hello to all

have only lived in wa for 7 months or so now and have only been kiteing for 5 of them,do u get to kite much over here during the off season or should i be expecting to not see my gear till next summer????totally hooked,or unhooked,hopeing i dont have to store my baby in the shedall abit depressing hehe

really???haha my smallest kite is a 12,yes i do need a smaller kite

Winter kiting is frontal kiting.

You always need to have an eye on the weather and have your wits about you. Winds can change very rapidly and increase from 5knots to 45knots incredibly quickly.

You need to be aware of big black evil clouds moving in from the west/north west. Whilst they can bring pure joy before and after passing through when passing they can create pure hell.

saying that winter holds some of the best wave kiting ever.

first agree with all the above,

in winter you have good easterlies in the morning so point walter is a choice. notherlies will give you a choice between the coast line and melville forshore. saying that you will be kiting in the middle of windsurfers in Melville.
bring with you :
1-a full wet suit as the wind gets very cold (not the water)
2-a 8/9 meters kite as the wind goes crazy and gusty
3-a mate as the conditions of kiting on shore are more dangerous.
4-your balls cos the front are wild and sometimes it s mad to be outhere.
5-coffee or tea to warm them up as you ll be freezing getting out of the water.
6- never be to confident and really asses the conditions before you head out. safety is the key.
otherwise some days you will have great sessions . don t put your kite away.leave it in the car .....
i'm sure i ll see you there
cheers
David

Whats your weight ?
Unless you are a real heavyweight you may be better off with a 7M
And yes winters are a big call in your first season. Id be staying where there are other experienced guys about and ask - dont necessarily follow!
Id be going for an instant & full depower type of a bridled kite like the Slingshot T2 or T3.
In fact thats exactly what I AM doing
Yeah another new toy

WA frontal kiting

Hey graceful the 07 flow was a tractor - I rode last winter on a 7m and 12m flow and changed in August to the Vapors and couldnt have been happier. I am about the same weight as you and I now have a 12 and 8.5 and will look at a 5 for my wife and for me when the big storms hit!

As the guys say they are dangerous conditions but a lot of fun - we started last year with probably similar experience to what you have -just make sure there is always someone else out with you...

A final tip and the best one I reckon - get an insulated flask - one that holds about 4 litres - before you leave home - fill it with hot water - after a kite in some of the conditions we have there is nothing better than a fresh water warm shower