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surfboard vs directional kite board

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lorenz
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surfboard vs directional kite board

Postby lorenz » Mon Mar 26, 2018 6:24 pm

I can ride well on a Nobile Infinity 6, strapless. This means gibe, tack and little jumps.

I recently got my hands on a surfboard for kiting, a 5.8 Flora, because it was cheap and the line looked more wave-oriented (more rocker, more volume, less width) as I was on the lookout for something that would be more suitable for aggressive bottom turns and generally better-off on waves.

However I am finding this board very hard! unforgiving when changing stance and are yet to close a tack on it. It does however provide an entire different feel on the wave, I can dig the rail very well and finally ride properly the waves. But we all know that a board is good for the waves only when you feel comfortable on the way out too eheh.

So my question: are EPS kind of surfboards really that much harder than kite specific directional boards? should I just get use to it?

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Re: surfboard vs directional kite board

Postby jonysan » Mon Mar 26, 2018 7:49 pm

Hi, I can imagine how your new board is more "twitchy" more reactive, probably has a narrower tail section compared to the Infinity 6, and as you said , more rocker, these design elements make it less stable at rest ( in the middle of a tack) and while changing feet before or after a gybe. you probably already know that.
I'm guessing that the infinity is better in lighter winds, and your new board is better in high winds,
I'd be tempted to put footstraps on your new board and use it as a Blasting out through waves, hard carving, looping, go crazy board, and keep the Infinity for the "Tricks" days. Kind of Robbie Naish v Mitu Montiero.

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Re: surfboard vs directional kite board

Postby tautologies » Mon Mar 26, 2018 8:44 pm

lorenz wrote:
Mon Mar 26, 2018 6:24 pm
I can ride well on a Nobile Infinity 6, strapless. This means gibe, tack and little jumps.

I recently got my hands on a surfboard for kiting, a 5.8 Flora, because it was cheap and the line looked more wave-oriented (more rocker, more volume, less width) as I was on the lookout for something that would be more suitable for aggressive bottom turns and generally better-off on waves.

However I am finding this board very hard! unforgiving when changing stance and are yet to close a tack on it. It does however provide an entire different feel on the wave, I can dig the rail very well and finally ride properly the waves. But we all know that a board is good for the waves only when you feel comfortable on the way out too eheh.

So my question: are EPS kind of surfboards really that much harder than kite specific directional boards? should I just get use to it?
Welcome to the madness that is finding the perfect board. Material has less to do with it than shape when it comes to ease of riding. What you will find, generally speaking, kite specific boards are a more durable construction and a shape that is geared towards higher speeds you find riding with kites. A quick tip on controlling your new board..just have a bit more speed on it compared to the bigger board. At the end of the day I think you probably just need a bit more time on it and you'll get more accurate in handling. :thumb: :thumb:

For instance the Naish Global is a fairly narrow board geared towards side shore powered conditions, but it is still a fantastic strapless board, but harder to ride. The Go-To or Skater are more constructed toward strapless and are way more stable at lower speeds, but try to take the skater in the large size waves where the global thrives and you'll find it is pretty had to control as you try to turn. :-)
It really comes down to the wave and what you are trying to do on it IMO.

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Re: surfboard vs directional kite board

Postby Matteo V » Tue Mar 27, 2018 5:01 am

lorenz wrote:
Mon Mar 26, 2018 6:24 pm
So my question: are EPS kind of surfboards really that much harder than kite specific directional boards? should I just get use to it?
So....... What kind of waves and wind conditions do you have, and what is your weight??? Did you ever prone surf???

And as others have said, there is a learning curve when going from one board to another with kiting. But you HAVE TO BE THANKFUL that you can ride so many different boards with kiting as opposed to other wind or non wind sports. Twin-tips, wakeboards (too much rocker), skimboards, wakeskates, SUP's, pieces of plywood - all are rideable with a kite. Yes each takes a variation on technique from each other, but they are rideable. You can't Stand Up Paddle a wakeskate. You can't skimboard a wakeboard. You can't prone surf on a twin-tip. - But you can use all of those, and switch in the same session between them, with a kite.

Essentially what I am saying is that when going from a "near (prone) surfboar" to an "actual prone surfboard", you have no where near the learning to do as you do when switching between other types with greater variance. Grab a finless skimboard and try that out. I'm sure your problems with the 5.8 Flora will seem insignificant to the issues you would have going to skim.

