Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

Need advice for beginner - kite size

Forum for kitesurfers
badgb21
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 659
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2003 8:55 am
Favorite Beaches: High Pines - Duxbury
Chapin/Mayflower Cape Cod
Langebaan
Cape Verde
Gear: None
Brand Affiliation: None. - The words of the prophets are written on the forum “walls”-
Location: Hants UK
Has thanked: 34 times
Been thanked: 29 times

Re: Need advice for beginner - kite size

Postby badgb21 » Thu Jul 19, 2018 9:25 am

That Kite is not ideal for a learner.
Something easier to control and water re-launch would be better.
Hard to imagine thinking about low end at 54Kg!
Be sure you know what wind speed the kite will re launch in and don't let her our if it's below, keep safe.
This graph courtesy of Peter Frank is a close guide for me at 116Kg, (free ride type kites) I would be interested to hear how accurate it is a the lighter weight end.
Good luck with your choice.

Image

grigorib
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 4126
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2016 8:12 pm
Kiting since: 2009
Local Beach: OBX; Clinton Lake, IL; Lake Michigan; Hood River; La Ventana; Ocean Park, PR; SPI; Tawas, MI
Gear: Kites: Slingshot Rally 5/7/9/11m, Turbine 9/13m, SST 4/5m, UFO 3/5/7/9m, Flysurfer Speed4 10m standard, Flysurfer 2cool 6m, Peter Lynn Venom II ARC 16m

Boards: Spleene RIP 37, Flysurfer Radical6 138, Flysurfer Flydoor5 XL, Slingshot/Moses/RDB 70/90/101cm masts with 1200/860/800/730/600 kitefoil or 2200/1700/1400 wingfoil wings and 310/230/425 stabilizers, Naish MicroChip 80cm, 36" Woody, Slingshot Dwarfcraft Micro 100, MBS Comp 95x

For sale: Slingshot Turbine 9/13m, 20” Guardian bar, 1700 sq.cm wing/fuselage/stabilizer fitting Moses mast
.
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 454 times
Been thanked: 685 times

Re: Need advice for beginner - kite size

Postby grigorib » Thu Jul 19, 2018 5:47 pm

on a cheap end find a 2012 Rally 14m as LW kite and 10m Rally 2012 as her regular size.
For newer I'd say 13m Contra for LW and 9m Rally (2014 or newer) as regular

consider 10 knots a LW conditions though and larger (door) board will help a lot as well as line extensions.

Don't look at any kites older than 2012

thewindego
Frequent Poster
Posts: 256
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2017 3:13 am
Local Beach: Wolfe Island
Gear: core and windego boards
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 24 times
Been thanked: 37 times
Contact:

Re: Need advice for beginner - kite size

Postby thewindego » Thu Jul 19, 2018 6:26 pm

I 2nd the big door to get easy lowend. Then don't need the 14. What happens with such a large kite for her weight that if the wind comes up much at all she has to rig the 10 anyway. With a door you keep 10 in the air and just grab your regular tt and keep riding.

we
Medium Poster
Posts: 93
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 8:29 pm
Local Beach: Huguenot, Atlantic Beach Jax
Favorite Beaches: Vieux Fort, St. Lucia
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 6 times

Re: Need advice for beginner - kite size

Postby we » Thu Jul 19, 2018 6:52 pm

My wife weighs 110 lbs and flies a 19m in 12 knots on a 129/38 board. She likes the large kites better than large boards. As a beginner she'll need a larger kite for the same wind speed.

Hugh2
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1665
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:38 am
Kiting since: 2005
Weight: 180lb/82kg
Local Beach: Clinton Lake in East-Central Illinois
Favorite Beaches: Cape Hatteras and Cape Town (also sailing around the world, this season crossed the South Pacific)
Style: freeride
Gear: Cabrinha Nomad 5.5, Naish Pivot 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, Duotone Dice 12
Long Ocean 136, Eleveight Master C+ 136, Naish Global 6'0", RB Sixty 3 Matador 5' 8", Slingshot Hoverglide H5 foil and Alien Air 4' 6" and Converter boards
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 98 times
Been thanked: 284 times

Re: Need advice for beginner - kite size

Postby Hugh2 » Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:05 pm

That's a very useful chart from Peter Frank. It agrees with my kite size usage at 85kg.

