Kitesurfing is a wind-powered water sport that uses a kite and a board to travel across the water’s surface. Kitesurfing captures wind power with a large parachute-style kite to power a rider across the water surface on a small kiteboard, much like a wakeboard.
What is kitesurfing?
Kitesurfing is not reliant on wave power, as the wind is harnessed to propel you. Riders favor flat water locations for freestyle kitesurfing as it is easier to take off and land on smooth water. Because you can ride in various conditions, kitesurfing will never get boring or repetitive.
The Kites
Kites incorporate inflatable tubes to capture the pull from the wind. These inflatable tubes help the kites hold their shape and also help the kite float and re-launch from the water. Various sizes of kites are available. You should choose the size according to wind strength and the rider’s size.
Nowadays, there are various designs of kites. The C-kite is the original, named according to its curved shape forming a letter C. Bow kites have a flatter shape similar to an archer’s bow. Supported leading edge (SLE) kites use bridle lines attached to the inflatable leading edge for support. Bow and SLE kites have massive depowers, are easy to re-launch from the water, and are safe and easy to use. Hybrid kites, which incorporate all the kite designs, are now available.
The Boards
The boards used for kitesurfing are mostly symmetrical, similar to a wakeboard, and are known as twin tips. Similar to surfboards, directional boards can also be used if you are riding waves. The greater the board’s surface area, the less power is required to get above the water surface. So, larger boards are more suitable for beginners as they require less power from the kite, making everything safer. Most kitesurfers now use boards that measure 125-150cm long and 38-45cm wide. Extra power is also available from the innovative Stoke Foil Boost, which provides electric-powered propulsion that can compensate for very low wind conditions.
Kitesurfing Conditions
Because of the wide range of equipment that is now available, you can go kitesurfing in a variety of wind conditions. Kitesurfing is much more versatile than windsurfing, for example, because the kite is much bigger than a windsurfing sail. Because of this, it will generate power and propulsion in much lighter wind conditions. As the strength of the wind increases, it’s best to use progressively smaller kites.
Kitesurfing and Other Types of Surfing
As a new sport, kitesurfing has developed and borrowed from a range of other water sports. The main influences on kitesurfing are wakeboarding and power-kiting, but other sports, such as snowboarding, windsurfing, surfing, and paragliding, have also contributed to its development. It’s easy to see this reflected in the crossover of tricks between the various surfing styles and the continuation of one sport to the other. With this level of crossover, it isn’t difficult to pick up kitesurfing quickly and also progress from one style of surfing to another. In fact, even if you’ve never done any surfing and you’d like to learn to kitesurf, although it may appear difficult, it is probably the easiest water sport to pick up. Many learners can get up and ride after a basic three-day course.
Kitesurfing and Your Health
Kitesurfing has many benefits for your health as you use almost your whole body to do it. Your legs control the board and balance the power of the kite. Your torso, especially your abs and arms, need to hold onto the kite and maintain your balance. Once you get into the water, a harness is used to take all the kite’s power, allowing anyone to learn and feel safe without getting tired.
Kitesurfing has an advantage over most other water sports as it is easy to transport your equipment in a rucksack, and the boards are relatively short. The overall cost of the equipment you need is relatively cheap too, as once you have bought it all, there is nothing you have to pay for. After all, the wind is free.
