I am looking into really pursuing kitesurfing this summer as my areas and opportunities for land kiting around here are getting to be more of a problem. Really like the lake situation, I have access to a beach that I am mostly alone on and a good big open area of water. There was only one boat out there this past weekend.

Ok, here is the deal... I have flown land kites (foils) extensively but have limited time on my Wipika beginner 8.5 and it is too small for lighter summer winds so I am looking for a larger kite. I have body dragged alot and if I had the right kite, getting up and planing would not be a problem I think. I weigh 150 #.

So, what should I look for to get me started on a budget (model/size) ? Also don't want to grow out if it too fast.
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So....my 2 cents worth.

I`d look at the secondhand market. You could probably find a good cheap kite in what ever size range your looking at. Any brand not more than two years old will be much the same.

Everyone has their favourites but its a bit like cars, if you buy a sedan from ford, toyota, opel or subaru they`ll all much the same thing.

Do you have a big foil? If your a good swimmer and have good kite skills, give the foil a try with a really big board(surfboard).
:wow:

Big kites are invariably sensitive creatures by nature. Get the smallest kite you can fly with your wind ranges in your area. Smaller is better. (12-16m)

If your in a lake all the time then you could have a look at something like Flysufer, then you can easily go water land or snow.

Important that we have fun and don`t get overly worried about the latest and greatest.:singing:

Mind if I get in on this tread? I'm pretty much in the same situation you are Bill. Actually last night I shaped a plywood kiteboard..now I'm thinking, "maybe I an lei would be a good investment".

I've noticed that some shops have really good deals on 04', 03', 02' lei's. I've also read that 02' was kinda a learning year for most companies, and that the different companies and models have been improved since then, and all pretty much share the same design ideas...for the most part.

With that in mind, I'm seeing a great price on an 03' Naish X3. And nice price cuts on the 04' Naish kites also. Would anyone like to chime in with advice about any of these particular models?

after doing some research i've got two models that i'm keen on. although it is very tough to research actually..there are soo many kites on the market.

neither of these two are lei's. i figure either would be good for kiteboarding, buggying, and snowkiting. i'm thinking of maybe a Guerilla II 15m, or possibly a Psycho2 13m.

so far, haven't found either of these two for sale used, or at a discounted price. i take that as a good thing, if the people who own them want to keep them!:tumble:

Have a look around on foilzone.com

I have not ridden either of those kites but from what I hear they are both pretty good.
I hear that the GII is pretty hard to crash into the water even if your trying too, some "autozenith" feature

It might also be worth looking at the new SPEED from Flysurfer.
Sounds like it has just taken all the other kites to the cleaners, if the reviews are anything to go by.

after a good deal of research and a kiteboard lesson, i have a good idea of what to get for my first kite. i weigh 170lbs, and its often lower winds in my area. i need a 16m kite for these 15mph wind days. i'm looking at getting an lei instead of a twin skin or a PL arc type kite. i may get an 04' boxer or a v4 16m. gonna have to wait and see what i can afford.

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