Morning all,
I have recently started kite surfing, end of December, I bought a 9m fx and have been only using this so far, in 15 knots is a little under powered and in 25 it's a little over powered, maybe or could be im not used to the power...
I'm 88kgs FYI.

Sadly I just ripped the kite badly and although I may get it repaired I'm thinking I should look at another kite to add to the quiver?
Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Dave.

Hi Dave,

This article from our blog will help you with this:www.kitebud.com.au/how-to-choose-a-kite-size/

many factors to consider as you can see.

Also, a Cabrinha FX is far from being an ideal beginner kite. There are far more beginner friendly kites out there from every single brand.

This article from another blog explains this quite well: kitesurfculture.com/blog/32/Do-you-really-use-the-right-kite-shape-for-your-riding-style

Good luck

Christian - KiteBud

Hi Christian,
Thanks for the fast responce!

So I did have a look on the link you have provided however i could figurte out excaclty what i needed based from where i would be Surfing. I will be on either the river or at coogee on the beach - when i am a little more experienced i will be mainly on woodies Beach 3 (i am 2 mins drive from here)

The link suggests a 11m2 and a 13m2

I managed to get the Kite for a really good price, its late 2017 and i paid 1100 for the kite, strings, bar, harness and Board. Can you tell me why it is not a begginers kite? I am at a stage now where i can almost comeback to where i started from.

Hi Dave,

the 2x articles explain very well what makes a kite more beginner friendly especially this one: kitesurfculture.com/blog/32/Do-you-really-use-the-right-kite-shape-for-your-riding-style

It doesn't mean you can't learn with a freestyle kite, it just means that it makes life more difficult, doesn't give you as much wind range, etc. everything is well explained in the articles.

You can also watch this video:



At your body weight, if you only have to have a single kite, it should be a 10m kite.

If you're going to get 2x kites, it should be 9m + 12m.

3x kites = 7m + 9m + 12m

It doesn't matter if you think you got a good deal or you paid very little money for your gear, it's more important that you buy the correct equipment and in good condition. A kite that breaks easily upon impact is probably a kite that was very worn out and was not worth buying in the first place and now probably not worth fixing either.

Also, it's called Lines, not strings.

My advice would be to get a professional lesson during which you can use a more beginner friendly kite. You can then get some good tips on riding and what gear would suit you best.

Christian

Hey Christian,

Great info, I read your website regarding kite shapes and i think i get the general idea. this video is also very helpfull although not as detailed as your page!
FYI I've already had some proffessional lessons and im confident just gaining some experience on the water at this stage, as i said im currently almost traveling back to where i started now and that is using the Flatter shape of the FX.

I have taken my kite to Ryan at sail doctor and he believes it is worth repairing and will do so for me - although I think I should be looking at another kite, for the lower wind days, from the info you provided i will look to buy a 12m kite and aim for more of a C shape.

Appolgies for calling the lines strings - Noob mistake :)

Make sure you don't get a kite that is too C shaped, they won't be very forgiving

I actuallly spoke to some other Kite surfing Pros and they all said if i was happy on my 9M FX then its is actually a decent kite to start on... I ended up buying another FX (12m) im yet to test it out.

Hoping to get out today or tomo.

Hey ZKD,

A C kite is fine to learn on and fly, but in terms of ease of use and being able to extract the power and performance out of it, that usually comes with the skill of the pilot with many sessions of experience.

A lower aspect kite with more 'open span' just makes it really easy to relaunch and get the power on demand rather than flying the kite precisely to access the performance and power of a C shaped kite.

There was a time (20 years ago ) when we all flew and learned to fly on C shaped kites that wouldn't relaunch without skill and stamina, were unstable as hell and wouldn't turn ... oh, and gave you tennis elbow.

Not saying it's a great idea to learn on a C shaped kite, just that it's not ideal for the fastest progression. Enjoy your progression

DM

Select to expand quote

ZombieKillaDave said..
I actuallly spoke to some other Kite surfing Pros and they all said if i was happy on my 9M FX then its is actually a decent kite to start on... I ended up buying another FX (12m) im yet to test it out.

Hoping to get out today or tomo.

For lighter conditions going with a larger size kite of the same model is probably a good idea for a beginner. Although predictably not the best kite choice it will undoubtedly exhibit the flawed
'less wind = bigger kite' approach.
Experience will eventually tell you that different wind strengths always result in different types of kiting sessions and experiences and require different skills. Consequently different types of kites and boards will produce better results in different wind ranges.
For someone new to the sport who wants to kite in 15 - 25 knots I would have suggested...
Keep the 9m for high teens to low 20's...
11 or 12m single strut (Alpha, Mono etc)
for 15 - high teens.