One kite size for beginner Belmont Shore /CA

[appelton]

I've recently moved from Europe to LA and my nearest spot is Belmont Shore.
I haven't done any kiting in like 5 years, but living 10 minutes from Belmont Shore I just thought I need to go back to kiting.

My question is what would be the right kite size for Belmont ? I can afford only one kite right now and I was thinking of getting Cabrinha Switchblade 12m or Moto 12m ..but I have my doubts..often when I check the weather it seems like maybe 14m would be a better choice? Can anyone give me advice on the right kite size for 190LBS rider? I'll probably go down to 175lbs as this is my normal weight.

[BiteMe]

14m is a pretty big kite for Belmont, but at 190lbs would work. Most people ride 10's and 12's. If you drop the weight you should be good with a 12m. That's what I rode there and I was 180lbs.

Best to head down there on a weekend and see what people are flying. I don't think the conditions have changed.

[appelton]

14m is a pretty big kite for Belmont, but at 190lbs would work. Most people ride 10's and 12's. If you drop the weight you should be good with a 12m. That's what I rode there and I was 180lbs.

Best to head down there on a weekend and see what people are flying. I don't think the conditions have changed.

Thanks ! I've decided to go with Cabrinha Moto 14m for 10-15knots and Switchblade 11m to ride it in 15-19knots. I'll get the Switchblade 8m later for anything more than 20knots. I think this setup should be versatile.

[SolarSet]

Forget about riding in 10-12kts on moto or switchblade 14m, these kites are for +200lbs riders to be ridden from +14kts. If you want to ride from 12kts get Contra 15m. Range 10-12kts you can't ride on LEI kite. You would need foil kite.

You can manage 15m contra and 10/11m switchblade.

[appelton]

Forget about riding in 10-12kts on moto or switchblade 14m, these kites are for +200lbs riders to be ridden from +14kts. If you want to ride from 12kts get Contra 15m. Range 10-12kts you can't ride on LEI kite. You would need foil kite.

You can manage 15m contra and 10/11m switchblade.

What would be the best wind range for 14m Moto with my 190LBS and Slingshot Misfit 142cm Twin Tip ? I just had to buy this kite as I had great deal on it. Is Switchblade 11m ok as the next size ?

[SolarSet]

Best range for your weight and board with moto 14m would be 14-18kts. With Switchblade 14m you could again 1kts on low end but moto would be faster. Large LEI kite have narrower useable range comparing to smaller sizes.
11m sb would could work from around 17kts to 24kts and your planned 8m sb range is 24-32kts depending on your skill.
On top end of all these kites you will be limited by large and soft board. It would be difficult to hold edge at stronger winds. If it isn't wind that often I would mainly focus on getting good LW kite first.

[fernmanus]

Is Belmont open for kiters? Thinking of heading there a few days next week.

[appelton]

Is Belmont open for kiters? Thinking of heading there a few days next week.

It was only closed for the weekend. It's all back to normal.