huge choice for the starter,north rebel, ozone cat, cab switchblade and vector, flexifoil shiva,best kahoona,etc etc, all of these and more choices will see you through to intermediate levels, if your in the uk flexifoil are worth a look due to customer service,dont over complicate it at your stage, the are some really good deals around on last years gear, also don't be put off say 2012 new gear and second hand as the is a huge amount of gear around that's hardly been used, ive a couple of contacts in the uk if you need a deal, email me if reqd,

There is only ONE rule for new comers into the sport...

DO NOT BUY NEW!!

Buy 2nd hand and not older than 2010, and you'll be saving a tonne.

Once you're good and confident, sell the lot and THEN buy new.

As a newbie myself , having just gone through what you are ! I went for a couple of second hand switchblades I found on EBay , a 2010 12 m and a 10 m 2009 , bought separately I wound up doing about $1500 for both kites which came complete . One guy even threw in a foam core learner board . I paid through PayPal , and I still have both kites and they both work fantastic . Both are really easy to use with great safety features . Hope this helps !

Daniel1973 said..
Only thing I can offer and I'm not sure if it's the same for other brands because I haven't flown heaps apart from the air rush (whatever their beignet school kites are), best cabo, north rebel and north (another model I can't remember). I own switchblades and from my experience they pull really hard compared to other kites. It's desirable when your up and running but can be a lot of pull to deal with when learning how to hold ground and go upwind. Build quality is very good as well.

True Canrinha's have a lot of pull and maybe daunting for a beginner, but they are great in light winds and when a lot of beginners are learning in light winds thinking it's 'safer', it's good to have a strong pulling kite. Ideally, unless you"re being taught to ride specifically in light winds, it's best for beginners to practice in moderate sub 20knots. I've seen a lot of beginners frustrated over their attempts in light sub 14knot winds when if they'd focused on winds between 15 and 20-22knots, they would progress a lot more quickly.

Great info thanks so much!

Very helpful from all of you and you've prompted me to go back to ebay and see if I can find value there as another option.

I've heard nothing but good things about the Switchblades each time I've asked people, what you are saying about the extra pull is maybe what the sales guy was referring to when he said they were more fun and I would enjoy them more long term over the Catalaysts.

One I've been reading is that the 2014 Switchblades now have less pulleys but they do still have pulleys. The Catalysts that I learnt on didn't have pulleys so I'm not sure if this is something I need to think about or if it's a non issue.

Again I really appreciate anything people are offering as advice on here, I'm still reading and learning but really need to get something bought very soon as I can't wait to get on the water :)

The input about winds is also useful, I'll try not to be too worried about getting really low winds to start.

I'm on a roll!

Haha

How far on are you Efilnikufesin? You managing to go upwind yet in your first few months? How often do you get out?

What are your thought on kites with pulley vs. no pulleys guys? i.e. Switchblade vs. Catalyst.

Interestingly I notice the new switchblade control system has no pulley whereas the ozone one appears to in pictures.

Is this basically a non issue at my level?

can not go wrong with switchblades the end

Flip flop ! In reply to your earlier post .I have been at it for about a year , with about 1 to 2 sessions a fortnite . Both my early switchy's have rollers on the bridles that make them turn a lot slower than a direct bridle . I just bought a 14 m 2014 cabrinha vector a week ago , and just took it for a try today , I wish I had bought it when I first started . Holy s$&t ! What a fantastic kite for a beginner ,stable as !I have never had any wake board experience until I took up kiting so I have been struggling to get riding . I have finally found a kite after 4 purchases ( two of them brand new ) that let's me concentrate on that without having to watch the kite every 2 seconds .This is a legit comment I don't sell for shops . Don't take my word for it demo one for yourself . VECTOR rocks !

FlipFlop said..
Haha

How far on are you Efilnikufesin? You managing to go upwind yet in your first few months? How often do you get out?

What are your thought on kites with pulley vs. no pulleys guys? i.e. Switchblade vs. Catalyst.

Interestingly I notice the new switchblade control system has no pulley whereas the ozone one appears to in pictures.

