I'm new here & am glad to see a free-flow forum site unattached to a specific retailer/mfg - to pick up tips & ideas. I'm also a beginning kiter. Have done lots of snowboarding in the past so that's my focus for the upcoming season. I have a 7.5M HQ Apex and got thrashed yesterday in 20-30mph? winds. As a beginner whats the max wind I should try to fly in. I don't have a wind speed guage but drive past an airport wind sock on the way to a favorite learning ground, also a couple of normal sized flags & a windmill. Yesterday the wind sock was definitely horizontal, flags standing at full attention & whipping & the windmill at full speed.

Suggestions for this site... A thread for war stories....you all have them & besides being fun & entertaining a few things may be learned from others wildest circumstances - at least things to avoid. Also a thread for trip reports - whether on water, snow or land its great to hear the stories & see the pics of the most epic times, adventures & mishaps.

Hopefully this site will take off & thanks to whoever created it for doing so.

20-30 miles per hour is very strong wind. A 7.5 could hurt you if its gusty. At 20 the winds are nice and powerful and very fun. If it pumps to 30 quickly its terrifying. I always look at anything that can move and how fast. Look at grass, look at dust, look at smoke, look at trees, anything to see movement. If a flag is there great look at the cloth is it going side to side, flapping straight, flapping straight and the end is zipping steadly? OR steadly and decompressing if a flag is out and suddenly decompresses its a sure sign of danger. I've flown in storm cells when the wind is crazy and then shuts down and turns on. its called teabagging. The wind has control of you not the other way around. As you progress you will start to feel the tension in the kite quickly change that means gusty not easy flying wind. The smoother the wind the better! Smooth wind is so predictable. The winter and later fall is good stuff. You want to practice every day for a month. I started on a ground board and it was sure frustrating trying to control both the kite and the board. Crashed alot then just flew and flew even if there was no power in the wind I was flying then fine try refining light wind skills cause it will defintely be needed to get you out without walking or swiming. The ground board is fun but be careful in strong winds one slam or foot out of binding and you could easily be icing and sitting on the couch. (Missing out on snowkiting is not an option)

The Kitemare topic or forum headline is on its way. I'd sure love to hear it. No matter what this is part of the learning process. I compare it to snowboarding for me anyway snowboarding was painful lots of falling and lots of sore muscles. Kiting is near the same once you learn to make the kite work for you instead of you work for it you'll really understand how graceful the kite flies.

Have you got a smaller kite ??

7.5 m is quite big for learning, especially in static. Would go with a 3 or 4 meter.

You should fly only this kite in about 10knots in the beginning, and then progressively go higher. After 10-20 sessions, you should be able this kite up to 25 knots on snow.

Beginner tends to under estimate the wind speed. Be careful. If the kite stays inflated without the need to generate apparent wind for the kite, it's probably above 15 knots.

Yeah I agree with you buzz Its a big kite if its booming wind I'm pretty sure this is his only kite for now since he just got into the sport. I think in the begining while learning to fly a anenometer is essential to really know for a fact what the wind is doing there really is too sides to the sport #1 being able to fly the kite #2 is really understanding the weather not just the obvious but what causes wind and what increases and things to avoid like rotor etc. I really didn't get it until i started paragliding weather is number 1 and flying is number 2.

Gusts are the real injury maker in kiting simply cause mother nature has control of you not you having control of your kite. gusts really come into play when the wind hits about 25 mph and up.

Keep it up Lewmt. It only gets better pick your times to go out and if you don't feel safe or super frustrated that you can't control the kite put it away and fly another day. Kiting i think sometimes can be just like paragliding if you don't feel safe about the conditions leave it to the better pilots and come back another time.

I do have my little trainer kite & have pulled it out a couple of times when I'm sketched on the speed & gusts I'm seeing. I'm definitely thinking I need a 3-5m kite for some of these days that I can hook into rather than trying to ride unhooked. Also needing a bigger kite for the low-no wind days. I do have to take the $$ side slow as Momma gets a little gnarly when I get carried away there - in too short a time span anyways.

Hmmmm new kite vs new kicthen counter tops - not sure we'll ever agree on that 1.

Someone has the wind Bug Welcome to the addictive sport known as kiteboarding. Since i've got into the sport i can't get my hands on enough kites so i know right were you're coming from. I do think once your skills get to the i can talk tie my shoe's and drink a beer while flying the kite you will problably outgrow the need for the smaller kites. For me at 180# if its more than a 7.5 day its usually too gusty to have anyfun.

If you like a light wind i have a 17.5 that i don't need anymore. I can post it in the buy/sell area if you're interested.
It would be considerably cheaper than kitchen countertops.

WHERE EVERYONE THAT WANTS/NEEDS TO SELL STUFF NEEDS TO PUT THEIR posts.

I can't wait for you to come out with us and get on some lighter winds and big kites you will be amazed how cool the bigger kites are and how much fun they are.

I just started kiting 9 mo. ago ,and one of the first things i did was buy a anomometer to guage the wind..it also helps to know the buefort scale, because most kites are rated in it. i have 3 kites as follows HQ Beamer 1.8m(12 to 37 mph)an Ozone Samuri 3.0m (8 to 28 mph) and finally a Flexifoil Bullet 4.5m (4 to 18mph) these are all recomended speeds anything above that is on you. i really recomend a 1.8 or 2.0m ,they seem small but are great for learning and still make a great high wind buggy motor.i don't mean to preach but you could have creamed yourself,good luck in the future..sod farmer out !