i have only been doing this for a year now and needless to say i am hooked. i definitely think a bigger kite (when i say bigger i mean 64 inches & up) is much nicer to fly in terms of fun, pull, and ease of learning...they like to fly. my first kite was less than 48 inches and i tired of it quickly. you have probably, hopefully bought a kiite by now so this is probably inconsequential, but being somewhat new to this myself i have to say you came to the right place. i just bought an acrobatx that i wont get in the mail till thursday and i CANNOT wait. unfortunately i left my last kite on top of a car while loading up for a grill out and...it is no longer. a fool and his kite are soon parted. it was a new tech diode that while fun for a while and great for my wife and five year old daughter, left me wanting something a bit more trickier, so i advise listening to these guys on investing a little more at first to save you money in the long run. i wished i had. have fun. i know you will. and trust me after four hours of good wind i am sure you will be doing more than figure 8's...not that those aren't fun either.