Winter winds are usually stronger & tend to be more northerly. Kiting therefore tends to happen more down the bottom of the bay than up at the Melb end.

I have only kited one winter and found that a 12 and a 9 were all I needed. The 16 I had then only got a run in summer.

Given the price of BEST new kites, and the dropping prices of last seasons stocks, I wouldnt pay anymore than $500 for an X3 16. Save the money and invest in a thick wetsuit and full booties to keep warm