Hi there,

we are about to move from Dubai to Perth mid of may. I just learned kitesurfing, well I just finished my lessons and manage to stay on the board for a while :-)
My instructor likes to sell me a Gaastra Jekyll 12m kite, he checked conditions in Perth and says it would be a good choice for primary kite, maybe a 8m for stronger winds once I progress.

What do the experienced surfers think? Happy to hear your opinions.
Usually I don't talk about my weight but in this case I'll make an exception...72KG

Would you think that a 12m kite would be a good option for beginners in Perth?

Thanks very much in advance, can't wait to get back in the water!

Hi Gateman,
thanks for the valuable reply. I'll think about a smaller kite to start then :-)

At least Kisha is co ing to Perth.
Dan at Kite Addiction has a full range of Gaastra kites. And spare parts.
As for a bigger name, do you know how long Gaastra have been in the water sports business?
www.gaastra.eu/en/brand/heritage/

At 72 kgs the 12 is certainly too big for your regular size kite.
If you are still at learner stage then going bigger than the absolute best size for your weight is a good move. Bigger = slower easier to fly. Bigger = out in lighter winds which also = less gusty (generally)
But even allowing for that 12M is way over for 72kgs.
My 2c worth :
1 x 1st beginner kite say 10M (11Mmax) - any major brand Delta shape bridled kite.
then when you are skilled you can pick a small kite to fit a nice 72kg quiver. Say around 7M.
1 x kite with no plan for a 2nd then go a bit smaller - you will get out more often - say 8M or 9M.
Remember though that regardless of what you may be thinking now almost 100% of kiters have 2 x kites (or more) before too long.

If you are just out of lessons buy from a shop & try getting a free (or cheap) lesson thrown in just to get you acquainted with your kite & a bit of local knowledge.

Cheers guys, that really helped me a lot! I really liked the Gaastra for learning but I guess it would be wise to first get to Perth and check out conditions and kites ( maybe good 2nd hand ones). Saved me a lot of money (for now) :-)
Can't wait to get started!
By the way, maybe a stupid question but did some research on the web and for someone who has never been to Australia before, it's quite scary....do you really have any issues with sharks while kitesurfing?