Big air kites blank test

[Bartek_]

I think wave kites are pretty awesome for beginners, aren't they? And cheaper as well. You just eventually grow out of them at some point if you want to boost/unhook. I get the feeling that people in my area usually want something that will potentially stick with them for longer, and wave kites aren't advertised as such.

[Toby]

Too fast turning for beginners

[Windigo1]

I think wave kites are pretty awesome for beginners, aren't they? And cheaper as well. You just eventually grow out of them at some point if you want to boost/unhook. I get the feeling that people in my area usually want something that will potentially stick with them for longer, and wave kites aren't advertised as such.

I don't think wave kites are the best kites for beginners. As Toby pointed out they are usually fast turning but also they are designed to drift downwind beginners almost always struggle to go upwind. Many don't have good low-end power and that's not what you want as a beginner you want something with easy power sheet and go not a kite that is fast and that you have to work actively to get going.

[nixmatters]

Too fast turning for beginners

I'd say more direct/responsive than too fast. Beginners often have an issue with steering latency, incl. oversteering and correction and that's where wave kites shine.
Add depower on demand (all wave kites), a bit more low end (Neo) and a large low rocker board to compensate for the lower upwind performance and you have an easy beginner kite.

I was still a beginner when I got the first Drifter (11m) and loved it... after learning on Takoon Nova and Crossbows
But I never had an issue with edging upwind. I guess the alpine snowboard helped a bit.

[Pemba]

Too fast turning for beginners

I'd say more direct/responsive than too fast. Beginners often have an issue with steering latency, incl. oversteering and correction and that's where wave kites shine.
Add depower on demand (all wave kites), a bit more low end (Neo) and a large low rocker board to compensate for the lower upwind performance and you have an easy beginner kite.

Agreed. Also sensitivity to backstall can be an issue. But to me it seems most (LEI) kites are fine to learn on these days. The differences are details.

[Havre]

You are all describing the Catalyst

[Blackened]

Wave kites sit deeper in the window and make it harder to learn to go upwind. That's why I would choose an all around vs a wave.

That said, cost would be my main driver for learning.