Stats said...

Hi,
Just had my first few kiteboarding lessons and loving it... in the position to buy gear now and was looking for input on a few things from the more experienced members...

I need the lot - Kite, Board and harness and am tending towards the Cabrinha stuff after checking out Cabrinha, Slingshot and Ozone - however all of my training has been done on Cabrinha and i do like the clean bar and line design (neat de-power etc)

BUT after reading through this forum, it doesn't seem that Cabrinha stuff is that popular?! Is this due to the stigma of it being beginner gear rather than there being better stuff/brands or are there other brands i should more seriously consider?

I'm wondering what people would buy if they had their time again really - what their favourite kite, board and harness is and what are the key design features etc that i should be looking for... I did get advice from the school that i went through but each school have ties with certain shops and therefore source their lesson gear from them and obviously have a tendency to steer people in that direction which is fair enough, but i know once the majority move out of the safe confines of the school they start to experience and experiment...

Thanks (further info)

Weight: 76kg - beginner
Style: Freeride
Weather: Light to medium winds (10-20 knots)
Extra info: Girlfriend did lessons with me so looking for a kite she can use in different wind conditions as she is lighter than me (60kg)

All the 09 and 10 gear is pretty good so it should really come down to price. Try get some closeout specials as you may find some 09 gear going for a decent price with the 2010 stuff out.

You could probably go for a 10m kite if both you and the girl intend sharing it.

Hi Stats,

Here's the thing with buying gear as a newbie. You don't have the knowledge, nor the skills to decide what kite is best for you at this point in time.

The guys you have been taking lessons from should steer you into the right kite for your desires and skill level over the next year or so. Most kites are pretty good these days but they are all different. Each kite has particular characteristics and you will learn to ride that kite and adapt to it so it will be the perfect kite for you almost regardless of what you buy.

Once you can kite competently and are good enough to start noticing what you like and dislike in a kite, then you should just try lots of kites to try and figure what better suits your riding or provides the sort of characteristics you want.

It usually takes a full two seasons until you start to understand kites well enough to make insightful choices as to what to buy. Although having said that, some kites will just "feel" right for you and this will be a good enough reason to buy it.

Everyone on this forum is biased and will try to justify why their kite brand is the best. The shops, the sponsored riders and this includes riders who get discounts for support on the beaches. It also includes people unsure of their latest purchase who need to convince themselves that they have made a good choice even though the kite is wrong for them. It is human nature to want to have the best stuff and feel good about your purchase regardless of what it is, so take no note of what anyone says about what kite is best. It's usually only the kite which best suits their style, budget, physique and availability at the time of their purchase. It may not be the best for you.

My advice is trust the guys you learned with and maybe buy the Cabrinha (never thought I'd say that). It will serve you well as you learn to kitesurf over the next year or so and then when you have the experience, find something more exciting if that's what you need.

Just get the gear and enjoy the sport.

Cheers,

KH

Agree with kitehard= will take time till you get to know kite well and what you really want to do.
$ and safety wise, plus easy relaunch I would recommend Takoon Pure with the depower cleat below the bar (www.stonker.com.au).
But Rebel 2010 is my personal preference.
Godd luck.

I don't understand the bagging Cabs get. They're great kites. I think they coped a bad rap when they went the bow direction while other manufacturers stayed with Hard core C kites.

Seems a bit ironic to me that ALL those other manufacturers now sell SLE kites & most have a Bow in their range. (SLE's are really just Bows in my book anyway).