With the new season upon us and the latest gear knocking around, I'm curiouse why people buy, for me I want to push my riding, recently I've seen a new board or type of board is more a priority than type of kite, just because something is new and shiny doesn't mean you won't be disappointed , what board or kite has you itching ,and why , I look at my local blowing high 20s low 30s and the shinn bronq on a 8 edge or Evo has me thinking
Couple of the V3 REO's for me.
Loved last years 12, so getting that and a fresh 10.
Frothing for the soft ended bar. Dinged a board last week with the hard bar knob.
Board wise; what's old is new. 
Last week I started giving all my old boards a second chance.
Settled on my favourite from a few years ago, the Mulcoy.
Gave up on it last year after a few repairs and a 'ultra light board phase'.
This board is a ripper, would buy another in a heartbeat. (anyone selling?)
I'm of the opinion that there's only small step changes in lei kites these days. So there is no point changing them out of a yearly basis for improved performance. Replace them when they are worn or if you desire a different style of kite.
Boards.... Since I make my own i'm mulling over ideas for the next build. It will be a mutant with slightly worse wave riding and slightly better boosting ability.... Then i'll be into building a hydrofoil.
I have new gear this year, but not in the typical sense. Upgraded my 2010 Ozone kites to a quiver of 2013 Slingshot RPMs. A whole lot different! Lots of grunt, not much feedback. Kind of what I'm looking for these days, so still considered an upgrade for me.
As for boards, I'm eyeing off one of the newer Tona Pops 
Select to expand quotezarb said...
I have new gear this year, but not in the typical sense. Upgraded my 2010 Ozone kites to a quiver of 2013 Slingshot RPMs. A whole lot different! Lots of grunt, not much feedback. Kind of what I'm looking for these days, so still considered an upgrade for me.
As for boards, I'm eyeing off one of the newer Tona Pops
God the pop is a good board
I am going to spend $8k upgrading my 3x switchys to 2016 models because they are quantum leap forward.
Or maybe not. My gear is so stuck in the 2014's.
Might consider a new Reo though...(if they have fixed the bar).
I upgrade my kites to the year before so I get cheaper new kites that they're trying to get rid of. I don't really have a reason to get new kite as there's not much difference, its just nice to get new toys in the mail.
I’ll get another season or 2 out of my kites but I just sold my beginners boards and purchased 2 new superseded boards. The old boards were great and served me well but I wanted something that would support basic tricks and more importantly be softer on the knees so I am now the owner of a 132 Shinn Monk and 138 Cabrinha XCalibre… Bring on the wind 
My 11m edge ripped, swapping to a Core XR4 for something different. Love my XR3. Will most likely swap out my Monk for a Bronq simply because that board is joy.
Select to expand quotePlummet said..
I'm of the opinion that there's only small step changes in lei kites these days. So there is no point changing them out of a yearly basis for improved performance. Replace them when they are worn or if you desire a different style of kite.
Boards.... Since I make my own i'm mulling over ideas for the next build. It will be a mutant with slightly worse wave riding and slightly better boosting ability.... Then i'll be into building a hydrofoil.
please post your board in the biggest boosting board section when complete. I am very interested.
Select to expand quotesurfingboye said..
Couple of the V3 REO's for me.
Loved last years 12, so getting that and a fresh 10.
Frothing for the soft ended bar. Dinged a board last week with the hard bar knob.
Board wise; what's old is new.
Last week I started giving all my old boards a second chance.
Settled on my favourite from a few years ago, the Mulcoy.
Gave up on it last year after a few repairs and a 'ultra light board phase'.
This board is a ripper, would buy another in a heartbeat. (anyone selling?)
I saw you out on the old griffin kite on the 26/9/15, how did that hold up? I looked as though you were getting some good downwind drift from it on those steep shories. Also were you riding fins? looked as though you were dropping down the face straight into sand.
Thanks kindly, Rod
Select to expand quotesurfingboye said..
Couple of the V3 REO's for me.
Loved last years 12, so getting that and a fresh 10.
Frothing for the soft ended bar. Dinged a board last week with the hard bar knob.
Board wise; what's old is new.
Last week I started giving all my old boards a second chance.
Settled on my favourite from a few years ago, the Mulcoy.
Gave up on it last year after a few repairs and a 'ultra light board phase'.
