Hi guys,
Long time lurker and first time poster.
Last session was great until wind picked up and my legs got too sore from edging and gave up. Ended up watching the guys in smaller kites having a ball... So I thought I should pick up a smaller kite 
I've probably got 20 odd hours under my belt and can ride up wind and do transitions most of the times so still a beginner. I'm practising chop hopping and carving turns (whatever it's called) and next up is a jump!
My only kite is a 2010 C4 10m and I find that its sweet spot is 15-23 knots (I'm 74kg). I can handle 25-30 knots but it is pretty exhausting and I quickly adopt poo stance unless I depower more than half way which then makes it a pig to fly.. i.e. not enjoyable!
What I'm looking for is a kite that has a sweet spot around 20-30 knots. Where I ride it's pretty choppy and I'm not a free style rider simply because I haven't got the hours yet.. hopefully I'll progress and do some jumps and hit some waves!
These are what I am pondering now..
- 7m vs 8m
- Slingshot fuel vs Catalyst vs Chimera vs Torch
Thoughts? 
pickup a good deal on a 2012 8m c4 then u have an easy transition between kites , spares, only need 1 bar
i have a 8mtr catalyst , i only use it in big winds 30 to 40plus , for the big nwesters we get here in the winter, unreal with gusty conditions great relaunch , massive depower and pretty punchy in these conditions, the rio would also be great in these winds, it depends what conditions you want to ride in, im not sure in flat water but in big swell and big winds im chuffed with mine, im 90kgs plus and ride a shinn monk 135 42 this board for sure helps you tame the kite due to its edging ability, small kites tend to be very different than their larger sizes , so dont think by just downsizing it will make a great highwind kite, its the same the other way around with lightwind kites, you may have to change brands if you want the best performance
20 to 30 knots is not especially high winds. So if it was me I'd stick with the c4 8m or the catalyst, as they both have that ozone feel you are used to. would be perfect in those winds. Also cauncy or right in saying that board selection is also very important. Like cauncy I use a shin monk in anything above 20 knots as it can hold down a bigger edge than you can hope to put on it. But there are other boards out there as well.
So for me it's not just a matter of kite selection. Sector for light winds, cb wave for medium winds, if waves and high winds I change down kites, if no waves and banging in, I sometimes stick to the 10m kite and crank out the shin.
But for starters maybe a 8m. Then again you only weigh 74 kg and couple less than me. my high wind kite is a 6m and the boards bridge the gap. You might want to consider a 6 even. That way you will still be comfortable in 30. At your weight even on an 8m 30 knots will be a handful, hence my point about board selection.
But if you use only one board you'd better go an 8 cause that 21 to 24 zone you might be scratching ya head on putting the 10 or 6 up.
So one board 8m, another high wind board, 6m.
Go for the cat or the chimera in 8m forget the fuel and torch the cat and chimera are way more user friendly,the chimera has way better bottom end but the cat is a bit softer and will go a bit higher in the top end,either would be a good choice.
I have both an 8m and 11m 2011 c4s and am a similar weight.
If your at the beginner stage, i'd stay clear of the smaller c4s.
I have a number of years kiting under the belt and the 8M c4 more of a challenge than the 11m. Its fast and you need to be on your A game in 28+, its much harder to get the timing right. Don't get me wrong its a sweet kite with a brilliant direct feel, you just need to be up for it.
My sweet spot on the 8 is around 25kn
I'd demo the catalyst if i were you. I'm looking to add a 6m catalyst for next years winter fronts.
I am 85kg and ride 2011 torches. On my twin tip my 9m has a sweet spot around 22 knots and my 7m at around 30knots. Minus about 5 knots if doing a downwinder on a surfboard.
As others have said these kites are very quick and take more skill and timing to get the most out of them. Kinda like comparing a 2 stoke dirt bike to a 4 stroke.
If you can still estimate your hours on the water you're probs better off with a bridled kite other wise they won't be much fun for a while and there will be a steep learning curve. Plus if your legs are already getting sore, this might get worse as you need to edge hard rather than sheeting out the bar to quickly slow down.
For the winds you describe and your experience go an 8m cat - great reliable kite for progression. In big winds use a 40 or 45cm bar and change the bar pressure setting to + to slow it down a bit.
I'm the same weight as you and on a tt my old 2011 Cat 8m sweet spot was about 25-27knots. I'm not sure how the power/bottom end compares between the 2011's to the 12's or 13's models.
8m Catalyst, no question.
As sk1nner said, 7 or 8m C4s will probably be too lively for you at this stage, and tricks gone wrong turn into spankings a lot faster in 30 knots than 20. The Cat will offer more depower and forgiving handling in the gnarlier and bumpier stuff. Same bar (and therefore safety system) as your 10mC4, still very nimble, enjoy!
There you go the cat, some experienced advice here I'd follow it. Stick with ozone though, as they all have that similar feel. You don't wan to have to retune as the wind picks up, especially as a beginner.
Sweet thanks guys for all the input. Exactly what I needed 
Pretty clear that Catalyst has the votes and I'll find out what it's like. Now just need to the wind!
P.S. What sort of bottom end could I expect from a 8m catalyst, bearing in mind the 2010 C4 10m can get me going upwind around 15 knot mark? 20 knot as a minimum?
The new Catalyst has been redesigned so apart from the "ozone website sell" does anyone have some first hand experience of what has changed reference performance?
yep another vote for 8m cat. awesome kite. i put mine up 25+knots was flying mine today in 30-38 knots wicked fun. I'm 82kg. so top end for you will be around 33-35 i guess.
i also have the c4. so 10m c4 and fly that 18-30, 8 cat is a good combo. When you want to get into nuking winds then add a 6m reo to your list.
i can stay upwind around 20 knots. so you will most likely get a couple less than me 18 perhaps?
ps the cat isn't as dynamic as the c4 which makes it more boring athe low end. but it can handle stupid conditions better than the c4 which gets real punchy in the upper range.
pss I ahd an 10m c4 6m reo combo for a while. but that gap was too big between kites.
Auckland. How about you? I presume not Auckland since it was "only" 19-30 knots northerly today??
I'm getting a 2nd hand 2011 8m so we'll see how that goes!
sweet. give yourself a few sessions to get used to the cat. yourl love it in super gusty wind. me. i'm in the naki.
Quick review since I got to try the kite today
2011 8m Catalyst 2nd hand in well used condition. 20m lines. 74kg rider, relatively new.
First session - 2.5 hours, 25 knots average gusting to 30 but well powered.
I got used to it pretty much immediately and I found it to be very responsive and easy to fly. Felt more responsive than my 2010 10m C4 with 25m lines.
Had no problem handling 30 knot gusts, just went up wind at a steep angle. Responded very well to depowering, didn't feel too sluggish even when nearly fully depowered. Loved it. Towards the end it gusted to around 35 knots and I wasn't too petrified, although walking back in proved to be a bit of a challenge especially because my legs were giving way.
Second session - 40 min, 13(?)-35 knots, horribly gusty. In the lulls I had trouble planing/holding ground and was no fun so I came in. To be fair, very few, if any, kite can really handle that kind of crap wind. 
In short, I like it! Together with the C4 my sweet spot is now 15-30 knots!
Almost any 6 to 8m kite.
I ride Griffin kites and there are guys in NZ keen on these so give them a try.
