Newbie Kiter in NB need some advice.

Hey
Iam new to the sport and getting on my way to hopefully riding in water this summer, i am having some issues trying to get the right gear for the conditios of NB. I live In Saint john, and the winds here are on the low end with the odd windy day which i dont plan to be out as a begginer. I got an 06 LF c-kite which i have flown a bit and i just bought a 2010 cab crossbow. need to buy a new board my options are between the cab rival 2010 145x43 or an air rush switch 138x43. for wet suit im looking at the assasin 5/3/4 and some 5mm booties,hood and gloves.

please let me know from experience of riding in nb if this gear will do me good for the most part of the season.
thanks

I used to live in SJ and have a 12m kite that I used all the time. I think the Cab board would be a better option as a larger board would probably be easier to learn on, but i am not familiar with either boards. Some boards made for light winds are really flat and it makes it hard to get through the chops and shore break that you're going to encounter in the bay of Fundy. You'll also use your 5/3 a lot as even in the summer the water in the bay is never really too warm, but if you go out on the SJ river or the K river the 5/3 will be warm, if your only going to buy one suit the 5/3 should be the one.
You should also get in contact with Frank, he's always out and he was my partner in crime when I was out there. He can put you in contact with Taras as well. We were the only 3 kiters really out reguarly.

If your xbow is large enough the mako is great to go through the chops/waves/shorebreak that you will find in the bay, but unfortunately I sometimes had to sit on the beach when frank the lightweight was out with his huge plywood board since it's not a lightwind board

LOl yes i know Frank hes been of really helpfull and hooked me up with my first kite, i want to get something that will be good for all over i plan on heading out to shediac as well to do some riding as well, i was out on parlee beach last summer but not kiting, is that a place that you can kite at? do they let you? and that was my question about the mako i had heard they were good for lightwind wich is mostly what ill be riding.
thanks

ps my xbow is an 11m and i weigh about 165lbs-170

with the new mako's 150 (what I have) i can get going in 10-12 knots, and with the mako skinny i needed like 12-14 knots with a 12m kite

the 11m Xbow is probably the main kite someone your size would use.

We haven't gotten any trouble for riding at parlee but we are usualy only there when the park is closed, in the summer there are too many people on the beach so it's not a good idea

Welcome to the club!

First off, your 11m Xbox is a great kite, and you'll be very happy with it. Great low end @ plenty of range. I would recommend the Rival as it's a good beginner board to get you up @ planing and riding upwind. 145 is a decent size to start with.

A 5/4/3 is a good all around suit except for extreme cold or hot. As far as gloves go, 5mm is a bit think and will tire your arms out fast. I have Hot Mitts from MEC. They're cheap and have 5mm outside with 3mm plains and are quite articulated so the mitt isn't resisting your grip on the bar.

If you have and gear specific questions, you can call me at 506-380-2555.

Mike

Hey Andre!! How's it going man! I just got back and I'm hoping we get some south winds this week I'll keep ya posted.

Don't worry about big bulky mits or gloves... can use anything as there's not much pressure on the bar. I use big bulky snow board mitts and thick neoprene mits with no issues and I got puny hands and a granny like grip

Let me know when you're ready to go.

Mike has a point there, I wanted to mention it but forgot, 5mm is really thick for gloves, I have 3mm and it's what I hate most about kiting when it's cold as they do tire your hands/forearms. Mitts would probably be the best! I should probably look into getting some for myself as well!

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302885971&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442632786&bFlashEnabled=false

These are them. Haven't had them in water, but they are comfortable on your hand. Being used to 3mm gloves, the 5/3 design is likely much better.