Freddybpr
Posts: 10
Registered: 7-24-2012
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Noob on the sport!!!
Hi,Im new to the forum and my main interest is into kiteboarding. I'm planning on taking my first lesson on August, so i don't want to go there lost.
I'm male 32yrs, 6 feet- 250pnds,therefore I will like to get some information of the experts.... like what Size( kite and board ) and brand do you
recommend or believe will be the best for me.
Because I know the instructor will like to sell me what he sells(obviously) so I want to have some Ideas to see if he is helping me or just want to
Sell me their stuff.
Im really looking to Cabrinahs safety feature on their bars,,,I think there pretty cool for a rookie like me.Well guys and girls I will appreciate any
advice and comment,,,Thanks in Advance,,Freddy from P.R.
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BeamerBob
Posts: 8308
Registered: 5-11-2007
Location: Down on the bayou
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You should be able to fly what he sells and decide for yourself if you like the products. You will need a size up from what all the little guys are
flying (from another heavy guy) especially when you are learning.
Coastal Wind Sports Team Rider
Landsegler Disc wheels
PTW Hero Buggy - XXtreme ApeXX Buggy US 88 - Libre Hardcore
IvanpahBuggyExpo.com
Youtube link
Bob Muse
HQ Montana X 8m, Montana IX 12m, HQ Ignition LEI 5m,
PL Phantom 12m, 15m, Big Blu 24m+, Synergy 10m, Venom 10m, 13m , Phantom II 12m Vapors 3.8, 5.4, Crosskite Sonic 7m, PKD Combat 10.3m
Uturn Butane 2.5m PKD Buster 3m Genetrix Hydra 7m Ozone Yakuza GT 14m
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Bladerunner
Posts: 9679
Registered: 10-17-2006
Location: Vancouver
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There is no such thing as one kite that will satisfy all people in all conditions. The sad reality is you will need more than one kite .
Your weight and age are only a couple of many factors to consider. Location has a lot to do with it.
You are partly right about the instructor likely being sponsored by a certian brand or at least the brands the shop he rides for sells. STILL it is
best to " try before you buy " if at all possible and you will have that opportunity. Odds are they will sell you a kit at a sale price .
Look at what the locals are using. Ask them what is working best. THEY are the ones who can best tell you what is working.
In a very general way Bow kites are most forgiving, C kites most aggresive and SLE are the middle ground.
If money is an issue buy used gear at 1st. Kites drop in value as soon as they leave the store. You will be very hard on your 1st kites so better to
beat up a second hand kite than new ! If you have time to practice on your own between lessons you will get a lot more out of them.
Kites: 2.5m Profoil , Quadrifoil XL kitesurfer, NPW 5 Danger.
Flexifoil: 1.7m Sting, 4.9m Blade 3, 9m Blade 2.
Flysurfer : 19m Speed 2 SA, 7m Pulse
Peter Lynn :18m Phantom, 15m Synergy, 10m Synergy, 1200 Farc, 460 Sarc, 130 Tarc, 5m Peel, 4.2m , 6.4, 8.5 C-Quads, 3.5 LS2 single skin.
Rides: Flexi / P.L. Frankin'Buggy , Shaped + straight skiis, sand skis, Coyote blades. Core 95 ATB. RKB R2 ATB .
Ken (K2)
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Kamikuza
Posts: 6415
Registered: 1-9-2005
Location: Shiga, JAPAN
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Welcome Freddy!
Where's PR? What's the wind like there?
I like Cabrinha's too... they're considered a 'premium' brand though and aren't cheap at retail prices. But wait for end of year or old stock sales -
much cheaper! For example, kiteboarding.com has Liquid Force kites for around $800!
And there's always Switch...
Yeah... I got a kite. Or two...
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soliver
Posts: 3913
Registered: 12-15-2011
Location: somewhere, far, far away
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Mood: sleepy
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Welcome aboard Freddy, ... +1 on what bladerunner said, I thougt when I started that I could buy 1 kite,.... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
So I'm up to 2, a buggy and a 3rd kite in route,...
Be prepared (and prepare your wife or significant other) that your wallet is about to get drained,... so if you want new, buy on sale,... or buy used
(you can get good deals on the "for sale" section here.