Is this basically a non issue at my level?

with the vector i was upwind within 2-3 weeks, practicing about 4-5 times a week... basically every day there was wind.. as i got the bug. definately dont over look the board as well. make sure you get something big 145x44 was good for me and my weight/height 80kg 5'11. i wouldnt worry about the pulleys you wont really notice as its all new.

I tried a few different kites at the start rebel evo naish helix ha but got a naish park and it seemed to work great and seemed to progress much better when I was starting for me the park was the best also started on a small board and struggled then got a big board and was so much easier big board for learning is freat

Daniel1973 said..
Have a look also in the buy and sell section of this site. There's heaps and heaps of kites and gear there. I have a 2007 or 2006 switchblade 12m there for sale ..... But ..... Although it has all the safety features of newer kites it's not great because the bypass leash attached to the left hand steering line where it meets the bar. Very safe but also a really bad design and very inconvenient. Wouldn't recommend it for a beginner because if you crash the kite and it relaunches the opposite way the safety leash ends up twisted around the centre line.

That's something to watch for, and another reason to look for lateish models.

Hey Daniel. I know exactly what you mean.

I too had an old Switchblade with the depower ring on the left steering line. When you quick release, sure the kite depowers instantly, but there is nothing to stop it spinning until it hits the ground - if it hits the ground! It spins because the tension is on the tip of the kite and it's inflated to keep it's shape and catch wind on the other end making it spin. Once on the ground it stops spinning and hopefully the kite has self parked.

It's "dangerous" in the sense that you have to be at least an intermediate to handle the kite should the winds be too strong or there are too many people about. And it's a depower system that requires a lot of room around you without any obstacles, people, etc. BUT it's not overly dangerous.

I've been more scared depowering some newer model kites where the V point is too close to the bar and there is not enough depower line for the bar to slide up and release all tension on all of the lines, bar one. These kites can sometimes invert and suddenly you have a soup bowl floating above you or another spinning kite, or a kite folded back on itself if it was not pumped up enough (so many people get that wrong too!).

I dare state it, but there is NOT ONE LEADING EDGE KITE THAT IS 100% PERFECTLY SAFE in the market today. The safest kites in my mind, have always been the foil kites. They are a challenge to master but have instant and immediate depower. Self landing them is hard though. They pack far more quickly and you can roll them into a small bag compared to a LEI. Line tangles are also not an issue once you learn how to pack and unpack them. Like I said, they are very technical compared to LEI. But they are safer. I stand by that.

However, I personally still buy 2nd hand LEI pre 2010 kites due to the price, and also I know what I am doing, I am able to control the kite and only fly them within their limits. But nothing is guaranteed in life, and ALL kites should be handled with confidence, experience and care.

However, for a beginner, you cannot go wrong with any modern free-style kite as long as you respect the equipment and the elements. It then just comes down to quality, price and support.

Wow guys thanks SO much for all the input and advice!

I've bitten the bullet and gone for the Switchblade package deal I was offered. I did have a very good look at second hand gear both on ebay and a well known second hand site here in the UK but in general I found I either wasn't too sure on the condition or quality or the people were asking far too much for second hand gear.

The package deal came out at what I think is very good value, got a really good wetsuit thrown in and literally everything else I need from a pump to board bag, flotation jacket, helmet etc. - went with a 12m and 9m switchblade as for my weight I was advised a 14m would be too much. Saved £500 on buying all the items separately so I'm happy with it.

Delivery is tomorrow but no wind forecast until next Tuesday, can't wait to get out and practise.

Thanks again everyone for your advice, looking forward to trying these Switchblades!

Cheers Lofty!

Interesting you named the Catalyst there which was the original kite I had wanted. They're a little bit more expensive than the Switchblade here but almost everything I read said they were comparable models both good for improvers and beginners.

I only got a few days on the catalyst but if I can notice a difference in my noob hands I'll report back!

You obviously rate the catalyst better, I did like those but have no grounds for comparison.

Can't wait to get out on the water and get ccompetent. As you say, once I'm better can always look to make the change.

Cheers Cauncy, bit of a delay as they sent me the wrong kite lol but I'm working 4 days on 12 hour shifts starting tomorrow so hopefully after that I'll get out