hello all =). as you saw from the subject i am a newbie to this sport =D."Hi my name is quarterz and i'm a newb" lol. i got very interested when a friend of mine started to share their experience with me when they first began to kite. we would discuss things that he would learn about kiting and throw at me all these terms that i never have heard before. so i did a little research to try to make sense of what the heck he was talking about. when he told me he had joined this forum he recommended i join as well to get to talk to people who had kiting experience. i've been a member for quite sometime but i hadn't post anything..until now because was a little nervous about asking people who no their stuff about kiting lol. but seeing how u guys are very kind and helpful for the people starting out i thought i might ask just a bit of questions =D well im 114lbs and im 5'2. so kinda a lil sketchy on what kite would be the best for me =P. also i was still a little confused on the what wind window is and how do yu know you r out of it? lol well before i start to write a novel im going to leave it at that for now lol but hey thanks for at least reading this newbie post ^.^:wee:...i love this smiley lol

Hi Quarterz! Please don't make the same mistake I made by not listening to the members here and buying a "beast" for a first kite. Good to see you posting and asking questions These guys won't steer you wrong, and you'll be up and flying in no time! :Ange09: Don't be nervous about asking questions, that's how you learn.

First things first...
You said you have done research. That's a good thing! Research kite safety first and foremost. When it comes to which kite is right for you, there are many variables that go into that. What do you plan to do with your kite? What kind of wind will you be flying in the most? How big/small are you? Would you like fries with that? :puzzled:

Since I know a little bit about you already, I'd say grab something no bigger than 3m. The PL Hornet is a GREAT kite. It's not very lifty, its stable, predictable, and very forgiving. The Beamer is also a great beginner kite. (Wow, all of this sounds strangely familiar):frog:

Anyway, I'm typing along like I'm some sort of authority on this subject when I'm still a newb myself. I'll leave it to the pros here :D

Welcome to the forum, and the addiction we call a sport:wee:

Quarterz welcome aboard. You came to the right spot. Please do not hesitate to ask questions... you'll not find a friendlier group than you'll find here.

When trying to decide which kite you'll buy as your first we could use a little bit more info like.... what kind of winds do you have where you live? Are we talking coastal or inland winds (where are you located)? Do you have any kiting experience at all? If so what type (1, 2, 4 line) and for how long?

For an explanation of the wind window look here
http://www.coastalwindsports.com/WindWindow.html

and look here
http://www.awindofchange.com/lessons/lesson1-2.html

Welcome. Ask away; you'll save a lot of money and frustration. Darwinism in the marketplace is such that there are no real "bad" kites out there, just be sure to shop in the right category. A sweet spot form most newbies is a fixed bridle kite on handles or bar of about 3 meters in size where you will spend $200-300.

Examples of kites on handles good for beginners...
Peter Lynn Hornet
HQ Beamer
Flexifoil Sting
Ozone Flow
Peter Lynn Twister II

Examples of kites on control bars
HQ Scout
HQ Hydra (3 line) simple inflatable
Flexifoil Sting (bar option)
Peter Lynn Twister (bar option)

Many kites can be flown on either bar or handles (the Hydra only on the bar because it is 3-line).

This is not a fixed list or an absolute answer but a place to start and provoke more questions...