May be I'm not the best personon to give an opionion on a low wind kite because I dont do much low wind flying as im not far from the coast.and the wind is mostly decent. I can only speak from kites I have actually flown and the 10M hq montana VIII surprised me I think they changed the fabric this year to something very light and it has a very good light wind performance I say go for a 12m to be safe but I fly on asphalt so a 10 is good enough for me for winds below 10mph.

Every thread that I've read that had "... not ready for the prime time" in the title was always off the mark. Just sayin'...

Waaaaah...... need more coffee or more sleep <* double post *>

ATB,
Sam

Quote: Originally posted by Kamikuza

Every thread that I've read that had "... not ready for the prime time" in the title was always off the mark. Just sayin'...

I think personal preferences and expectations weigh fairly heavily into that.

ATB,
Sam

The funny thing about light wind riding is that it is the most costly riding. Finding a kite in the $500 range for light winds is a challenge.

First, don't even bother with LEI. Even a good light wind LEI isn't going to give you the bottom end of a moderate light wind foil IMO. I may be off, maybe Phree or someone with more LEI experience knows otherwise. But I would say the popularity of kites like Chonos and Sonics shows that the LEI community has finally come to accept this.

Or Arcs. Unless you can get a hold of Big Blue or some flavors of 24m or an F-arc.

Options that come to mind. 12m Slingshot Ranger. Unlike most kites in that range, its not just a "fat kids kite" but an pretty damn good light wind machine. Once its modded and has a decent safety it makes for good light wind use on a budget.

F-Arc 1200. 12m, AR 7.0, flies like a Chrono at 20% the cost. The 1600 even more so but harder to find.
Down side is they are fairly technical kites to fly. But once you get a feel for them you love 'em.

Matrixx 1 15m. If you can find one it could probably be had for around $500. Again not a light wind specific kite but still a very good light wind performer on a budget.

Bear in mind this is all based on my own expirience and that of those in ride with on snow. On water, some of these options are probably not really options. Don't dip a tip! :P

Thanks for the advice feyd, much appreciated. Out of the kites you mentioned, the ranger or matrixx sounds like the best fit. I'd rather find either a p1 or p2 9m because I'm not after ultra light wind but I'm looking to be much more powered in the 10-15 stuff. my 6m has me consistently moving in 12+ but leaves me wanting more until I hit the 14-20 wind. Ultra light wind, I've consigned to find something else to do that day

@ssayre... 14m Gin Eskimo I or II would be good as well (same sail, different bar). About the same age/genre as the Ranger. Slow and grunty with decent lift and great float. It was made out of UL material and would be somewhere in the $400-475 range depending upon condition.

At 145#s, landboarding at the beach, I can get going around 6mph and have a hard time staying on the ground by 12-14.