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Ahh happy new year everybody hehe Hands up who wants to learn to kitesurf in 2012?

Its going to be Easterlies. Sunday looks better than Saturday for wind. Windguru Easytide Beach guide See you there

Two quite different kites there at quite different price points. F-One is way more boosty & very freestyle capable, but more expensive. The Catalyst is lighter on the bar & steadier in its power delivery & is better suited to beginners or intermediates. Have you tried them out yet? A demo is going to be the only way to decide. Depending on where you're going with your kiting, try to get demos on lots of other 2012 kites for comparison. Personally I like the Slingshot Rally - but everyone will have their favorites. Of the two kites you've chosen, I've flown both a few times & if I had to pick I would get the Bandit - no doubt. Dan

As a guide, I got around £640 for my 2011 Rallys. Assuming this is in similar great condition that is what you should be paying. The 2012 RPM isn't even out till the end of Feb, so I would expect this one to retain really good second hand value at the moment. Popular well known kites (RPMs, Rebels etc) will still retain their value if you look after them - the original owner will have taken the biggest hit on their wallet, so when you come to sell it should still be fairly easy to get a good amount back. Dan

Yeah, just as long as its not got loads of cloth or open cell foam (sponge) to soak up water. I'd go the other way round & get a protec b2 or something & use that on the snow!

Hey lee, did you get your 8m Catalyst yet? How are you liking it? Dan

We run a shop trip out there every year for our customers in March. Normally pretty decent conditions for kiting. Have a good one next week

Hey Matt, if you're up for a bit of a longer trip come over Calshot & say hello. Some great kite spots around here & almost someone else about kiting if the conditions are on Check out the Beach Guide for Calshot. I'll stick up one for Lepe in the New Year as well. Dan :-)

Dump them out the bag in the spare room with dehumidifier on - along with any wetsuits that need drying. I've got black & white kites this year (not my idea!) & so far no colour run at all Most stuff dries completely overnight with this method & stops the house or car getting damp from wet gear. Plus dry wetsuit for the next days session! Dan 24-7

tempted by the Varial X 10m... just for going out & boosting.

Nice - Should be a 7m in the range next year which will be handy. Hopefully Slingy won't actually have changed much on the 2012 RPM!! Last year the RPM dropped in the UK in limited numbers about the end of February. I'm sure James will be on to tell us when he's done getting a tan

You're lucky to get one in yellow! lol ozone have apparently run out of yellow due to demand from Germany for kites in the colours of their flag...

Slingshot Rally. Spot on freeride kite & works with the twin tip & strapless. The Rally is also our best selling kite at 24-7.

Yeah agree with blast. I've got a 10m on demo & its nice & quick - always ahead of you through the carves. The boost is definitely more of a 'get you out of the shit fast' option, than a "wow look at the view up here" type of thing. You're probably better off on a smaller C4 or even a catalyst for nuking days. Definitely get the Reo tho if you ride more than 80% of the time on a surfboard. Dan

I hate boots with straps. I'll pretty much be riding strapless till April.

It pays for 2 rashies & the efforts of everyone involved in running the club to keep access open to this spot for kitesurfing. This is a sensitive spot with regard to kitesurfing, so get involved & help keep your local spot from being banned?

+1 yeah keep going! If you can hook up with kiters who have been kiting for a while they will make sure you're rigging the right size kite & going out at the right state of tide. other than that, I think most beginners (who are confident with the kite) find it easier to get going on the board with a bit more power. Its just easier if you don't have to work the kite whilst you work out the board. Dan 24/7

Slightly off topic, but I just tried my new O'Neill Gooru 5/3 this arvo. I've got a bit of a crap shoulder so I can't get into most neck entry suits, especially thicker 5/3 suits. The Gooru is nice & easy to get in & out of. Its light, warm & very stretchy. I crashed plenty (kite skimboarding) today, but I was pretty much dry under the suit. Nice. Dan

The board they have pictured isnt the 2012 Nobile Hybrid Wood Skim that the product description is for. For 2012 there is a 130x49 or the 139x47 hybrid, or the Infinity, which I guess takes over from last years skim wave. I've sorted the Nobile Wood Skim out on 24-7 so the sizing & cost etc is correct & up to date for the 2012 product. Give us a buzz if you want to talk skimboarding or you want us to find out if we can still get you a skim wave

Yeah, I've played with both, all be it a while ago on the Arcane. The arcane is technically a wakesurfer, its got heaps of volume, its very buoyant & will get going on the smallest wave. Its quite skatey with the standard twin tip size fins in, especially with all the volume in the rails! Fins are mini tuttle, so you could easily swap them over for something bigger - which you would want to do if you were going to use this with a kite in chop or small waves. Bigger fins will help you keep it pointing where you want it to & let you carve without sliding out I'm not quite sure which of the Nobile skims you're thinking about, there are a couple of different ones from different years. I've played about with the first 2008 nobile skim (130cm?) & the 2010 154cm waveskim. These are wood cores like a TT, rather than foam, so no float as such. Easier to hold a rail than on the arcane, where you rely on the fins a bit more. They feel much more familiar if you're used to twintips, but you won't get the same super early pickup on a small wave. You can [noooooo!] put straps on the nobile wave skim. The arcane has a concave deck which feels super secure underfoot. The skims are much lighter in weight than the arcane & a bit more ding resistant - although for a surfboard construction the arcane is built like a brick privy. I'm using a Circle One 52" skim at the moment which is really entertaining with a kite & is a proper skimboard ie. no fins, straps, fancy rails shapes, concave or any other 'unnecessary' gubbins. The learning curve is going to be steeper than a board with fins but it's properly fun & involving... Check out this vid over on LTS for some idea of the waves you can take (or not) on a skim The circle one skim is holding up ok to kiting (some heel dents from mistimed airs), although if I was buying again I would get the bigger & tougher 54" bamboo one, which wasn't around at the time. Aloha Dan

+1 Yeah no problems with Mystic's customer service in the UK for us either - good blokes.

Some good spot guide information starting to appear here - kitesurfinguk. It does need more contributions to really make it work though. I'd also say save the petrol & learn your local coast line - that's ultimately where you'll end up doing most of your kiting. Don't get stuck in a rut of going to the same couple of busy beaches with everyone else. Look for options, ask questions, check the tides, work out the wind directions, go exploring. Local kiters & shops/instructors will be a great resource as they have been there longer & will be able to pass on some good information. Dan

I can kite along on the sector sitting down. I've seen (out in Boa Vista) a board rigged for kiting from a seated position. I'm totally sure this is possible, main thing as 595 pointed out would be adapting a board to suit her requirements re physical ability & comfort whilst sailing. Something that floats will be safer & something with some biggish fins will hold ground better without edging so hard. Dan

Would anyone like to buy a copy of the North 'True' hardback book for the coffee table? Would make an ideal Christmas pressie for the North propaganda fan in your life. Just £30 quid.... [books - invented by North]

Could you post a pic of both kites deflated & the 10 laid over the 12m, so we can see the over all difference in shape/size? Kite proportions don't scale exactly as they get bigger, each size will be developed separately. I would guess the 12m is slightly higher aspect maybe & that's where they are finding the extra size from?