so after chasing wind all over the winter i am so spent trying to kite in dull conditions. looking for the best kite for Melbourne. i am 80kgs 4 years kiting with limited tricks in my bag. ride hifix 13m 11m 9m 2015. looking to up grade to one kite to carry me over 15knots to 25-30 knots. over mowing the lawn on light wind days and the strong winds hurt my knees.
whats the best one kite do it all kite?????? most of all just want to get back to having fun.

A one kite quiver is a myth, a fairly tale. Much like the tooth fairy, bigfoot and god.

That being said. I can mow the lawns in 15 knots on my 10 edge and hold it down in a 30 knot squall.

But. Do I want to fly my 10m in 15 knots? no! do I want to hold it in 30 knots? sometimes.

In the 15-30 knot range I can and do use all of my 5 kites for different reasons on different days.

If I was to limit myself to one kite it would be the 10m edge.

Cheers plummet. Just looking to simplify my kiteing to a good wind range. Over the chase and grind. But tipping the kite bug will bite again after a good sesssion. Have five kites and four boards. Confusion reigns supreme. .

The summer seabreeze in melbourne is generally from 15 to 25 knots 90% of the time. So id just limit your decision to that range. Basically a 12 or 11m kite. Ideally a 12/9 two kite quiver works best in melbourne.

Wainman 10.5 punch.

I'd probably go for a 10m kite, look for a 5 strut, free ride kite that's efficient (like a Core or an Edge). Back when I started out I weighed around 75kgs and only had a 10m Core xr3, could get me up and going at around 15 knots and I could hold it down 30+ knots. We normally get a wind range of around 15-25 knots, you could always get a bigger board, but you should be right.

CapNRonK said..
I recon one 10-11m kite could cover 90% of Melbourne summer conditions. As long as you had a floaty surfboard and a twin tip. And maybe a foil and another small surfboard :)

Ok - got it !! One kite and 4 boards !! LOL

11m sonic fr

Iv been riding the one kite this whole year. Best TS 10m.

At 75kg it get going in 15knots and Iv had it out in 30knots. Worth a look if you want a do everything kite

kemp90 said...
Iv been riding the one kite this whole year. Best TS 10m.

At 75kg it get going in 15knots and Iv had it out in 30knots. Worth a look if you want a do everything kite

Tide assisted? I'm struggling on my 13m these days

6 kilos to go....

This is one of those "if you have to ask then the answer is no" questions.

It's very easy to have a one kite quiver and have a really good time on it, but you need the skill to make that one kite work over the range of conditions you expect to ride in. Only you can make it work and only you can know if you have the skills to do it.

To get the maximum range out of your one kite quiver you really need a selection of boards. A 7m inflatable with a hydrofoil and a surfboard will easily cover from just above 10 knots to over 35.

Underoath said...

kemp90 said...
Iv been riding the one kite this whole year. Best TS 10m.

At 75kg it get going in 15knots and Iv had it out in 30knots. Worth a look if you want a do everything kite

Tide assisted? I'm struggling on my 13m these days

6 kilos to go....

To have a good freestyle sesh I use the tide, but I only really do downwinders if it's light.

craigcrackles said..
Cheers plummet. Just looking to simplify my kiteing to a good wind range. Over the chase and grind. But tipping the kite bug will bite again after a good sesssion. Have five kites and four boards. Confusion reigns supreme. .

I hear ya. After there is definately and argument for KISS.

On the other hand 5 kite and 4 boards allows you to optimize each sessions enjoyment. When you reduce the kite/board numbers you will further reduce the enjoyable days.

If i limited myself to the 10 there's be so many days that it would just be a grovel or dangerous. Yet if i had the perfect board kite combo it could have been an epic session.

As an example I recently had a session 30-35 knots. All wave riders recommended 6m. So I fired up the 6 rode some waves and it was ok. But the waves were average on that day. I felt the need to boost. But the 6 is **** at boosting. I fire up the 8m am fully powered up and proceed to do lamp post high boosts. whaka yeah! Having the kite options turned an average day into a spectacular day.

I know some people with 1 kite quiver who make it work. Just means you have to be willing to give up sessions when the wind doesn't fit what you have. Depending on what you go for, you do something else when it's too windy or not windy enough.

The sketchy thing about this is if you are super amped to go kiting anyway, you go out when it's dangerously windy for that size kite. Or you end up doing a lot of swimming. So....don't go there if you are the kind of person who can't walk away.

The other thing: if you have a 5 kite quiver that you rotate in as needed, then it cost you 5x as much but also lasts 5x as long. If you are kiting 40-50 days a year on one kite, then you are replacing it annually. If you spread that across the quiver, maybe you are replacing kites every 2-5 years, depending on which get most wear. The single kite quiver may actually be a false economy. And it may be less safe too, if you are reluctant to change it out as frequently as you should. I have had a lot of time reasoning out why it is sensible to buy more kites.

I am also a fan of a single model quiver with multiple sizes....no need to vary flying style for the kite.

I'd go for a 10m. I have a 10 and with my DIY door I can ride upwind comfortably in 12knots and with a 128cm board I can shred the waves in 28 knots. Granted you need to have good edging techniques and kite skills to handle winds like that with a bigger kite than the norm. But you can boost much higher than the other kiters too!

wishy said..
It seems like a waste of money having a 5m or a 7m for two days a year. Until that one day comes and it blows your mind for the rest of your life. You cannot put a price on a fully powered rocketship style psycho turbo megaboost.

hehehehe.

True that!..... But i'll get at least 10 sessions a year on my 6m. And I've had the 6m since 2012 and its still got a few more years to go. A god damn worthwhile purchase!