Is purchasing a bow kite that's "too large" dangerous?

KiteboardingTampaBay · **Joined:** Sat Apr 12, 2008 5:09 pm **Posts:** 604

I wouldn't listen to these guys Mikey, get an 18m C Kite. (If you have been doing your homework, you'd already know that Bow kites are for pussies.) I bet the guy who told you that was either trying to sell you some gaybo kite he got stuck with, or just didn't know what he was talking about. Go BIG or go home when it comes to tits and kites... :thumb:

Old C kites are better for learning that's why the brands are all going back to them.
I suggest getting some boots when you're learning- they will help keep the board from coming off in the waves or when you're far offshore. :wink:

I wouldn't go to a shop either, I'd go straight to Craig's List and find the biggest kite you can get. Bigger kite means more for your money. My friend got a 21 meter C kite for 300 bux a few months ago! Yeah, 300 bux man I ain't lying. He didn't get no lessins and is already sponsered!

Anywayz good luck bro and make sure to post some picks. :thumb:

www.kiteboardingtampabay.com

plummet · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2012 12:56 am

mikeykitesit wrote:

plummet wrote:

first up how much do you weight?.... if you weight 200kg then yes use a 18m in 30mph.

if your and average weight say 80kg then no you will most likely die.

by all means buy an 18m but use it sub 20knots.
then buy a 12m and use it to 25 knoyts
then buy a 10m and use that up to 30 knots
then by an 8m and use that to 35 knots
the a 6 and use it to 40 knots

Don't kite any further than you can swim. If you can swim 2m against ocean currents then by all means go that far offshore.

I weigh 165 pounds and am 5'10. Why would I "die" from kiteboarding? I have surfed pipeline, reefs, and huge waves all my life. I want to kite far offshore and along the cliffs at Palos Verdes and boost airs in the waves.

As long as there is wind I don't understand why kiteboarding far offshore would be an issue. I mean you can always check the wind/weather forecast right?

You can die from putting up a kite that is too big. it can loft you in an instant very high. The majority of people that die kitesufing (theres about 5-10 per year world wide that i hear about) do so because they have tried to use a kite too powerfull for the conditions and have been lofted into the air and then slammed into something, beach, trees, buildings etc. No amount of pipeline surfing will give you the experience to fly a kite properly.

Why not ride 1-2m out to sea? things wear out and break. if your 2m out to and your kite deflates and can not longer power you, what do you do? what if the wind stops? or changes direction?

Quite clearly your are either trolling the forum for commedy reasons or you are so green you do not understand the power kites can produce.

Go get a lesson and fly some kites to find out. then listen to the instructors advice on what kites to buy.

frankm1960 · **Joined:** Sun Feb 04, 2007 10:48 pm **Posts:** 1226

KiteboardingTampaBay wrote:

I wouldn't listen to these guys Mikey, get an 18m C Kite. (If you have been doing your homework, you'd already know that Bow kites are for pussies.) I bet the guy who told you that was either trying to sell you some gaybo kite he got stuck with, or just didn't know what he was talking about. Go BIG or go home when it comes to tits and kites... :thumb:

Old C kites are better for learning that's why the brands are all going back to them.
I suggest getting some boots when you're learning- they will help keep the board from coming off in the waves or when you're far offshore. :wink:

I wouldn't go to a shop either, I'd go straight to Craig's List and find the biggest kite you can get. Bigger kite means more for your money. My friend got a 21 meter C kite for 300 bux a few months ago! Yeah, 300 bux man I ain't lying. He didn't get no lessins and is already sponsered!

Anywayz good luck bro and make sure to post some picks. :thumb:

www.kiteboardingtampabay.com

right the fk on ! and assisted launching is for pussies too so always launch solo on crowded beaches.... don't worry about those lines catching on anyone because they're around 600 lb test and have no chance of breaking.

