What would be a good board size?
I am 70kg/173cm and recently bought a 148cm board from a local surf shop. of course I did rely on sales guy's advise as I had no experiences with kiteboarding.

Had it for a season, first it was dame easy standing up but very soon I realised that it is too big for me to do carving and all that (all the fun stuffs) and my progress has been slow due to the reason.

now I am furious looking at this over size board and wondering everyday why the sales guy had recommended this size considering he is a similar weight and size (later told he rides 132). Understanding shop is to make money but where did the good old advises we used to get at the local shop!!! I just hope it wasn't related to the stock clearances or something (by the way I paid the full price).

I have to admit there is nothing wrong with the board but the size, and if I had got a right recommendation I might had a much enjoyable season.

Hoping new kiters do not have to go through the same thing, I would like to ask SB kiteboarders to list your weight/height and the size of board you are riding? Hoping this would provide a good guidance to new buyers.

My first board, recommended by my local shop, was a 122, 2 seasons old, $800..

shops that do this are just losing customers directly as well as indirectly, in my example I have pointed friends starting the sport to other avenues when purchasing gear as i realise now i paid too much and also bought the wrong gear.. [}:)]

Mate, I think the sales person did the right thing by you.

A big board is quickly outgrown but makes the original learning curve much quicker and easier. Most of the guys I know keep those boards as their light wind back up, and if you want to sell it you should be able to quite easily.

Maybe a little oversized but not much.

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airush geoff said...

Mate, I think the sales person did the right thing by you.

Not sure about that, but I know i would have been better off with your board, at least you will have a good light wind board when you purchase your new one

I did say at the end maybe a little oversized, I am 100kg and ride a 133 Naish Sol.

A big board to start with is the way to go, I have a 120 in the shed and it needs to be nuking before I take that out so a 122 as your first board would not have been great Kaleidoscope.

It is alot to do with the persons other abilities as well. If you are coming from a surfing, skating or wakeboarding background then people seem to progress quicker and may not need a big board.

I saw the prodigy in the buy and sell- maybe you could swap with the guy in Perth who his 148 is missing and has been replaced with a 138 !!!

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airush geoff said...



Maybe a little oversized but not much.

I agree with the idea to get on the water easier with the large board, but I found it creates a greater drag when there are not enough weight to create the bouyancy. I believe the board size and rider's weight ratio is very important to choosing the right board. Not just big is easy approach.

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kaleidoscope said...

airush geoff said...

Mate, I think the sales person did the right thing by you.

Not sure about that, but I know i would have been better off with your board, at least you will have a good light wind board when you purchase your new one

I guess you are right... over size is better than under size...

makes me wonder what others think the right size for their size and weight?

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airush geoff said...

I did say at the end maybe a little oversized, I am 100kg and ride a 133 Naish Sol.

A big board to start with is the way to go, I have a 120 in the shed and it needs to be nuking before I take that out so a 122 as your first board would not have been great Kaleidoscope.

It is alot to do with the persons other abilities as well. If you are coming from a surfing, skating or wakeboarding background then people seem to progress quicker and may not need a big board.

I saw the prodigy in the buy and sell- maybe you could swap with the guy in Perth who his 148 is missing and has been replaced with a 138 !!!

yeah I am from skating/snowboarding background, might have been progressed fast... thought I did slow...

And thanks for the info, might give it a try.

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airush geoff said...

I did say at the end maybe a little oversized, I am 100kg and ride a 133 Naish Sol.

How do you find that Geoff? Not too small? I have the 07 139 and I'm about 95 kg. The Sol hasn't got much buoyancy to it...

130-135 perfect size any wind and any style of riding you want. sell your board and change down, you'll never want to ride that big board again.

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lostinlondon said...

airush geoff said...

I did say at the end maybe a little oversized, I am 100kg and ride a 133 Naish Sol.

How do you find that Geoff? Not too small? I have the 07 139 and I'm about 95 kg. The Sol hasn't got much buoyancy to it...