And just wait! Once you figure out your technique to make it work on your new board, you are going to love it - even if it is for only a few specific conditions. So stick with it and enjoy the ride.

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Re: surfboard vs directional kite board

Postby lorenz » Tue Mar 27, 2018 10:23 am

awesome, guess Ill just give it more time for now, ride a little faster and take my crashes. If still find it hard in some time could even stick straps on it.

Im around 75kg, conditions I get are standard european onshore closeouts :)

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Re: surfboard vs directional kite board

Postby Matteo V » Tue Mar 27, 2018 3:48 pm

lorenz wrote:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 10:23 am
.......If still find it hard in some time could even stick straps on it.

Im around 75kg, conditions I get are standard european onshore closeouts :)
Do you know how to jibe with footstraps??? That is huge. If you think you are crashing now and you do not have the strapped jibe down, you are in for some frustration when you try to learn to jibe with straps. Typically, I recommend that all aspiring kitesurfers start with the straps and keep them on until they have at least a day with a 95% success rate with the strapped jibe. Then you can take the straps off and go strapless. It took me 3 months at my small home lake, then 2 days (hungover) at a clean wind destination to accomplish this.

Strapped and strapless are night and day. Both are fun, but the challenges are different.

Strapless forces a limit on kite power and makes you focus on the wave ride - simulating prone surfing.

Strapped removes the limit on kite power and lets you to do more, quicker, without worrying about "if your wax is stickey enough" - joining prone surfing with kiteboarding to make something greater than the sum of it's two parts.

So find some flat water, work on strapped jibes. And in between the end of your runs, do some jumps, backrolls, nose drags, and anything else you can think of that is limited to some degree by being strapless. Really focus on this and stick with it. And even if you find you like straps better, go strapless again in the end so you can evaluate both, by being proficient in both.

lorenz
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Re: surfboard vs directional kite board

Postby lorenz » Thu Jul 19, 2018 1:14 pm

hey just thought of giving an update.

So riding on a surfboard compared to a kitesurf directional is harder and it took me a couple more sessions to get comfy.

But WOOOOOWWWWW MAN IM STOKED!!!

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Re: surfboard vs directional kite board

Postby Jukka » Thu Jul 19, 2018 11:10 pm

Matteo V wrote:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 3:48 pm
Typically, I recommend that all aspiring kitesurfers start with the straps and keep them on until they have at least a day with a 95% success rate with the strapped jibe. Then you can take the straps off and go strapless. It took me 3 months at my small home lake, then 2 days (hungover) at a clean wind destination to accomplish this.
Any good tips on learning jibing with straps?
I've been out few times with Sector 60 and could not complete a jibe to save my life :D .

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Re: surfboard vs directional kite board

Postby Flyboy » Thu Jul 19, 2018 11:21 pm

Sector 60 is a mighty big board ... but my suggestion: when you are learning, keep the kite high as you carve the turn - this helps support your body weight & makes it less likely to unsettle the trim of the board as you turn. Keep your feet in switch position on the new tack until you feel well balanced on the board on the new tack. Then bring your back foot up parallel (or close to) the front foot, move the front foot back & then slide the new front foot into the strap. Finally, move the new back foot into the back strap. Don't rush these steps - do them concentrating on keeping the board balanced. When you get better at it you can execute more quickly (if you want) & position the kite much more aggressively, so that it pulls harder through the turn.

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Re: surfboard vs directional kite board

Postby Slappysan » Fri Jul 20, 2018 12:28 am

Jukka wrote:
Thu Jul 19, 2018 11:10 pm
Any good tips on learning jibing with straps?
I've been out few times with Sector 60 and could not complete a jibe to save my life :D .
You should learn by doing the jibe first and then switching your feet, I've never ridden anything as crazy wide as a Sector 60 though so the might not be possible on that board. On a normal width board if you are on regular tack and jibe then you jibe regular and ride off toeside and correct the feet after. On goofy tack you correct the feet before you jibe.

You should take your back foot out of it's strap and place it forward of the strap as your first step, even before you jibe on regular tack. This way you can put it past the center line to compensate for your front foot placement on the other side of center and ride toeside easier.


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