This board is a ripper, would buy another in a heartbeat. (anyone selling?)
The new soft end bar is a big improvement. The things I like.. The rigging knots for the rear lines are now at kite end, so you can easily power up or rig your kite on the least powerful setting without having to slide the old floats around. Depower rope is now an elasticised bungee so no loose rope flailing around even if you dont use the magnetic hold..... And those soft ends... My surfboards are loving it. Only thing was, they feel bigger in the hand for the same size bar, but I don't notice it kiting. ( Cabrinhas new bar looks good to. They've stripped alot of stuff off and made a nice functional lightweight bar.) I relented and purchased a 12m reo late in the season last year and was shocked at what a great kite it was. Good range, hang and perfect for our east coast conditions, especially later in the season when the winds aren't as strong And more on-shoreish. I' m keeping my 2015 6-9-12 m reos from last year. Correct me if I'm wrong, but same kite as 2016 with only cosmetic/colour changes.
I agree about that stretch mulcoy. Keeps the repair place busy, but what a great board, I should have kept mine. I have a little 5'2" stretch mr buzz (same shaper) that I've absolutely trashed but love and still kite 80% of the time.
Select to expand quotecauncy said..
With the new season upon us and the latest gear knocking around, I'm curiouse why people buy, for me I want to push my riding, recently I've seen a new board or type of board is more a priority than type of kite, just because something is new and shiny doesn't mean you won't be disappointed , what board or kite has you itching ,and why
From a surfing kiting perspective, on boards... I grew up being 'indebted' to local shapers who were friends and were really supportive. In other words it was almost an insult to change brands. I seemed to always be trying replicate boards. This has changed because I'm an old kook now! So years ago when shaping became more global, I aimed to get a board off the 10 top shapers in the world. Best thing I've ever done! Constantly mix it up with shapes outlines dimensions. I love it. Some have been duds, but there are things you can take from nearly every board. Keeps the Stoke in crowded line ups, and if you don't like them they sell instantly second hand.
two new 2016 airush razors, 13 and 9 in red,
142 cm airush livewire refer (grind base)
2016 reefer boots
have my surfboard that i love... but wondering if i get something small for when its crap... looking at a kite skim or a skatey small surfboard.
Select to expand quoteHybrid_Z said...
My 11m edge ripped, swapping to a Core XR4 for something different. Love my XR3. Will most likely swap out my Monk for a Bronq simply because that board is joy.
Faark. How did you do that, catch the reef or something?
Three new Airush Unions (6m, 9m and 12m). Clearly got more money than sense to replace my 2015 Varial Xs but the Unions are a significantly better kite. The 12m is so agile and fast even in marginal wind its a joy.
Select to expand quotetomme said..
two new 2016 airush razors, 13 and 9 in red,
142 cm airush livewire refer (grind base)
2016 reefer boots
have my surfboard that i love... but wondering if i get something small for when its crap... looking at a kite skim or a skatey small surfboard.
Have a look at the Slingshot Butter Bar (skim board)..... it's awesome.
Pearl said......Depower rope is now an elasticised bungee so no loose rope flailing around even if you dont use the magnetic hold..
I love my ozones but that magnet to secure the depower rope is the dumbest thing ever, (a) it's unnecessary and (b) it just rusts and falls apart.
Seabreeze gear review section and the constant gear porn that goes on is what gets me keen to buy!!!
No really i guess I am just finding my style as I have been kiting about 3 years now and getting to the stage where I have very specific requirements of my gear. number 1 on the list is a couple of new pivots big jumps and good surf performance are my most important attributes.
