WINGSPORTS
KITESURFING
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WINGSPORTS KITESURFING
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS If you require any further information please let us know and we will help you out as best we can. ABOUT THE SPORT OF KITEBOARDING THE SAFETY HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH LEARNING
ABOUT THE SPORT OF KITEBOARDING Kiteboarding is an exciting new sport which is known at present as being the fastest growing sport in the world. The combination of its skills and tricks as well as its relatively easy learning makes it too much of a temptation for anyone who catches just a glimpse of a kiter ripping it up on the water. There are so many different styles of riding as the sport is still in its early exciting stages. You can be pumping 30ft air on dead flat water, ripping it up in the big surf, cutting into a 6ft wave or just cruising on a sea breeze afternoon and enjoying yourself. When comparing the sport to the likes of others, surfing, wakeboarding and windsurfing often are talked about. However, kitesurfing is a very unique and each rider has their own way of expressing the sport. Kites were used as traction kites to propel many years ago, exhibitionists using them when exploring in the snow on sleds. However, the exact area that the sport has grown from is unknown as kites and propulsion have been in frequent use in lots of different areas for a long time. The concept behind the sport of kiteboarding is very basic, using the wind, generate power from a kite to gain traction across the water while on a board. Once that has been mastered other skills such as edging upwind, jumping and tricks can be learnt to make your experience even more exciting. The best part about it is how quick it can all be learnt with the proper training, right equipment and practice, just like everything else. To put a time frame on it, for most people in a week they should be competent riding on a board and 2-3 weeks be edging hard upwind. Even the experienced guys come in after a session and have picked up another move or invented a trick. That's the great thing about the sport, its all about your own personal riding style! Kitesurfing is amazingly easy to pick up as long as the safety requirements are met. One of the most appealing things about the sport is the advancement rate, you can just be getting up on your board and a couple of hours later be pushing upwind! Unlike windsurfing which can take years to pick up, kitesurfing generally doesn't need someone who has had previous board skills ( although it helps) and it can turn the learning rate of years into weeks! As long as you have the right equipment to suit you and know how to fly a kite you will be up in no time! Not everyone will progress at the same rate because each person is different in terms of their skill level. In saying that we still believe that anybody can kiteboard in receiving good tuition.
Basic kiteboarding equipment consists of a kite, kiteboard, control bar, harness, board leash, and safety leash. As kiteboarding is still a relatively young sport, the equipment available is continually expanding and at the same time becoming more refined in its safety and performance features. Kites come in many sizes for use in specific wind conditions and are typically water re-launchable (Inflatable) or non water re-launchable (Ram Air), with the majority of kiters choosing the water re-launchable kites for obvious reasons. Inflatable kites can be put into three categories in terms of performance: High Aspect Ratio (Advanced/Intermediate), Moderate Aspect Ratio and Low Aspect Ratio (Beginner). Kiteboards also vary from rider to rider with directional, twin tips, and wakeboards being chosen based on personal preference and desired performance and conditions on the water. From a beginners point of view, twin tips are the preferred choice for learning. Buoyant and user friendly, there is no need to jibe as the board can be used in both directions. Directions, which require jibing as that of windsurfing, were previously used as a beginner board because of their size and a large number of windsurfers crossing over to the sport. That has now been superseded due to the introduction of twin tips and the much larger range of the board. Directionals are now mainly used in the surf and for personal preference. Wake boards are the new entry of board into the sport. Your feet are bound in by boots to give stronger connection to your board. They also are without fins and are required to be edged hard permanently. These type of boards are for the more advanced rider only because of obvious safety reasons.
This is a term commonly used in the world of kitesurfing. Basically, the term Aspect Ratio refers to the kites length versus its width. A high aspect ratio kite, which is more recommended for advanced riders is long and slender compared to a low aspect ratio kite which is more square shaped and is designed for beginners. This is the case because a low aspect ratio kite is slower and creates more drag, it gets its power from the wind (much like a parachute). It is also a lot easier to water relaunch a low aspect ratio kite as it sits higher on the water thus, catching more wind. Generally, a low aspect ratio kite tends to have less power and is able to sit in the one spot without having to work too much, which is great for beginners! A high aspect ratio kite has less drag and generates most of its pull from speed as it is generally faster, however it is a lot more difficult to water relaunch. With a high aspect ratio kite riders can pull bigger air and have great response from the kite when needed.
Obviously kites come in different sizes for different wind conditions. The new kites on the market today generally have a very good wind range. Ideally it would be fantastic to have three different sized kites that overlap each others wind range to give a perfect range in all conditions. Small for strong, medium for moderate and a large kite for lighter days. Not many people are in the position to do this so its best to check out your local wind conditions and see what wind range it generally sits in. A 12m kite is usually the preferred option as local sea breezes are usually around the 15-20 knot range and the 12m kite range is between 14-24 knots approx. You could then have a 16m for the lighter days, you then have most of the wind range covered. You may need a bigger board for cruising in the lighter winds and smaller board in the stronger winds so that you can edge hard without being over pulled down wind. Don't be troubled if you only have one kite and board, that is fine, you can use your de-powering system to tune your kite to the wind conditions.
4 line kites are nowadays the preferred option to go for as they are a lot safer to use. They have a depowering system which enables you to lessen the power of your kite by changing the angle of attack of your kite. You are also able to pull bigger air as you can power yourself up just before you take off! 2 line kites are permanently at full efficiency (most power) and cannot be lessened in sudden gusts or condition changes. These kites are more so used for fast aggressive wake style riders to get more out of their kite for tricks and jumps. The only disadvantage to a 4 line kite is that you tend to have more tangles in your lines, which can be annoying when setting up and its rip'n!
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