Got the kite, took it out for the first time on the weekend and loved it!!.. might mention that the guys at brighton were a great help. ribs hurt for 4 days though, not sure it was cos harness was on so tight or cos i was landing in the water.

Anyway, need to get a board, instructor said i shud get 130 to 135 (im 6ft, 68kg). Realise i'll downgrade in size so looking at a second hand. As for this second hand board, what year and price should i look for? any certain qualities, e.g. bendy, (and pop??). im a poor uni student, i'm want economical, but i'll put quality first.
Thanks for advice :)

two ways to go for the pov student:

1, get a larger used freeride board 138x42ish to start then sell it in two months for what you paid for it. then get a 133x40ish that will suit you for a while - still freeride, but perhaps a bit more nimble.

2, get the smaller board straight away

option 1 will speed up your learning curve as you'll find it easier to stay upwind sooner. option 2 will mean less time shopping around, but will be harder your first few sessions.

it's a buyers' market at the moment. you should be able to get a good board for what you're after for about $350 if you look around. any reputable brand's freeride board from the past three years will be fine. these include: nobile nbl, nobile 555, underground future, underground flx, cabrinha rival, cabrinha prodigy, and plenty of others with which i'm less familiar.

as for ribs, the better you get the less the harness will be pulling up from body dragging or having the kite at 12 so much.

You don't have to spend a fortune if you're patient. I just picked up a Cardboard Freeride, probably no more than 2 yrs old, excellent condition from lady who started and then packed it in. Retails for $800+, paid $350 on ebay, inspected beforehand. My wife is your height and 55kgs, riding a few years now so no beginner, she rides anything from a 128cm to the Cardboard 134, occasionally also jumps on my 138.