so after chasing wind all over the winter i am so spent trying to kite in dull conditions. looking for the best kite for Melbourne. i am 80kgs 4 years kiting with limited tricks in my bag. ride hifix 13m 11m 9m 2015. looking to up grade to one kite to carry me over 15knots to 25-30 knots. over mowing the lawn on light wind days and the strong winds hurt my knees.
whats the best one kite do it all kite?????? most of all just want to get back to having fun. 
Id go a 9 or 10m, but find something to handle a good top end wind range. That's going to be the secret to getting away with one kite.
A one kite quiver is a myth, a fairly tale. Much like the tooth fairy, bigfoot and god.
That being said. I can mow the lawns in 15 knots on my 10 edge and hold it down in a 30 knot squall.
But. Do I want to fly my 10m in 15 knots? no! do I want to hold it in 30 knots? sometimes.
In the 15-30 knot range I can and do use all of my 5 kites for different reasons on different days.
If I was to limit myself to one kite it would be the 10m edge.
Cheers plummet. Just looking to simplify my kiteing to a good wind range. Over the chase and grind. But tipping the kite bug will bite again after a good sesssion. Have five kites and four boards. Confusion reigns supreme. .
The summer seabreeze in melbourne is generally from 15 to 25 knots 90% of the time. So id just limit your decision to that range. Basically a 12 or 11m kite. Ideally a 12/9 two kite quiver works best in melbourne.
Plummet is on the money - One kite to cover all normal conditions is a myth - not even the one strut chameleon's can cut it.
If fact to make the most of the enjoyment factor Ive actually gone back to 4 kites from 2 to cover my kiting windrange (10 to 40 knots) - I seriously cant see a one kite quiver that can do that wind range well!!
Craig crackles - at you weight and nominated (limited) wind range Id be thinking a 2014 + bandit 9M kite. But Id agree that it hasn't got the strongest bottom end so 15 knots will get you going but not having much fun - at 30 knots the kite will be fully depowered and not a friendly beast!!
I'd probably go for a 10m kite, look for a 5 strut, free ride kite that's efficient (like a Core or an Edge). Back when I started out I weighed around 75kgs and only had a 10m Core xr3, could get me up and going at around 15 knots and I could hold it down 30+ knots. We normally get a wind range of around 15-25 knots, you could always get a bigger board, but you should be right.
I recon one 10-11m kite could cover 90% of Melbourne summer conditions. As long as you had a floaty surfboard and a twin tip. And maybe a foil and another small surfboard :)
Select to expand quoteCapNRonK said..
I recon one 10-11m kite could cover 90% of Melbourne summer conditions. As long as you had a floaty surfboard and a twin tip. And maybe a foil and another small surfboard :)
Ok - got it !! One kite and 4 boards !! LOL
9m Edge is the only kite I use. Starts at 14knots and I can hold it up to around 32knots.
1 kite quiver is possible and common if you hydrofoil. we have several kites hydrofoils in Perth with 1 kite quivers.... 11m CronoV2 will do you from 8 till 25knots easy for free-riding. 15m lines for big wind days and have a set of 5m and 10m extensions handy to add on really get some serious bottom end of the lighwind days. 25m line set will get you foiling in 8 knots easily.
Iv been riding the one kite this whole year. Best TS 10m.
At 75kg it get going in 15knots and Iv had it out in 30knots. Worth a look if you want a do everything kite
yes the whole one kite quiver is a myth but if I was to pick one kite it would be a 10m switchblade, I go through most of summer last year on this kite riding a 6' tomo surfboard in light winds 15 knots I could easily go upwind, then lesser board as wind increased. I could be comfortable up to 25 but I hate being overpowered.
the other point to note is 25knots can be a lot of things, a 25 knot wind could gusting up to 35, so you want a kite that can handle the gusts, but summer is generally steady thermal winds rather than frontal.
PS I have 5 kites and sometimes think I have a problem but there is always the sweet spot for the right kite. In stronger winds 30kn I have even used the 5m a few times which originally I bought for my kids to learn on.
Select to expand quotekemp90 said...
Iv been riding the one kite this whole year. Best TS 10m.
At 75kg it get going in 15knots and Iv had it out in 30knots. Worth a look if you want a do everything kite
Tide assisted? I'm struggling on my 13m these days 
6 kilos to go....
If I only had one kite I would give up a go surfing But 10m kite is my main kite for Melb Seabreeze also have 5 kites I hate being under or over powered
This is one of those "if you have to ask then the answer is no" questions.
