Beginner Gear and Budget

Often people ask me to suggest beginner gear. They would like the best, but they have to settle for a budget and often will look for a beginner package. Well I think its important that we consider what you need and what beginner gear is...

Most packages I have seen are always most affordable options. I think that is a mistake. A kite that is not a dog and a board that will get you back where you started is what is worth paying for! No one needs a beginner only kite to own or cheap board that you will want to ditch after you get better. Plus that cheap smaller board is going to have you struggling. Your form is not perfect and it wont reward your small mistakes... You will find yourself by yourself way down wind. I suggest beginners learn on a board you can make mistakes with and still get upwind as that experience is what you are looking for and that gear never goes out of style.

Most new kites are all going to fly well and suit a beginner. For kites its really a matter of having a stable kite and suitable safety measures. Some kites have setups that fully flag a kite and others are not as keen on the Newbie eject systems and have less frills without need to flag the kite completely. But overall a beginner kite is slower and used as a school kite but as you get into mid year and you are trying to learn to jump ect you might prefer a kite that you can grow into that suits your safety needs while learning.

I think my biggest concern with a beginner package is the board and I think the investment in a lightwind board will keep the rider safe and give a better chance of getting back upwind. The light wind board is very large at 160cm compared to a 133cm performance board. The lightwind board is flat and has zero rocker (curl/arc) to the board. A large board that is not a specific lightwind is really just for a bigger rider - rocker kills upwind ability so a larger board does make a great upwind option. The first time you are trying to get up and ride most schools will put you on one of these boards. Its size will help you get up on a plain to get your first ride! Also this board is fine and you can ride it in normal winds. What you get is a board that goes upwind better than any other.

As a beginner you will find that you will in the beginning struggle leaving the beach and coming back where you started. This requires that you go upwind. Without good form and skills you will make tiny mistakes that cause you to get dragged downwind. You don't yet know how to make the small corrections that will eventually come. The lightwind board is like a sailboat and really even a novice can get it moving upwind and you will find a 30-40% improvement on your satisfaction in progression and return experience. A small cheapy board will have you struggling with mistakes and have you walking more and frustrated. Hopefully not stuck by yourself far from others(trying to get you kite down alone). A board that you can get into for less dollars wont hold the value over a lightwind option. The whole idea is to get upwind! Be successful and advance to jumping all you can do on a light wind kiteboard.

TThe lightwind board to an advanced rider is a session saver! I keep mine in my truck and prefer a kite no bigger than a 12m (bigger kites are more $$). So if the wind is light which all summer it is you can still go in 13mph with a 12m! Then as the wind picks you can walk up on the beach and grab your other performance board rather than have to pump another kite.

This is very important as a lightwind board will not go out of style like all the more high tech performance boards you'll soon want. You then know what to obsess about as you will try many option til then. As you get better you can ride a smaller kite on purpose to learn: down loop turns, kiteloops, surface passes, and other things. So that's it, lightwind or regular wind for a Newb these larger lightwind boards are keepers(Summer Session Saver!) Then take your time and decide what it is you want for your first small board and have it be a good one. Not a beginner package throw away.

Then for other items you will want a harness, wetsuit(5/3 - 4/3), and booties (5m)...

Suggestion:
Ocean Rodeo Rise 12m (next size 8m - no larger kite necessary)
160 Spleene Door or 164/154 Abaord Glider
Mystic Warrior/Shadow Harness (seat is option)
Mystic Star 5/3 Wetsuit
Ocean Rodeo Coldfire 5m booties