losethestraps.com

First off I'd like to pay compliments on the site. I've been thinking for a while about kiting with a skimboard but didn't know till a few weeks ago that a lot of people actually did it and then to find LTS just made me think about it even more.
Now here's where it gets tricky. I'll essentially be coming into this as an almost complete newbie (15+ years surfing might help with balance and i did actually kind of start kiting (got up on the board and went downwind) but somehow never really kept it up.
For now I'm not interested in being a half mile out to sea but more shorebreak/beachbreak and 'small' waves and I could really use advice on gear.
Obviously I'll get a trainer kite and move on to a something bigger. I was looking at a Hydra 350 because it's one of the bigger trainers I could find and it's more water friendly than others but it seems expensive for a trainer especially if I'll be wanting a bigger kite in the near future (there IS a budget).
I gave a friend my last surfboard (a 6'2" WRV) a few years ago so I'll need something to stand on but should it be a skimboard (wood / foam core?) or wakeskate?
I'd really appreciate and advice.

Thanks

Adrian

PS I live in Barbados if that makes any difference in equipment choice.

all kites are good,try as many as you can before you buy one.You need more practice as well..

Hi Adrian,

Welcome to LTS. Thanks for the kind words, and joining us here.

Honestly, I am not much of a foil/traction kite guy. I strongly believe in the benefits of a inflatable kite for water use. Foils have come a long way since I first used one in 2000, but I always recommend a later generation inflatable kite. Get a lesson make sure you are 100% comfortable using whatever kite you choose and its safety system, waves can be more demanding on your skills vs. flat water.

As far as the board goes, if you are going with one board I would go with a skim or surfboard. I love wakeskates, but based on what you want to do, which is ride shorebreak, a skim or surfboard would be better suited for that. Now, if you like the idea of using a skim, which I can confirm is a blast to ride in small to medium sized waves, I would go with a foam core/epoxy skim. There are a ton of great brands to choose from be it Zap, Exile, Victoria, Roush, etc. Check out the skim review section of the site, as there are a lot of great reviews on boards there by actual riders that use them:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=157&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

You live in a great spot for killer riding - so I am sure you are going to have a blast. Let us know how we can help you further.