It's very easy to have a one kite quiver and have a really good time on it, but you need the skill to make that one kite work over the range of conditions you expect to ride in. Only you can make it work and only you can know if you have the skills to do it.
To get the maximum range out of your one kite quiver you really need a selection of boards. A 7m inflatable with a hydrofoil and a surfboard will easily cover from just above 10 knots to over 35.
Select to expand quoteGorgo said..
This is one of those "if you have to ask then the answer is no" questions.
It's very easy to have a one kite quiver and have a really good time on it, but you need the skill to make that one kite work over the range of conditions you expect to ride in. Only you can make it work and only you can know if you have the skills to do it.
To get the maximum range out of your one kite quiver you really need a selection of boards. A 7m inflatable with a hydrofoil and a surfboard will easily cover from just above 10 knots to over 35.
This.
Select to expand quoteUnderoath said...kemp90 said...
Iv been riding the one kite this whole year. Best TS 10m.
At 75kg it get going in 15knots and Iv had it out in 30knots. Worth a look if you want a do everything kite
Tide assisted? I'm struggling on my 13m these days
6 kilos to go....
To have a good freestyle sesh I use the tide, but I only really do downwinders if it's light.
Was rolling on only a 10m switchblade for ages. Got me out on the water from about 14 knots on light wind board and maxed out around 30 on twin tip. I am ~75kg. Only a few days during this time that I dogged it when it got too windy.
Select to expand quotecraigcrackles said..
Cheers plummet. Just looking to simplify my kiteing to a good wind range. Over the chase and grind. But tipping the kite bug will bite again after a good sesssion. Have five kites and four boards. Confusion reigns supreme. .
I hear ya. After there is definately and argument for KISS.
On the other hand 5 kite and 4 boards allows you to optimize each sessions enjoyment. When you reduce the kite/board numbers you will further reduce the enjoyable days.
If i limited myself to the 10 there's be so many days that it would just be a grovel or dangerous. Yet if i had the perfect board kite combo it could have been an epic session.
As an example I recently had a session 30-35 knots. All wave riders recommended 6m. So I fired up the 6 rode some waves and it was ok. But the waves were average on that day. I felt the need to boost. But the 6 is **** at boosting. I fire up the 8m am fully powered up and proceed to do lamp post high boosts. whaka yeah! Having the kite options turned an average day into a spectacular day.
I'm with you on that I also run the 4 kite quiver with 2 tt and a ****eload of surfboards. It's good to have options
I know some people with 1 kite quiver who make it work. Just means you have to be willing to give up sessions when the wind doesn't fit what you have. Depending on what you go for, you do something else when it's too windy or not windy enough.
The sketchy thing about this is if you are super amped to go kiting anyway, you go out when it's dangerously windy for that size kite. Or you end up doing a lot of swimming. So....don't go there if you are the kind of person who can't walk away.
The other thing: if you have a 5 kite quiver that you rotate in as needed, then it cost you 5x as much but also lasts 5x as long. If you are kiting 40-50 days a year on one kite, then you are replacing it annually. If you spread that across the quiver, maybe you are replacing kites every 2-5 years, depending on which get most wear. The single kite quiver may actually be a false economy. And it may be less safe too, if you are reluctant to change it out as frequently as you should. I have had a lot of time reasoning out why it is sensible to buy more kites. 
I am also a fan of a single model quiver with multiple sizes....no need to vary flying style for the kite.
It seems like a waste of money having a 5m or a 7m for two days a year. Until that one day comes and it blows your mind for the rest of your life. You cannot put a price on a fully powered rocketship style psycho turbo megaboost.
I'd go for a 10m. I have a 10 and with my DIY door I can ride upwind comfortably in 12knots and with a 128cm board I can shred the waves in 28 knots. Granted you need to have good edging techniques and kite skills to handle winds like that with a bigger kite than the norm. But you can boost much higher than the other kiters too! 
Someone suggested a 10m TS. These kites have a good top end and fit the bill well.
It's a good concept having one kite for most of your sessions. I hate having too many options. You can always work your kite when its light. But over 30 knots. Better get ready to boost.
Select to expand quotewishy said..
It seems like a waste of money having a 5m or a 7m for two days a year. Until that one day comes and it blows your mind for the rest of your life. You cannot put a price on a fully powered rocketship style psycho turbo megaboost.
hehehehe.
True that!..... But i'll get at least 10 sessions a year on my 6m. And I've had the 6m since 2012 and its still got a few more years to go. A god damn worthwhile purchase!
