How to choose first kite

[davewolfs]

Hello everyone,

I am extremely new to the sport and have been using a training kite and am about to start lessons. Lately I have been researching how much gear costs and what types of kites are available.

It seems that in my area people are using a number of different brands - North, Slingshot, Best and Eclipse.

So with all the kites out there, how does one go about choosing a kite? Any advice is appreciated.

Dave

[Skyway Scott]

Get the best priced 2007 SLE kite on close out that you can get, if you are thinking about new gear.

It's not going to matter too much which kite brand it is, imo, especially as a first time kiter.
It really doesn't all that much anymore for most riders with less than 2 years experience.
I would even strongly consider asking a local about his used gear (if you see some for sale).
Don't let anyone pull some b.s. on you about shelling out a lot of dough and tell you that it let's you progress faster. That's a sales pitch aimed at the gullible newbie.
In terms of boards, I would error on a tad bit wide. Don't "pull a Jason" and get too narrow of a board :), especially with summer coming up.

Oh lastly, prepare to not ride much for the next 4 months (possibly), at least locally.

[bayflite]

peter lynn makes a foil that is very easy to launch...just dont forget the organ grinder and monkey.
eclipse?
north?
best and cabrhina are by far the most popular in this town.
flexifoil is up there too.
ocean rodeo does nice work too.
peace

[Whitey]

I agree with Scott's advice buy the best stuff from last year and don't get hyped.

I do think it makes a difference in which brand you buy though. I won't pimp a brand (so that the tread doesn't explode) but keep in mind that you want a kite that you can get your local shop to service and stand behind, and most importantly you want a kite that relaunches from the water easy. There are several that would be good choices ( most of what you have listed and at least one you don't have listed). There are a couple that would be not such good choices (try to avoid sitting on tree limbs and scratching yourself in public) remember you want a kite that you can relaunch with minimal effort.

When you take your lessons ask to try different kites during your different lessons. Make your choice based upon first hand experience not what you hear or read. Don't buy something you have not tried first.

[davewolfs]

Thanks for all the tips so far.

What are some typical kite sizes that people use in Jupiter? And are most people using Bow or C style?

Also, are there any kites that a beginner should avoid, for example I read on some thread that the Slingshot Rev is perhaps too fast for a beginner yet my local shop has done their own review on it so I can only assume its a quality product.

http://www.jupiterkiteboarding.com/pages/slingshot%20rev%20kiteboarding%20kite.html

I guess I will find out a lot more once I get myself into the water...

Thanks again.

[davewolfs]

I agree with Scott's advice buy the best stuff from last year and don't get hyped.

I do think it makes a difference in which brand you buy though. I won't pimp a brand (so that the tread doesn't explode) but keep in mind that you want a kite that you can get your local shop to service and stand behind, and most importantly you want a kite that relaunches from the water easy. There are several that would be good choices ( most of what you have listed and at least one you don't have listed). There are a couple that would be not such good choices (try to avoid sitting on tree limbs and scratching yourself in public) remember you want a kite that you can relaunch with minimal effort.

When you take your lessons ask to try different kites during your different lessons. Make your choice based upon first hand experience not what you hear or read. Don't buy something you have not tried first.

Are most shops usually pretty liberal about people trying out kites or do the different brands have events where people can try their gear?

[Skyway Scott]

Yeah, some. But, a lot of average joes (at least around here) are pretty laid back about it, as well.


------ About 3 months ago, I was strongly considering a new digital camera.
I wanted something that was very good, but less than 1,500 bux.
I swear I read about stuff for 20 hours over the course of 3 weeks.
Forums, reviews -- you name it. Bottom line, I ended up knowing NO more about what I wanted than before I read. So many opinions, but more importantly SO many disguised pimps all over the place every where I read. Finding real info (online) is a joke these days, imo.
I ended up just starting to go up to people I saw with nice cameras and talking to them. That's how I got info (pretty ironic... the 'net the info highway... yeah, right :rolleyes: )

The nice thing about kites is you don't have to depend on just reading either. You can demo. Also, you can ask guys face to face at the beach that are just average joes and have no monetary bias toward your choice (ask a pimp, get a pimp answer, no brainer)
Ask the average joe, they are your best resource. It's literally what I did for info on cameras.

It's my view that relaunch isn't that big of an issue. Most newer kites do it pretty well. A few are ridiculously easy. I can't think of many that are all that hard (not 07 or 08 kites). Ask guys at the beach what they think, cuz I might be way off on that. I use to relaunch some pretty lame pigs.

