All depends what part of Australia you are kiting in. If you're down around Victoria then you’ll get up and running on 13/15 but if you are up in port Douglas I wouldn’t even get off the couch for 13/15. In the warmer temps those little air molecules spread out and it you add some water vapour (humidity) than they spread out even further. Small planes have the same problems trying to take of when fully loaded on a hot day.
So where abouts are you located Kasem
just on this, is there any website where you can plug in the stats (ie kite brand, size, weight, latitude, board size) and then it spits out an approximate wind range?
Thanks for the answers so far.
Kitesurfing in Victoria.
I'm particularly interested in the high end of the wing range
I use Cabrinha 11m Crossbow (am 73klg) and my son uses 12m Switchblade (85klg) and we can comfortably go out in (Vic) 15knots to 30knots. Anything over that and we both drop down to 8m. Maybe get a 13m so you have greater wind range.
i second bennie. i'm 80kg and in 30 real knots my 8m switchy is lit, and my 10m is far too big to be fun. sure, you could maybe survive 30 knots on a 12 switchy in a major poo-stance with the kite at lunch, but that's not kiting, that's just getting in the way.
last week at brighton there were a couple of kooks out on 12s when more experienced guys were on 8s and 9s. they were just surviving, but by the looks on their faces not having fun, and the one who could stay upwind was just an annoying obstacle to the rest of us.
seems to be some myth perpetrated by melbourne schools/shops that for an average sized bloke a 12m bow is a one-kite solution (and maybe in some places it is, but not melbourne). strangely they all seem to have bright yellow prodigy boards as well. (nothing against cab, i love my switchys) i have, on a few 25knot+ occasions, declined to launch such characters and have suggested instead that they have a look at the skills (high) and kite sizes (8 or 9) of the people already on the water before embarking on their 12.
sure, some kites have more top or bottom than others, but the laws of physics still apply. 11 square metres = lots of lift and lots of drag. great in 18 knots, a handful in 25.
I'm a big boy and find that roughly 17 - 25 knots is my comfortable range on a Crossbow 11M.
Yeah i'd agree with Bennie too, I'm 65 and ride 11 till 25 knots after that it's no fun, you just end up mowing the lawn.
I weigh 80 kg and I have a 2010 Crossbow 13.
It takes a little skill and some adapting to get the best out of the bottom end. The kite turns quite slow and you need to turn it up early. It doesn't like being dived down then turning up from the bottom. You need to swoop it through and build some apparent wind before you can park and ride in light wind. I haven't tried the other attachment points to see if they improve turning and light wind performance.
The top end is amazing. I have not yet felt even close to being overpowered.
We have been out when our nearest weather station is reporting 11-14 knots and up to 23-27 knots.
It depends on your board size and the condition of the kite as well.
For your weight it will be a good size for the average Vico and SA summer sea breezes (18-24knts) if you get a flatish 140cm board. Too big for storm conditions. Not too sure about the other states. Might be a bit big for the average Perth summer sea breeze. I've got a 9 & 12 for Adelaide metro with a 134 board and I weigh 82kg.
