yep, board a bit small for your first board.

should be able to pick up a decent larger board (138x42 or so) second hand for cheap and then sell it at not much of a loss in a month or two when you're comfortably going upwind and ready for something smaller and more responsive.

or get a larger board to learn on and keep as a light wind board as well as buying this package with the flx.

all depends on coin and motivation ...

search beginner threads for heaps more info.

the rebels probably relaunch a fraction easier than the sb3s but all in all they have similar feel, and flying characteristics.

it more comes down to whether you want a 14m? how important are the light wind days to you? for your size in most parts of nsw a 12m and a 9m would cover you for most conditions.

There are some good deals on last year's gear at some of the retail shops.
I wont mention any names of retailers, so I dont start a "bushfire"
There was one shop selling 2009 Cabrinha IDS Switchblade, board and harness for about $2200. The advantage is you are buying new gear, so you can be sure it is in good condition (sometimes it wll be ex demo but it will be cheaper again.)
There are plenty of bargains so shop around it will also give you an idea on how well priced the second hand gear is if you go down that road.
A 12 or 13m would be a good all round choice and probably 138 board for your weight

loco4olas said...

kloud9 said...



In the end my decision was get a new kite - 2009 Switchbade 12m (not super "cool" but the advice was it is straight forward and safe and has a known history)

Mate-disregard the crap on here about Cabs (I ride Slings)-you're kiting-ipso facto you're cool....

Double that (I ride Naish and Core), Cabs only had some quality issues years ago and it all has been solved, they are very popular and reliable.

PS. Not all the kites can climb up the trees like cabs do

Hello biba
Go with the 12m 09 IDS new 1500 is about $700 off retail, its up to date and the 2010 kite hasn't changed much, the bar on the 2010 has changed a little, but at that price for a new kite you're getting a bargin. I got the same kite at $1400 at the beginning of the season.
cheers todd

Nothing wrong with the 2008 SB at all.

Compared to the 2009 IDS the 2008 is :

the 2008 model is a bit slower in the turns

the 2008 model does not have the IDS function but is still almost 100% depower ( I have 2 IDS kites which I have used for the last 12 -14 months and NOT ONCE HAVE I USED THE IDS not even for self landing ( I have now removed the IDS line from my 10m left it on the 8m, just in case )

the 2008 model has WAY more grunt / low end pull ( my 8m SB3 has about the same power as my 10mIDS and my 8mIDS would be like a 6m SB3 ...almost)


If you only have $1000 to spend do not dispair as there are plenty of good kites in this price range.

If you are only going to go for one kite i would go for a 10m SB3 ( should be less than $900 if you can find someone who is selling one as they are generally held onto. )

A 12m IDS would probably be on par with the SB3 10m power wise but price wise you will need the extra coin.

Just my 2c worth.

Anything from 08-09 that is somewhere in the hybrid range that's about a 12m would suit you just fine. You will become accustomed to whatever you are flying and hybrids really offer the best of both worlds without some of the problems you encounter at either end of the spectrum (ie: Bows inverting, C kites not having as much depower, etc).

I am your height and was your weight when I started kiting and I started on a 142, it was a great learning board but I did also buy a 128 for when the wind picked up. These are still my two most used boards now ('05 Underground FLXs). If you weren't planning on getting a second board, or not for a while at least, I would look at something about a 138.

Hope this Helps,

D

biba said...

D_Meredith79 said...
I am your height and was your weight when I started kiting and I started on a 142, it was a great learning board but I did also buy a 128 for when the wind picked up. These are still my two most used boards now ('05 Underground FLXs). If you weren't planning on getting a second board, or not for a while at least, I would look at something about a 138.

perfect, I bought a naish haze 138 board yesterday :)

what year is a kite labeled with 2007/2008? is that an improved 2007 version?
what do you think of the 12m crossbow 2008 as a beginner kite?

I would think that a kite labelled 2007/2008 SHOULD be an '08 model, as kites are released usually before the end of the year prior (an '08 model kite would have had it's first release at the end of '07).

An '08 Switchblade would be quite a reasonable kite to begin on in my opinion, the bonus of buying a second hand kite is that it is usually set up pretty well (line lengths etc) which can confuse the hell out of you and hamper your progress severely if it's not right in the beginning.

D

biba said...

and the 08 crossbow? the shop doesn't have a 08 switchblade :(

Hey Biba

Kitepower does have 2009 Switchblade IDS kites, and some others at the same price offered to you elsewhere. ph 95296894 to discuss

The 08 Crossbow is ok, Switchy was better, but you would be fine on a CB 08.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

oh man. that is a hard decision. I think I have read to many reviews and different opinions
I will pick up my board at long reef on Saturday and have a look at wind surf n snow. And maybe I'm the happy owner of a new kite after that :)

If you would have the choice between one of these kites, which one would you pick?
Cabrinha Crossbow 2008 12m
North Rebel 2009 12m
Griffin 2010 12m