Hello kitesurfing community! I'm new to the forum and to kitesurfing in general so let me start off by giving a little background.
My name is Sphen (or Steve), I live in Clearwater, FL (Tampa Bay area) and have recently decided to take up kitesurfing as my new hobby. I have watched countless videos and have studied wind theory as much as I could and then this past Tuesday I look my first lessons. Went out with a certified instructor who had a wave runner and he took me to three rooker island off clearwater beach and we had the island to ourselves. After the first 2 hours of safety and trainer kite flying I got hooked up to a 2014 14m cabrinha switchblade and got riding a bit and was instantly hooked! This is definitely the action sport for me. I spent another two hours practicing, swallowed A LOT of salt water, was able to ride short runs in both directions and then time was up and we headed back in.
I plan on taking a few more hours of lessons as I still don't feel I'm 100% ready to get going without an instructor. I'd rather spend extra money on lessons rather than risk hurting myself, or others.
I was thinking it would be a good idea to get a smaller power kite that I could use to practice flying and continuing to develop muscle memory and kite skills while saving up for my bigger purchase (2014 cabrinha switchblade 12m). I want a kite that can not only be used as a trainer kite, but that will also be powerful enough for landboarding so that I don't just end up selling it after a short while.
I am 27 years old, 5'5", 120lbs.
From what I've looked at so far, I'm leaning towards a HQ Scout III 5m. Would any of you recommend this kite, or are there better options for cheaper? Any input is greatly appreciated.
Thanks everyone!