I don't know about the east coast, but guys around here are easy to approach at the launch sites.
It hasn't gotten a b.s. elite club feel to it (yet), so don't be shy about just walking up to guys.

[stpetesal]

Olympus, Stylus 720 SW. Sams Club approx $428.00 Goes under water 10ft fresh and salt, can be droped from 5ft on concrete and still keeps going...great little camera IMO

[davewolfs]

Yeah, some. But, a lot of average joes (at least around here) are pretty laid back about it, as well.


------ About 3 months ago, I was strongly considering a new digital camera.
I wanted something that was very good, but less than 1,500 bux.
I swear I read about stuff for 20 hours over the course of 3 weeks.
Forums, reviews -- you name it. Bottom line, I ended up knowing NO more about what I wanted than before I read. So many opinions, but more importantly SO many disguised pimps all over the place every where I read. Finding real info (online) is a joke these days, imo.
I ended up just starting to go up to people I saw with nice cameras and talking to them. That's how I got info (pretty ironic... the 'net the info highway... yeah, right :rolleyes: )

The nice thing about kites is you don't have to depend on just reading either. You can demo. Also, you can ask guys face to face at the beach that are just average joes and have no monetary bias toward your choice (ask a pimp, get a pimp answer, no brainer)
Ask the average joe, they are your best resource. It's literally what I did for info on cameras.

It's my view that relaunch isn't that big of an issue. Most newer kites do it pretty well. A few are ridiculously easy. I can't think of many that are all that hard (not 07 or 08 kites). Ask guys at the beach what they think, cuz I might be way off on that. I use to relaunch some pretty lame pigs.

I don't know about the east coast, but guys around here are easy to approach at the launch sites.
It hasn't gotten a b.s. elite club feel to it (yet), so don't be shy about just walking up to guys.

Thanks for the tips.

If you need help choosing a camera let me know, photography is one of my hobbies. Personally I'm biased to Nikon I really enjoy using their gear.

Here is a picture from one of our local beaches.

http://previewmysite.com/elite-8.com/Output.jpg

[CodyKeats]

DaveWolfs:

You asked a couple of questions that haven't been answered, so here's my 2 cents on those. (I started kiting last summer in Hatteras, so I recently went through the same process as you.)

Bow or C? Definitely, go with a bow kite. Stick with recent models (07 or 08).

Size? Most people will start with kite in the 12 meter range. I started with an 11m and, within 3 months, picked up a lightly used 14m. I find that, on Florida's east coast, the 11m and 14m get about the same amount of use.

Slingshot Rev? I understand it's a great kite, and probably just fine for a beginnner, if you can stand to pay the price. I opted for Slingshot's '07 Turbo 2 kites, which have been just perfect for my purposes (easy relaunch with wide wind range).

Best advice from my perspective was offered in an earlier post. Don't buy until you've taken your lessons. You'll learn a lot about the kites that you use in your lessons. As a beginner, I found it was helpful to buy the brand of kite that I used in my lessons, because you'll know precisely how to use the safety features, de-power system, etc. Most brands will have similar features, but the bars, lines, etc. may be set up a bit differently. Once you've had some experience, the differences are not complicated, but as a beginner, it's much easier and more comfortable if you've actually used and been trained on the system that you buy and begin to use on your own.

Have fun. I windsurfed for 20 years before switching to kites, and (like a lot of others on this forum) I've never looked back.......this is a truly great sport. ;)

[Danimal8199]

I agree with alot of what people are saying on here...

Relaunch shouldn't be a problem... The Sling Shot TD2's relaunch ability is unreal, that kite has a hard time staying down and its extremely fast.

Summer is coming up so you will want a bigger kite for those litewind days. The cabrinha omega HD is another great kite. I have flown this and the bar setup can be ridden a couple different ways. You can also get pretty good deals on the 07's, same with the SS TD2's except you can't convert the bar on the TD2.

I just replaced my 15 and my 12 with Flexifoil Ion 2's. Those kites are sick!

I would just keep talking to people and like Scott said, it will take you a while to really understand what you like and don't like, it will happen the more you ride.

[Skyway Scott]

Man, awesome photo, Dave. :)

[<jason]

Very funny Scott... Good advice though... I would even get an 07 kite so I could get an 08 board, but use a reel leash so you dont loose it.

I started in march of last year and had the hardest time cause of my "french fry" board 140x38...I weigh 215lbs btw...

I used to ask so many questions why this and why that...Scott would say "its because of your board man...geez havent we been over this already..."
So get something wide...like by 142-145 at least..I guess it would depend on your weight too...but thats my .02
Good luck...

