Litewave 148--Suitable ??

[thejudge]

Hi,
Having just found this exellent forum, I would like to ask for some advice.
I have been kiteboarding on land for approx a year. With the sole purpose of ending up kitesurfing.
I now have a good foundation on which to start kitesurfing-I hope !
The kites that I have been using--NPW 4.4--Little devil 1.5--P.L. Peel 5m.
I have bought a Wipika Freeair 8.5 s-hand.
Now I am ready to invest in a board.
I weigh 60-65kg (wife says i'm built like a jockey)
I'm 5'10
So finally the question--would the 148 be suitable for me?
How powered up would I have to be (what type of wind speed) to get going ?
I know you are probably sick of seeing questions like this, but in my defence it has taken a lot of cuts bruises and sprains to get here !
Thanks for any input in advance.

Dave.

[rolltide]

Dave

The Litewave 148 is a good all around board, durable and easy to ride..
I have ridden the 148/158/169 and found that the 158/169 were great for lite wind and the 148 isnt all that great on the low end..
I am 70kgs so the 148 may suit you just fine.. If you are going to ride in moderate to heavy winds(whatever you are gonna kite in most of the time) I'd opt for the 148.. Litewind you are gonna want a bigger board..
Watch those edges cause they are pretty damn sharp.
As for your kites I am only familiar with the Wipika, and IMO dont think its a well suited kite for a beginner..
Look into the Slingshot Fuel if you want a tough ass kite that will handle abuse better than anything out there IMO... Mine has crashed into 2 roof's and still she flies straight and strong...The 2002 Slingshot Fuels are great kites and can be picked up at a reasonable price..
If you want to get your gear from a reputable source that will stand behind what they sell drop me a line.. They stock SS and Litewave boards.
Good luck and by the way

TIOCFAIDH 'AR LA'

Rev Rolltide

[captpaul]

Dave,

I'd guess I'm an intermediate level kiter and weigh about 240 lbs (what's that, 100 kg?) and have been using my wifes LW 148 for a couple of weeks now. I have no problem at all powering it up in any wind over 12 knots with my Rhino II 20m kite. The biggest restriction for me it kite size, if I had a bigger kite, I might be able to go out in even lighter winds.

Just a bit of advice, though... If you have trouble getting going with the 148 in the beginning, see if you can borrow a bigger board or a surfboard with footstraps. I think that it's easier to get started on a floaty board, rather than a wakeboard. There are exceptions to the rule, and your land kiting experience will certainly make your learning curve alot faster...

Good luck!

Paul

[thejudge]

Thanks guys.
Rolltide. What sort of prices are fules going for ??

[kiteboarder@pacbell.net]

I'm a little under 60kg now, but when I tested the 148 I was a little over 60. I found it got going very well when barely powered up (10 knots with an 8 - 8.5m flat sized sled). Even the 136 gets going with just a tiny bit more, although I may have been a few kg lighter when testing it. I think the deciding factor may be the HIGH end of the wind range. Unless you get over 25 knots, I'd say the 148 should be small enough. The 169 is WAY too big for me, in anything over about 12 or 15 knots. I haven't tried the 158.

[Andres_Santacruz]

I have a BRAND New never used litewave 148 for sale with straps and pads and a grab handle and six fins. Great price, e-mail me at mexkites@yahoo.com . The board is very well made, pretty light and looks great. Straps and grab handle are red to match the board graphics as well, i will put some pictures up later.
I am in LA, California.

[thejudge]

Thanks for replies.
Decided to be sensible and went for a 2nd hand litewave 169 to start with
so i can use as light wind board in future and progress to smaller board.

[PH]

Aloha
You should go for the 136
I use it 99%
180 punds with my 8.8, 11.5, 17.4 Globerider kites.
Works awesome, waves, jumps, turns, beach grinds etc.
148 is a great light wind board.

either way you will be fine

Aloha
Happy kiteing
Fabs

[thejudge]

So I think I need 2 boards.
The 169 for up to 15 knots and for learning on, bearing in mind the size of kite I have at the moment.
And a 136 for when I progress, for use in higher winds.

thanks
Dave