I'm going to take a nap now
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Freddybpr
Posts: 10
Registered: 7-24-2012
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@ Kamikuza....P.R.= Puerto Rico....winds here r likely 10 to 20 mph on normal basis.
@ Soliver...My wife is already screaming,,,lol
I will take your advice and check "for sale" section.
The instructor told me that I will need a 14m(cabrinahs switchblade)...Its the same for every brand????
or I can find the same performance on smaller models depending the brand??
Sorry for all the question but I'm a mega rookie
Thanks to everyone for their advices!!!!!
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Kamikuza
Posts: 6415
Registered: 1-9-2005
Location: Shiga, JAPAN
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Ah!
10-20mph I think is considered 'light' wind... so you'll need a medium-large kite.
14m Switchblade or 13m Crossbow... depends on the kite design ie. C-kite or bow or somewhere in between. I think you'll need a big board for those
sizes and that wind... 150x40 at least.
Hold off buying your own gear until you've had lessons - and try to use different kinds of gear during the lessons.
Yeah... I got a kite. Or two...
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Freddybpr
Posts: 10
Registered: 7-24-2012
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Yup Kamikuza the instructor mention the board thing...he says that get a bigger board and the 14m switchblade instead of the 16m switchblade.
this is his offer.....
cabrinahs switchblade 14m w/bar, bag, pump, etc.
board(cabrinahs chopstick)
harness
lessons.....$2,300.00
what you think????
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Kamikuza
Posts: 6415
Registered: 1-9-2005
Location: Shiga, JAPAN
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How many hours of lessons? And is that US$?
Yeah... I got a kite. Or two...
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Freddybpr
Posts: 10
Registered: 7-24-2012
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8 hrs...total
and yes is in US$$$
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Kamikuza
Posts: 6415
Registered: 1-9-2005
Location: Shiga, JAPAN
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What's his usual hourly rate for lessons?
Yeah... I got a kite. Or two...
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joedy
Posts: 326
Registered: 6-28-2010
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
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You buy a new kite from the start and you'll just end up damaging it. You're better off buying a new harness and a used kite and board. Last year's
tube kites sell for WAY less money. Buying used can save you about a thousand dollars. And guess what? Aside from some improvements here and there,
there isn't really all that much difference from this year's model and last year's model.
Foil kites are a bit different since they usually don't release a new model each year like tube companies do. I learned to kiteboard on a foil, but I
wouldn't recommend it for most new pilots.
Get a beater board and a patched kite and when you're skilled, buy a new kite then.
-joedy
Flysurfer Speed3 19m Deluxe
Liquid Force Envy 12m
Flysurfer Pulse2 12m
HQ Matrixx 15m
HQ Hydra 350
_______________
Mako 140
Spleene Door 154
Litewave Spirit 132
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Freddybpr
Posts: 10
Registered: 7-24-2012
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well a 3hrs lesson is $ 250.00
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Freddybpr
Posts: 10
Registered: 7-24-2012
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@ joedy .....the thing is that I couldn't find an used 14m kit e around here......that's why .....and something else is that I really like the safety
mechanism on the cabrinahs bar........the other bars have depower and safety mechanism as the cabrinahs IDS????
lol...another question sorryyy.
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joedy
Posts: 326
Registered: 6-28-2010
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
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Yep; most of the bars out there now have push-away safeties like the Cabrinha brand.
I don't mean to be glib, but if you're not familiar with the various brands enough yet, this might be a good indicator that you need more time to
research before making a decision. There's nothing wrong with Cabrinha (I think that they are a good brand,) but a buddy of mine swears by his RRD
kites and that convinced me to read up in the reviews of them.
In the meantime, sites like www.ikitesurf.com have many listings for used kites. Once the summer season is over, there will be a slew of new For Sale listings.
I think that it is likely that for the price of a single new kite, you can buy a used quiver of kites and have more flexibility when it comes to the
wind weather and if you can kite on any particular day.
-joedy
Flysurfer Speed3 19m Deluxe
Liquid Force Envy 12m
Flysurfer Pulse2 12m
HQ Matrixx 15m
HQ Hydra 350
_______________
Mako 140
Spleene Door 154
Litewave Spirit 132
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Kamikuza
Posts: 6415
Registered: 1-9-2005
Location: Shiga, JAPAN
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$2300 for all that is a fair deal.
