skutter - 12-8-2014 at 03:00 AM
been looking into kites for my first kitesurf setup.
i weigh between 82-90kg depending on the time of year and what i'm up to. Been advised by the guy who has been teaching me to go for a 12m and then
get a 9m later on
These are the kite i like the look of
Airush DNA (beginner friendly tough but might out grow it quickly?)
Airush Lithium (could maybe be an interesting kite for longer
Slingshot Rally (heard good things, seen a lot of them out but they look to have less of a wind range than the Airush kites?)
Royal Blast (I have used this for most of my lesson and got given it again when i hired some kit, although only the 7m so i had to ride fully powered
and work it like mad, most folk were on 9 -10s apart from a petite lass who was also on 7m - I like the kites simpilicity and its reactiveness and is
the only kite out of these i have had chance to fly but comes in 11m not 12, but reckon i'll eventually go for 9m when funds allow)
Any people got experience of these kites? opinions etc much appreciated. THere are just so many kites out there its hard to know where to start.
PHREERIDER - 12-8-2014 at 05:09 AM
the SS rally may be best of the lot. SS definitely will go the mileage super tuff, plenty of range about as easy as it gets. you want a solid 12m
and rally does well in lower winds/waves as well ....alot to grow into actually.
Kober - 12-8-2014 at 06:00 AM
Never have chance to ride DNA or Blast .... but Rally would be safe choice for beginner .... nice jumps, very stable .... Also you may want
think about Cabrinha Switchblade , North Rebel or Gin Uru
9 and 12m is a good combination to start
skutter - 12-8-2014 at 07:41 AM
local dealer is doing a nice priced (well its still expensive...but comparativley speaking) set up of a 2014 rally, and a crazyfly allround board with
lines pump etc. I might go give him a call and a visit. however there is a big red bull kite race on this week in town, wondering if its best to wait
(and potentialy miss a day on the water :o ) and see if i can get some good deals from the trade stalls and reps who will be there. thing is tomorrow
looks like perfect weather! and i dont have any work booked in...
elnica - 12-8-2014 at 10:48 AM
I weigh 75kg and have a 14m Rally that is one of the two kites I use the most. It's my light wind LEI. The other is a 10m slignshot RPM. You weigh
more than me, I'd go with a 14m and start kiting when the wind is light (13-16knots). Then get a 10m for when its in the 20s.
It all depends on your wind conditions though...
I would not buy a new kite as a beginner unless money just isn't an issue. You are going to beat it up and kties loose value quickly regardless. You
also dont want to be hesitating to let go of your kite if your ass is on the line just because of the $$. You can buy 2 used kites instead of 1 new
one...
skutter - 12-8-2014 at 12:32 PM
yeah, i was thinking about buying a new but older model e.g 2012 but you can now order a 2015 rally so the price of the 2014 is lower though not as
low as a 2013 model.
Instructor says my kite handling is very good, he said not many newbies get dragged onto their face and be able to rescue the kite before it smacks
the water - i spent 10months flying fb foils and riding a landboard when conditions allowed at it really paid off when i got lessons for on the water,
so it hopefuly shouldnt get too beat u
p. Also looking at second hand gear. most people dont sell decent stuff with out a valid reason. either people want almosst new price for the had a
lesson bought the gear but have no time for it. or its kites that are now 5 years old or more and needing replacing soon. ok they can be a third of
the price of new, but they are unlikely to be as good a kite as advances in safety and build have brought us better and better kites. Chances are they
are going to be worn, more likely to break, need repair and probably need replacing a lot sooner so it could cost me the same or more than a new kite
in the long run.
id rather buy a new kite (doesnt have to be the latest model just fresh from the box) and go for a second hand board, harness etc. but then what they
charge for the board in the packet equates to about the price of a decent second hand board with out the hassle of waiting one to show up for sale
locally.
If you work out compared to other hobbies like motor cross or horse riding the initial outlay isnt so bad, but i am or course keeping my eye out for
the steal of century on the second hand websites here. but thats my personal view on the second hand vs new (im also asking about ex demo models as
well)
Instructor and locals have all told me go for a 12 and 9 quiver as my first two kites and a board around 140*40 but i might go a bit bigger, but the
instructor reckons i will soon outgrow a big board except for light winds.
l was asking about going bigger on the kites but was advised against it at first. Most folk ive seen out these last few days have been carrying
between 13 and 8 in their quivers. a few bigger kites for beefier riders. and visa versa. Either way what ever i get as long as i can get up and
riding then im going to have a smile on my face 
elnica - 12-8-2014 at 05:30 PM
I thought new was better at first too. But to the date I've bought quite a few kites, all used, and only had problems with one of them, which I then
had fixed down the line. It was the 14m rally. I didn't even notice it needed to be fixed until a good 10 sessions later when the tape started coming
off. I paid the most out of all my LEIs and it was the only one that needed repair. This is an expensive sport so plenty of people with money are in
it and keep renewing their gear every couple of years or simply never learn or don't have time so they sell their stuff that is not used much. If you
can only buy one new kite or 2 used ones, that will make a huge difference in your riding time. There are also tons of options out there and you might
change your mind about what kind of kite you like and end up selling your first one. Do you want to jump big with hangtime? kiteloop? ride waves?
wakestyle? It all impacts what kite you want. And then there are the bar choices, that are all personal preference too.
As long as it's only a few years old, there isn't much difference in performance or safety. Just don't by a $200 dollar kite or anything before 2010.
Ask about it's use, if you can see it even better. Anyways... it seems like you made up your mind about it already.
skutter - 13-8-2014 at 12:51 AM
not 100%, still looking outnfor second hand stuff. a very cheap vari vulcan 2010, but it has a small puncture in the leadedge strut. part of me
figures i could repair it myself. another kite going cheap is a 2010 rall rev 13m but its lines need replacing. lot of cabrihnas being sold but most
are 09 and also been told by a few people that they have issues with cabrihna stuff breaking. also im rather impatient and soon my work is going to
pick up so part of me wants to get set up asap so i dont miss any days..
skutter - 13-8-2014 at 09:08 AM
had a look the vari vulcan 2010, bought it. Its got a professional repair done on the sail, its bit worn in one place and the foam on the bar is bit
damaged - clearly from some kind of drag incidednt which landed it in a bush and put a slow puncture in the main strut. repair patches included. good
thing is a local dealer, one whom im considering buying the rally from will pay the same money i paid for the vulcan as a trade in (at least) so at
most i'll loose some time trying to fix the puncture but finanacially speaking its a no loose case - bar the 10 minute drive i had to pick it up. and
i gain experience in fixing a puncture.
elnica - 13-8-2014 at 04:41 PM
It's pretty easy. Use lots of baby powder to avoid twists when putting it back in.