Thinking about buying a kite for the 5-10 knot days.
Kiter at Melville was planing 90 percent of the time on Sunday in 5-10 knots!
Guessing it was a 12m,board looked wide for a kite guessing 45cm.
Anyway, these things plane in next to nothing!
Only for less than 10 knots though as my formula board is great to sail when wind hits 10 knots.
A serious topic about kites in the windsurf forums? 
^^^^Oh how the times have changed.
There are way more kite related topics over here than the kite forum, I guess more windsurfers are seeing kiting as a good alternative for the ,20knot and under days.
5 knots.....I thinks that's a bit of a stretch. We're wave sailing before any kites even think about launching. I've witnesses kite dropping from the sky while we are catching waves, Flat water is another story...I wouldn't bother, go surf or SUP if it's that light.
I'm at sail Brisbane now at 5 knots the big 17mtr kites were dropping from the sky. Talking to the guys here they need a steady 6 knots taken at top and bottom marks from a drifting boat in order to race. They go pretty good in light wind but so does a formula. I sailed yesterday on my formula with an 11.0 with a kite racer beside me on a 17mtr kite in less then 10 knots. When we both ran into a hole I dropped off the plane and his kite dropped from the sky. I was planing again well before he managed to relaunch from the water. I don't think the kites have much of an advantage maybe 1 or 2 knots are best and then if the wind drops your swimming.
Depends upon where you sail.
At my local kites are planing around while we are putting our gear away.
The other day I came in because I couldn't get going with the 8M on my SB free formula 198L, even the lightweights came in. Some euro guy asked to help launch his 17M kite, he was blasting around doing dangly bits in the air and he didn't have to worry about the tide going out.
I would really have been surprised if I could have got going with even an 11M.
I look in the trees and can see there is still wind sometimes, it's just up high where the kites go.
I think you've hit it there buddy, depends how much wind shear there is. In an open situation with no waves, there's not much wind shear, and formula gear is about the same as a big kite. But if there's a lot of ground obstruction or big waves, then the kites will go better.
An important consideration is water depth, a proper formula fin is huge while a kite can sail in absurdly shallow water.
And don't forget costs, a complete formula kit will cost thousands more than a kite.
Priced 520 or 550 masts, giant carbon booms and fins lately?
Why is everyone discouraging pm33 ?
I think it is a great idea. pm33 - you should get a kite just for those conditions.
By the way did you know there is a kiter forum - and did you know the kiters ALL believe WTC 7 burnt to the ground ? Best get over there and put them right. Go on, off you go.
At the bottom end under 10 knots (or 14 knots if you dont like big windsurf gear) there is a good argument for having one kite and one kiteboard (or maybe two). Its cheaper and more convenient than very big windsurf gear, but doesn't cope if the wind lulls below about 5 or 6 knots.
The exception is in good waves in 12 knots or less when the windsurfer is better.
If you want to be able to paddle in if the wind drops, you could go raceboard (70cm wide) and 17m/18m kite. This gear is more difficult to use and the fins might be 44cm long.
Or you could go with a big twintip which is easier to learn on but doesn't go in as low a wind as a raceboard.
One vid of raceboards in 7 to 11 knots (In race 6 only 2 of the 15 women racing completed the course when the wind dropped.) and one vid of a twintip and a 21m ram air kite.
sorry, but who the hell wants to do any wind related sport in less than 10 knots?
you're only mowing the lawn whichever discipline you choose.
go for a surf or paddle or learn to do something similar where you're pleased there is no wind instead of being frustrated at the lack of it...
Save your money. Just get a small sailing boat and enjoy quiet times on the water. Cruise about, take some lunch, explore, have fun, restore your soul.
5 - 10 is a big range.
5kn - no
10kn - maybe yes, but the difference between kite and formula would surely be moot - either will get going well in 10kn.
Maybe a wavesailors perspective but
5-15kn offshore = surf
5-15kn sideshore = WS rig on a SUP
15kn plus = wavesail (maybe a grovel out, but nice glassy waves)
can't imagine anyone wanting to do anything in 5kn. That is very bloody light.
Yep, 5kn is surfing or offshore fishing time. See Markie, we can agree, no need to not play nice. Good to see you following my example of not trolling other wind sports. Good for you, thumbs up.
They are called WIND sports for a reason. Not because of the hot air past on forums.
A sub 15 knot day for me, Had there been swell I would have had a ball...Actually I did have fun. I got out well before the kiters and stayed long after. Apologies as I have posted it before but I thought with 2 kite vids in our forum I needed to counteract what was happening before someone took up knitting oops kiting as an option for light wind days.
OK a windsurf video to show where windsurfers rule in light winds (from 0:53 onwards). Big powerful waves and very offshore light wind. You can see its light by the windsurfer at 3:18.
I think realistically kiters', at least in the waves, have the same issue that we do it's just that their low end is probably 5kts less. They suffer the same issue, "using a big kite feels crap, they turn slow etc etc" it's the same with us and larger wave sails; it's just not as fun so most don't even bother.
The difference is that I think at around 15kts kiters' are starting to shred waves on 10m kites, which seems the standard 'big' size wave kite here these days, maybe a 12. For us, even light weights like myself, it's 18-20kts before you are really well powered to jump/loop going out etc and generally bawse spec stuff 
There are times when it's 15kts and I'm bogging out and I see the kiters charging out that i'm somewhat jealous and also in small conditions when it's hard to generate the wave power on a windsurfer and they can but I'm yet to relent. And to be honest I think now days the window between the two is pretty small, particularly for someone light like myself.
As for kiting/windsurfing in 5-10kts, only people who are a bit crazy do that. Like said above get a boat
Not because of the hot air past on forums.
