[url] http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260076609530&sspagename=ADME:B:AAQ:US:1[/url]

Just got this on ebay. I have flown big power kites for years but kite surfing has always held an intrest.
What kite is this? Naish is the only thing stated and i would like to get as much info on it as possible. What other equipment will i need? I have a wake board and have heard of guys using them is it a good idea. I live in Illinois so Lake Michigan would be my main area of usage. I have lines for other kites spectra 300lb 150lb quad setup dont know if i want to get them wet or not. As you can see I am a total noob to kite surfing and any help would be great.
Thanks Brian

This guy is dangerous. :flaming: ( not you, the seller )
That is NOT a beginer kite. It is a good kite to start with but you need LESSONS 1st! They will teach you how to get going on something smaller at 1st. It really is money well spent.
Be sure to set it up on a 5 line bar. You will appreciate the relaunch + safety of the 5th while learning.

Snowbird is right, you need lessons. Fortunately there are a bunch of kiters in your area and a couple shops as well. Here's one link to get you started:

http://www.greatlakeskiteboarding.com/index.html

Thanks guys
I will look into the class. Yea i thought i got a good deal on the kite so it was hard to pass up. I have always been ifie on buying used stuff but the kite looked good. what is the main differance in this kite as apposed to my npw5 lk 300
other than size. That wing picks me up (220lbs). Is it just the fact that i am strapped in to the niash?
One more quick one for you all. I was at the niash site and saw manuals for "c' shaped kites is this the one i should be looking at?
Thanks
Brian

A couple of things you are not aware of for kite surfing - and lessons will give you a lot more details on this.

The lines used for kite surfing are usually 600# x 4 and stronger. The stress you put on your lines along with the weight of the water and "plowing" through the water will snap anything lighter like it was twine. Q-power is usually the preferred line and it starts at 600# weights and goes up from there.

Your wake board will work...but not well. Wake boards are designed with a lot of rocker. The main reason for this is that you are being pulled horizontally behind the boat and you need the rocker to help keep the board from catching and dumping the rider. Also, speed and drag are a minimal concern with wake boards because you have constant speed and power with the boat, the board will not change any of those factors. Kite boards are designed with very little or no rocker at all because you will be riding the edge or tail(or front) of the board almost all the time. The edges of the board need to be very sharp and the more edge you get in the water the better control and upwind you will usually get. Kites pull you upwards even when you are not trying to get air, horizontal pull is usually at a minimum. Very different type of riding that a wake board.

This is not to say that your wake board will not work but you will definatly progress faster with the correct type of board. it would be like trying to freestyle snow ski with a pair of cross country ski's. Two different designs all together.

I fully agree that your best bet is lessons. For one, the cost of the lessons are far less than the cost to the emergency room or the cost of replacing your brand new destroyed kite. With lessons you get the experience of the instructor as far as wind speed, size of kite, board size, ocean and water conditions, etc.... You also get to thrash the schools equipment instead of your own and face it, when you are learning you are hard on your gear. May as well be hard on someone elses gear and then when you learn you can fly your own. Your previous experience flying kites will pay off for sure. Instead of the instructor wasting a full lesson on rigging, larks heads, kite control, and general flying he can see your experienced and then start you on body dragging and possibly board skills.

good luck and play safe. Surf kites are quite different than NPW's!!!!

Hope this helps.

Well i was going to climb Mt. Baker this year but maybe I will tell the wife it's kitesurfing leasons for me. Great info guys and thanks for the help.
Brian

Hey Brian,

Two more bits:

In addition to the reason of your safety for taking lessons, it also helps protect fellow kiter's access to the beach. We've lost access to beaches here partly because accidents have given the general public the idea that kitesurfing is inherently dangerous. In other words, your kitemare becomes everybody's problem.

The other bit is that the Naish X2 is -definitely NOT- a beginner kite. It is a high aspect ratio, very high lift kite, and not the easiest, friendliest to fly either. Take some lessons (with a friendlier kite) and when you're ready to fly the X2, get an experienced kiter to assist for your first flight. X2's were great kites in their day, but could be very dangerous in a noob's hands...

Yea there is a school up in madison wisconsin i am talking with. I just could not pass up the kite for 73.00. I see it is a quad line is there a way to add the 5th line to the kite ?

If it has a pump leash loop you can connect it there

Quote:

Originally posted by kiteguy1999 Yea there is a school up in madison wisconsin i am talking with. I just could not pass up the kite for 73.00. I see it is a quad line is there a way to add the 5th line to the kite ?

As wjb says, you can connect one to it's pump leash connection (don't recall if X2's have one though) but it may adversely effect the kites flying performance. The added weight on the leading edge could cause the kite to be less stable (what happened when I added a 5th to a Caution Spitfire II, a similar high-aspect ratio kite). You're better off flying the kite "stock" until you've gotten used to it, then give it a go and see how it effects the kite.

I used this PDF to convert my 4line to a 5 line.

http://oceanrodeo.com/pdf/5th_Line_Manual_2005.pdf

Note: you don't need the kit, just some line and stopper balls.