Hi there, I've been windsurfing for about 5 years and fancy starting to Kitesurf. Haven't a clue what I need but have been told not too buy kit that is too old. I've a budget of about £400 and have been offered a 2008 Gaastra Jekyll 12m with Board and Bars for £300. I was wondering would this be OK to start with or is this kit likely to cause me issues? The gear has be rarely used and is apparently in good condition.
If it helps I weigh 63kg.
Any advice would be great but is this a decent setup or should I buy newer?
Hi Craig,
My advice is that you start with lessons first (budget for at least 3x 2h lessons) and keep taking lessons until you are independent and capable of enjoying riding your board for at least a few 100 meters. Then, if you feel you like it and this is for you, look for some gear.
Since 2008, Kitesurfing equipment has gone a long way in terms of performance, ease of use and safety.
If you want to get any good advice, you need to provide more details about the equipment, location, wind conditions, etc.
Also, a 12m kite for a guy your weight is a rather large kite, so only suitable if you're only going to kite in lighter winds (below 20 knots).
The ideal thing to do is to show this equipment to your instructor, let him set it up, inspect it, test it and then see if it's worth buying. This will chew only 10-15 minutes of your lesson time but is the best advice you'll get about buying this gear.
As an instructor myself I can tell you that more than half the time, when students brought old second hand gear to me, my advice was that it was either unusable, unsafe or the wrong size....and sometimes all of that together!
Don't rush into buying kite gear, take your time to look for quality instruction, that should be your priority as it's what will make the most difference.
Christian
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/General/New-in-kitesurfing-with-a-2005-kite/
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Newbies-Tips-Tricks/How-to-become-a-kitesurfer/
300$for all for one kite kit is good and will get u going for a start!!!
12 depends where where u are..and yes u seem light for a big kite.
Cbulota..blimey u write long(but good) informative sentences¶graphs sometimes :-) 
Cbulota nailed it. Start with lessons and everything else will naturally follow. When I started 3years ago I was naive and dumb not to, initially, until I realised very quickly that it was essential for safety as well as progression.
Select to expand quoteCraigManley said..
Hi there, I've been windsurfing for about 5 years and fancy starting to Kitesurf.
Beat it, troll.
