First board and kite advice

[pzykt]

Hey guys,

I'm new to this forum and new to kiteboarding for that matter. I'm currently looking at buying my first board and kite, but like I said I'm a total noob so a little help wouldn't hurt...

I live in Geneva (Switzerland) near the lake so I guess I'll be riding here most of the time although I don't mind driving a 2-3 hour distance regularly if the winds call for it. Winds on lake Geneva average at about force 3-4 in the summer and around 4-5 in spring and fall (I'll probably be snowboarding more in the wintertime). Speaking of, I've been practicing snowboarding and skateboarding since more than 15 years and I used to sail quite a lot, so I suspect I'll be progressing quite fast. My local dealer recommends that I get my hands on the following North 2015 freeride pack:

- X-RIDE board
- EVO sail with a QUAD CONTROL bar

See the following link for more detailed info and images: http://technosurf.ch/shop/kitesurf/225- ... m2_200_chf

After google shopping the entire web, this seems to be a good bang for buck for the type of gear I'm interesting in; something I can stick to as I evolve. What do you guys think?

Now to my main question: What board and kite sizes should I go for?
I'm 1m78 (5'10'') and weigh around 70kg (155 lbs). Like I said earlier I'm looking at buying only one kite for now so where's a good starting point for the conditions I stated above?? I might add that I'm planning on going to the south of France and possibly the Canary Islands in the relatively near future, but I might need a smaller kite for that right???

All this to say I could really use some input from experienced riders as I don't want to end with expensive gear rendered useless by lack of previous knowledge...

Anyway thanks in advance to all those of you who will take the time to answer

Rock on

Kev

[dyyylan]

Your first step is to take lessons, and your instructor will be able to help you pick out gear for your weight and local conditions.

[NJOY]

Your first step is to take lessons, and your instructor will be able to help you pick out gear for your weight and local conditions.

Yes! You must take lessons. Please comment about that first. If you have, there are plenty of people who will guide you about what gear to buy.

http://www.surfertoday.com/kiteboarding ... ht-on-tape

[DocDeuce]

repeating what was written so far... Get Lessons, then ask for the advice. You will get a lot of help along with brand pimping and bashing LOL..

DD

[ORSales]

You will get a lot of help along with brand pimping and bashing LOL..

DD

First up to bat, Ocean Rodeo! lol

Just to add to what was said here...

1) Get professional lessons, not garage lessons. Many brands, including us will have linked directories of schools who teach with certified instructors, liability insurance and who use up to date gear. Take a look at our school listings and see if there is someone close to you or feel free to PM me.

2) The board the instructor teaches you on is likely to be massive, something like our Origin Board. Unless you ride in a light wind area all the time these boards are great to get you started but are unlikely something you'll end up wanting to buy. Consider a conventional twin tip or a Mako for your 1st purchase. (There are legions of Mako fans here to attest to this board).

3) Many schools are partnered with retail outlets - research this or PM me - the point here is that you'll want to buy gear when you're done and many retailers will work with you on package deals that help offset or include the cost of lessons.

4) Your 1st kite should be the kite size that targets 60-65% of your wind condition days. Here, that's a 10m. In most places it's a 12m. Then you can back fill later with a larger light wind kite and eventually a smaller high wind kite, high winds are where accidents tend to happen though so leave those for at least the 1st while.

5) Speaking of your 1st kite - it will last for at least a few years for you so you want something you can evolve with. I would suggest our Prodigy kite but there are a number of other brands who produce a similar concept of a kite. Basically, when doing your research look for the attributes we list in our Prodigy - stable, easy to relaunch, beginner friendly but capable of evolving with you, large wind range, solid reputation for build quality and durability backed by a brand who has been in the business since 2001.

6) If you are interested, we sell a 4 line trainer kite that is a scale model of the bigger kites, teaches you how to sheet, trim and rig a kite and includes a $50 gift certificate redeemable at any school we work with.

Welcome to Kiteboarding!!

John Z ~ OR