Hi all, I have been seriously bitten by the kiting bug after a 2 wk course in Greece.
i live in Brissle and aim to spend my w/ends in Cornwall and S Wales kiting. First i need a kite.
Im 80Kilos and wondering what size kite would best suit me and the local conditions.
Any help is much appreciated.

I'm also about 80kg, I use a 9m and a 13m, both bow kites, good combination. Don't try and buy one kite for all conditions, it won't work.

I would go for the 13m and accept you can't use it in really windy conditions and then get a 9m later. Or get the 9m and get the 13m later.

ye, if you canget 2 kites do. If you cant afford it at the mo, get a 11 or 12 for now, then a 7 later on. a 13 as a only kite could proove a bit of a handfull this time of year. Im 13.5 stone and never use bigger than a 11 meter.

Even though I like my 7 and 11 combo if I was to buy again I would go with a 9 and 13.

I did only fly an 11 for 2 years as Shem suggests and dealt with most conditions. Helps to improve your skills the higher and lower end winds as you don't want to be left on the beach.

thanks for the replies.
I did my lessons using an 8.5 Kaiman Hybrid, which worked well in Greece although even at this early stage i was wishing for a little more power. I have no desire to be lofted onto the moon as i have an inherent fear of heights but from both of your replies it would seem bigger is better.
The Kaiman also comes in a 10m, from your replies this would seem like the best buy for now. What wind speeds are you flying the bigger of your kites?
Would a bigger kite have me spending more time in the sea as opposed to sitting on the beach.

Thanks again

I spend most of the time on my 13m, and have used in up to around 25 knots (gets a bit scary higher than that), the good thing about the larger kites is they are slower I find I make less mistakes. Only problem is coming up to winter the wind gets higher. Smaller kites are cheaper aswell. Not helping much am I your probably more confused now.

Shem is right on the 11m option, when the bow kites first appeared alot of kiters just had 11m and were out in all conditions.

To summarise. Buy one kite now and you will probably end up buying 2 more in a year or so. Or buy 2 kites now and that will probably do you.

Im probably a tad biast to the 11meter as I live at the coast, and have no interest in sailing in crap light winds, whereas if you travel to the coast youd probably want to get out in any wind possible, so worth baring that in mind as well. I do still have a 20 meter C kite, which cant bebeaten in light winds, (I just have to remember to wear my brown under pants under my wetty)!

have you had a look at http://www.bestkiteboarding.com/07-Yarga /> deals buy 2 and get a third free?
ji did that in 04 bought 2 and got a third free; ok so they are 2007 kites but lets face it they were good then so they aint been superseeded by that much better gear if at all!!
my 04 kites rock it with the best of them now.
dont forget they will always be people wanting you to spend as much as possible; you have to keep them in the life style they have become accustomed too! happy hunting

thanks for all your help, i will buy one now, put the other on my xmas list and drop hints all over the place!