[Tom Stock]

He meant 42 (not 142, thats length)

Depending on weight of course... I am 180 and ride a 130cmx40cm. 40 is the width. Wider is better when you are starting out, so you could go all the way up to 46 if you wanted but it won't be a good all around board. Something between 40 and 42 wide would be a good all around board.

Flat, no more than 1" of total rocker from center to tip.

[Todd RT]

Everyone is giving you good advice. The only thing I have a LITTLE bit of a different opinion on is:

I learned from 14 years of windsurfing that MY learning curve moved FASTER with BETTER equipment.

So when I started Kiting.. I basically choked on the bill and bought the best stuff made at the time (everyone's opinion of what's best is different, obviously). It was in May 2007, and I bought an 06 Cabrinha Switchblade 2 16M (it was SUMMERTIME! Got the 12 later) and a Jimmy Lewis Flightdeck.

I've been VERY pleased with my learning curve. I have to give some credit to the equipment.

You will BEAT UP your first kite. Just be prepared for that man!!

Have fun!!!

[LSUkiter]

I haven't seen many other people with the Flightdeck. My friend back home had a kiteshop that went under(not enough interest in Louisiana I guess), but I got all my gear last year when I started from him at his cost. It was the summer when I started, so he set me up with the flightdeck. I'm definitely still by no means a great kiter, but since then I got a smaller board(Crazyfly). I still always grab the flightdeck. You just get up and go on that thing, and it just goes upwind on its own. Probabaly a little heavy for any serious tricks though(its ok cause I'm not even close to jumping). Expensive as hell though if you don't have a friend that'll give you his discount. Sorry, totally off subject, just excited to see I'm not the only one that has one. I got a little pissed though, cause a month ago I was in Venice, and some dude(aka assclown) asked me about my board and then made a smartass remark about the cost. Wish kiters everywhere were as friendly as here.

[<jason]

Yes...by 42-45..wide....not 142-145....yikes....sorry...

[Skyway Scott]

I guess in terms of the learning curve and better equipment.
I view SLEs in general as having had a huge impact. Trust me, for most people, learning on a 2000 C kite was pretty hard. It took most people several months just to go upwind.
Some people took nearly a year to easily go upwind. Learning to jump on on that c.rap was very tricky (delay b/n pulling trigger and kite actually moving). Relaunch wasn't all that easy either. Now your average Joe goes upwind in 3 to 10 hours. So, I guess it's relative. Call me jaded. :)

It's my opinion that the board is the make or break(er) in terms of equipment bought.
If it's not the optimum size for the rider and local conditions, it won't matter how good the kite is. Just my opinion. :)

[Todd RT]

I haven't seen many other people with the Flightdeck. My friend back home had a kiteshop that went under(not enough interest in Louisiana I guess), but I got all my gear last year when I started from him at his cost. It was the summer when I started, so he set me up with the flightdeck. I'm definitely still by no means a great kiter, but since then I got a smaller board(Crazyfly). I still always grab the flightdeck. You just get up and go on that thing, and it just goes upwind on its own. Probabaly a little heavy for any serious tricks though(its ok cause I'm not even close to jumping). Expensive as hell though if you don't have a friend that'll give you his discount. Sorry, totally off subject, just excited to see I'm not the only one that has one. I got a little pissed though, cause a month ago I was in Venice, and some dude(aka assclown) asked me about my board and then made a smartass remark about the cost. Wish kiters everywhere were as friendly as here.

Right on man. I love my flightdeck, was PERFECT for learning in the FL summer!!

You're right though... now that I have a 139 and a 120, the flightdeck seems heavy, but you can certainly catch big freakin' air on the flightdeck even in lighter winds!

[Tom Stock]

fwiw kiteboarding isn't big enough yet for there to be any "BAD" equipment .. they don't sell wallmart kites, or k-mart boards, so as long as you don't buying something from 2004, regardless of how much you pay for it, it's going to be good quality gear.

Do not assume that an expensive kite is better than an inexpensive kite.. Most of the 2007 kites and all of the 2008 kites are excellent. I'd say the Slingshot Rev, the new Cabs, and the new 2008 Best kites are probably the most common in this area. Monkey kites are becoming more common also because they are fairly inexpensive. There are a few eclipse riders too, but they just like to be different I think and there is nothing wrong with that either. Flexifoil makes great freestyle kites (ie: slow but stable) but they are pretty darn expensive.

Just modern gear you can afford.

[davewolfs]

fwiw kiteboarding isn't big enough yet for there to be any "BAD" equipment .. they don't sell wallmart kites, or k-mart boards, so as long as you don't buying something from 2004, regardless of how much you pay for it, it's going to be good quality gear.

