Hi i weigh 75kg and am 177cm tall, i have never kiteboarded before and was wondering what gear i should get and from where. I am a very advanced snowboarder and love the park so im hoping these skill will kind of transfer over. im wondering what size kite is good for port phillip bay, also in terms of a kiteboard i want a twin tip so i can land in switch easier and ride in switch too. im very interested in freestyle kiting (doing as many tricks as possible). im not willing to spend more than 2000 (ideally not more than 1500). so what board and kite would be recommended? also where should i get it from?

11 or 12m would probably work well. You could go for a 10m but there may be some lighter wind days you're underpowered.

Board size I would go for a 130-135cm board.

Try look for end of season specials, there may be some 2010 gear going cheap which you could pick up as a package for your pricerange.

thanks heaps for the advice, much appreciated. what brands should i be looking at? and where abouts can they be bought, eg. theres sierrasnowboard for snowboarding, is there a similar website for kiteboarding?

There are a couple of places you can look at in Melbourne itself. There are others in Geelong but I'm not sure if you'd want to travel there although if you live there, its obviously the best choice:

SHQ
St Kilda Kiteboarding
Fluid Kiteboarding
Katani
RPS

Fluid are a local brand so their kites are probably the most competitively priced. The other shops sell a mix of great imported brands which include: Cabrinha, Best, Naish, North, Liquid Force, Slingshot, F-one etc. Most of the brands these days are pretty good so you shouldn't have an issue with the product quality or dud kites, you really have to be unlucky to get one, but there are the odd kites which may be more difficult to fly or more suited to advanced riders which will slow your progression.

Check what deal they offer you and post it here and I'm happy to tell you whether its any good or not or what the pros and cons are. Sometimes they may try to sell a board thats too big to get rid of excess stock but most boards between 130 and 140 would suit.

Step 1. Go get yourself a trainer kite & then a couple of lessons.
Step 2. Ask the school you get your lessons with to try a few different kites, and preferably even different styles of kites so you can get a feel for what's out there.
Step 3. Now your ready to buy some gear! Anything '08/09/10 with a solid reputation will do you fine for your first season. After that you'll know how your progressing and can then upgrade or change gear as necessary.

Everyone else has given you solid advice.
- 11-12m kite - preferably a recent high depower bow/hybrid with good relaunch and easy to understand and operate safety system.

- Beginner/Intermediate board ~130-135x40-42; means after your initial lessons where you'll appreciate a big plank of a board (~140-145) to help get you up and on the water, you'll be able to keep this intermediate size and style board for at least a season or two. Again, '08/09/10 board like a Nobile 555 would be perfect! (I like Nobile boards... no financial interest, just like them.)

- Harness. If you can pick yourself up a second hand seat harness you'll probably find it easier to learn with for the first season (or half season). I say second hand so you can offload it as soon as you feel your ready and then buy a waist harness. Not saying it's impossible to learn with a waist harness but most beginners end up with bruised ribs if they start with a waist harness. The seat harness also has a lower attachment point which is better for helping you to get up and ride. Alternatively you could go for the integrated harness shorts if that's your thing. Personally i can recommend the Mystic Warrior (1 & 2) as i've used one for the last 2 and a bit seasons, or the Ion Apex or Hummer harness that a mate got recently. The Ion Apex is really damn comfy!

Best advice i can give - buy your first set of gear second hand (or last seasons clearance stock). Your not going to keep it for very long. Once you've learnt the ropes, then go drop your hard earned cash on something your going to really know how to enjoy and take care of.