Anyone have some recommendations on a good 6m or 7m kite for a 170lb rider in winds of 25-40? I have a 7m Royal solo but it just hasn't felt right the last few times I have used it. The 7m seems to be twitchy and fall fast from jumps.

I have a 9m/11m solo that I absolutely love - they both are stable have great low end and turn a nice medium speed that I like. The 9 & 11 both seem to gradually lower you down to the water after jumps. Keeping those 2 kites.

Looking for thoughts from anyone who has ridden a 7m RRD obsession or 6/7m Ocean Rodeo Rise or possibly a RRD religion or 6m Epic Renegage. Hoping to try some kites in a few weeks when in S Florida but not expecting super windy conditions.

I Ride mostly choppy / small wave conditions on a Airrush Hammer wave twin tip. Looking for something I can run off a existing bar (all 4 lines equal at full power) with stablilty #1, range #2 and jumping #3. Thinking a 6m may fit better with my 9/11 quiver. Thx,

First of all, whenever you are in need of a 7 meter kite, you are talking about riding in 30+ knot conditions. Whenever it is that windy, it is usually inherently gusty depending on where you are riding. Plus the speed that the kite is flying will make it feel twitchy compared to your 9 or 11 meter kite. We rarely get to fly in those type of conditions around here, but when we do it usually takes a little while to get used to just how fast things happen.

In terms of jumping, small kites are going to have more lift but less hangtime than bigger kites. My experience is that a 9 or 11 meter is the perfect middle range for jumping big and getting plenty of time in the air. Whenever you drop down to a smaller kite, you will go up quick, and come down very fast as well, depending on the wind conditions. If it is gusty this can be exaggerated as well if you hit a big gust, and then a lull on your way down. One way to come down slower is to turn the kite back and forth after you reach the peak of your jump so that the kite will stay powered and give you more float.

In terms of 7 meter kites that are going to be more stable and give you more float than the Solo, there are quite a few. The one that immediately comes to mind is the Wainman Gypsy. OES owner Daryl Drown flew that kite in the Gorge this past summer in gusts to 50, and never felt out of control. It has more float and stability because it is a little lower aspect than other kites, but because of the design it still jumps like any other high-performance kite. The Obsession is a great kite, bomber construction as always from RRD, but more back line sensitive than other kites I have flown. It flies great as long as it is not oversheeted, but then it starts to go backwards and lose power. The other kites to look into are the new Best Bularoo V2, which is basically the same as last year's 2009 Waroo. The Bularoo 7 meter is one of the nicest all around kites you will ever fly, smooth turning, big jumping, and plenty of float for it's size.