Do not assume that an expensive kite is better than an inexpensive kite.. Most of the 2007 kites and all of the 2008 kites are excellent. I'd say the Slingshot Rev, the new Cabs, and the new 2008 Best kites are probably the most common in this area. Monkey kites are becoming more common also because they are fairly inexpensive. There are a few eclipse riders too, but they just like to be different I think and there is nothing wrong with that either. Flexifoil makes great freestyle kites (ie: slow but stable) but they are pretty darn expensive.

Just modern gear you can afford.

Any specific models of Cabs or Best to look at? How about the Slingshot Turbo's?

[Tom Stock]

As far as best, the 2008 waroos, the 9m is incredibly good. Not sure if they got lucky or stole the design but it's excellent.

Some others will chime in for the Cabs and SS because they have some good kites this year.

I don't really think you can go wrong with any of the newest kites.

The only brand I would avoid is liquid farce because they have always been sort of disconnected from the latest trends. They occasionally come out with a good board or kite but it's really hit and miss.

[Danimal8199]

I have a 12m liquid force assault 2, its been a very good kite...

Then again I can probably ride other kites just as well, but going back to the fact that I got brand new 2007 kite for $500.00, something I could afford.

Given the choice of not having anything to ride, I would rather have something than nothing.

I can still do spins and backrolls and kiteloops on it...

[Skyway Scott]

These videos are pretty old. Lou Wainman was on a two line kite.
It didn't seem to hold him back.

Any 07/08 kite is light years more advanced than what Lou was on.
Put 2 +2 together and figure out the the hype.

PhFVKGbvD_g

ZR2mADXHN88&NR=1

[Tom Stock]

holy mother of god man

[Skyway Scott]

No sh.it :)

Here is a pic that Toast took of him a few months ago. Sorry, had part of my desktop in the screen capture.

http://www.tbka.org/img/Picture3.png

[Skyway Scott]

Here is a better one. Toast took it and photoshopped it.

http://www.tbka.org/img/Picture4.png

[Danimal8199]

thats sweets looking!

[Erick]

Here is a better one. Toast took it and photoshopped it.

http://www.tbka.org/img/Picture4.png

Are those 15 meter lines? Lou rocks!

[bryanleighty]

great posts scott!

always good to get the occasional reminder that even the fastest flying 2008 kite means little compared to skill. go grab any of those 2005 kiteboarding magazines and look at the kites these guys are flying..

this sport is still in its infancy..

seems like kite design stalled for a few years with the c-kite as many were trying to develop the best and safest C.. now the sle is about 2 years in and i suspect another couple years before any major changes.. seems now the trend is to get all the benefits of a sle with a C feel..

but to the topic of the post.. PLEASE take your lessons and demo some kites.. if you feel you must get a kite.. look for something in the 12 to 14 meter size.. something like a flexi, cab, SS, waroo, royal.. etc... all easy to launch and fly.. 2007 or newer.. I'd say to get something used and learn to get up and ride with it.. expect it to be crashed a lot..
demo all you can and you will ease into the kite brand of your choice based on what type of riding conditions you prefer.

good luck..

[davewolfs]

Those videos are INSANE. This might be a dumb question, but when you spin like that how do you ensure that your lines don't get wrapped or crossed?

[Skyway Scott]

Not a dumb question. You can spin your bar the other way to undo the tangles, or you yourself can do a trick spinning the other way. Those videos are crazy.
I love that Crazy Train video. :)

[BigR]

The shorter the lines, the less likelihood they can wrap or cross


Lou uses very short lines

[Tom Stock]

Raul, HUH?!? Did you just huff spray paint?

[BigR]

He is well known to use 12, 15and 17m lines alot

[BigR]

i dunno, I remember this stuff coming out in 2002, years after .....hearing of it for the first time in 1996-7 when I used to experiment with it too

You have done a lot of work with short lines. What is the optimal line length? Will a standard emerge or does it just depend on the conditions and rider preference?
I just look at the kite, and then cut the lines where I think it should go.


http://www.kiter.com/features/interviews/Lou_Wainman.asp

[Tom Stock]

no i meant the crossing .. how can short lines not cross as easily? heh

[BigR]

Well.... short lines would be easier to uncross at least.


I used to experiment with Super long lines back in the day , 40m+, and when those things crossed....they wound up a mess

[Danimal8199]

I agree with Tom, if the line are connected correctly on the bar, how do they tangle and easier or not? am I missing something here? (thats NOT meant to be sarcastic)