progress.
Good luck!

14m North Rebel!
14m Boxer SLE!

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Originally posted by RAL INN

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Originally posted by Dan Freene


I have been windsufing for years and am looking to try kite surfing. Dan Freene
Sydney.

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The key word here is "TRY".

And he gets all this advise on starting with a 16m kite for use on a small bay surrounded by buildings and trees.

Dan, you need to crawl before you walk. and you need to think safe, and you need lessons.

If you were my student, you would be told to not even bother looking for kit until you could get up on a board.

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that way we can pump them for like 6 lessons before we bend them over.

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Originally posted by carbine

..that way we can pump them for like 6 lessons before we bend them over.

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i couldn't agree more, some kite schools and their instructors spend longer training noobs than NASA spends training astronauts, shifty bastards. when i did my initial training they got me in a buggy for laps of the beach for god sake!

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Originally posted by doppelganger

I'm sure that was the consructive answers Dan was looking for.

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good job forum policeman, god only knows what would happen if humour or banter started to sneak into forum posts.

I weigh 105-110kg and it makes a difference. These midgets don't understand sometimes what 30 extra kilorgams does. A 14-16m would be the go, anything smaller and you're going to miss out on a lot of days.

I would advise against a 12m kite as well, all it will do is to force him into higher wind early on in his learning. Remember a heavier rider puts more load on the lines so a 80kg rider who rides a 12m in 15 knots does not understand what a 12m kite flys like to a 105kg rider in 20 knots.
Just get the 16m kite and stick with winds between 11 - 15 knots, and make sure you get a grunty kite you will need it to get through the lulls.

p.s. I meant kilograms, not kilorgams.

RAL INN what do you weigh? Only persons 90-95kg or above should be posting in this thread.

Dan, get the 16. I learnt on a 17 and turned out fine, and it was my only kite for the first 6 months. Sure power is dangerous, but no power is a waste of time. If you start on a 12 that's what you'll be doing most of the time, sitting on the beach waiting for 20+ knot days. And if as you say it's mostly sub 15 you'll be cursing a 12m kite. For sure do your first lesson or two on a 12, learn safety and some basics with less power, but you're not going to progress at all if you can't get out of the water.

Dan, I've only ever tried windsurfing once and I suck at it, but kite surfing as apposed to wind surfing is a totally different animal. In wind surfing your learning the skill of board and sail at the same time and in kite surfing, it's 90% kite skills to start with, one factor being, you get separated from the board often in the early stages. You need good kite control to retrieve the board and the ability to body drag proficiently.

Best advise I could give: Get and instructional DVD to scope the basics, If you haven’t already done so, go down to your local spot and just watch and have a chat to the locals. When picking a kite school/ instructor, pick one that you can still use their gear (free of charge) to practice on once you've had your lesson(s)at the site.

After your initial lesson(s), you should know by that stage how you feel about your progress and what (or if) kite you should buy. I was a slow learner and advanced to quickly to the board in the early stages due to impatience, don’t make this mistake. Once you've had a lesson(s) and purchased a kite and turn up a site, have a chat to the locals and get the run down of the spot, explain your new and could they give you any pointers if your having difficulty's.

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RAL INN what do you weigh? Only persons 90-95kg or above should be posting in this thread.

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"It’s a sad day indeed", think I need to hand over my policeman’s badge. Forgive me Greenpat, I'm only 80 kg.