.
ok, my 2c, some may disagree but from my experience.....
Not everyone lives where you can fly a 7m, but small kite big board is a better combo than a small board big kite.
A good surf kite over 7m is something low aspect with grunt and depower + fast turning. A lower AR in lighter winds gives more stability in down the line and less chance of luffing if its gusty or you under fly the kite. A lower AR can give better turning rotations on the wing tips for quick turns with plenty of depower so you dont get yanked off the wave. Low AR also gives plenty of grunt in lighter winds so you can power up when needed.
Most 7m 9m kites will turn fast enough, but when you get into 10m 11m kites a lower AR may be better.
Also, a 10m low AR can turn like a 9m but have the power of a 11.5 or some hi AR 12m kites. unless your 90kg or more, a 10 or 11 low AR is all you need from 13-14 knots. if your 100kg+ a 11.5 is the biggest you would need. Go over that size and your into light wind slower turning kites.
Hi AR kites go fast and have a wider turning circle, more top end and less low end grunt. most of the time....
Low AR kites with curved LE are the easiest to relaunch, some almost auto relaunch. Hi AR (thin) kites with flat leading edges can be alot harder in light winds.
OK, thanks,
Without being an expert on kite design, 85kgs, surfing all my life and kiting for the past 5 years using my 12m in 15-20kts, 9m 20-30knts I suppose I should be looking for a 10m low AR kite, is that right?
So only a couple of questions, and remember I'm no expert, what is AR?
I can hear you all laughing now. but seriously, its great advise but where I live there is only 2 of us that kite, so I'm not up with kiting abreviations.
Also, what kite/s have had the best reviews?
AR = Aspect Ratio
Back in the early days, company's always harped on about aspect ratio's because there was only 2 line and 4 line C kites (no SLE's as such) and the aspect ratio was a defining characteristic in whether a kite was going to be stable, have good upwind performance, boost well, etc etc...
Basically it went something like this,
High AR (greater than 5) = good boosting, good upwind, unstable, better depower (kite sits further forward) on/off power delivery, relaunch hard or impossible (especially in gusty wind)
Med AR (greater than 3 lower than 5) = Good alround kite, good for wakestyle, better for waves as it will drift back, good relaunch, Kite sits further back in the window compared to high AR, tends not to fall out of the sky as much, smoother power delivery, better for intermediate riders.
Low AR (3 and below) = Pretty much a beginner kite, resembles a beach ball, very stable, super easy relaunch, constant pull.
re:
Low AR (3 and below) = Pretty much a beginner kite, resembles a beach ball, very stable, super easy relaunch, constant pull.
Low AR use to be no wind range, no depower, no jumping, but now with newer tech and depowerable bridles low AR can jump mighty high depower 99% ( virtual 5th line ) and suit beginners and pros. I call a AR 4.1 a low AR. I dont know of any kites using 3 AR on the market? Are there any?
I was actually referring to the old days (circa 2001), not what can be done now with the help of SLE and new designs... I thought I made that pretty obvious.
p.s. sorry I also forgot to add
Low AR = useless (remember the era I am talking about, such kites as the Wipika NSK etc...)
Wainman smoke, griffin argo, naish charger, north fuse. All simalar shaped kites and well suited for surf conditions.
what kite to buy?
Never ending confusing question/rider specific
Had guys raving(and shop owners) about certain kites and when you try, thier **** or you dont feel comfortable, try again
I am a very beginer/intermediate rider and i could tell what i didnt like, still didnt try enough of them, but got lucky, be patient
good info from the brains trust, wheres Alex Snanz video on this subject??
He must have one with hidden subliminel messages about wierd things to do on a 12"
I love my medium aspect 7m NEW OS kite, I reckon I can get going in 18 to 20 knots at 92kg on a surfboard. Three struts and simple construction 5 liner but you can fly it 4 lines. Floats back nicely and recovers easily. Some may not like the 5th but I have not had a problem yet.
I prefer kites that you have to fly to generate power, don't fly it no power surf the wave, simple. I am always fighting my low aspect delta when trying to go upwind on a wave.
The Airush Vapour looks like a nice kite too.
Don't you think the latest kites are looking similar to the pre-Bow kites
(2005/6).
My 5 cents.
Cheers
Rich
Really its a fair question , sure it gets asked regularly but then every year a whole new batch of kites come out with all new designs and what was good last year , there is now something better .......
Maybe you wave gurus (Wish I was one 
) could list the favourable characteristics to look for in a wave kite for us surf noobs, and maybe also list some examples of good wave kites?
Cheers
Burls
Thanks Blurs, Thats the advice I'm after, apart from a medium AR what other features make up a good wave kite? The discussion on AR is great.
With the price of kites (and justified) you don't want to be going-in blind and trying things that just dont work for you. Sometimes it has to be done (and i've done it) but If you can surf and kite, and your kites holding you back from progressing and you dont know why, you need advice from someone thats been there before.
Surfing a wave, kite assisted is all I want to do with kiting now and I'm keen to give it a good-dig with the right equiptment, I just need to know what that is.
12 Rpm is one of the best in the waves with out a doubt as to which one is the best
is up to you,go try a few !
everyone wants different things from a wavekite so you can't pin it down. it depends on how you want to ride and what your local conditions are like.
i like a slow kite in the waves so i can forget about it and concentrate on watching the face and know the kite will still just sit there and drift.
others like a quick kite so they can use it to snap big fast turns.
some like C kites, others SLE, some rate a 5th line, some just want a kite to get them back upwind and up the line, some want a fast relaunch.....you get the picture.
