I know this question has been asked a thousand times and undoubtedly it will be asked one thousand more, so firstly thanks to any of you who are happy to provide the inside word.

As an absolute beginner looking in it is really hard to know where to start with a general purpose trainer kite. I am a 90 kg (200lb) male living in Australia .I'm near a big park but not so far from a beach and I need the inside word on trainer kites.
Will I eventually kite surf?
That's currently goal.
Land board?
It seems feasible.
Buggy?
Hell I dunno, maybe. I've never done it so how an I judge?

So where does an unfocused person like me start?
From a lot of the forums people seem quite happy with 2-3.5m Ozone imps; that being said the Hydra offers a little more flexibility (launching and body dragging in water). So where does one start when they don't know what the end game will be?

My only requirements are that it is reliable and will allow me to grow over time, other than that I'm open to suggestions. Heck you people are the experts I'll let you guide me.

hi mate hook up with the guys from Extreme Kites in Oz they are like the guys on this site very helpful

www.extremekites.com.au

also if you go to this site there are tutorials for you to print off.

www.coastalwindsports.com

Experts? Hah. X is an unknown quantity and a spurt is a drip under pressure. (Say it out loud so the proper spelling doesn't confuse you!!) Grab a 3m Hornet/Flow/Beamer from either Kitepower (Geelong/Sydney/Brisbane) or Briskites and have a ball with it. 3m is big enough to get you mobile in buggy/landboard when you've got a bit of wind and certainly has enough power to drag you round all over the place. Jump on the ExtremeKites forum and find out who is local to you. Go meet 'em, fly with 'em and learn all you can - they're a pretty friendly bunch. I mostly buggy with depower kites atm but a couple of my favorite sessions have been with a 3m Flow. Here's a vid of one of them: 13th Beach Gang Rides again

This beach is 15min south of Geelong, Vic.

It's a good idea to start with someone who can show you how to fly a kite. Most of the well known brand named trainers are high quality so you should be ok. They are all pretty much the same so pick whichever you like. I always recomend the HQ brand, but then again, that's what I sell. Also, don't try to find a "one size fits all" kite. If you get a single kite that works ok with everything, you will have a kite that doesn't do any one thing really well.

-Mike

Of course you'll be able to do those things!
All it takes is some devout time to lean the basics, and with modern kites, progression is fast!
As others have said, HQ makes great starter kites, as well as Ozone and other main brands.

You did the right thing by going here. I have been power kiting for a little over a year now, but I had only made an account on this forum a few days ago. The people are very friendly, very helpful, and offer great advice.

If you are feeling adventurous, get a Peter Lynn Twister II (2). It is an inexpensive fixed bridle foil kite that is great fun, will fly in almost any wind, and is practically indestructible. I bought a 4.1 size for use as a high wind ATB kite/kite to screw around with. It is very strong for it's size, but at 200 pounds you don't have a lot to worry about. You will get your butt kicked with this kite in high winds, I assure you!! But it's all part of the fun! :D Kite is very lifty and pulls constantly, so you will have to wrestle with it, but it offers a bit more fun and excitement than a trainer kite while still enabling you to learn the basics.

Just one tip, if you do consider buying the PL Twister II, DO NOT GET IT WITH A CONTROL BAR. Get HANDLES. With any non-depowerable kite, especially as a beginner, get the kite with quad handles. You have much more control and maneuverability over the kite, and for some reason with the Twister II, the control bar does not function without some serious tweaking.

Feel free to ask any questions you have! I or other would be happy to answer them for you!

Cheers,
Sean

Also, Powerkiteshop.com has fantastic product information on a wide range of items, but DO NOT buy from there!! They are very overpriced!

These are some better places to buy from:

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

http://www.mackiteboarding.com/

http://kiteboarding.com/default.asp

That should get you started.

Cheers,
Sean

Hi Joblore you didnt say which part of Oz you are in. If you are in NSW and close to Sydney, u2u me and it would be my pleasure to help you on your merry way into the joys of power kiting

:bigok:

I would stick to between a 2m and a 3m for your first kite. You will be able to use it as a higher wind kite for a long time.

If you want a little grunt...3m Peter Lynn Twister II. If you want something more tame, a 2.6m Viper and even tamer, an HQ Beamer or Peter Lynn Hornet.

Eventually the route you say you are headed will lead you into DePower kites.

Get started and learn what you can. Hang out with someone who does what you want to do. Ask, and enjoy.

Thanks to everyone who has responded for all your help. There is a lot to look up and process so I'll get back to you when I've made the leap. Also thanks to Nocando for you offer of assistance. Unfortunately I live in Melbourne so can't take you up on it but very much appreciate the offer.

Now I'd better to get to reading some of those sites...

Cheers

You can use an open cell trainer to goof around in water. You just have to accept you won't be relaunching. You can still roll it up hit the beach and start over. The kite will Fly Dry pretty quick. Added incentive not to crash. I did it a couple of times. Body dragging WAY down the beach then walking back .

Don't go too cheap on your trainer kite. Odds are you will keep it and use it as a high wind kite + way to introduce friends to the sport. A decent one will serve you well for a long time.

Melbourne? Your local club is the Geelong Kite Club and there is always something going on most weekends. Elwood, President's Park (Werribee) and Apex park are all well used venues. Whenever any of us are heading out we usually post on the XK forum here: Victorian events 13th Beach, Ocean Grove and Torquay (when it's not too busy) are excellent buggying beaches at low tide. If you have Mon/Tue off, drop down to Sandy Point - we're all at Speed Week.

PS: we're a pretty friendly bunch so don't be afraid to stroll up and introduce yourself!

Well done John :bigok:

Thanks John,
this weekend is a no go for me but I'll try and track you lads down via the forum.
Enjoy speed week!