Getting into kiteboarding with my wife

[florian]

Hi everyone,
I am looking for some advice regarding how large my first foil kite should be. I would like to start small and buy a tame kite that works both for me (170lbs) and my wife (120lbs), maybe for bodydragging, practicing on the beach and snow to start with. Ultimately we want to get into kiting on water and snow.
My wife has never flown anything bigger than 3m kites, and I have been taking lessons with a 9 and 8m kite. When I flew the 8m kite on land we had 60mph gusts and I have to admit I got a bit freaked out after a couple of faceplants. Which is why I was thinking to buy something like a 4 or 5m kite (with harness, not a trainer) that could drag my wife through water and me across the snow in strong winds.

I know most people recommend to have several kites, but our budget is tight this year. What do you think, is my approach absurd or would it make sense to start with the smallest "harnessable" foil kite available?

Thanks,
Florian

[criznach]

If you plan to be in the water you want an inflatable kite rather than a foil. Unless you get a Flysurfer or other closed cell foil... But if your budget is small, that's probably not an option. I'm a fan of foils, but inflatables are the only way to go when you're trying to do both.

As for size, I say if you both know how to fly, and are comfortable with kites, go with something you can both actually USE for snow and water like a 9-10 meter. You could fly it in higher winds and she could fly it in lower winds. Then you are not stuck at the trainer stage until you can afford a bigger kite.

But if you are not confident with your kite skills, or just really want a trailer, most companies make a 4-6 meter inflatable. Buy something inexpensive and used because you'll want something bigger soon. If you really want a foil, the ozone access is nice.

[dyyylan]

no, buying a tiny kite like a 4-5m is not a good idea, because you won't learn anything on it that you couldn't learn from a trainer kite.

you should start with a real kite that you can use in light wind and learn the basics with, like a 12m. Your wife could probably use it comfortably up to about 16 knots as a beginner and maybe up to about 20 once she gets skills. You could probably use it around 12 knots up to 22-25

The size of the kite seems scary but it is not, flying a 21m kite pulls you just as hard as a 6m kite, just in different conditions. If you want to be powered on a 4-5 meter kite like you suggested, that means going out in 35-40 knots+ of wind

choose the correct conditions and you will both be fine with one larger kite until you can afford another one or two.


It really depends on your conditions too, if you don't get 10-20 knot days where you are, then a 12m would be useless and you should start with maybe a 9 or 10. For example if you live in maui there probably isn't any sense in buying a kite over 10m anyway. But for most locations you will probably want something 12-14m, and you wife will be able to use it as well just not as high as you can.

[NJOY]

x2 with Criznach and dyyylan. Great advice! I am a girl and I have nothing against foils for beginners but if given the choice between other activities, ie. going to get a pedicure, seeing a movie, washing my hair...I'll pick those things over learning on a foil. Actually, I think foils belong in girls hair when they are getting a color weave put in....but again, I have nothing against them.

A foil is great if you are an intermediate or advanced kiter. They've come a long way in making them more stable but still not so good for beginners. You will be in the water more dumping the kite by accident in the beginning, like we all have done and you will not want to deal with straightening out that bridle and line mess...

A really small kite like what you were thinking is not best choice b'cause it's too much work to get going. You will be signing like crazy which = less fun.

For girls, it's good to keep it maximum fun for her. I think your wife with stick with it longer if you be sure to follow advice of forum so it will not be frustrating for her and she quits too early.

FUN is the key.

[Kamikuza]

Welcome!

Why foils? They're not the easiest thing to learn on, unless it is a tiny trainer kite ...

[William Munney]

Hi everyone,
I am looking for some advice regarding how large my first foil kite should be. I would like to start small and buy a tame kite that works both for me (170lbs) and my wife (120lbs), maybe for bodydragging, practicing on the beach and snow to start with. Ultimately we want to get into kiting on water and snow.
My wife has never flown anything bigger than 3m kites, and I have been taking lessons with a 9 and 8m kite. When I flew the 8m kite on land we had 60mph gusts and I have to admit I got a bit freaked out after a couple of faceplants. Which is why I was thinking to buy something like a 4 or 5m kite (with harness, not a trainer) that could drag my wife through water and me across the snow in strong winds.

I know most people recommend to have several kites, but our budget is tight this year. What do you think, is my approach absurd or would it make sense to start with the smallest "harnessable" foil kite available?

Thanks,
Florian

Someone was giving you lessons using an 8m kite on land in 60 mph gusts?

[Baer18]

+1 on all the recommendations above - depending on the wind speeds where you live look into an inexpensive LEI (Leading Edge Inflatable), it will help you avoid a world of hell in learning on a foil - especially in the water.

10m - 12m is generally a good size to cover you, but again depends on the wind where you're looking to kite. On most of the sites you can find a wind range chart for each of the sizes of the kites you're looking into.

[florian]

Thanks for all the advice. I will learn a bit more about the average wind conditions in my area and then find a larger kite that works for us. The main reason why i was looking at foil kites was because we would like to kite on snow as well.
And regarding the lesson - my mistake, i think it was in fact kmh not mph.

[criznach]

Foils can be nice on the snow, but by no means is a foil required for snow. I used foils only on snow for many years. Two years ago I got into water kiting and have since sold most of my foils and gone to inflatables. I kept my 12m ozone manta 2 because I like it so much, but I would never attempt to fly it on the water.

[voodoospirit]

i teached my GF on a foil for 2 h (on snow then on the beach), she had fun..well..not really a foil....rather an Arc, the most stable kite design, she learned to let go the bar as a reflexe, in less than 1h (that s the good thing about arc..let go the bar). the kite was nimble enough so she could have some fun. she managed to crash it once in a while.

now i sold my regular Arc and she don t like my flysurfer much, doesn turn as fast but she can relauch it without any trouble now but the kite is not "funny", so she stopped for now.