Best kite size for Waddell?

[drewdig]

Hello,

I've been kiteboarding the last 2 years at 3rd Avenue and am itching to get out this coming spring at Waddell. I currently have 1 kite, a 12 meter North Rebel. I assume this to be too big for Wadell. I weigh 185 lbs. and am riding a 6'1" Cabrinha quad directional. I am a surfer and am looking for that type of riding experience. I am thinking of buying 2 kites for Waddell but am not sure what size or manufacturer. I was thinking a 8m RDD Religion since it was designed for the surf but know very little about them.

Can someone recommend the proper kite sizes for Waddell? And perhaps a manufacturer that makes a kite that can hold up in the surf which also re-launches very quickly?

Thanks very much,
Drewdig

[Jeb Mud]

For your big 6 1. Would suggest 7 and 10

[Bulldog]

You probably won't ever use your 12 on the coast. 10 for "light wind" days in the fall, 7 for the rest of the year. There will be days when your 7 is too much kite.

If you're going to stay with North, the Rebel is the right type of kite. Fifth lines can be an issue in the surf, though, if/when you drop your kite.

Making the switch to a smaller kite will be a big, pleasant surprise for you, especially if your real love is digging into a sweet bottom turn.

[wjb]

6,8,11 Rebels for me. I am 210 so you could probably go down a size

[drewdig]

Wow, thanks guys (Jeb, Bulldog, WJB)! Very helpful.

Sounds like a 7 and a 9 might work well, although Bulldog's comment about a 7 being too much sometimes sounds scary. Jeesh, how much wind does Wadell get? I'm still wondering about type of kite. I thought I read in Kiteboarding magazine a few months ago that you want a slow stable shape that just hangs above the wave (long leading edge, heavier construction). But then I watched on a Real Kiteboarding video for surf riding, it said you should have a fast maneuverable kite in the surf. Seems confusing. What shape design do you recommend in the surf? C? Bow? Hybrid? Delta C? Fast kite? Slow stable? Or doesn't it matter?

Thanks,
Drewdig

[OliverG]

As far as styles and brands, most people usually recommend the one they themselves fly because that is the best one!

It's not uncommon to fly a 5m kite at Dillon or Waddell in the Spring, I've even flown a 5m at Alameda before.

[RPskater]

I am 180 lbs and have always ridden a 9m (both C and SLE) at Waddell. There are days that a 9m can be considered big but the depower of SLE's can compansate for that. If you are open to other brands (and there are many good brands out there including the one you currently have), I would suggest a 9m Caution kite since they were designed and tested at Waddell. Right now they have a great deal on their Mayhem-X kites ($499 kite only). I don't know of a cheaper price anywhere at the moment.

[kief]

spring can howl at waddle......
i'm in the mode now i show up,pump up a 6M,9 times outta 10
i'm 170 and ride a 5'10" strapless
with your weight & board 7M-9M maybe...you might be able to deal w/just an 8M
i totally agree with bulldog,5th lines a liability
i've ripped 2 kites in the surf,both times a was attached,now if my kite goes down
in the impact zone,i just pull the release,10+ times with no issue,swim in....deal.
but 5th lines can rip kites in the surf unattached.
so i think relaunch not so much an issue,as all new kites are pretty darn good
key word with surf design is drift,kite staying in front of you and stability
i personally like delta shapes,i have herd good things about the religion
f-one has a great demo program,talk to bruce
C U out there :)

[More Waves Please]

Kite size recommendations from Bulldog and Kief are right on. In a good year, I ride 120 - 130 days almost exclusively on the coast. At 170 lbs riding 5'6" or 6'0" directionals, my quiver is 6, 8 & 10. I ride the 6 about 75% of the time and the 8 about 20%. The 10 is basically brand new and hardly used.

There are a couple of factors that lead to the smaller kite sizes:

1. Air on the coast is colder and more dense that the air in the Bay and Delta. 20mph at 3rd and I'm riding a 10M or 12M. 20mph on the coast I'm riding a 6.

2. Wave riding focus - when in the surf, the goal is to ride waves. I use the kite to get out through the surf and tow me to the drop-in point. From there, I want to surf. Too much power is a liability. You'll end up getting pulled off the wave or you won't be able to stay in to pocket if you're overpowered. I use as small a kite as I can possibly get away with. I'm constantly surprised at how much low end I can squeeze out of my 6M.

Springtime is probably not the best time to learn how to ride in surf. Waves can be huge, and the wind is strong and gusty. There are definitely days when I'm overpowered on my 6M. Come over and watch, get to know a few of the locals, and maybe you'll luck into a couple of smaller, mellow days. By the time May rolls around, you'll be ready to hit it full time!

[tgautier]

> I ride 120 - 130 days almost exclusively on the coast

Work much? :-P