As far as boards I honed my strapless skills on a wainman gambler 5'10" which was wide and fishy, super good low end but a little hard to control In The top end now I have a very sleek 6'2 North pro which is epic in the top end but lacks low end, my next board purchase is a light wind/ small wave surfboard I'm thinking vanguard style as the straight rail and extra surface area appeals to me
Sounds like everyone's just looking to tweek what they already know, not wanting a new challenge? Here's a few snips from shinny in his regular kiteworld write up'
The only thing worse sitting in a restaurant and watching someone else's meal arrive looking 10 times better than your own , is arriving at the beach to find your latest greatest purchase
Kiting toy isn't what you needed or wanted after all.( buy and sell)
The all important decision comes down to honesty; not the guy in the shop trying to sell you something, but your own honesty, purchasing disappointment will inevitably occur if you carnt answer your own questions truthfully, of course if your main aim is to buy something shiny and new, then as long as you buy something shiny and new, your likely to be disappointed , the important question is when it comes to gear is: should you buy something you like, or something that challenges you? Is your goal progression or simply to have fun, you can have fun whilst progressing , if you look back at to your less motivated moments of kiting they'd always of been when you didn't have goals, no new tricks , no new styles, no new gear , I know a good number of kiters that's emerged from their winter break full of excitement and after a few sessions they're doing the same old moves and their passion has drifted away , remember when you took up this sport- it was the thrill and adrenalin of learning that contributed a large part of your enjoyment, for most that doesn't change, however as as you get better and skills stagnate it's easy to forget and your pace slows
A great way to put fire back in the belly is to grab a new challenge , always been a tt rider? Then why not grab a strapless board, try some wake or grab a foil, you don't need to abandon everything you love but cracking open a new door might be the breath of fresh air you need, a bad day for your ego is a great day for your soul, are you willing to go backwards to take giant leaps forward?are you willing to put in the time and effort to pull through the frustration in order to achieve something greater, I believe we can all benefit from this kind of sport reset, but then if you don't want to take a chance then don't worry; there's the veritable plethora of the new n shiny kit on the market that looks great in the back of your car, and then, who knows mowing the lawn and back rolls will come into fashion, I think this applies to most of us and we've all made bad gear decissions , however reading it has given me a kick up my arse for the season ahead
Select to expand quotecauncy said..
Sounds like everyone's just looking to tweek what they already know, not wanting a new challenge? Here's a few snips from shinny in his regular kiteworld write up'
The only thing worse sitting in a restaurant and watching someone else's meal arrive looking 10 times better than your own , is arriving at the beach to find your latest greatest purchase
Kiting toy isn't what you needed or wanted after all.( buy and sell)
The all important decision comes down to honesty; not the guy in the shop trying to sell you something, but your own honesty, purchasing disappointment will inevitably occur if you carnt answer your own questions truthfully, of course if your main aim is to buy something shiny and new, then as long as you buy something shiny and new, your likely to be disappointed , the important question is when it comes to gear is: should you buy something you like, or something that challenges you? Is your goal progression or simply to have fun, you can have fun whilst progressing , if you look back at to your less motivated moments of kiting they'd always of been when you didn't have goals, no new tricks , no new styles, no new gear , I know a good number of kiters that's emerged from their winter break full of excitement and after a few sessions they're doing the same old moves and their passion has drifted away , remember when you took up this sport- it was the thrill and adrenalin of learning that contributed a large part of your enjoyment, for most that doesn't change, however as as you get better and skills stagnate it's easy to forget and your pace slows
A great way to put fire back in the belly is to grab a new challenge , always been a tt rider? Then why not grab a strapless board, try some wake or grab a foil, you don't need to abandon everything you love but cracking open a new door might be the breath of fresh air you need, a bad day for your ego is a great day for your soul, are you willing to go backwards to take giant leaps forward?are you willing to put in the time and effort to pull through the frustration in order to achieve something greater, I believe we can all benefit from this kind of sport reset, but then if you don't want to take a chance then don't worry; there's the veritable plethora of the new n shiny kit on the market that looks great in the back of your car, and then, who knows mowing the lawn and back rolls will come into fashion, I think this applies to most of us and we've all made bad gear decissions , however reading it has given me a kick up my arse for the season ahead
+1 to this. Been riding on f one bandits from 2011 for 3 years now. Been learning how to jump and downloop. Last summer i bought a carbon board for more pop and getting some hybrid c kites next week. Time for some kiteloop learning and unhooking.
Three slingshot SST's (8,10,12) + a slingshot butter bar.... really looking forward to improving my riding in the surf (strapless).
buying a decent board made a world of difference for me. I bought last years monk (fly switchblades) and love it.. Although did give it a decent gouge on a reef at Exmouth last week.
Before that I had an old airrush hammer (still have it, if anyone is feeling nostalgic).
Would need to think about new kites, traditionally cabrinhas but keen to hit the demo days this season and maybe move to something else
+1 with clauncy.
