Hello,hoping somebody can help me with some advise here.I wanted to kitesurf and no I didnt do what I was advised to do which is not to buy off the internet.I did.Had a couple of lessons,broke a bone,unrelated to kitesurfing and by the time I got back to it,my kite had a leak.The glue around the valve had deteriorated,spent to have it repaired,another valve gone.Gee there are only like 16 of them!So here I am ready to get up finally and I need to kit myself out,new gear this time.Living on poverty street like I do I am seeking a good deal on gear that will take me through from beginner until I can sell my other kidney.I weigh around 65 kilos and am looking for a deal.Any advise?
Spend a bit of time at the gear review section and read about the different brands.
Go to your local beach and ask about the local support for different brands.
narrow your choices to 2 or 3 different kites you like and then come back here and ask for advise.
There is no such thing as perfect kite or perfect board, each person's opinion is different based on his riding style and personal preference.
Hi,
Great Deals, can be found in the Buy / Sell of Seabreeze. - I 68kg, and have a 10m and 6m Switchblade IDS, Got a great deal on Seabreeze 10m kite was still crispy and was less than 3 months old.
The following may be of some help
1) Any kite new or 2nd hand will get trashed by a newbie, so don't be afraid of going 2nd hand. - Destroying a $2200 kite is no fun especially if you are watching your pennies
2) Ensure you get a kite from 2006 - onwards, safety systems are far superior.
3) Bow Kite / C Kite / Foil Kite / SLE are all different types of kites, with different safety systems, and suit different types of riders. - Research this topic well. - Alot of Inflatable riders are using Bow / SLE / Delta, though there is a push now for the purest to go back to C Kites.
4) First kite size for a beginner in your size would be a 10-11m kite. A 12m kite for your first kite size you will find a little large when the winds hit 20 knots, you will struggle, as your confidence levels will be low.
What type of kite do you currently have? As this may suit you, spend a little on repairs may be a logical choice.
Goodluck
KR
Its a 2006 RRD 7 metre.I have had one valve reglued at $25.Two more have come unglued and so I expect all 16 to go sooner than later.I bought it because I figured it would get trashed and it would be better to wait until I knew what I was doing before splashing out the big cash.It cost me $550.If I pay out the $400 for repairing all valves,3 down 13 to go,it starts to seem like throwing good money after bad.Still dont have a board, Im thinking maybe I should be looking for a 09 clearance package
Aybe look at getting a new kite from 07/08. You'll probably get it pretty cheap...
if your carefull you can pick up some great kites on seabreeze for half the price, just look for one with not much use and ask lots of questions.
I just got a 11m REV2 near new for about half the price of a new one, excellent deal,
Thanks Bruce
Where have you been keeping your kite? If it lives in a hot car or similar all day every day this could be contributing to the valves letting go. I still have my '05 Kites and all the ones in between and have never had this issue with any of them.
As everyone else has said, get a good quality used kite, you won't cringe quite as much when you crash it into things like the water/beach. Ensure that you can go and have a look at the kite before buying it (make sure that you get the seller to inflate it before you get there, if you hang around talking to them about the kite etc for 1/2 an hour you should feel the kite at the start and then at the end to make sure yourself that it has no leaks (no major ones any way). Research like crazy to find out what type of kite you feel will suit what you want best. Good Luck.
D
thanks people,I have pulled out the bladders and am just about to break out the glue.maybe Ms fixit,Queen of the do it yourselfers can do the job.I have viewed a video and am feeling rather confidant.I am surprised by the thinness of the plastic,not much thicker than the wrap I use on my kids lunches ha...hopefully the job will be a bit more successful than when I did a do it yourselfer on the victor 2 stroke,nasty business that!The kite was stored under my house,set on a hill,it is pretty cool down there even for Queensland,maybe it was a bad batch of glue.I am pleased to hear that it is a pretty uncommon occurance,maybe the Selleys quick grip ,at $6.99 will solve my dilemma,here is hoping.
