I got a used 9m radar for high wind days, and it is a great kite. Go for it and you will not miss the expensive gear(notice how I don't say 'better gear') Mine is a 2016 as well, with repairs on it after the previous owner tore the kite in half, but it still flies great, I love it, my gf loves it, t...

Flydoor6 was the best lightwind board i owned, i sold it to force myself to learn directional strapless, and i still regret it.

Board quality is great, my first board was an 2010 airush switch, and i still use it to this day, bulletproof construction.
I am using a 2019 Ultra v2, so i cannot comment on the durability, but it is a great performing kite.

Btw. you should check https://saulcustom.com/ this guy makes completely custom boards
you select the size, the shape the design, the material, and everyone who has tried them loves the boards. Not to mention the price which is 490 euros for a complete carbon board, and 450 for a fiberglass one.

I have asked a similar question to a guy who has a ton of experience with both brands, and in his words core boards are overpriced, and he would pick the radical any day.

14m can go up to 20knots easily, and you can start from 10-11kn with a good big board lots of people don't have big kites because they want to kite only when the wind is strong, and depending on the spot these people may miss 60% of the kiteable days because of that. 10.5 14m will cover probably 99%...

Do not buy the harness online, all harnesses fit differently and if you don't get a good fit for you you will regret it later, it is like snowboarding boots you need to try several before you find what is good for you.

Today I was on the 12m on a surfboard, for about 2 hours straight, again - other people were on 14 16 and 17m kites (also some girls on 11 and 12) felt freaking amazing, i was learning to switch directions and ride the surfboard toeside so i dropped the kite several times in the water, relaunch was ...

Something important - the low number is not an average, it is the predicted wind at exactly the hour you are looking at (for example 10:00:00)

I wrapped the microphones with plastic foil (just one layer so they still pick up audio), and then put the foam on top. Will test to see if this helps the waterproofing and makes them last longer.