G'day,
I have been kiting for the last 12 week getting out their at every opportunity I get and am very happy with my progress. I am currently riding a 2012 10m North Evo of which I have been very happy with it's performance however as I haven't ridden any other kites my experience is very limited.
I am now looking to get a 12/13m kite for lightwind riding and my preferred style of riding is Freestyle/Freeride at this stage. My Evo is good for wind range 17-27kts and I am around 86kg.
Can anyone please recommend what they think would be the best lightwind kite for Freestyle/Freeride? I'm heading to El Gouna! Woohoo...
Cheers
there are so many people selling their light wind kites you are going to get a good deal
light wind range 6 to 12 knots kite size from 14 to 21 meters
above 12 knots kite size 12 or 14
also depends on
1 -your weight
2 - Kite board size
3 - where you kite (lake, ocean, ? and current, and waves will require a bigger kite)
4 - kite type (c kite are not the best for light wind)
6- line length - I use 30 meter lines when is between 6 and 12 knots
hope this will help.
My light wind kite gear is
16 meter NRG from Liquid Force
14 meter Ride from Naish
145x45 twin tip
sometime my 9 meter malibu sufrboard.
cheers
I wanted to get out in 14-18 knots but was a bit scared of buying a 17m kite... which would probably do for lighter than that range anyway. After receiving lots of advice and opinions and I opted for a 14m Fuse and a North Nugget. I took quite a few sessions to get dialled into that rig but now I couldn't be happier with it. I does exactly what I wanted and more. I've gotten my bottom end down to about 13 knts and can fly anywhere upwind without even trying. The board is a huge factor. One thing to bear in mind is that lighter conditions means a different type of session. Just getting a bigger kite and board wont necessarily transfer into being able to kite the same way but with bigger gear. I love lighter conditions... flatter water.... way less punters... its a cruisefest.
My light wind set up is a CrazyFly Bulldozer 138 x 42 with a 2014 Griffin TRX Pro 17m.
Like snalberski I reckon light wind days have their own unique appeal. The Bulldozer and 17m Griff' is one of my favourite set ups. The flat water makes everything really predictable if you want to perfect or try new transitions and because the TRX is such a fast moving kite everything you learn here will immediately transfer to the Evo.
My mates quiver is 17m Griffin TRX, 10m Evo, 7m Evo and he finds this covers him for just about everything.
Mine is pretty similiar 17m TRX, 12m Griffin Argo and 8m BWS Noise. (The Noise is the glitch in my quiver. If you lay it out it is really the same size as most 10m kites leaving me without a high wind kite. But that would be another thread.)
Cheers
XXXX gold or coopers green, depending on how long the wind has been light for....
Thanks heaps guys, some great info!
I don't really want to go any bigger then 14m as it as will be traveling with it. I need a kite to work in 10kt+ winds so thinking 17m will be overkill plus heavy to lug around!?!
What I'm looking for;
Wind range = 10 to 20kt
Conditions = Flat water and waves
Style = Freeride and Freestyle
Board = 133x44 Twintip
Cheers
My 17m range is 8 knots to 19 knots.When its 8 knots Im mowing the lawn ,but 14 knots on my free ride race board Im boosting to the clouds while the 14 m kites are doing small jumps.Whit hits the upper wind rang I switch to a small wind hungry twin tip .
Select to expand quotediamond2001 said..
My 17m range is 8 knots to 19 knots.When its 8 knots Im mowing the lawn ,but 14 knots on my free ride race board Im boosting to the clouds while the 14 m kites are doing small jumps.Whit hits the upper wind rang I switch to a small wind hungry twin tip .
At 8 knots im watching the lawn grow, or fishing
At 14 knots im ....... watching the lawn grow, or watching for kites boosting to the clouds, and falling like a ......
Maybe a knot is faster in WA, 
Select to expand quoteFoddy77 said..
Thanks heaps guys, some great info!
I don't really want to go any bigger then 14m as it as will be traveling with it. I need a kite to work in 10kt+ winds so thinking 17m will be overkill plus heavy to lug around!?!
What I'm looking for;
Wind range = 10 to 20kt
Conditions = Flat water and waves
Style = Freeride and Freestyle
Board = 133x44 Twintip
Cheers
sorry to tell you but the zephyr is perfect for that range, id rather lug around a kite that's gonna work than a kite that aint, cmon think about it, its around an extra 1.5 kgs, if you've got balls and get the missus pregnant shell be carrying around 4 to 5kgs more than you, and will moan less.
I get the best hangtime on a 17 m kite with a free ride raceboard.Its worth while spending the money and getting light wind kites and boards.There many sunny days through perths winter where its around 8 to 14 knots.Get the right gear for the light stuff and have a ball instead of mowing the lawns.Im investigating a 19 m ozone edge.Im thinking that could get me some good airtime in 12 knots and plaining at 6 .
Hey Cauncy, what about the smaller lightwind specific kites i.e. Cabrinha Contra 15m or Ocean Rodeo Flite 14.5m. Do you think there's any merit in those with presumably their lighter weight and manouvreablity.
Select to expand quoteSlashrockson said..
Hey Cauncy, what about the smaller lightwind specific kites i.e. Cabrinha Contra 15m or Ocean Rodeo Flite 14.5m. Do you think there's any merit in those with presumably their lighter weight and manouvreablity.
honestly couldn't tell you about these kites as id rather skip the possible, and ride the propable, yeh the quicker movement of a smaller kite will compensate in the correct winds, but if your splashing out $2000 id prefer the certainty, the new zeph has a huge wind range if your into big or race boards, but for me at 90kgs 13 to 20 plus on a 135 42 tt has me covered, ive seen the new core 17 doing good things in light winds but have not ridden it
Depends on your definition of 'light wind' but a 13m Ozone Edge would be a nice addition to your quiver as its a nice step up from the 10m and has loads of bottom end grunt for those softer days.
There are also a couple of reasonably cheap ones available on the used section of this website.
ie: www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds/Kitesurfing-Kites/~apy4z/2011-Ozone-Edge-13-metre.aspx?search=yxrOHND3sv5B6XqyGgcdNKqshqeKyA34
I picked up my 2012 17m ozone edge for $ 1100 of seabreeze second hand in 2013 with no bar.I already had the 55 cm bar anyway.
That kite will do me for the next 3 to 4 years.
The core xr light wind will pull you down wind unless you really edge hard and muscle it .The kite is hard work and hard on your shoulders and back.Its better for down winders.I demoed it in 2012.
2010 airush sector boards you can get for around $350- 400 now second hand .
I would say buying a light wind board is a better starting point then geting a massive kite ,but ultimatly in the end getting both is the way to go.
