Having had a few lessons I would like to know peoples thoughts on Naish's older gear as in the Alliance 8m and 12m 2007/08 and the Torch 2006/07 8m - 12m -16m these are for WA.

i know my teacher would love to sell me + of 3k of gear but is it needed as i dont want to just take his word for it.

As im still new to kite style and shape and what this means as a rider. I am told that the safety is better on newer kites but how new?..... what year and what kites are best?

Having been told that these kites have not changed to much from 2006 not to sure but looks like they have stoped making the Alliance.

I know you get what you pay for but not to sure about trashing a new kite to learn on.......

looking for freestyle type of kites or one that will surve me in all aspects of riding twintip and surfboard..

Thanks to those who are able to help.

Hey mate,

This topic has been done to death but here's a quick reply.
My opinion... Forget the Torches for now.
The alliance was not a great kite but will certainly get you out on the water having fun and learning.
There are plenty of other brand kites around to check out. Don't get me wrong... Nothing wrong with Naish, I have a 2010 10.5m Helix as my main used kite.

I look at it this way... Unless you are a gumby you aren't going to trash gear unless you hit the surf all the time and drop the kite in front of waves etc.
Buy the best gear you can afford and it will serve you well, be reliable and not leave you stranded either way out the back or on the beach with broken lines or holes in bladders/torn panels when all you want to do is kite.

If you look at $cost per ride buying new/near new gear for kiting is Way cheaper than most other Sports/hobbies. A new kit will last over 2 seasons and still be tradable for decent $ when upgrading.

Have fun, Chris.

Yea mate forget the torch try to get a 09/10 if budget allows and you prefer naish ,they made a lot of great kites from 09 on, the alliance was never a great kite but you dont have to bother going new there's plenty of late model used around.

200+ kites in the $500-$1000 in WA alone on seabreeze buy and sell..you would reckon there be one good there!!!plenty of 09 kites and quite a few 10 in there as well....

Most of the kites are getting damaged on the beach.
Learn water self lauch and kite will last.
If buying a new kite is $$ issue I would not reccomend anithing older then last year model.
It's all about personal safety, kite should be in a GOOD condition !
Check Rebel 2010, great kite, reliable, 5th line safety, easy to relaunch,great wind range.
Good luck

Thanks for your Help will leave the kites with current owners and keep looking have found a few to read up on.

Flexifoil neutron
Cabrinha Switchblade
Airush Flow
Rebal looks like the winner so far.
any ideas about any of these?

thinking of a 12m and a 8m as im 90kg odd and 6 foot tall.

will keep reading up on them and im sure one will stand out to me

Thanks

with your 90 kg if you are thinking about Rebel, all you need is 10 m. It should cover you from 14-15 knots to 30-32. I am 80 and fly Rebel 9m ,and 6 m when it's over 30 knts. Had bigger kites, no use, even if you get going on big one it's very borring under 15 knots wind, and bigger kites are so slow ,not good for waves.
So really get 10 m, and when your skills are up to over 30 knots wind get 7 m.
Good luck.

At 90kg you probably should consider an 11m as your initial goto kite. Will you be learning on river or ocean? Have a close look at switchblade it is a great all rounder and a kite that is not too advanced to learn on, but will keep you happy as you progress into waves etc

I really wonder why there's so much hate for the Alliance.

I used to own and still occasionally fly a 12m Alliance, and still have an 8m which i use as my storm kite. They have their faults; with 7 struts they're a heavy and high aspect ratio kite which means if your not moving it's not very stable in the air, but once up to speed they're an awesome gust muncher with a Torch feel but marginally slower turning speed.
The issue with newbies and the Alliance is that because of the heavy leading edge and Shift (5-line) setup, they tend to be a bit of a handful. If you leave it parked at 12 with the bar out in anything other than a perfectly smooth seabreeze, it WILL overshoot the window and fall. This isn't so much a kite problem as a user problem. The issue with the 5-line setup is that most beginners struggle to relaunch modern 4-line bow/SLE kites which practically relaunch themselves, so the idea of using a fifth line is horrendously complicated to them.
In the end, the reason the Alliance wasn't a success is because if you wanted a 5-line high AR performance kite, 90% of people went for the Torch.

If this is your first season then i'd recommend not flying a Torch or an Alliance. They're just not as forgiving to naive mistakes as bow/SLE kites are. If you really want a Naish kite then a Cult would be perfect if you can find one that's still in good condition.

rrd Obsession is another one for the list...

Go for the rebel man its a great all arounder..when I finished my lessons I bought new 09 rebel, recently sold it in a very good condition and bought the new ones. Trying to say that they are very good for learning and you don't outgrow them if you freeride.

go 10m'rebel i am 90kg and it gets me going in 14/15 and upto 30 you wont believe how much power they have and so smooth

What they said

With kiting, you do still "get what you pay for" so to speak. There is a huge variety of second hand equipment on the market, as well as last seasons run out equipment, and even a few new packages put together by kiting companies that are quite good value.

There are a few different schools of though, one is that "oh well, its my first kite, im just going to trash it anyway." The other major one is "This second hand kite has already been trashed by someone, its going to break down all the time". It really depends on your budget, but if you can afford to get something brand new, even if it is a couple of seasons old ('08 or later is probably safest) you will likely be better off that going second hand. Of course it depends on what is available as well.

Out of that list you put together, i'd probably pick the Rebel personally, be it new or second hand. Rebels are quite a good kite for a beginner, and won't hold you back if you are planning on keeping it 'till its dead. They are also built pretty tough, so if you get buying second hand it should have plenty of life left in it.

Oh, and try to avoid "C" shaped kites as a beginner. A bow/hybrid/SLE/Delta/etc. style kite will make life a lot easier for you, especially at the beginning when things like Relaunch and De-power are very important.