After a year of comtemplating buying a kite, I am finally going to part with the money. I have read loads of posts and online guides about which kite to buy (3m for a beginner) but everyone who asks on forums seem to be big athletic men!

I'm a girl and 57kg (125 pounds) and 164cm (5'4"). I'm reasonably sporty but not particularly strong and I am not looking to get into landboarding or buggying. Therefore should I go for a 2m?

However I have used a power kite before and I am learning to paraglide so I have an idea of control (from endless ground handling with my glider). I want the kite for practicing control, playing about with and jumping (a couple of metres say), and mostly when it's not windy enough for using my glider (e.g. under 10mph). Therefore should I go for 3m or even 4m?

I definitely want 4 line, something recommended for beginners (e.g. Beamer III), and handles not bar.

Thanks in advance - I know there are a million posts on here on this theme.

If your going to only be using it in under 10 mph you should be fine with a 3m. Its kinda hard for me to judge someone that small though. Maybe someone more your size can give a better opinion. where is Solaris? she is small like you and she is a paraglider ... you two could have a good chat.

There are 4 factors to consider when determining an appropriate kite size.

1. Wind speed

2. Kite design

3. Skill level

4. Body weight

I'll very quickly go through each and their respective importance. (You may be surprised)

First lets talk about skill level. This is BY FAR the most important factor!!!!! What may be very dangerous for a beginner, may be just downright boring for a more experienced kiter. My 6m Jojo in anything over 18 mph kinda scares me! (I'm about 185 lbs) However, I purchased it from a guy (who incidentally weighed only about 130 lbs) who frequently flew it in well over 20 mph winds! I'm not a beginner, but I'm not as skilled (or daring) as he was.

Second: Wind speed conditions. This matters!!! Boy does this matter! A 3m Beemer kite can practically be a childs toy in sub-6mph winds. However, that same kite can send you to the hospital or worse if flying in 40+mph winds! Remember, the worlds land speed record for buggying was acomplished with a 2m or 3m kite! (in raging desert winds mind you.)

Third: Believe it or not design matters. A 5m "HQ Beemer" and a 5m "Ozone Razor" are two completely different animals! Both are nice kites, but the Razor has EXPONENTIALLY more power in moderate to strong winds than a Beemer. Consequently, they have two completely different wind ranges.

Finally there's Body weight: Guess what, this is by far the LEAST important factor to consider!! (before a hundred people get on here and start screaming - let me explain) Why is it not very important? Let me elaborate.....

Let's take a look at the average body weight variences of traction kite flyers. As just a guess.... I'll say from "100 lbs." to "250 lbs." That gives us about a 150 lb. difference from the lightest to the heaviest flyers. Now in more realistic terms..... The difference betwenn you, at 125 lbs. and the average 200 lb. kiter is about 75 lbs. (And only a 60 lb. difference between you and me.)

Now lets take a particular kite........ lets say my 5.5m Razor.......Now lets see the variences in the amount of pull generated by this kite in the whole spectrum of flyable windspeeds and orientations......

At a minimum wind speed of....let's say 6 mph, parked at it's apex, this kite produces no more than 5 to 10 lbs. pull max.

At a maximum (excluding the idiotic Youtube video inspired) 25+mph shooting staight across the center of window......... I'd say conservatively, at least 500 lbs 700 lbs. of force!!! That's a difference of 490 lbs. to 695lbs! That's between 3 and 5 times the extreme differences in kiter's weights, and almost 10 TIMES the difference in between you and the average 200 lb. kiter. You can see that your 75 lb. difference is practically negligible.

Finally: One last thing to consider. Smaller kites = faster kites. Faster kites = less response time. Less response time = harder for beginners to control. Plus, small, fast kites tend to produce pull that's more jerky and erratic than larger kites (i.e. more likely to knock you on your a$$!) I like to use the analogy of skating towed by a large truck versus being towed behind motorcycle. Sure the truck has more power, but which one is more likely to knock you off balance? Much safer with a larger kite in lower winds than a smaller kite in higher winds.

So I'd recommend sticking with a 3m for a first kite. Just be a little more cautious about the winds you fly in. Oh, and get some kind of instruction (and some body armor couldn't hurt either.) You'll be fine. And eventually, you may come to view your weight as an advantage! (Better hang time in jumps for starters!)

Anyhow, pretty soon you'll want to buy several more in various sizes (we all do) to accomodate various conditions. and you may end up only using the 3m for high wind days, (or setting new landspeed records at NABX!!)

