flyingcab said..
Take the lessons first, that way he can crash the instructors kite and not damage his.
Then talk to the instructor about what size/ style suits the local area best - they should have the best info as they kite there too.
Great advice, although I want to point out that if a kite has many hard crashes in any lesson you are most likely getting poor tuition!
Instructors/schools often sell gear so they understandably will try to sell you their gear. It's a great time of the year to find good deals on online ads
but you really need to know what you're looking for and
how to inspect a kite...otherwise there is a good chance you will buy the wrong kite or a kite that is in bad shape and won't last very long.
When shopping for friends we will typically inspect 2-3 kites before finding the one worth buying, so my advice is not to buy used kites without a competent kiter who knows how to inspect wear and tear on kite and bar/lines. If you windsurf regularly, chances are you know some local kiters already, just ask for their help.
The best deals are usually with kites that have had very little use, even if they are 2-4 years old. You may think a kite that is 1 year old is a better buy, but if it's been used every windy day and left for hours flapping in the sun every day in that year VS a kite that has been used say 10-20 times and is 3-4 years old, is often a much better buy and will last you longer.
Don't cheap out on the harness, it's a very important piece of equipment and it's worth buying new, they cost from $200 to $400+. Boards are probably where you can save the most money. It's not important when you're a total newbie to get a brand new board. You can find good deals on boards from about $200 to $400 for something a few years old and in great condition. You'd be looking for a board of roughly 138-145cm long.
at 80kg in Sydney I reckon you will need at least a 10m kite, and at 13 years old he we will probably only get heavier. As a general rule of thumb I wouldn't advise buying a second hand 10 to 12m kite with bar under $1000. That being said, you might get lucky and find really good deals...
So to answer your question, I would suggest you budget at least $1500 for a second hand kit in great condition.
The specific brand of kite isn't very important either, you just want to get a good ''all around'' kite that isn't very discipline specific (i.e. freestyle pure C-kite). There are so many good kites for learners it would take too long to list them all...
Christian