If money were no issue, I'd buy the new gear and tuck the kite away in the closet. Buy an older - but no older than 2010 - SB11 or 10 and learn how to
fly that, on the beach. It's MHO that until you can control the kite one handed and without looking at it or thinking about what you're doing too
much, you shouldn't go near the water with a board!
And when you do hit the water, buy a big used board that you'll use as a 'light wind' board...
kiteforum.com has a bunch of classifieds too...
Of course, half the reason for giving lessons is to get people to buy gear from you... 8 hours would be considered enough to get you to the point
where you can set up, launch/land, get into the water and water start, with a few safety pointers.
The IDS system on the Cab kites almost totally depowers the kite when you simply let go of the bar - it IS very nice. I've never actually used the
safety release, cos once the kite is on the water LE down, it's powerless.
I'm sure other kites do something similar, on long throw bars... but Cab just does it so well!
Yeah... I got a kite. Or two...
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Bladerunner
Posts: 9679
Registered: 10-17-2006
Location: Vancouver
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Freddybpr
well a 3hrs lesson is $ 250.00 |
Right, lessons are 3 hours. I wondered how they came to 8 in the package?
It is a decent package price ? Can you afford to buy a used kite to thrash while saving the new one for a bit ? You come out of lessons capable of
taking care of yourself but still will have a lot of crashing to do before it all clicks.
Kites: 2.5m Profoil , Quadrifoil XL kitesurfer, NPW 5 Danger.
Flexifoil: 1.7m Sting, 4.9m Blade 3, 9m Blade 2.
Flysurfer : 19m Speed 2 SA, 7m Pulse
Peter Lynn :18m Phantom, 15m Synergy, 10m Synergy, 1200 Farc, 460 Sarc, 130 Tarc, 5m Peel, 4.2m , 6.4, 8.5 C-Quads, 3.5 LS2 single skin.
Rides: Flexi / P.L. Frankin'Buggy , Shaped + straight skiis, sand skis, Coyote blades. Core 95 ATB. RKB R2 ATB .
Ken (K2)
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joedy
Posts: 326
Registered: 6-28-2010
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
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Freddy,
Take the lessons first and get some exposure to what the instructor sells. Once you get some training, you can be in a better position to decide if
you like certain brand-specific features. For the most part, though, most tube kites are close enough to features that there's not really all that
much that separates them.
The recommended size is about right for your weight and wind range. You'll discover that one kite with two different boards will give you a wider wind
coverage than two kites and one board.
Cabrinha and RRD have similar bars and trim strap configuration. Other kites have cleat systems for trim (North and HQ, for example). There's really
no "better" one since each design performs the same function with just a different method.
Personally, I think that Cabrinha and RRD make an extra effort to polish their kite offerings. This is not a fact, but just something that I've felt
after seeing the kites up close.
The thing to remember, however, is that the kite choice doesn't have any bearing on the fun quotient; you'll see lots of kiters having fun on all
kinds of brands (even the Flysurfer guys are having fun, too.... perhaps, even MORE fun, eh?) 
-joedy
Flysurfer Speed3 19m Deluxe
Liquid Force Envy 12m
Flysurfer Pulse2 12m
HQ Matrixx 15m
HQ Hydra 350
_______________
Mako 140
Spleene Door 154
Litewave Spirit 132
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Freddybpr
Posts: 10
Registered: 7-24-2012
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Wow guys I can't thank you enough for all the advices,I'm less confuse now,,,,but I'm definitively taking the course and I will do what Joedy says
about to try the instructor gear.And for what you say it's a good deal for the package, I may stick with that offer after I took the lessons and try
the Cabs gear.
Thanks a Lot and I will keep you posted about my progress...lol
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Kamikuza
Posts: 6415
Registered: 1-9-2005
Location: Shiga, JAPAN
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Mmm... bars may look similar but function very differently. Same goes with the kites - different feelings from different designs!
I think initially it won't bother you too much what kite you fly, so long as it's stable, not too fast and relaunches easily.
Make sure you get an outline from the instructor of his goals for the lessons for you to achieve... 8 hours of him showing you how cool he can ride
would suck - and be a waste of your money.
Are you a total kite newbie? If you are, get the cheapest 2-line kite you can and learn to fly it before you do lessons. That *should* save you some
hours in lessons.
Yeah... I got a kite. Or two...
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