Just got out of lessons and no idea what kites or which sizes of kites you need?
In this blog I will offer a few basics to help you as a newbee in the kite sport with finding the right type of kite and the right size. The advise is mostly based on personal preferences and experiences, which we build during the years of running kite camps.
Types of kites
Like car brands kite brands mostly produce a range of different types of kites. Such as:
- wave kites
- freeride kites
- big air kites
- freestyle kites
I personally think that there are a few competences for beginners which are important such as, stability, easy relaunch and a good depower. Which stability i mean that the kite stays in the windwindow and feels stabile and steers smooth.
All the different types of kites are specified on a few competences.
To start with the wave kite. Wave kites are know for their big windrange, easy relaunch and good de-power. For the lighter persons among us a good de-power and the lighter bar pressure of a wave kite can be just the right thing. Do not get fooled by the name wave kite, as we believe, overall, it is also a good beginner kite to start your kite career with.
In between the wave and free-ride kites, some brands promote an all rounder, like Ozone Enduro, Duotone Dice,RRD Passion and the Liquid Force NV. Looking for a kite which can progress with you, which might be a bit more harsh in the beginning? Than this is your call! Not to much bar pressure, faster steering and suitable to ride with both a directional board a twin-tip and a foil.
With these allround kites you get to progress yourself in all kinds of ways, either to wave, free-ride and freestyle rider. These kites can do it all.
However if you are more looking for a kite with ground pull, – this mainly means you steer it once or twice and it keeps you going strong,- freeride kites can be a good option. To give you an idea the F-one Bandit, North (Duo Tone) Rebel or the Cabrinha Switchblade are well know strong free-ride kites. Some riders call them a tractor for a reason, but for them in a positive way. Although this makes the kite a bit less advisable for light with persons since they don’t necessarily need the power which these kites provide.
Freestyle kites for example accelarate faster and more dynamic. But are heavier on the bar and a bit more difficult to de-power and for sure harder to relaunch. These kites are slowly less common in the market, as only the real freestyle riders can take advantage of the extra assets which the kite provides. Most riders can of course kite with it but won’t need the extra’s the kite offers.
The shape of the kite, no matter the kite brand, shows you the type of kite it is. Beginners mainly prefer a bow or hybrid shape (wave kites and free ride kites are also catogoriesed in-between the bow/hybrid shape kites) To make it more visible the picture below describes the different shapes of the kites. here
KITEBOARD
Besides the type of kite and their competences, the size of the kite and the size of your board have an effect on your riding abilities in the different wind conditions as well.
If you want to stick to one size of kite but looking for an option to upgrade your abilities to kite in light winds the big beginner/light wind boards keep you going in much lighter winds with the same kite. On the other hand if you are tiny a board which is smaller for example in between 132-134 by 38-39 makes it easier for you to hold the edge when the wind picks up. More about the shape and different types of boards will be coming soon in a new blog ;)
Which type and size to choose?
So after all this information i made a small overview for the wave and freeride kite. And a size chart of the sizes of kites. I choose to only give an overview for the wave and freeride kites because i personally think these kites are the most suitable for most of the beginners.
Wave kites
-easy relaunch
-relatively big wind range
-not to heavy on the bar (especially nice for the smaller/lighter kiters)
-stable and well balanced
Strong freeride kites
-big wind range, especially in the lighter winds
-easy planing, so it keeps you going
-more bar pressure, some people like it to have a better feeling of the kite
-slower in steering
Kite sizes
Next to your personal preference the size of the kites also depends on your weight. To give you an idea i made a little table that provides a basic overview, which i think would be a good option.
The overview i made is based on kiting in average winds around 13-22 knots.
weight 55-70
|
Number of kites |
Kite sizes |
|
1 |
8/9m |
|
2 |
7-10 |
|
3 |
6,8,10 |
Weight 70-85
|
Number of kites |
Kite sizes |
|
1 |
10/11 |
|
2 |
8,11 |
|
3 |
7,9,12 |
After all finding the right kite and size for you is also about what you like. There are a lot of different brands which almost all have a range verifying from pure freestyle to allround, free-ride and wave.
To make a comparison would you prefer to ride a BMW or a Mercedes and would you rather go for a SUV or a Cabrio? In the end both can be a good option depending on if you want to cruise around in sunny wether or if you want to go camping and fit all your (kite) gear in the car ;). Nowadays the well known brands (Ozone, Cabrinha, DuoTone, RRD, Liquid Force, F One, Slingshot) quality wise all make good kites. It’s just a matter of choosing the type that fits you.
I hope you all will find the right gear to enjoy your time on the water as much as possible, because that’s what kiting is all about right?!
If you have any questions or need an advice, please drop a comment below!
All the best cheers,
Vera and team Oceanbirdz
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