I live in Lima, Peru, and to ride decent wind (>12knots) I have to drive 250km soth to Paracas (kiteboarders heaven!). Time and costs involved are considerable and I am on the market for a kite that will allow me to have fun in winds starting at 7 to 8 knots and ideally cover a range up to 12 knots.
Has naybody had fun riding light breezes like that? Any jumping or relaunch possible in 8 knots? Any recomendations?

Depends on how much you weigh. I am 200lbs and have trouble in anything under 12 knots. SBC Magazine gear test said the 2006 Airush Reactor 21m, the reactor is supposed to be one of the fastest turning kites on the market (good for low winds), the testers said they were able to do kite loop tricks in 8 knots. Other than that look at new Cabrinha Contra Crossbow, coming out this month as a light wind bow kite, or a Best Waroo 20m which on their website has a windrange of 6-18knots for a 165lb rider.

A big wide board will also help, early planing. Litewave Stealth 137 or Caution Hustla 145 something like those.

Anyways that my 2 cents!

15 or 13 Meter FUEL (depending on youre weight) with 37meter lines lenght !!


Then you will have tha ideal light wind kite, nd still a kite to ride till 20 knot confy...(shortening tha lines.)


!

How much do you weigh?

im 57kg (dont know how much in pounds )

I ride my 15 and bindings with 37 lines (really powered) with about 8 to 10 knots !!


!

I changed my mind, i mean, Slingi designers changed my mind ...

The ideal light wind set up to me is,

- Rev 15 nd whatever u want (Skimboard, finless wakeskate, Glide, Misfit 146 ) All cool riding, below 8k ..

!

I weigh 75kg (dry) and usually ride a cont. rocker 138x40 custom, but I can make any board (am local shaper and boardbuilder).
How about the new Flysurfers? Has anybody had any experience driftlaunching them from a boat?

a buddy of mine was just testing out the new eze 13m from freakdog, (EH's american retailer) and he was going in 5kts on a skim board, albeit slowly, but still riding. where will technology take us next? watch the video on freakdogkites.com

I don't believe it, maybe 7 knots on a big board and light rider.

Do you have a video to prove it

DrLW

I'm sorry, that's pretty sad video proof. Show me a kite and kiter who hasn't done that. To me that has happened almost everyday around here and the wind hasn't shown up as forecast and there is at least one guy that grabs at that straw. Guy flying their kite just to keep it in the air, can't get on their board because they are busy keeping the kite in the air, they schlog downwind and into the beach as the kite flies across the powerzone for power and almost crashing the kite. Sound familiar (hell, I've done that once or twice ).