When it comes to kitesurfing, having the right kite size is essential for a great experience on the water. This blog post will help you determine the correct kite size for your needs.
We’ll also give you some tips on what to look for when buying a kite. So whether you’re just getting started in kitesurfing or you’re looking to upgrade your gear, this post is for you!
This article is written for beginners to help size up the ideal kite to start kitesurfing, For more advanced beginners, please visit this article on the Best Kiteboarding Kites For Beginners.
The kite yоu need for kitesurfing is the one that captivates уоur imagination and will allow you to асhіеvе what you want tо achieve. It needs to be consistent, reduce tension as уоu travel іn tоwаrdѕ the ground аnd allow for a smooth landing. The kind of kite can vary depending on a number of factors: your level of skill, wind speed, terrain, and weather conditions.
The Kite you choose must be one that suits you and your weight category, not the group of kite surfers that are kitesurfing at the beach, each person will have their own opinion on what is “correct”. It is a good rule of thumb to choose a size and type of kite (i.e. six line bridleless setup [6LBL] or slalom sail) designed for your level of experience and overall ability.
You will also have to consider your wind speed in relation to your skill level and the conditions you plan to ride in. As a beginner, іt’ѕ best tо start with a kite that’s easy to fly and will give you the stability and power you need to keep your board moving. A good rule of thumb is to go with a kite that’s about 50-60% of your body weight. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, a kite between 75 and 90 pounds would be ideal. but we will get into this further into the article.
There is no such thing as the perfect kite for every circumstance, but there are enough options here that you should find one that fits your wants and needs. There are three categories you should consider before choosing a kite for kitesurfing. To estimate a size for yourself you must factor in your height, weight, and experience level. It is suggested that if you are below 5’8″ to buy a smaller kite and if you are above 6′ to buy a larger kite.
Selection Factors
Wind Speed:
This is the power of the wind at your back, this can be found on a number of websites with wind speed prediction. It is advised to choose a kite just above the strength of the wind speed predictions you are riding. For example 7mph wind – 8.5ft kite, 10mph wind – 11.5ft kite, 15mph wind – 17.5ft kite, 20mph wind – 23ft kite, and so on…
Experience Level:
This is your overall ability to control and manage your kite in flight with respect to height, angle of attack, and landings. The more experience you have the more the kite will respond to your commands. At this level, the kite needs to be adjusted in response to wind speed changes, which are often explosive and sudden.
Height:
This is the height you need in order to keep your body pressed up against your board to keep it balanced. The height that suits you and is best for breaking through into a dive will need to be between 10 – 20ft before adding tension, stability, and control to your ride. It is also recommended that you find a kite that will allow you to fine-tune.
Weight:
This is the weight of the kite in pounds, it will affect how fast the kite can move through the air, and how much power it generates. The heavier the kite the more it needs to be stable and less responsive. The best range is between 1.25 – 2.
Rider weight:
This is the weight of the water and rider, which adds to the load on the kite. kites are designed for a rider range between 80 -120kg, so double the rider’s weight is a relatively ‘safe’ limit to follow when selecting a kite.
Board:
The board must be strong enough to withstand the forces generated by your kiteboarding activities and will also affect how quickly you can progress as a kiteboarder.
Kite Size Chart
Kite Size Chart
if you want to get technical check out how these are calculated at: https://www.omnicalculator.com/sports/kiteboarding
Packing Tips:
If you are going to keep your kite in a travel bag, which is the best thing to do, there are some things that need to be done to help protect your kite. The first thing is to let the bag or sack of your kite dry out for 24 hours after each use… this will prevent the formation of mold.
Never store your kites with any kind of moisture from either condensation or wet from an ocean/lake. Most kites are made with Polypropylene material which is a synthetic resin… which means that it holds up to and will dry out (just like a plastic container) very well.
However, Polypropylene does not breathe and will start to build condensation (moisture form rain/ocean water/indoor humidity) in the material of your kite bag and cork if not allowed to breathe properly.
After each session, it is essential that you air out the kite bag or carry sack and allow it to dry for 24 hours. Do not store your kite in a wet area (unless it is a dry bag/sack) as these materials will absorb moisture from any environment.
The polypropylene material of the kite will be under stress from repeated impacts with hard surfaces while in use, so it should be inspected after every session (this does depend on how hard you ride and how often your kite is used).
You should also replace any broken or ripped bridle lines with new ones that are of the same length as the existing ones. You can use a specific kite line to mend bridles or you could use a kite repair kit. Make sure that you are using a very strong material to sew your kite bridles back together.
Don’t forget your wetsuit and harness! having specific bags for these keeps the wet clothing away from the kite itself but you should always rinse these down after use to get any residual saltwater off them and allow the kit to dry properly.
If you get caught out, don’t be too hard on yourself. Kiteboarding is far from the easiest thing in the world, and when it comes crashing down you will be fine. The best advice is to make sure you have everything documented… Head upwind, head downwind rides, kite selection for the conditions, your height, experience level, and how it all went… then leave no stone unturned when preparing your pack for an outing!
Wind Speed & Flow
There are numerous factors that determine the wind speed of the kite you want to use. In general, a higher wind speed means a more powerful kite will be needed. On the other hand, your experience level and skill may determine whether or not you consider wind speeds over 6 knots as “too fast” or “too hard.” You may even want to keep in mind your weight category and look for weight categories to match your ability (see below).
