Hello everyone.
I'm new to Kitesurfing, I've completed (very successfully) the course a couple of weeks ago (about 8 hours in total and I can surf on my own for extended periods of time, surf down wind and up wind, while still, of course, in need to work on my form) and been going to practice almost daily since, so of course I'm looking for gear so I could go an kite when I want to and not rely on my instructor gear. I've purchased a used board and a harness from him which I'm very happy with (both the price, quality and state of the used board and harness) but now that it comes to buying the kite and bar, I'm feeling his need to sell me something with a profit margin overshadows his kite selection.
I'm tall and thin (178 cm, or 5" 10', 65 kilos or 143 pounds), and the winds conditions you find on my local beach (I live 3 minutes from the beach) which people usually kite in is 8-14 knots, and on gusty days it can reach up to 15-20 knots, but those days are not common and normally spell conditions not favorable for kiting. So we're talking about 8-14 knots on average.
Since I can only afford a single kite at the moment (I will be able to get a second one to widen my range in a few months time, I hope), my instructor is pressuring me (not forcibly of course) to buy a 9 meter kite, while every site or forum I've researched, I'm seeing that for my weight and the average wind conditions I have locally, an 11 to 12 meters kite would be more suitable. So are my feelings right in thinking he wants to sell me a kite that won't do for me in my local conditions because he's pushing to sell his friends gear, or is he right in his assessment of the situation? And if so, if he's right and a 9 meter kite will do, how is it all the sites about choosing a kite are wrong?
Thanks, and happy kiting all!
Yuval