Kitesurfboard

[Crissssssss]

Hello guys. I was planning on traying a surfboard for the first time. I will be using a FireWire fst 5.6” x 19.3/4 x 2.3/8 28L. Do you recommend quad or thruster? Thanks for the help

[Matteo V]

Definitely need some more info:

1. Do you have prone surfing experience on a funboard or shortboard (even surfing a skimboard).
2. What is your take on flat vs rockered TT kiteboards. Do you like the surfy feel of a rockerd board, or do you still rely on flat rocker for upwind capability.
3. Do you want to go strapless and stay more "on the water" or do you wish to go strapped and have the option to jump, boost, and go as fast as a TT.
4. Are you looking at getting wave dedicated kites?

Add even more about your current experience and goals and you will get some great answers here.

[jumptheshark]

Whatever! If you don't feel like going down that rabbit hole:

Quad is a bit more skatey, where thruster is a little more locked in. I'd say go quad first. A little more fin is great when learning to back off the edging, ride it a bit flatter and use those fins to help you get upwind. Focus on finding the right balance/trim for the board to pick up speed, yet not bounce around too much. There is a sweet spot that is a different stance than on your TT.

Once you get the basics, you should try a thruster to feel the difference yourself. Its subtle and suits different conditions.

I generally chose quad for shorter, wider, flatter boards designed for small waves that I rode in lighter winds. Thruster for more traditional pointy nosed "shortboard" shapes with less volume, less width, and more rocker that are designed for bigger better waves and usually ridden in more wind.

[Matteo V]

I'd say go quad first.

I agree with jumpy that quad is a good first choice if you only have TT kite experience. But if you are after strapless in waves, thruster is the way to go and just forget about quads for now.

[Crissssssss]

I don’t have a lot of experience I’m already riding upwind but I still don’t know how to jump. My main goal is kitesurf in waves in Miami (small waves) and have a board that I could use in light wind. I’m riding the liquid force NV. I have 0 experience in skimboards. Maybe is to early for me to start trying strapless boards but I wanna give it a go to see how it feels and how hard is it

[Matteo V]

I don’t have a lot of experience I’m already riding upwind but I still don’t know how to jump.

Jumping in kiting is fundamental. Not so much because you need to jump, but because you almost automatically know how to stop an "unwanted lift" if you can jump. Landing from being lofted is also a skill that can save you some broken bones. When I started snowkiting, I did not intend to ever jump. But I did wind up learning jump transitions and that lead me to the realization that jumping skill was a necessary ingredient for safely kiting.

Maybe is to early for me to start trying strapless boards but I wanna give it a go to see how it feels and how hard is it

It is never too early to go out and try a different board in kiting. Just make sure you are in a very safe location where your struggles will not put you or anyone else in danger. Go for it now.

And a quad is a great way to start. But strapless is going to be a challenge for you if you have no jumping skills.

[Hugh2]

Not sure I understand why jumping ability is central to riding strapless. I can jump like a bunny on my TT and strapped surfboards, but am near useless jumping strapless, yet I love riding strapless as long as the waves are not too big. And I would support giving it a go on a quad (I have both types).

Just as an example, last winter in Cape Town when there were few riders out, I encouraged the only two other riders out at kitebeach to come with me on a downwinder to Milnerton. They were competent TT riders, and able to get out through some fairly big surf, but had never ridden a surfboard, let alone strapless, and never done a downwinder. Once outside I traded my strapless surfboard with their TTs, and both of them got up and riding immediately and loved it. My only problem after that was actually getting them to go downwind. They had spent their entire kiting careers staying upwind and even would go back to shore and walk upwind after a while! I had to go in a yell at them to get back in the water and follow me downwind.

[Matteo V]

Not sure I understand why jumping ability is central to riding strapless.....

Ever watch a beginner get picked up unexpectedly and repeatedly? That is because they do not understand the concept of what makes them jump, other than moving the kite fast. To truly master not getting lifted by a kite, one needs to know what you do to make it lift you. If you develop a feeling for what the kite is doing when it is about to, or moving into a position to lift you, you can recognize and avoid that movement or kite placement.

If you are good at jumping, you are also good at NOT jumping. Given that jumping, and most importantly - not getting lifted, is the key to strapless success, you definitely want jumping skill (and thus lift avoidance skill) when you get into strapless. And on top of that, recovering from a sudden unexpected lift, a skill which jumping develops, is even more important than not getting lifted in the first place.

Just as an example, last winter in Cape Town when there were few riders out, I encouraged the only two other riders out at kitebeach to come with me on a downwinder to Milnerton. They were competent TT riders, and able to get out through some fairly big surf, but had never ridden a surfboard, let alone strapless, and never done a downwinder. Once outside I traded my strapless surfboard with their TTs, and both of them got up and riding immediately and loved it. My only problem after that was actually getting them to go downwind. They had spent their entire kiting careers staying upwind and even would go back to shore and walk upwind after a while! I had to go in a yell at them to get back in the water and follow me downwind.

I too like to stay upwind. I don't do too many downwinders unless something goes wrong. I would almost say that could be one of my weaknesses. But I do ride upwind a few miles to do a downwinder back to where I started, just no car rides.

So here is my question - I was under the impression that doing a downwinder in breaking waves was expressly for the purpose of the rider not having to fight their way out to the outside. And if you do go to the outside, "doing a downwinder" allows you to stay on the inside while riding downwind until you see an opening in the break so you don't have to worry about jumping over a big incoming wave. An I wrong on that? If that is not the case, why would anyone ever see an advantage to doing a downwinder unless they were with some one that did not have the skill to make it upwind.

When trying to stay upwind, don't you take a little risk to stay more upwind near the good section of the break and head out over almost anything "big" on your way out? And at disorganized breaks, is that not the ONLY choice if you want to stay upwind and maximize your time riding on the waves?

[Slappysan]

So here is my question - I was under the impression that doing a downwinder in breaking waves was expressly for the purpose of the rider not having to fight their way out to the outside. And if you do go to the outside, "doing a downwinder" allows you to stay on the inside while riding downwind until you see an opening in the break so you don't have to worry about jumping over a big incoming wave. An I wrong on that? If that is not the case, why would anyone ever see an advantage to doing a downwinder unless they were with some one that did not have the skill to make it upwind.

In places where the waves are side shore to the beach (regardless of the direction relative to the wind) it generally creates a strong side shore current in the direction you would be riding the waves. This means that it's very challenging to stay upwind and get good rides in. Sometimes even impossible. That is often why downwinders are very popular in certain spots.

This scenario also also means that it's not very challenging to make it past the break as each wave doesn't break as a close out so you can just travel with the wave in to deeper water.

[Matteo V]

In places where the waves are side shore to the beach (regardless of the direction relative to the wind) it generally creates a strong side shore current in the direction you would be riding the waves. This means that it's very challenging to stay upwind and get good rides in. Sometimes even impossible. That is often why downwinders are very popular in certain spots.

Slappy,

I see you are a BC guy! You probably kite with me if you make it down to the North coast of Oregon during the summer. And yes it is very popular at my summer spots for occasional ocean kiters and even some regulars to do downwinders. Longshore current there is very strong.

From my experience, about 85% of the experienced and local kiters do not do downwinders. And again, since I do not do them even when the current is really fast, I am not the one to really give an informed opinion on the allure that they present. Though the 90% (sometimes as low as 50%) of the occasional kiters do seem to enjoy them.