I started kiting a year ago with a nobile n62, 20h of bodydragging later, I bought my first board, crazy fly raptor ltd, both kite and board from 2011 and second hand. Then I swap my kite for a 2013 evo, progress a bit more and swap for a 2014 evo, my first brand new kite...
I learned all basics with it, backrolls, frontrolls, riding toeside etc... Then I ad a second hand 8m vegas 2014, an high wind kite, rode it few times and liked it so much, I swaped my evo for a 2014 12m vegas + 10m 2013 vegas. That was awesome, landing many new tricks and boosting big :) I replaced my 2013 vegas by a 2015 rpm 10m, first session I was landing all my tricks, easier than the vegas... Was impressed. But having a quiver of kites really different is a bit of pain, you need a couple of hours to adapt yourself to the kite every time you swapped... During the last 6 month I had the opportunity to test a lot of different kites, and finally got 2016 vegas quiver coming soon. Anyway all of that to say than you might have to change kites during your kiting progression to suit you at this moment, and it make you realized differences between them. No matter what your level is, fly what you like, and what make you confident to keep trying new things and progress ! Personally, landind handle passes and big airs board off are my goals for the season
Wish you all to have fun out there, no matter what are you gears and style !
Give Stonka in Torquay a call if you want some mega deals on slingshot gear. Best prices in OZ
Hey Cauncy - my take on your drift was when do you decide to up grade !! With the wife and kids and house - kite upgrades really only happen when most of us have to - not when we would like to .
I have an older bigger kite that is a ripper for my light wind days :-) Its not crisp anymore - upgrade?? , its still gets me out when I need to fix my rush - - upgrade?? More recently Ive had a few leading edge bladder (pin hole) issues - slow leak :-( - fix or upgrade??
Today it finally started to fly like a dog - my (need ) for a tuning or "upgrade"
So Im keen to piggy back off your thread - when is a kite "dead" ???
Select to expand quoteSauce said..
buying a decent board made a world of difference for me. I bought last years monk (fly switchblades) and love it.. Although did give it a decent gouge on a reef at Exmouth last week.
Before that I had an old airrush hammer (still have it, if anyone is feeling nostalgic).
Would need to think about new kites, traditionally cabrinhas but keen to hit the demo days this season and maybe move to something else
put the hammer on seabreeze theres still a few crew that this board fits perfectly.
Select to expand quotepearl said..surfingboye said..
Couple of the V3 REO's for me.
Loved last years 12, so getting that and a fresh 10.
Frothing for the soft ended bar. Dinged a board last week with the hard bar knob.
Board wise; what's old is new.
Last week I started giving all my old boards a second chance.
Settled on my favourite from a few years ago, the Mulcoy.
Gave up on it last year after a few repairs and a 'ultra light board phase'.
This board is a ripper, would buy another in a heartbeat. (anyone selling?)
The new soft end bar is a big improvement. The things I like.. The rigging knots for the rear lines are now at kite end, so you can easily power up or rig your kite on the least powerful setting without having to slide the old floats around. Depower rope is now an elasticised bungee so no loose rope flailing around even if you dont use the magnetic hold..... And those soft ends... My surfboards are loving it. Only thing was, they feel bigger in the hand for the same size bar, but I don't notice it kiting.
Gota say the bars feel a lot bigger and heavier now. Hopefully I will get used to it
I just bought a new Switch Element4 9mtr and a V3 control bar ready for my 2 week Exmouth holiday coming up soon.
I haven't kited a lot in the last couple of years and I just checked back in my photo's to confirm that the 5 & 9 Switch Methods I am still using were new in Feb 2011 (the first batch of Switch kites in Australia) so I think I am overdue some new kites. 
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/General/Kitestock-2011-Its-still-on/#721255
I did replace the 7 and 12 with Method 2's last year but am on the original 5 & 9.
Hanging out to try the Element and get back into some kiting, hopefully I can even get the old 5 Method lit up, might catch up with you in a couple of weeks TurtleHunter.
P.S. The Airush Hammer was/is a classic board, bit power hungry and not so good upwind but for a tt downwinder in waves it was a beauty.
I bought a Cardboard in 2007 and I'm still riding same. Kickers, sliders, rocks, sand, back of truck.... it is indestructible!
I just wish I could buy another that would last another 7 years.
