Biggest kite for a surfboard?

[iriejohn]

Hi Irie,
I think you should keep the 15m, example I weight 75kilos and have a 5'8 Mitu, last Saturday at Saunton, N Devon, wind was onshore, and just not enough to get going with my largest kite, a 12m Pivot.
I think you might have had more luck with your 15m, and if the wind had picked up a bit, then your 15m would have been fine.
There wasn't enough wind to get enough power to get out the back and ride some waves, but I think you might have had a decent time.
Keep the 15m. it may not be fast, but will have a lot of Lift/float when you are learning to change your feet, and later learning to tack.

What a coincidence, I was at Saunton the mega hot weekend (10 days ago) but didn't have my stuff with me! Thanks for the advice.

[Jamie-NYC]

On Monday stole a day away and had a great session in mostly ocean swell, but slashing through it. Wind was 7.6mph average gusting to 9.2mph when I went out, built by about 1mph during the session. Kite was an 18m foil. I love these light wind sessions, but I came to kiting more from a sailing background than a surfing one - many on this forum would decidedly not love such a session. So be it. I second those who suggest that what you enjoy is the only factor at play when considering your question.

[TommyDuotone]

That depends a lot of where you ride. In San Diego, I use my 12 and 17 over 90% of the time and it's anything but boring, as long as there's waves. Kiting in waves with light wind takes much more skill and practice IMO. And, there's a ton of fun to be had if you put your time in and use a board with the same volume you surf with. Very difficult to go down the line in very light wind as already mentioned. A 17m is just too big and it's too easy to outrun your kite. However, I can still replicate some of the things I do when I free surf with my 17m. It gets even easier when the wind starts hitting 12 knots and I can use a 12m with the same board. You can practice so much on your new Mitu board if you keep your 15(again, not sure what your typical wind is). Try it out a few more times, and then decide. You will only get better, the more times you go out.

[knotwindy]

Sell it.
If you find in the next year you would have used it more than once, it will be the perfect excuse to by a new better kite.
Or not.....

[Da Yoda]

I have never seen anyone riding a surfboard with a 12 m2 in waves ?

Come to Waddell. At 65kg and riding a 5'8, my 11m has proven to be barely enough almost every time I've gone there. My 10m couldn't keep up with the fast waves. I no longer trust the forecasts or the regulars who swear that it's going to be 7m conditions that day. I don't own a 12m, but I've wished one too many times that I had one when going there.
I should mention that others were on 12-15m kites and this is F'ing Waddell... a world class kite surf spot in CA. For the recored, these weren't random or rare, off-season days either.

[PullStrings]

But if you live in an extreme ligthwind spot, with good waves, yes the 9-10 m2 is a choice used a lot indeed.

Sorry that just makes no sense......everyone i know rides 17m2 & larger in extreme lightwind with good waves...and when the wind is 18 knots we all are on 12m2 !! most popular size !!
We break out 9 & 10m2 when it is 25++ knots for waves
6 & 7m2 in 30kn++++

In summary there is no such thing as too big of a kite on a surfboard to catch and ride the waves...it's an acquired taste
It can be done easily with big kites....and a lot of people enjoy those sessions...sure they "turn" a little slower...but modern big kites are far from being "pigs"...as you like to often say

[Flyboy]

Surely, it depends on the spot & what generates the waves? On the Great Lakes it takes at least 20 knots to create kiteable waves, & more like 25 knots to get decent waves - so my largest wave kite is a 9m & most good sessions are on a 7m. Last December I spent a month in Cabarete & was frustrated not to have a bigger wave kite - there were plenty of days with good waves & winds only around 15 knots.

[BWD]

There will be times the 17 (or 16, 15, 19 etc) is perfect and times the 12 (13, 10, 9) is a slow dog that ruins your wave. Depends on the wave, the board, the rider, and the rider's goals.

I don't know the exact specs of the f-one board you have but it's probably too small unless you are 60kg or less.

For kiting unless you are a pro or always in strong conditions (always >20kts) you will benefit from a board sized bigger.

Here is a rule of thumb for intermediates I got from a shaper of 15000 or so boards (mostly customs):

6.5lbs body weight per Liter of board volume. This is for surfing not kiting but if you follow it you'll plane out quicker and ride with a small kite more often.
And a small, fast kite will do much more to free up your riding than a tiny board.

Following this guide I (~180lbs) surf and kite 2-8' waves on a 5'11", 34L board,

If you have been surfing forever like a pro and know better, please ignore.
If you are a kiter and don't surf shortboards, consider how much more you can use your fun, small
kites if you have a slightly bigger board.

If you are mitu, laugh and cash your checks.
I hope they're big, you deserve it!

[Hugh2]

I would miss out on many days at cape hatteras if I did not have my old trusty Best Bullaroo 2007 16m, riding it in the ocean for long downwinders in light conditions on my Naish Global 6" board. Those days are often the best, just cruising out to sea and riding swells back in, not really trying to go for it on breaking waves, where as others note, you will easily outrun a big kite. I'm 190 pounds and not a surfer, and too old for anything radical, but downwinders are where it is at and it would suck for me to only do them when my 12m is enough.

[Peter_Frank]

Yes, of course on some locations a bigger kite is needed, agree.

But firstly, the title was almost a general question "what is the biggest kite that makes sense to use for a SURFBOARD".

Not about the biggest kite / board that makes sense.

And IMO it does not make sense with bigger than 10 m2 on a surfboard, if you can ride in all conditions.

Secondly, I assume John has Irish roots, and his avatar says West Sussex (South coast of UK), which is the same waves and wind patterns as here in DK and Sweden t.ex.

Thus it is low pressure systems, with lots of different wind from 0 to 40 knots, and NOT steady low winds for a long time and clean swell like in other spots.
Also, the waves are only partly swell, but most often wind generated - so makes even less sense with a 12 or 15 m2 on a waveboard (apart from just getting OUT of course, but there are much better boards for this, and at least a very different question)

Still say without doubt, keep your 12 but sell the 15

Peter