Hi Phil,
www.kijiji.ca/k-set-location.html these must be the kites you are talking about ? Funny you ask about which kites to get to Australians while you live in Quebec, Canada. There is a great forum for kiting in Quebec where you will get much more specific advice from local kiters: www.kiteforum.ca. There is even a buy/sell section there where you can buy from sellers with a good reputation: much safer than buying on Kijiji.
That being said, these kites look quite old and at those prices I would be slightly worried about the amount of use these kites had. Buying a cheap old second hand kite Online as a complete beginner is a bit like buying your first car with a 1000$ budget without having a professional mechanic to inspect it, there is a high probability you will end up with junk.
Unless you have a friend who is very experienced with kites and who knows how to look for signs of weaknesses, check lines, leaks, previous repairs, etc. it's best you buy your first used kites from a shop as they will be in better condition, be inspected and tested, and you will get help/service if you have any issues with them. Go see Arthur in Montreal @ kiteforce.ca they always have good second hand kites. Also keep in mind 4-5 year old kites have less performance and perhaps not as good with safety systems.
As for the type of kites and sizes they seem like good choices for you guys, although below 15 knots you're not going to see much happening, unless you go out on the snow in the winter, in which case it will be plenty of fun in 10 knots. It also depends on the size of board as well. If you get a big board (ex: 140cm +), you can maybe get out in as little as 12 knots with a 12m kite in the colder/denser winds in Quebec.
I just got back from a 3 month trip back home in Quebec and I have to tell you there are some of the most difficult / frustrating kiting conditions I've seen. You really have to be extremely motivated to learn in those spots/winds, have a very flexible schedule and be willing to drive hours to get to decent spots. Sometimes you won't have wind for 2 weeks in a row. I'd recommend you book a trip to Cape Hatteras or even Gaspé / Iles de la madeleine to develop your skills in much more reliable conditions and 100 times safer spots.
In short, my advice is don't buy your first kite from classified ads without having someone competent to inspect it and also, be prepared to spend a little more money.
Bonne chance,
Christian
so I understand what you were referring to.
