Advice needed for beginner

[Bryan Morris]

Ive been a huge fan of the sport and am finally taking lessons on Wednesday. Ive been looking around trying to find what gear to get. I am going to wait until after the session however I wanted to get a jump on it. Someone turning me on to the Liquid Force Session kite. I am big guy 6'2" 220 and will mostly be looking at the 16m. Has anyone ridden with this kite? How is it? Would it be ok for me here in San Diego being a beginner with a small budget? Thanks and looking forward to meeting everyone eventually.

[Will]

The Session is an ok beginner kite for a big guy. The price is right as they are dirt cheap right now. If you are on a budget you probably can't beat that kite for a new kite. Also take a look at the 17m Slingshot Turbo Diesel. It's a powerhouse for bigger guys and is also a good kite to learn on. The Slingshot will re-launch a little better, but it has a lot more bar pressure so if you are susceptible to elbow pain, it might not be a good kite for you.
Otherwise, I would suggest you look at used gear. Best bet is www.ikitesurf.com. You'll beat up your first kite pretty bad so buying top of the line new kites isn't really a good investment. In addition, if you get into the sport, you'll find that every brand and every model kite is a little different and you'll want to get what feels right for you. Of course, you won't know that until you can fly a few models and no one is going to hand their baby to a total beginner. :)

As for boards, buy used. There's tons on the market right now. You'll want a twin tip that is large, maybe 145cm+ by 44cm+. Chat with your instructor and head up to XDream Sportz in Solana Beach and chat with John. They'll help you out.

Who are you taking lessons with?

Good luck man and have fun! Say hi to the people at Stinkies when you're there as we're all pretty nice and helpful. Don't get too offended if we come offer advice, especially if it's safety related.

I also have a 16m 2009 Liquid Force Havoc that I am selling. It's a bit more pricey than the Session, but it is a better kite. I'm selling because I want to step down to a 14m. Let me know if you're interested.

[Bryan Morris]

Hey Will thanks for the reply. Im really looking forward to getting started. Im taking lessons from a guy named John I think. Its out at Stinkies and he drives a blue toyota. Ive been hanging around there alittle bit over the last two weeks and everyobody seems really cool. I am interested in your kite how much are you asking? Why are you selling? Look forward to meeting you out there.

[Will]

John is a great instructor! He taught me many years ago and I highly recommend him.

I'll shoot you a private message with kite details.

Good luck today! Looks like we might get wind today!

[Bryan Morris]

So my first lesson went awesome. I'm really surprised how comfortable I feel with the kite. Im stoked to get started. Just trying to decide what kite I want.