While I would normally recommend the Naish Pivot for several reasons as a great kite for a beginner, I don't actually like the 11m a buddy has, at least the 2015/2016 style (no experience with 2017-2019 models). I think the leading edge is too small diameter and hence, while that helps with going upwind, it makes the kite too "floppy". My 9m and especially my 7m Pivots (both 2015/2016 styles) are excellent. Re-start is easy, wind range great, stability and handling gusts great, and later on jumping and wave-riding are great too. I have no experience with 10 or 12m Pivots. I have a 2012 Cabrinha Vector for my 12m kite, and while it is a bit heavy and meant as a beginner kite, I find it works well for all the points above and with the relatively large leading edge diameter is definitely not "floppy". But they did not make or sell a lot of them so it might not be easy to find one. Sorry, no experience with other brands younger than 2012 (all Best kites before that), although my buddies love their Slingshot Rallys in all sizes.

Hugh2
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1665
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:38 am
Kiting since: 2005
Weight: 180lb/82kg
Local Beach: Clinton Lake in East-Central Illinois
Favorite Beaches: Cape Hatteras and Cape Town (also sailing around the world, this season crossed the South Pacific)
Style: freeride
Gear: Cabrinha Nomad 5.5, Naish Pivot 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11, Duotone Dice 12
Long Ocean 136, Eleveight Master C+ 136, Naish Global 6'0", RB Sixty 3 Matador 5' 8", Slingshot Hoverglide H5 foil and Alien Air 4' 6" and Converter boards
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 98 times
Been thanked: 284 times

Re: Need advice for beginner - kite size

Postby Hugh2 » Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:06 pm

we wrote:
Thu Jul 19, 2018 6:52 pm
My wife weighs 110 lbs and flies a 19m in 12 knots on a 129/38 board. She likes the large kites better than large boards. As a beginner she'll need a larger kite for the same wind speed.
How does she re-launch a 19m kite in 12 knot wind when out of her depth? I've never even flown anything over 16m!

grigorib
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 4126
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2016 8:12 pm
Kiting since: 2009
Local Beach: OBX; Clinton Lake, IL; Lake Michigan; Hood River; La Ventana; Ocean Park, PR; SPI; Tawas, MI
Gear: Kites: Slingshot Rally 5/7/9/11m, Turbine 9/13m, SST 4/5m, UFO 3/5/7/9m, Flysurfer Speed4 10m standard, Flysurfer 2cool 6m, Peter Lynn Venom II ARC 16m

Boards: Spleene RIP 37, Flysurfer Radical6 138, Flysurfer Flydoor5 XL, Slingshot/Moses/RDB 70/90/101cm masts with 1200/860/800/730/600 kitefoil or 2200/1700/1400 wingfoil wings and 310/230/425 stabilizers, Naish MicroChip 80cm, 36" Woody, Slingshot Dwarfcraft Micro 100, MBS Comp 95x

For sale: Slingshot Turbine 9/13m, 20” Guardian bar, 1700 sq.cm wing/fuselage/stabilizer fitting Moses mast
.
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 454 times
Been thanked: 685 times

Re: Need advice for beginner - kite size

Postby grigorib » Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:14 pm

duplicate
Last edited by grigorib on Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Mossy 757
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 1860
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2015 5:10 pm
Local Beach: First Landing State Park, Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Style: Kitefoil
Gear: Delta Hydrofoil and board. Cabrinha Velocity 9m, Flysurfer Sonic2 11m, Ozone R1V2 15m
Has thanked: 41 times
Been thanked: 71 times

Re: Need advice for beginner - kite size

Postby Mossy 757 » Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:21 pm

If you get your sister an old kite designed for advanced wakestyle tricks, the odds of her falling in love with kiting will plummet exponentially, compared to getting her a more beginner friendly freeride kite.

