Light wind kite

[narwhal_bg]

Hi all! Happy holidays.
I'm new in kiteboarding, I have only one alone session after the lessons. I'm 85 kg or 187 pounds with 12 m2 kite (12-22 knt according manufacturer) and 138x42 board. On my home spot, most of the time we have low wind (between 8 and 10 knt). Does it make sense to buy bigger kite like 15m2 RRD Emotion and 163 low wind board for 8 to 10 knt wind?

[Delta99]

8-10 is really tricky at 85 kg, but you do need bigger gear than the ones you have. It will save a lot of sessions. Perhaps even get a 17 kite instead of the 15. And also a light wind board. It will make a difference at the level you are at. As you progress you will start to think the light wind days are a bit slow and boring. But right now it is what you need to get more time on the water. Get used to the idea that you will develop your style and outgrow some of your gear after the first years.

However, everyone will tell you that foiling is the best solution for light wind. Even the only solution. But then again, you can find a lot of used light wind TT on the market right now from people that moved on to foil.

[iriejohn]

A 17m with a big twintip will work, such as Ozone Zephyr with Shinn Superking.

[Robsw6]

Yep a 17m and a nice big board

In time, foiling is the answer

[narwhal_bg]

Thank you guys.

[brighamj]

I’ll cast another vote for the 17. I was torn between the 15 and 17 Juice and went with the 15. It’s been a solid kite but I find myself wishing I went with the 17. I’m 80kg.

[Windigo1]

I was a bit heavier than you and I rode a 17m for years in that kind of wind it's very doable with a big board and a good technique you have to learn to take advantages every gusts to go upwind and then try not to loose ground. Stay way from heavy 17m kites with 5 struts something like the Ocean Rodeo Flite will stay in the air much better be reasonably quick turning for a 17m. In a few years you'll be able to ride this kind of wind on a 9m with a foil!

[Blackened]

Hi all! Happy holidays.
I'm new in kiteboarding, I have only one alone session after the lessons. I'm 85 kg or 187 pounds with 12 m2 kite (12-22 knt according manufacturer) and 138x42 board. On my home spot, most of the time we have low wind (between 8 and 10 knt). Does it make sense to buy bigger kite like 15m2 RRD Emotion and 163 low wind board for 8 to 10 knt wind?

Welcome to the club!

As you're new, you don't yet know that the kite range doesn't equate to actually being able to kite. The kite will fly, but depending on your weight, you won't go anywhere. It took me ages to realise that there was no point in trying to use a 12m in 12kn winds on a TT. This also goes on the top end for newer kiters where a 12m will generally be around 26kn, but new kiters will likely top out at 23kn on a 12m.

As for light wind kiting, it's been discussed multiple times on this forum. Kiting on a TT is pointless below 15kn. While you will be able to get up and riding, mowing the lawn is basically all you're able to achieve. This is nice for a new kiter wanting to practice staying upwind, it gets old quickly. Leave the sub 15kn days to the foilers or the 50kg folk.

If you don't get many 18kn+ days in your area to ride your 12m and you're desperate to learn, get a light-wind board and a 15m. It'll get you going in ~12kn at your weight. When you start getting overpowered, you can just swap to your smaller board.

[Nem0]

Try to demo a 15m and 18m Flysurfer Soul or Ozone Hyperlink or Peter Lynn Nova.
This will open up your horizon for light wind days!

If you have constant deep Water around foiling could be an option BUT NEEDS A LOT OF TRAINING AND SKILLS!!!

[joriws]

Forget pump kites under 14kn. They are too inefficient and won't relaunch etc. 8-10kn is a foil kite kingdom.

Here is a video of my 110kg plus gear 'lawn moving' with 15 meter foil kite under 10kn. Another foil kite is 15m speed3 by 85kg rider. No pumps even bothered coming to beach. This is sea beach, not small lake by lack of waves.

So if you want to kite with twin tip, get a door twintip with little rocker. Then get 15m foil kite with roughly 25m lines, sizes larger than 15m are waste of money IMO. For example Flysurfer Soul is easy to start with.

Totally different track is hydrofoiling but as new comer to sport you are going tt for a while I assume. Kf is full of hf fanatics forgetting that majority of sport is tt. But with hf you might eventually go with your 12m and 8-10kn. But practising basic hf you need more power so don't expect doing first steps of hf with 12kn kite in 8kn.