Sorry- to clarify I have the red Sol from a couple of years ago, I have ridden the newer sols and do not like them. I have changed the footpads and beds on mine to the 08 Nobile design and am yet to find a board I like more. The guys I know are pretty much all on 130-135 boards and the lighter ones will just be flying a kite size or two smaller.

KiteClone, I reckon the shop did the right thing.

If you got lessons from a qualified instructor then he would probably throw you on a 140-150 with oversized fins to get you up quicker. Then after your lesson on the board you should chat to him about what sized board and you should get.
If you did well on the board then he would prob recomend getting a 129 or 132, if you went terrible then he'd prob recomend you getting a bigger board like yours.

Sounds a bit like you just got lessons to fly the kite and then did the rest yourself?

For your size I'd go a 123 - 135 (depending on the board and conditions)

If you normally ride 15-20knt winds I'd go a 132

If you normally ride 20-30knt winds then I'd go the 123. (I'm 90kgs and 192cm and ride a 132 underground flx in these conditions) The FLX is a good alrounder board that is good in both lightish and nuking winds.

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jkiter said...

130-135 perfect size any wind and any style of riding you want. sell your board and change down, you'll never want to ride that big board again.

I would agree with you except this board has next to no buoyancy, its 100% wood, with a snowboard finish, and is very flexi and light. I haven't tried a smaller board yet but I could see the benefit if the wind was very high. According to Naish specs, this is the size board I should use for my weight.

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KiteClone said...


now I am furious looking at this over size board and wondering everyday why the sales guy had recommended this size considering he is a similar weight and size (later told he rides 132).

the guy who works in the shop can actually ride and is prolly **** hot kiter like a lot of kite shop riders. You however were a noob. You get the noob 148 he gets the nice 132.

Would you be the same if you walked into a bike shop and got sold a nice 250cc learner friendly bike. I bet damn soon you would get bored of it and want more power. You dont come back later on thinking you got shafted because you are bored with it! If you go to advance


you will progress a lot faster getting the right board for your level rather then going too advanced too quick. the sales person prolly should have recommended something like a 138-140, he probably took in to consideration some things e.g. you probably looked like a kook so sold you some extra newbie friendly gear.

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jkiter said...

130-135 perfect size any wind and any style of riding you want. sell your board and change down, you'll never want to ride that big board again.

130-135 is the perfect size range for boots? **** me sideways

carbine,

you have mentioned very valid points,

"will progress A LOT FASTER getting the RIGHT BOARD for me" - and yes my genuine question is what is the RIGHT SIZE??? BOARD for me?

reading the comments, it puzzles me more as most of guys weighting average 20kg more than me ride lower 130s, and also think 148 for 70kg is a little over sized.

Also as you mentioned 138~140 is probably a good beginner size for a new starter weighting 70kg. And my expectation is those proficient riders who sells gears at a shop to know better when they look at a person in front.

And I do not want to go there but if a seller sold over sized board because someone looks like a kook??? that proves me it wasn't a decent advise!!! And only consideration I can think of is cashing in their hands - especially if I have to bring the board to the shop to sell and get another - double the profit ei?

then here comes the question again,
WHERE IS THE GOOD OLD ADVISES WE USED TO GET FROM THE LOCAL SHOPS?

I believe the most of people go to the local shop not just to buy things, but also to seek for a decent advise. especially for a first timer, it is natural people rely on seller's advise having no other grounds to compare to. And definitely I will keep go to the same shop and buy more if I am happy with the experiences with the shop - this could be a better strategy to expend their business further keeping the royal customers, not just looking for an one off cash in opportunity (might have been a little heavy handed for those give decent advises at the shop - keep up the good work).

anyway Kiteboarding is an awesome sport and probably the best among the board sports I have ever done. a little sales trick does not get me down, I just need to find another shop.

by the way, what size of board are you riding? I need to build a database because I do not intent to spend fortunes to buy board quivers to find the right size and hope this discussion provides a good guidance to other beginners too.

Hey kiteclone,

I don't know where you are in the country, bu it helps if we know where you are so we can recommend board sizes and types that would be appropriate for the waters and winds prevailing in your local area.

