Hi everyone. I've been looking at certain kites to buy as I'm only starting out in this sport I'm 115kg. Been looking at the Peter Lynn vibe 3 1.9 meter kite. Would this be suitable for me as a beginner and would this get me moving at a reasonable speed to learn not slow but not hellishly fast?

I'd be inclined to go with a 4 line power kite on handles to start with. Might take an extra hour or two to really get comfy with compared to a two line, but then you have a kite which is much easier to land and launch than a two line and something you'll keep using. I'm quite happy flying a 2.5/3m kite and I'm 73kg. Start off in 10 knots or so (a light breeze) and you should be good to go. Peter Lynn's a good brand - the Hornet's very nice. Also HQ Beamer, PKD Buster, Zebra Z1, Ozone Octane/Flow (discontinued) Flexifoil Sting or Rage - all excellent kites.

Choose a Hornet or Beamer (HQ) over the Vibe (now called the Hype) to start with. a 2 or a 3m is the right beginning point. If you are in windier locations, choose the smaller.

Awesome thank you guys. Have found a HQ Beamer for good money and in great condition. Now just to find the landboard. And advice on a good beginners board?

Quote: Originally posted by Mitch18

And advice on a good beginners board?

Yes. Learn everything there is to know about flying the Beamer first. Be able to fly it sideways and upside down. Be able to fly it with your eyes closed. Be sure that you're wanting to continue with the sport.
Then buy a board. And a helmet. There are always good deals available on boards. The helmet just saves you to be able to buy more kites

You took the words right out of my mouth hiaguy, first thing is to nail your kite control otherwise you will end up injuring yourself as you will be looking up at the kite all the time, you need to be able to feel the kite and concentrate on the new bit which would be the board or a buggy.

I didn't see that tree trunk!!!!!!

What size is the Beamer?

Here is the catch. Assuming your Beamer is around 3m it is the perfect kite for mastering your pilot skills. It will serve real well as your high wind kite once you own it. Trouble is it will need a strong wind to work as an engine on a board. It is generally easier to learn to ride in moderate wind well powered on a bigger kite. Lots of reasons but mostly you can lean against the power and it comes on more smoothly.

Most folks who ride a board eventually move to depower kites. The Beamer will get you going but to really enjoy ATB getting a larger depower kite as well will make it all a LOT more enjoyable.

Ah right so if I get this right blade runner it's a 3 meter kite. When I do get the skills nailed and move on the a board your saying the larger the kite the smoother acceleration there is? And the smaller the kite it's more of a puch with acceleration

Not exactly but you clearly get it!

the Beamer you bought will fly in very low wind because smaller kites fly faster through the wind window + turn faster. You create something called " apparent wind ". You will be able to keep it flying but it won't start to give " engine " type power until the wind is pretty strong. Kind of scary strong for learning ATB. Because the wind will be strong and the kite will be fast it will give a big boost of power as it speeds through the window once at the edge of the window the power will be much less. Don't get me wrong! You picked the perfect kite for learning and it will deliver plenty of power for you to become a kite master in the shortest time. This game is 90% kite control and learning to fly without even looking at the kite should be your goal before pushing it to ATB. Concentrating on one thing at a time really helps in learning. Not having to think about what your kite is about to do allows you to think about what the board should do.

When you look at video of people cruising with the kite steady we call that " park and ride ". Your 3m won't be able to park and ride until the wind is pretty strong. Bigger kites move + turn much less fast. In my experience having a larger kite that is sized right for more moderate winds makes learning ATB a bit easier and a lot more fun down the road. The wind is less intimidating. With a larger kite that is well powered you will only have to dip it into the wind a bit to get moving and find park and ride nirvana without having to swing the kite low and fast into the window and work up speed. Since the larger kite moves slower, delivers more power and doesn't need to be driven hard into the power zone to produce engine like power. This means the power you get comes on more smoothly and you have more sail to lean against. Screwing up means MUCH bigger consequence. But that's 1/2 the fun!

Go out and set those memory reflexes. Learn to do loops and down turns. Both are great for power boosts while riding in low winds with a small kite like your Beamer. Then strive to learn to be able to control the kite without looking at it. It's certainly not impossible to learn to ride on a board with just a 3m. Just be aware that you will want that larger depower and start saving! If you don't have enough money for the larger kite and have mastered the Beamer by all means give it a go. Just be sure to wear lots of pads when doing so. The punchy power and lack of sail to lean against will send you over the top a lot. Getting low will be the solution then. But that's another lesson! :D

Boy I hope coastalwindsports get back up. Angus 'splains this stuff so much better than I do. :bigok:

Excellent description bladerunner! And exactly what I have recently experienced! My 3m Twister was great for first steps on a board, but as soon as I'd had a taste with a couple of successful runs I found I quickly wanted a bigger depower kite for exactly the reasons you've described.

Once on a bigger kite...6m Peak (which is still relatively small) it allowed me to practice in lower less scary winds, and I had much more success on a board. I'm still useless, but being harnessed and able to lean back against the kite makes a huge difference.

Mitch...start saving up old son!!

I missed out on that 9m Peak 2 but looks like I'm going to console myself by adding another arc to the arsenal....a 9m Phantom II to cover a bit higher wind range. Yeah baby!