Help with Kites & Board size

[Needlecraft]

Hello there ,
i am new to the kitesurfing world and I would wish to have further information despite having read a lot online!

I would be looking into buying North EVO 2014 kite however i am getting slightly confused between wind charts (which is easy to understand) and my weight , these two factors combined do not seem to necessarily point to a say 8m kite with 16-35 knots (North EVO charts) for my weight and height ...

I am 1.74 meters height and weight 73KG

i would like to ideally to buy a 2 quiver kite 8 & 10 but would those 2 kites would allow for my weight to kite with a range of 14 (10m) to 35(8m) knots?
as you can read i am not even sure that my question makes sense too so confused i am!

in terms of board should i also select something like a 134 or 138 ?

many thanks for time reading and helping me

[MACTNKA]

At your weight, you should get an 8 and a 12 and then you can ride in 14-35mph. It'll be good if you can get two boards also, cause even 134 is big for 35 knots for you. Would be best to have 135-6 one for everyday, and 128-131 for those crazy nuking times! Have fun learning

[UKRob]

Hey Needle craft, I'm a novice too! I went for a Rebel 11m as my first kite one of the main reasons being I wanted the North 5th line safety, I've just bought a 7m Rebel second hand to complement it. Hopefully this will be a pretty good span. Incidentally I weigh around the same as you, maybe a couple of kgs more.

As for boards as a novice I've only got one and thats a X-Ride 139, that has to do me for everything and to be honest I really doubt I would know the difference at the moment.

[Needlecraft]

thanks very much for the speedy reply ,
at my weight , what wind speed would an 8 cover ? same for 12 ?
would 8 still covers 16-35 knots as described on the north EVO charts ?
would 12 covers 12-27 knots ?

thank you

Edit: apologies if this sounds stupid!!

alos is there so some sort of math that can be applied for selecting kites

Edit 2: i live in Ireland and i am not too sure to be honest 14-34 is the average wind speed from september to august ...

[Needlecraft]

Hi UKRob ! thanks for sharing this

in what situation would you use 7 (i mean wind speed)? is 7 Rebel comparable to a 7 EVO?

[MACTNKA]

Hey needle craft, so the 8-12 combination will work from 14 -22 miles for you on a regular board(meaning around 135-136x40-41.5), and maybe from 17-26 miles on the smaller board. Then the 8m will feel most comfortable from 20-26 miles on the regular board and from 24-35 on the smaller board, with 35 being the absolute maximum for a beginner at your weight with this combination. These are the best case scenarios(flat water, steady wind without gusts or lulls, little or no tide or rip currents, fairly new kites and somewhat flexible boards(not too stiff). Every variation to that will make it less safe but you'll learn to adapt to your spot. Good idea will be to ask more experienced kiters there what to expect on that day and wind direction. If you don't have those close to perfect conditions look for shallower water for learning as self rescue will be easier!

[UKRob]

Youve probably exhausted my technical knowledge already.... Again as a relative newbie trying to help, I would not pay too much attention to the wind charts I think they are based on the most optimistic forecasts using good riders in good conditions and cover the extremes of the wind window. As an example I cannot even keep my 11m in the air at what is reconed to be the ultimate low end and thats not on a board but just walking back when the wind has dropped.

Having been around dinghy sailing for 40+ years although a Kiting beginner I can get an idea from the feel of the wind if I need to go smaller. I'm not very adventurous yet and go smaller probably before I need to but it does make me feel better about the whole thing! Either way 12m and 8m or 11m and 7m gives you the same spread and would I guess cover anything Ireland is going to throw at you and you would want to be out in. Good luck

[Starsky]

Its completely unrealistic to be thinking about 35 knots as a new kiter. You should not even attempt it in your first year on the water. Harsh but true.

A true 35 knot day is BIG. As a seasoned veteran with over a decade in the sport I still get butterflies in my stomach when its truly up over 30 knots. For further context, I outweigh you by 5kg, and would not put up bigger than a 7m once its licking at 30 knots.

Wind graphs are not something to agonize over or even take all that seriously. I remember comparing one to the next and trying to base my decisions on that and now I laugh at my kookiness. Learning competence on one kite and one board should be the focus, until you are proficient at ALL aspects of getting out, having a great time and always getting back to where you started safely.

Get a 12m kite and the 138. Get to know it well and by the time you really need to shop for the next size down, you'll know a bit more about what your looking for.

[Needlecraft]

Thanks for your information & advice!

I am not planning to surf with a wind force of 35 Knots as a new kiter!
i am planning to buy 2 kites which will do me for at least 2 - 3 years and although i understand that 35 knots is a very strong wind force , i am not planning to kite in this condition in a very long time ( as you said a decade!)

i am just trying to figure out which kite size would be optimum for my height and weight! thats all really and hence based this on North EVO charts!

as i mentioned i am slightly confused when it comes to kite size charts VS height & weight and wanted to understand from confirmed kiters point of view if a 8 & 10 could do most of what a beginner needs on low to moderate wind speed including MY height & weight parameters!
Or should i go for 9 & 12

North EVO is branded as an all round for beginner to intermediate and i think thats the kite brand i might go for since there are good deal packages available

thank you very much

Again I sincerely apologies if i am not making much sense to Pro/confirmed kiters.
One might think that all info available online make sense but one might think that too much info kills the straight forward understanding!

[Starsky]

No worries.

I would advise waiting on the purchase of a smaller kite. You certainly wont have to wait a decade to get out in 35 knots, but its not really something your going to rush into. You will know so much more about kite size, range, performance and character once you get some time on the water and further along the learning curve. Always better to buy with that experience level rather than drop money on something you might not pull out of the bag for a year or more. The exception is if you are in a pretty windy spot and it looks like a 7/8 m kite is going to get some honest use. Somewhere with alot of days up over 20 knots.

initially I would advise the bigger end on the kite and board,,, so 12 and 138. You will eventually learn how to get so much more low end power out of any given kite, but at first you kind of need that raw pull to keep you planing nicely. Don't look at it as stuff your going to keep down the road. Look at it as the best and most efficient way to get the skill set. That range on any recent 12m kite is going to cover so much ground for you and that extra little bit of board will cut out a lot of frustration.