Kite size is a very important factor in choosing a kite that will be suitable for your weight. The wider the kite is built, the more stable it will be. However, the bigger the kite gets, the harder it becomes to control and with it comes a risk of crashing or even injury.
A lighter rider, on the other hand, will need a smaller kite. The reason for this is that the rider may not be able to handle pulling as much wind. Therefore, they need to be very careful when using a larger kite. The smaller the kite is built, the harder it is to control and the risk of crashing increases.
The correct amount of weighting in your backpack and onboard also plays an important role in choosing a kite with the right size for you.
Deciding Which Kite Size To Use
For many brands, power and speed take priority.
An experienced rider will be able to manage a faster wind speed but not necessarily higher winds in general. For riders who do not have as much experience, they will only be able to handle lower winds and calm conditions.
There are many measures of kite power. First of all is the RADIUS. This refers to the area that the kite powers through, increasing and decreasing along with the wind speed. The other measure is called “WIND POWER” which is a true measurement of how much energy the kite is pulling through the air. The airflow is how much power the kite produces. There are two measures of airflow: KITE AIRFLOW and LIFT AIRFLOW.
The lift power is a measure of the force which the kite generates to move through the air. A hidden reason for taking off from a standstill is that higher winds give you more lift power, but this will only give you more speed as long as the wind speed remains constant.
The goal is to be able to control your speed and not the wind. When you are learning, it may be a good idea to learn to do tricks without increasing the wind speed until you get comfortable. The reason is that if you increase the wind speed too quickly, all of a sudden your kite will launch into “over drive” mode.
You want to learn what your kite’s limits are when it comes to the wind force and how much power it can produce. You also want to learn how to control your kite with the same amount of power.
As you progress, the rhythm and flow of learning will vary from rider to rider. It can take only a few minutes or it can take several days for certain tricks or even just riding with the flow!
Many riders choose to use smaller kites on windy days. The smaller the kite, the easier it is to control. The rider also has more freedom to control direction and speed through flatter moves. This is how most of the more experienced riders like to ride, which makes it easy for them to handle kites that are in the middle range since that’s where they like to hang out.
There are other factors to consider, including the weight of the rider, how far they plan to ride from the land or water and if they want to surf as well as kiteboard. For example, if you’re going to be out on a big lake and not near shore, you’ll need a bigger kite so you can get back.
What Size Kiteboard For My Weight
choosing the right kiteboard for your weight can be tricky as its mostly about rider preference, for this, you won’t really learn until you have more experience. The most common weight classes are up to 135lbs (63kg), 136-160lbs (65-70kg), 161-175lbs (70-80kg) and over 175lbs (80kg).
Don’t forget that you need to include your weight into your categories. This can be done by adding up all the pounds you have in your backpack and/or onboard equipment. For example, I use the formula “123 + 42 = 155” to find out my weight level (155 lbs).
For example, if you are a 140 pounds rider and your kiteboard backpack is 4 pounds and 2 on board, add them together with your weight to get 144. This means you need a mid-sized kite. If you were 20 pounds heavier than that, you would need to strengthen your exercise program or purchase a new board for a faster and more responsive ride.
What Is The Wind Range For Kitesurfing?
This depends on the kite size, rider weight, and board size.
Wind range is generally measured in knots. This explains the difference between a 9 and 10-meter kite: A 9 m2 kite will offer you some extra power when it’s windy for example 13 knots and not over 18-20 knots, whereas a 10 m2 kite will be able to handle winds up to 22-25 knots. It goes without saying that it is not always a good idea to
The wind range is the measure of kite strength for a specific weight and board load, having a larger wind range means you can go out in more conditions and ride faster in lower winds! when riding in gusty or too windy conditions, with a kite too large for the conditions, the kite will become unusable and extremely unstable.
Unstable kites will leave you with a bad experience and you will struggle to learn. when selecting a kite or even choosing a day to go out surfing. make sure you check the wind in your area to ensure that the wi nd speed is appropriate for your equipment and skill level.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the most important factor in choosing the right kite size is to take your weight into account with the kind of kiting you will be doing. Remember, bigger kites are more difficult to control than smaller kites and can be dangerous if used incorrectly.
The only real way to figure out which size is best for you is to go out and try them out and see what works for you and what doesn’t.
We all know that there are different types of conditions on the water. Each has their own characteristics, and demands and are suited to certain riding style and rider level. If you think about it, it’s a little bit like choosing your vehicles on the road according to the type of road conditions you will encounter when driving.
On road, you can have a great time in a small if you’re not careful and don’t try to do too much. However, if you have the choice, you’d probably choose a larger car like an SUV (truck) instead. The reason is that SUVs are designed to be strong and tough enough to cope with the worst conditions out there. They have better ground clearance than other cars to help them tackle things like heavy winter rains and snowfall or even steep hills.
This is also true of kitesurfing equipment. The more experienced riders only go for bigger kites because they are designed to handle the toughest conditions and are built to take a lot of punishment. The bigger the kite, the more stamina and power it will have in light wind conditions.
The smaller ones are good for getting up to speed quickly or enjoying the ride when it’s just you by yourself on your own board in no wind. Most new riders start out with a 9/10-m2 kite mainly because it can be mounted onto a surfboard or small foil and is easy to control as they learn on water.
