The 22 or 24 would be the most common. I have 4m extensions on my 20m lines. I generally only take the extensions off when it's really blowing. The longer lines generate a bit more oomph but also make the kite a tad slower in the turns. Shorter lines are more often used for freestyle wake style riding and the longer lines are used in the surf where you don't necessarily need mega response, I think, haven't done a lot in the surf.

Have you demo'd the 2013 Naish Park? I love my 2012 but am told the 2013 is even better. I'm your weight and fly the 10 in anything from 12-26. Worth a try if you can.

Hi Salty Sinus
Recon you cant go far wrong with the rebel. Its a very easy kite to use.
With line length, I've got a Park on 20M lines and I often change the line length on this. To be honest, despite what BurkeyBoy says I hate the short lines for anything other than wave riding. Great on the waves, because I can get the kite quickly from one side of the window to the other. Also kind of fun kite looping on shorter lines, but as I mostly do wakestyle I put 5M extensions on to give me more time to pass the bar before the kite moves too much in the window.
I share this kite with my kids who are kind of the same level as yourself, and they hate it now with the extensions on, they recon the kite feels better and more responsive for them on the 20M lines, so I have to take them off for them now.
Forget the 27M and the 32M unless you are into course racing or pushing the bottom of its wind range to the max.
At the end of the day it comes down to personnel preference. I prefer 24M lines, but if your unsure why not get the 19M and some 5M extensions and try both.

Hey Salty,

I've got the 9 and 11m rebel and I reckon the 9 is definitely the better kite. I think at 9m it's the right balance of weight, ruggedness and performance. Once you get up to the 11, I run 22m lines and still find it a bit sluggish. I think they are a bit overbuilt from 10m onwards and you might be better off exploring your options. Given how responsive my 17m blade is I'd be keen to try a trigger but I also like the look of the core GTS 2.

Can't go past a 9m rebel and the trust bar though, great fun for the surf and the flat. Lucky you getting to shop for new kites!

Both 2013 kites, I sit around 88kg (bare arse) so prob 93-4 with all my crap and the 9 is great from about 18+ for me on my TT. You have to work it sure but it zips around so I find it fun. Its got an awesome top end as well, having some fun times in the late twenties.. Was certainly one for the books when I went to water start and was 4ft airborne straight away. Went for some depower after that one

Ive been kiting for a year, am 82KG too.
I have a 2011 10m rebel and a 2012 7m rebel, both with 25m lines.

I much prefer the 7 and rarely use the 10, the 7 is so much faster and lively and its bottom end is not so different to the 10. You just have to work it a bit more. For me, I would probably go for a 12 or 13 as a big kite that would work in marginal 14-16 knot conditions. Once it is 18+ (as a guess) the 7 is fine. I ride a surfboard though which helps.

I've never tried different line lengths, so cant offer any experiences there! Though I would go with the 'standard' 24 if I was you.

Cheers

juicerider said...
Hi Salty Sinus
To be honest, despite what BurkeyBoy says I hate the short lines for anything other than wave riding. Great on the waves, because I can get the kite quickly from one side of the window to the other. Also kind of fun kite looping on shorter lines, but as I mostly do wakestyle I put 5M extensions on to give me more time to pass the bar before the kite moves too much in the window.

Hey juicerider, thanks for the correction. Like I said, hardly done anything in the surf and was mainly going off what others have said. Makes more sense, not wanting too much grunt with the longer lines but still needing responsiveness.