Welcome to the Club!

p.s. Let people here know what area of the world you live in. Most kiters will gladly let you try a few sizes out. We're usually a pretty friendly bunch (not a lot of snobbery..... And we'll probably be envious of the whole "paragliding" thing to boot!)

what bucky said... it's all in the control! (and windspeed of course

at 126 pounds you won't be jumping reliably with anything less than about 6m in sub 10 mph winds, though, you'll probably have more luck when it's blowing too strong for you and the glider, what's that (guessing) 18-20 mph at max??? That's the windspeed when the 3m kites begin to come into their sweet spot... And jumping with small kites is a full-on widowmaker institution, it's fast and gnarly, which can be fun....

so you're looking at a quiver to full the range in between that glider of yours and the 3m eventually, but the 3m is a fine place to start.

consider the 2 and the 4 if you get a pretty wide range of wind speeds, but get one kite first then buy something for your second kite later when you have an better idea of what to buy....

your ground makes some difference as well, soft sand is so much better than hard wet grassy fields...

Quote:

Originally posted by DAKITEZ If your going to only be using it in under 10 mph you should be fine with a 3m. Its kinda hard for me to judge someone that small though. Maybe someone more your size can give a better opinion. where is Solaris? she is small like you and she is a paraglider ... you two could have a good chat.

im that small (light) but a little taller.

go with a PL Hornet 2.0m (trainer kite, no jump)
it got the speed of a Two Liner, but the control of Four Liner. So its perfect for learning the curve while static flying before the big move to a buggy or mtn board.

if you want a entry level jump kite go with the PL Twister 3.0m but you're asking to fly in sub 10mph than you'll want to size up to the 4.1m ... flying it in lighter winds first to learn.

dunno your area, but contact Dakitez / Coastal Windsports / A Wind of Change / me @ Ripsession KB

PS. Kitebuggy Mama, now flies the Peter Lynn Core :wee:

It certainly helps having experienced kiters in the area to learn from as well as test-drive a few before making a purchace.

Wow, thanks for all those tips (esp Bucky - the numerics of weight not mattering are very useful). I think I'll go for a 3m entry level kite. Hopefully with my glider, the kite, and a good book, I'll be prepared for any wind conditions :-p

Updated my location... UK... a little far from all you guys. I haven't heard of place offering try before you buy over here. Any kite will be difficult to handle at first though so not sure what help trying would be - taking the advice of people with experience is always the best bet I think.

Thanks again

you're lucky where you are located:

contact this guys ... everything from learning to the use of the AIR FIELD

http://www.airbossworld.co.uk/

Hey Alison.

I am 4'11 and around 115 lb, and I have a 2m Beamer. I love it. It is so great to learn on, and still be able to control if the winds pick up a little. I am a total noob still and when I used a 3m the other day and was happy to go back to my 2m. In 16 mile an hour winds my 2m was trying to pull me all over the field. I dont know enough to know how much of a differnece a meter makes.

Listen to the people on here. Get a helmet and some padding....and definetly some kite killers.

The beamer was really easy to set up and learn to fly and I crashed mine alot when I was trying to get the hang of it. Shes still in perfect shape.

Just be warned that this is super addictive, and you will find yourself getting giddy whenever the trees start moving.

Kami

Just thought I'd update everyone: I bought a Beamer IV 2m and took it out for the first time at the weekend!

Not that I can compare it to other models, but it seems really responsive, which I guess is specifically from going for only 2m. My housemate who's tried other kites was also very impressed. I can do really tight turns/360s, stall it completely or collapse one side and re-inflate, launch it in cross winds / from a messed up heap and also just kinda jiggle it round a lot which is fun. Hopefully this will all translate to better glider control as I can't really try wacky stuff when strapped to the thing. I'd really recommend getting a kite to anyone learning to paraglide. I was a little disappointed it didn't have more power as even flying it as fast as I could across/vertical the window, I could counter all the pull by leaning and taking a few steps. I don't think it was all that windy though and I'm sure I've heaps to learn yet.

Incidentally I found the kite killers just got in the way, but I suppose it only takes one use to make them worthwhile and it's great to get them in the bag with the kite for the price paid. The bag it all comes in is really handy for wearing while kiting, the whole thing wraps up really neatly and weighs nothing. In contrast to other reviews, I didn't find it straightforward to set up - there's just a diagram of all the lines and then instructions on tying knots and checking the lines. I wish they'd had a more idiot-proof step-by-step instructions tying this to that, that to this, etc, and whether (as I now realise) it's best to extend all the lines fully before even thinking about tying them on to the kite i.e. at the kiting site and definitely not in your small back garden. Doh!!

Thanks for everyone's help and advice.

glad to hear you've gotten yourself started... 2m kites are very quick little guys, and your kite seems to be flying exactly as advertised / reputed, very nice....

first kite set-ups are always a bit knarly, but i did think HQ was RTF?

don't throw away those killers! sooner or later you'll be flying that kite in nuking gusty winds, conditions where it will sometimes power up and do something strange before your reflexes catch up (happens a lot less after you spend some hours flying) and then you'll feel much more secure with them on.