Hey Guys,

Looking for some advice on kite sizes here, I bought a 12m ride based on recommendation of my kite school I went through

I am mainly in St Kilda atm

I am 6"6 and around 80kg mark, i was out last Sunday 26 - 20 knots and it was awesome but at one point it felt pretty full on when there was some strong gusts.

I am thinking about a second kite and am thinking a ride 9m.. what sort of wind range would be could on this kite, or would a 8m be better?

I guess the 12 is good to around 25 max, also something to consider would be the weather moving into autumn and winter, is there stronger wind around?

So any advice on a second kite would be awesome - also i have 2013 naish universal bar and lines, so a canopy that will work with that would be preferred

cheers

a 12m and 9m mix is pretty 'standard' in Vic. I'm not saying it's right, but it's standard (And what i have).

As Potter (!) said, 8m would be a good option as well, providing the kite in question has decent power (please correct if wrong, but something like a North Dice or Core GTS?).

handydragonfly said..

Whats the weather like in the bay in Autumn, would a 9m be overpowered, would an 8 be better is the wind range crossover to big?

I'm speaking from limited expeirence (1/2 seasons of winter) but last season, in my opinion, it was actually quite light (12m territory). At least when ever I had a window to get out it was.

Some people live for squall kiting, which is where one waits for a storm to roll in, and kite the front of a rain storm. The wind is extreme, very unpredictable, and best avoided until you have a few years under your belt.

Your current manufacture will publish recommended wind ranges for your current kite. The applicable wind range will differ based on your weight and board, but use it as a guide and calibrate your own experience to the wind range. I.e. if the website says it's good to 22knots, and you went out in 18knots and were over powered, then you know you need to shift the applicable range down.

Then look at the same range for a 9m and an 8m and see what's applicable at the top end. From my perspective, anything over 30knot wind is best avoided, as when it gets to that, it gusts massively. That's just my opinion.

i agree with plummet, but i lean more to a 3m gap (even though i have 2m) especially when starting out. its much more cost effective and modern kites have good wind range. so go for 9 then get a bigger one for light wind.
im changing my quiver now to the same kites with 3m gap, well 9 12, then 17. i was finding it difficult to go from a edges to C4's regarding turning speed.

yeah you want a 9m. a standard 9m will get you up to 30 knots but you will also want a 7m if you want to kite right through a melbourne winter. 12m and 9m is a good set up for a beginner