The quality of the equipment, as well as its ease of use, are HUGE factors in getting people over the learning curve, so consider any additional cost incurred "invested" in your sister's long-term enjoyment of the sport.

grigorib
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 4126
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2016 8:12 pm
Kiting since: 2009
Local Beach: OBX; Clinton Lake, IL; Lake Michigan; Hood River; La Ventana; Ocean Park, PR; SPI; Tawas, MI
Gear: Kites: Slingshot Rally 5/7/9/11m, Turbine 9/13m, SST 4/5m, UFO 3/5/7/9m, Flysurfer Speed4 10m standard, Flysurfer 2cool 6m, Peter Lynn Venom II ARC 16m

Boards: Spleene RIP 37, Flysurfer Radical6 138, Flysurfer Flydoor5 XL, Slingshot/Moses/RDB 70/90/101cm masts with 1200/860/800/730/600 kitefoil or 2200/1700/1400 wingfoil wings and 310/230/425 stabilizers, Naish MicroChip 80cm, 36" Woody, Slingshot Dwarfcraft Micro 100, MBS Comp 95x

For sale: Slingshot Turbine 9/13m, 20” Guardian bar, 1700 sq.cm wing/fuselage/stabilizer fitting Moses mast
.
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 454 times
Been thanked: 685 times

Re: Need advice for beginner - kite size

Postby grigorib » Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:24 pm

badgb21 wrote:
Thu Jul 19, 2018 9:25 am
...This graph courtesy of Peter Frank is a close guide for me at 116Kg, (free ride type kites) I would be interested to hear how accurate it is a the lighter weight end.
Image
Hugh2 wrote:
Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:05 pm
...although my buddies love their Slingshot Rallys in all sizes.
I would give a discount if 2011 on the graph is year when it was produced and I'm sorry if it sucked that bad back then (but I think it didn't)
But the error margin is just too high on the chart.
Or maybe I think of lowend-sweet for largest sizes primarily and rather of sweet-high end of the smaller ones which are different sides of the range

I'm about 200 lbs ~ 90kg and with 15m Turbine I could ride in as low as 7 knots. Steadily.
In 16 knots (whitecaps) I can ride an 8m but I'd take 11m for comfy riding. Same 11m Rally will get me gong in 10knots.
From 20-30 I'll be boosting big on 9m Turbine

I wouldn't accept an argument that whole chart is for identical board size and line length because you're supposed to use adequate setup for each condition.
Besides taking a larger board and longer lines for LW a heavier person should be using a larger board to start with.


Great visualization though, I'll start my own chart, it should be cool little project
Last edited by grigorib on Thu Jul 19, 2018 9:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.

grigorib
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 4126
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2016 8:12 pm
Kiting since: 2009
Local Beach: OBX; Clinton Lake, IL; Lake Michigan; Hood River; La Ventana; Ocean Park, PR; SPI; Tawas, MI
Gear: Kites: Slingshot Rally 5/7/9/11m, Turbine 9/13m, SST 4/5m, UFO 3/5/7/9m, Flysurfer Speed4 10m standard, Flysurfer 2cool 6m, Peter Lynn Venom II ARC 16m

Boards: Spleene RIP 37, Flysurfer Radical6 138, Flysurfer Flydoor5 XL, Slingshot/Moses/RDB 70/90/101cm masts with 1200/860/800/730/600 kitefoil or 2200/1700/1400 wingfoil wings and 310/230/425 stabilizers, Naish MicroChip 80cm, 36" Woody, Slingshot Dwarfcraft Micro 100, MBS Comp 95x

For sale: Slingshot Turbine 9/13m, 20” Guardian bar, 1700 sq.cm wing/fuselage/stabilizer fitting Moses mast
.
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 454 times
Been thanked: 685 times

Re: Need advice for beginner - kite size

Postby grigorib » Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:50 pm

...
Last edited by grigorib on Fri Jul 20, 2018 9:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.


Return to “Kitesurfing”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Brent NKB, bshmng, CaptainKook, Dave_5280, duddd, evan, Google [Bot], ham-er, i_love_storm, jyka, Kitemenn, lifeinthehood, marinjo77, rynhardt, Smeagle, SolarSet, universalflush and 122 guests