List of Kites?

Anthony · Since 07 Oct 2008 362 Posts Salem Obsessed **CGKA Member**

Is there a comprehensive list of kites that would be good for the coast? I have finished two weeks of instruction in La Ventana. After 10 plus years of watching you kite while I am on the beach waiting for the wind to fill in, I can do no more. I can do downwinders and am still working on technique. I would be using the kites initially at Siletz Bay then Roads End and Newport. I have windsurfed for 30+ years, 19 years on the coast.

I have tried the Craiglist to find kites, most of the stuff is too old/ junk. (If they cannot list a manufacture date it is not worth looking at.) I am now looking to buy a newer set of kites of recent construction (2009++).

Anthony Smile

Wind Slither · Since 04 Mar 2005 2623 Posts The 503 METAL

Go see Ben at Oregon Surf Shop in LC. There's a lot of used kites on this forum's classifieds and on iKite's. A few brands are positioning models as wave specific, but any good kite will work fine. Thumb's Up

dangler · Since 26 Feb 2006 1780 Posts WINDY SPOTS XTreme Poster

welcome to the dim, I mean, dark side. Get you sum slingys. You live here,there's alot availabe or what, you wanna fit in in Hawaii get rabbits.

Rally's would be good for you, or step up and get some new Z kites. New kites are spendy but with quality what it is now you get several seasons out of a quiver.

And there's nothing like the feel of a new kite str8 ouuta da bag. Its like crack.

ldhr · Since 21 Jul 2009 1489 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

what Dangler said about Slingys is spot on!

avoid ebay and craigs list for kites - too many crooks and kooks.

this forum has awesome classifieds and you'll be seeing lots of kites listed in the next few months.

8, 10, 12 rallys would be a great 3 kite quiver for the coast.

jeremy · Since 18 Aug 2006 276 Posts Manzo & HR Obsessed

The used market is great if you know what you want, lots of good deals, also lots of junk.

2009 is a good cut-off, but I'm having lots of fun on some 2007 kites. My bar is 2009, I wouldn't want to give up any of it's features for an older bar.

I know kiters that won't buy used, worried about equipment failure, but all kites will eventually rip, all lines will eventually break, you just need to understand the risk and be prepared. If you are kiting close to shore, then it doesn't hurt to fly older gear (short swim), vs kiting a mile out, you'd definately want to pay for the most reliable equipment.

eBay has lots of used gear, probably because it's so easy to cash out gear on eBay. I have bought gear locally (swap meets, nwkite, windance consignment) and online (eBay, CL, ikitesurf). The typical seller is just selling gear they no longer use, mostly because they've recently upgraded (that's what I do). There are lots of great deals on nwkite for sure. The last 2 boards I bought were posted on nwkite, and I've been super happy with them. The best deal I got was on a set (6m/7m) of torch kites, all the bladders were messed up, but the kites otherwise were perfect. It was a good winter project fixing the bladders, I ended up with 2 awesome kites and the knowledge of how to work on Naish's Octopus system.