Short answer: find the size whose published wind range puts your usual wind in the middle, not at the edge. For a rider around 75–80 kg that is a 9m for 14–28 knots, a 12m for 9–23 knots, a 7m for 18–32 knots. Then move one size up if you are heavier than that, one size down if you are lighter.
The chart: North's published wind range per size
North prints a wind range for every size it builds. These are the numbers off the Reach 2025 spec sheet — the do-everything freeride kite, and the widest size ladder we stock, so it is the clearest chart to read from. North also publishes a rider-weight column on the light-wind sizes:
| Reach size | Wind range (knots) | Rider weight (kg), where North specifies it |
|---|---|---|
| 5m | 22–37 | — |
| 6m | 20–34 | — |
| 7m | 18–32 | — |
| 8m | 16–30 | — |
| 9m | 14–28 | — |
| 10m | 12–26 | — |
| 11m | 10–25 | — |
| 12m | 9–23 | — |
| 13m | 8–20 | <70 |
| 15m | 8–20 | 70–85 |
| 17m | 8–20 | >85 |
| 19m | 8–20 | >100 |
Read across from the size to the band. Notice what North does at the top of the ladder: the 13m, 15m, 17m and 19m all carry the same 8–20 knot range, and the thing that separates them is rider weight. That is the whole sizing method in one row — wind picks the band, weight picks which kite inside it.
Three numbers, in order
- Your usual wind. Not the best day you ever had. The wind speed your spot gives you on a normal afternoon you would actually drive to. Pick the size that puts that number near the middle of its band.
- Your weight. North's tables assume a rider around 75–80 kg. Heavier riders shift roughly one size up, or about 2–3 knots to the right on the same kite; lighter riders shift one size down. Two people on the same beach on the same day are correctly on different kites.
- Your board. A bigger twintip gets going earlier and moves your practical low end down a knot or two. It does not change the chart, but it changes which end of the band is comfortable.
If you are buying one kite
For most riders on the US East Coast and the Gulf, the 9m is the single kite that gets used most: 14–28 knots covers the average sea breeze day with room at both ends. Coming out of lessons, aim for the middle two-thirds of the band rather than the extremes — the published range is the whole usable range for a competent rider, not the range where the kite is relaxing.
A second kite is more useful than a bigger one. A typical two-kite quiver sits about 3m apart — 9m and 12m, or 8m and 11m — which covers nearly everything a single spot serves up.
Honest limit: a wind range assumes average water and an average rider. Chop eats the low end, gusty offshore wind eats the top, and a rider who is still learning to sheet out will feel overpowered several knots before the chart says so. The chart narrows you to two sizes; it cannot pick between them. If you want the one answer, tell our gear advisor your weight, your spot and the wind you actually get — it reads the same tables and returns a single size. The full set, every model and every size, is on the kite sizing page.
What to buy
As of this post: the Reach 2025 runs from about $1,033 to $1,189 across the ladder, and the Reach 2026 from about $1,579 to $2,729 — the 2026 is where the 13m–19m light-wind sizes live. If you boost more than you cruise, the Orbit 2026 ($1,375–$1,759) is the big-air kite; its ranges run a few knots wider at the top for the same size.
One thing that surprises first-time buyers: a North kite ships as kite, bag and repair kit — no control bar and no pump in the box. Budget for a Navigator control system and a pump alongside the kite. Bar length follows kite size, not model: S (38–43cm) under 8m, M (45–50cm) under 11m, L (50–55cm) above 8m.
FAQ
What size kite for a beginner?
The size that matches your spot's normal wind, read from the middle of the band — not a smaller kite "to be safe". An underpowered kite is harder to relaunch and harder to learn on. For a 75–80 kg rider in typical 15–20 knot conditions, that is a 9m.
Does rider weight really change the size?
Yes, by about one size. North's tables assume roughly 75–80 kg; heavier riders move up a size or read the band 2–3 knots higher. On the Reach's light-wind sizes North says it outright — 13m under 70 kg, 15m for 70–85 kg, 17m above 85 kg, all at the same 8–20 knots.
How many kites do I need?
One to start, two to stop checking the forecast and hoping. Two sizes about 3m apart cover most spots. Add the second kite on the side of the wind you get most often.