Beginner kiter - what kites should I look at?

Any particular reason you were warned off Ozones?

I have 2 Ozones as my first kites. Catalyst and a C4. Definitely no complaints. You can do a lot worse than a Catalyst as your first kite...

Really? Your instructors wrong. Wrong about ozone and wrong about cabrinha to.

Although the evo is not a bad recommendation either.

Lambie looking to avoid brand a is better than kite b debate, I'd take your instruction's recommendations with a grain of salt. I'm a "seasoned" one year kiter. I started on Cabrinha's, which are a fabulous choice btw, and ended on Airush Lithium's. In the process of demoing kites I learned that there really aren't any bad kites per se. It's all about matching your current needs and envisioning where you think you'd like to be down the road.

Ask yourself, where do I see myself?...riding waves, freestyle, jumping, racing, cruising back and forth, etc. For instance, if you see yourself into freestyle tricks, then look at a kite that's geared toward that discipline that's also beginner friendly. For each discipline there's a whole host of kites that fit whatever your needs are, current and into the future.

I started on Cabrinha Switchblades and though they aren't ideal for a beginner or my now chosen discipline, they worked quite well in the learning process. I latter chose the Airush Lithium as the perfect all around kite that filled my particular needs. There were so many other great choices as well and I could be perfectly happy with those. The Cabrinha Vector is amongst the best for beginners and a great value via closeout pricing. The are also a well behaved, easy to fly, versatile kite that will do just about anything. I hear time and time again great things about the Ozone Cat's as well as the Edge being a user friendly kite for beginners.

Haha was he a briskites/surf connect instructor, I kite at sandgate too, same weight as yourself have 8m and 12m f-one bandit4's bought second hand wishing I had maybe gone for 13 or 14m as larger kite for those 15knot days. as beginner doesnt matter so much the brand just get all-rounders because your noob you won't be used to flying a certain brand so it won't feel awkward as to a regular bloke who switches to another kite and notices all the differences

You will always get a thousand differing opinions and whether your instructor is relevant with his opinions on other brands or not I would actually say his recommendation for a kite is close to the mark for the type of kite you are looking for.

You say maybe some wave and freestyle down the track and the Evo will work nicely-

Eppo a retailer once told me the Edge was a kite he used to teach beginners on. That's why I mentioned it.

To be honest all retailers will be biased towards the kites that give them the best profit margin and will never recommend a kite they don't sell.

Almost all kites these days are good. There is only one kite manufacturer that I would stay away from and that's CrazyFly, their chicken loop quick release jam very easily. If you don't believe me ask the next guy you see flying a CrazyFly to demonstrate the release, if they can make it release with one hand on there first try I would be very surprised as no one I have asked can do it. CrazyFly do make great boards though.

Shop around, go to every retailer in your area. Choose the one that you feel most comfortable with and don't be afraid to haggle

I had heard that the new Crazyfly bar/QR was better, then I saw kitepower start selling the Ozone bar with Crazyfly kite and didn't know what to think.

@ kitepower The only thing I mentioned about the instructors comments was that the kite he suggested would actually be a good option. I made no mention of anything else he may or may not have said. You also mentioned the REO would be a good option but last time I checked it was a pure surf kite and Rophuine clearly stated he would be interested in freestyle also.

Actually I find it's the best way for a beginner to choose a kite. I didn't say my list was THE list, just that they should gather a clear idea of their priorities and what they do and don't want in a kite. Everybody has to start somewhere.


- Dozens of D2 kites with large LE to Te rips?? Surely this must be a Sydney anomaly because I haven't seen a single one. Actually the only canopy damage we have been getting on them is as a direct result of contact with sharp objects.

If there are any North D2 cloth kite owners out there who have had their canopy ripped from LE to Te please let us know now on this thread.

Nugs also mentioned the need for good board. At the risk of starting a new string of debate, I'll throw my newbie experience from last year into the ring. Like kites I agree that a beginner really can't really appreciate the nuances of character from different kites and anything that's "beginner friendly" will suffice.

I started early on learning with a Spleene Door. It worked well enough and I sure wasn't couldn't tell the difference. Here's but another "beginner friendly" if not unusual alternative. A buddy of mine recommended I try a 2012 North Skimfish w/ straps. I did and I loved it. Having a bit of volume like a directional, it gave me a few extra seconds of float with my beginner awkward flying skills. This alone can quicken the learning curve for newbies. It has the width to plane up as quickly and easily as the door styled boards. Having twin tip fins on both ends of the board, I could ride it in either direction just like a tt. The straps are centered on the board as well as possible.

At my 72 kg bodyweight the Spleene Door sometimes became a handful, with the edge skittering along like a runaway snowboard down an icy hill. The Skimfish would just slide a bit, gently catch it's rail and then move you forward. It was forgiving. I placed a makeshift handle on it to help position the board for water starts.

Later I took off the straps and it became my strapless learning tool. Now it's my light wind toy and shallow water - low tide small mushy wave toy (tt fins are short vs surfboard). Having a flat bottom it can get bouncy in heavy chop and higher winds, but this may be less of an issue for someone heavier. Since the nose has some scoop to it, I'll ride it tail first. The nose now becomes the tail and gives the board some rocker to smooth out chop and makes it fun to swell ride. It's a versatile beginner board alternative to a twin tip. I progressed faster on this board verses the Spleene. I since sold the Door.