looking for a good beginner kite to learn the ropes on.
interested in getting in to kiteboarding but want some kite hours before i take the plunge.

So first off, how much do you weigh, where are you from and what are your usual wind conditions. All this and more will be a factor and choosing the right kite, and help us to guide you in the right direction!

otherwise you may buy something not suited to you and you end up hospitalised

Hey md2... welcome to PKF.... and may your addiction begin....

If I were you I would get my hands on Peter Lynn 2.6m or 3.9m Viper (depending on your size) you will be off to a great start and you will have a kite you will be able to use for a long time to come.

My 6.8m Viper is one of my favorites to fly. It is very responsive, it doesn't yank me off my board when I am out on the snow, the power builds up very well as does the speed.

It is a blast to fly and it is very stable. Also the new Viper S is now out. I haven't flown one of these but I would expect them to be equal to or better than the Viper.

If your not into PL check with Jeff at Big Kid Kites and have him set you up with a PKD Buster Soul Fly also a great beginners kite.

Dino at Dakitez and Angus at Coastal Winds can hook you up on PL and all three are great to deal with. They all are also ready to answer any questions you have.

There are also many others here on PKF ready to help out.

wow i have belonged to several different forums but never such a quick response!
i weigh about 185lbs live in southern maryland (chesapeake bay region) typical winds here are between 8-16 knots but can gust higher on good days. I have been looking at the best kite trainer, the hydra and the wasp trainer kites.
if i could find a good used kite that would be good for learning on land and dragging in water that would be awesome but i will settle for just about anything as long as it is realistic for getting me going.
goofball would either of the peterlynn kits you recommended be good for just practicing on land without a board or buggy?

If you can get to Wildwood, NJ, next weekend(April 15-17) there will be many kites there you could try, and many people willing to help you out. Wildwood Buggy Bash!

Welcome md2pigeon to PKF

The PKD Buster Soul Fly is a nice kite but not suited for the water. I would not try to take that kite into the CB and try to do body dragging?
I sent you a u2u (private message) loot at the top right of your PKF page just under (Last active: 4-11-2011 at )and click the link

None of the kites I recommended would be considered for use in the water

The viper is a great kite for land boarding and would be great to learn on. It would also be a kite you would definately keep. Again it is not a kite for use on the water.


There are others here much more qualufied than I to recommend a kite for both land and water use for a beginner.

if it's gusty then go for a smaller de-power, I can speak from experience that Fixed Bridal kites arnt the best to learn on inland, I learned this while flying A hydra, and since then had the oppertunity totry out a much larger montanna ( a 12 M i think it was ) and I felt sefer and had more fun with this kite. As the guys say, there are many factors involved when choosing a kite.

What would everyone's opinion be of a first generation HQ Apex 7.5 meter depower be as a starter for him?