Hello there! I´m new to this forum, and also to kiteboarding! I´ve taken a couple of lessons learning basic stuff and body dragging, and was thinking about buying new gear. I´ve been reading some stuff, kite reviews, forums, and considering a wind range between 10-25 knots, weight around 187 pounds… I think a good choice would be a 12m F-one Bandit 5 or SS Rally 2012 to begin with, but haven´t decided yet! Any suggestions or tips based on experience will really help me to decide!!! Thanks!!!

Cold or hot winds? You'll be underdone at 10 to 15 knots on both these kites. The rally is mainly a surf kite the bandit an all rounder. What ya looking for style wise. and what board. Just sold my 12 bandit as didn't quite do it at 12 knots and that's on a sector v3 and I weigh 75kg, what's that 165 pound. ! Got a lithuim 14m all good now and some.

Those kites won't get you going in 10 unless you have a giant surfboard. They will start to work around 13 mph (depending on board) and should be totally solid 14 mph and above.

E

You won't go wrong with any of these kites. 12m is fine for 15 knots and above if you have a bigger board. As a one kite quiver it's ok for your weigh. Check out this guide: http://www.juicekiteboarding.com/buy.html I find it pretty accurate.

I am 200 pounds and I ride a 14m and 10m bandit. The Rally is probably easier to re-launch and the quick release is push away instead of velcro.

I would also consider RRD Vision or Passion. Both good for beginners with good re-launch and the bar is really simple and solid.

pretty much anything except a c kite will be fine, you wont be able to tell the difference

F-one a bit more grunt low end. Rally is faster to turn.
Rally easier to relaunch in light winds

Both easy kites to fly.

I ride a Rally 12m in 10-12knts with a skim board (@90kg) in hot tropics. a couple knots more and i'm on my TT.

DRC

I had both and you can't go wrong
Consider however that rally relaunch MUCH MUCH easier in light wind, and this is important for a beginner
bandit is better build quality, especially in the trailing edge area

Which Bandit did you ride? I have heard (not tested myself) that the relaunch is better on the B5 and B6 compared to B4.

B5 12mt. The smaller sizes (obviously) relaunch perfectly
The 12mt, in very low wind and with leading edge down, is quite hard to relaunch. You have to swim to rotate him
North Evo and SS Rally (other kites I flow) are much much easier.
Even my friend (an experienced IKO instructor) who tried was surprised
however the bandit in the air has something more (can't describe exactly what, but you feel it ) than the others

I fly the SS rally 14m 2011 and weigh 184lbs. Using a SS Darko 135...

I can start kiting at around 12kts, can hold my kite down up to 20 kts.

Try the Rally, it'll be good.