In Perth, we sell beginners in the 70-~87 kilo range a 138 x 42. We consider this a little on the big size, but not by much. For riders weighing more than ~88 kilos up to 110, a sell a 144 x 44, again it is a little on the larger side but allows for good progression and is an easy resell as it is a popular size for beginners.

For riders weighing less than 70 kilos, we suggest a 130 x 40. Beginner boards being a little larger allow for different riding ability and background, it also allows a bigger useable wind range as it gets going in light and can be used in moderate + winds

Most fair dinkum kite shops will have demo boards for you to try before you buy. As a beginner you won't know what is good or bad, so ask a reputable school or instructor, they should be able to help. Forums are a good place to get information, but don't take everything you read as gospel, do your own investigating.

Good winds,

As usual Darren has hit the nail on the head ,

If you stated what state you were from it might help, but the shop guy most likely recommended what he thought was the most appropriate choice for you given the choice of gear available in the shop.

Personally I think the width is the key, as you get the same surface area as longer skinnier boards but with the ability to progress with the board without 1ft of rubbish banging around in front of you(I learnt on a 158 it was poo, and was all I could afford at the time).

Thats in the past though, for your weight something around a 130x40 would be nice for most conditions and rideing styles,

Enjoy
Matt

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carbine said...

jkiter said...

130-135 perfect size any wind and any style of riding you want. sell your board and change down, you'll never want to ride that big board again.

130-135 is the perfect size range for boots? **** me sideways

i was over east n saw some dudes riding 128s with boots.. clinton rides a 127 with boots and i got a 134 with boots ;) when n where can i **** u sideways? LOL

Kitehard / vishy, Thanks for the info. you guys sound reasonable and solid.

the condition I ride is 17 to 25 knots in Melbourne and I do not think there are any specfic reasons to go on an extra large board. As you pointed and many others did, I should have got 138 at the beginning and probably 128 to 133 going forward. I will give it a try on demo next time going for shopping as now I have some grounds to compare to.

by the way, I heard north x-ride is an awesome board - any chance to you guys might have tried? And also I know Nobile 666 has the widest width, what other similar boards are available?

Hi Kiteclone,

The board does sound a little big, but it will serve you well as a light wind board once you progress. You should be looking around 129 - 133 for your weight and wind.

If it is super choppy like at Brighton, go something a bit towards the 133-135, or if you ride at St Kilda or Point Henry or Altona, go something a little bit smaller towards the 128 end off the scale. Short boards can be challenging in chop.

I haven't ridden the North board but you can have a look on our website, it has a good variety of twin tips for perusal to help you get an idea of what you way want.

kiteboardingschool.com.au/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=15&Itemid=84

Good winds,

LOL, charl your spot on! 134 with boots- happy days. and i use to ride 128 for along time happily.

Thanks a lot guys, 133~135 with extra wide width sounds promising for my next board choices, should be much more playable and handles well in the choppy and light wind conditions.

Interesting you have mentioned the boots. is there any downside having the board fixed to your legs?

dont go too wide though.. 38-40 is a good width.. my board is a 134x40 and i think its the best size iv had to date! well that or the 135x42 but that was for bindings.

I ride a nobile 555 130 x 39 I am 90k ride in all winds and all conditions, flat, chop and waves and 14knots - 40 knots, this board copes with all conditions exellently. The trouble with having boots on yr board is if the **** hits the fan near the shore try and get them off in a hurry! you will not be able to. Its no fun being dragged up the beach on your belly with your board still on your feet. I also have a custom made 121 x 38 but this is not very good in the waves but on the flat, boy can you hold down some power and get some speed and pop.

Lostinlondon were in Uk do you kite?

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nickloop said...


Lostinlondon were in Uk do you kite?

Hayling Island most of the time. If the wind ever comes in. Looking pretty average this weekend. Thinking I might head to Cornwall and chance it at Watergate Bay

Hey Hey-

Have done some Research on length x width + rail & bottom shapes.

Check this great little site out for Board Design.
http://www.dcboardz.com/ & click on kiteboards ( read top to bottom )

The guy gives excellent explanations for all the variables - not just long or short... Pamphlet crap.

Youll never have too listen to dribble again form Sales or wannabe kiters

cheers