Bain · **Joined:** Fri Nov 12, 2004 3:57 am **Posts:** 495

I've got an 06 20M Torch i can sell you. It has 5th line. It pretty much kicks ass and takes names, and is pretty much the baddest kite around. You'll be good on that up to the 40's.
Yes!!!! Pics please!

SupaEZ · **Joined:** Sun Jun 12, 2011 12:47 pm **Posts:** 1662

Video how to make an 18 bow kite into a 9 instantly............ :rollgrin:

Works wonder if you are 2 miles offshore and wind picks up to 30 mph :lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL1MQ8fHXYY

edt · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2012 3:30 am

Big kites are safer than little kites, but not because this kite or that kite is safer but if you have an 18 or 20 meter kite that means you are kiting in lighter wind, maybe 15 knots, but if you put up a 7 meter kite, the wind is howling, 35 knots or more, and at that speed, things happen faster than you can react. You'll figure it out once you've had a little bit of instruction and have kited.

I know some kiters at my launch that are absolutely terrified of big kites, no matter what the wind speed.

Of course if you go out in 35 knots with an 18 meter kite that wouldn't be prudent.

2 miles or more is an awful long swim when the wind dies, 1 mile swim is not nearly as bad. And make no mistake about it, the wind will die on you at the most inconvenient moment no matter what the forecast says.

if you have a surfboardwith plenty of flotation you can paddle back on the board, towing your kite, but I wouldn't want to go out that far on a twintip.

Oh and the speed of your kite isn't about the size it's about the shape. I have large kite that is somewhat box shaped, it's very quick in the air, handles wonderfully, great unhooked, decent air, but it is a slow kite, because of the shape of the kite it hits max speed due to friction quite easily and I have another kite that is much higher aspect, twitchier, but incredibly fast.

Many of the bigger kites are slow because they present so much friction to the air, it's easy for them to top out, while a smaller kite (if you can get going) will often beat the big kite in top speed because it has less friction. The problem with riding a small kite in light winds is that it takes a lot longer to get up to speed, and you need a special light wind board.

Toby · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2012 6:13 am

You are not a windsurfer wanting to go to Rio and now trying to get arguments against kitesurfing?

mikeykitesit · **Joined:** Sun Jul 01, 2012 7:47 am **Posts:** 6

If 18 meters is too big I'm thinking 13 or 14? I don't have the luxury of going out when the conditions are good. Only when I have time to kite surf. So I'm thinking a little something bigger will compensate for low wind conditions. Is this logical?

mikeykitesit · **Joined:** Sun Jul 01, 2012 7:47 am **Posts:** 6

Quote:

You can die from putting up a kite that is too big. it can loft you in an instant very high. The majority of people that die kitesufing (theres about 5-10 per year world wide that i hear about) do so because they have tried to use a kite too powerfull for the conditions and have been lofted into the air and then slammed into something, beach, trees, buildings etc. No amount of pipeline surfing will give you the experience to fly a kite properly.

Understood.

Quote:

Why not ride 1-2m out to sea? things wear out and break. if your 2m out to and your kite deflates and can not longer power you, what do you do? what if the wind stops? or changes direction?

Can you use a backpack to bring supplies/repair kits?

Quote:

Quite clearly your are either trolling the forum for commedy reasons or you are so green you do not understand the power kites can produce.

This my first post and I'm trying to make a significant purchase as these kites are thousands of dollars. I'm not trolling

Quote:

Go get a lesson and fly some kites to find out. then listen to the instructors advice on what kites to buy.

Ok

tautologies · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2012 6:40 am

mikeykitesit wrote:

I weigh 165 pounds and am 5'10. Why would I "die" from kiteboarding? I have surfed pipeline, reefs, and huge waves all my life. I want to kite far offshore and along the cliffs at Palos Verdes and boost airs in the waves.

As long as there is wind I don't understand why kiteboarding far offshore would be an issue. I mean you can always check the wind/weather forecast right?

Guys:

Is purchasing a bow kite that's "too large" dangerous?

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