Hello. I just moved back to SF and live close to ocean beach. I love kites and have flown small trainer foils for years. I have good kite control, but have never flown anything large and powerful. I am interested in getting into traction kiting and could use some suggestions from some of the locals who know the typical conditions and suitable setups. I am poor, so a nice depower is well out of range unfortunately, but I would love some lower end suggestions for a kite that will pull me in a buggy on a "normal" day at ocean beach. i weigh about 200lbs and am 6'4" for reference for kite selection.

Also, is it even legal to buggy at ocean beach? I found some youtube videos of people doing it there, but just curious if you get hassled by the police or anything. Thanks, and any input is appreciated.

Welcome to the forum - you'll find this to be a pretty great place for info on anything from locales to equipment - if you want to know something all you need to do is ask. In reference to question - yes it is totally legal to kite buggy at Ocean Beach - I go there on a regular basis. Couple of things to keep in mind when going there to kite -

- Location: on a clear day there will be people out - sometimes a lot of people - as a kiter you must be careful to respect the surroundings and the people in them. There have not been any major "incidents" due to kiting that I know of. The Rangers and Lifeguards there are very cool - if they ever ask you to pack your stuff up they are only doing this to protect you from hurting someone or yourself. Listen to them - always respect the authorities there because they have been nothing but respectful of us.

- Conditions: From now till late May is the meat of the season, best winds of the year- daily winds speeds are very fluctuating - good days of 18mph West winds are the norm - freak days of 30+ can happen from time to time. Summer can be good but only if the temperature does not exceed 68 degrees - after that the warm air rising off the sand pushes the wind to higher altitudes. Check tide tables to maximize useable space for a buggy session - the more space, the more you can avoid problems with people.

- Kites: Many choices for an intro kite - Beamer III 3m, Pansh Legend 3m are two choices that will fulfill your immediate need. The Beamer is a bit more powerful and stable, whereas the Pansh is cheaper. - Big question - do you have a buggy already? If not that can be an expense that will break you right away - $350 - $700 is average for a used buggy. If you don't have the cash you can always make one (not much cheaper though - unless you find a good source for cheaper cost of steel and parts). If you don't have a buggy I would get an inexpensive kite - practice, practice , practice - and hang out - there are a lot of landboarders, buggiers, and tons of kitesurfers that will be there all the time this time of year - be polite and they will answer all of your questions. When you have your money saved - then get yourself a bug.

Thanks for the reply. I do not have a buggy currently, just looking to get into it. I may start with a landboard or something since I have some parts that could make one pretty cheaply. My brother in law is interested in getting into traction kiting with me, so should be fun to learn and hang out. I will look into the 3m kites that you mentioned. I woudl have guessed I needed something larger, so Im glad I asked.

Sorry to double post. But, would the kite recommendations be the same for a buggy and a landboard? Most videos seem to have buggies flown with handles and boards with bars. The reason I ask is because boarding looks like a lot of fun and could be done much cheaper than a buggy. I would like a suitable kite for either though if possible. Any thoughts. thanks.

The norm seems to be boarders prefer de-powers is why you see them flying with bars. And most buggy pilots prefer the extra control provided with handles.

Makes sense on the depower. I wont be able to afford a depower though. I assume it's "ok" to use a fixed bridle for boarding. I think I will just pick up a 3-4 meter kite and fly it with the included handles. Hopefully that would work for either a board or a buggy (or both).

The beamer kites seem like a decent prize for a highly regarded and popular kite.

That sounds like a good plan. You can't go wrong with a good 3m fixed bridle. Then when you get totally addicted like the rest of us you will amazingly find the cash for a depower

Don't hesitate to pick up a 3m Beamer. It will serve you well. I have never heard a person say they regreted that move.

Used Depower kites ( 2005 or newer ) are actaully a screamin' deal these days ! Once you get the beamer and are properly addicted start searching for a good deal on a depower.

Actually you can buy a used buggy for a pretty reasonable price. Around $250- $300 will get you something reliable. So a buggy can be almost as cheap as a board.

Don't think 3m is too small, there are some screaming days out there. Last weekend a 1.4m was more than enough to power my 270lbs up and down OB...mostly down though.

Welcome to the NorCal family.

Right on. I will keep my eyes open for good deals and get stuff when I can. I have been flyin the heck out of my trainer kite lately. Cant wait to get something with some pull. I think the beamer will be my best bet at this point. Bang for the buck. I guess I will stick with the 3m, instead of the 4m, since so many people say its such a strong kite. I just dont want to limit myself to really good days only, since those days never seem to fall on my days off. Then I'll just need to find a good deal on a buggy or board and I'll hit the beach. Thanks for the help.

Still thinking on my kite decision while I save up a bit. I had the opportunity to fly a 4m Flexifoil Blade the other day and loved it. Very strong pull, and it flew easily. My first time flying a traction kite with significant pull. I also really liked the bit of lift it offered. I could jump and fly a little, but it didnt just drop you back down. Would somthing like a blade or ace be a better choice than a legend or beamer for landboarding? I have been thinking I may prefer boarding to a buggy so would something with the ability to jump be a better choice for a kite. I see that pansh has a deal on a 3m and 4.5m ace kite package for $200. Any thoughts. Thanks.

hi hanknmorgan
looks like we have a problem with using ocean beach lately. read this : http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=9132 maybe you should start considering kitesurfing as an option

Hey hanknmorgan check out this thread http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=9199

These kites are responsible for my addiction.

Well, that sucks of OB being a problem. I live at baker beach, which is where I fly my trainer kite and where I had the opportunity to fly the blade. Baker is too small and crowded I imagine to be able to landboard without a hassle from someone. I guess I may seriously need to look into kitesurfing. Been thinking of selling my surfboards and going that route anyway because I can transport by bike since I'm selling my car and wont have a way to get a longboard around. Thanks for the heads up.