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Windsurfing vs Kitesurfing
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arnegahmig



Joined: 27 Nov 2013
Posts: 17
Location: El Médano

PostPosted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 4:40 pm    Post subject: Windsurfing vs Kitesurfing Reply with quote

Hey everybody,
I was wondering what you would recon are the objective differences between windsurfing and kitesurfing. Basically looking for a reason that would explain the increasing popularity of kitesurfing as opposed to windsurfing. I wrote an article on it over at
http://howtowindsurf101.com/windsurfing-vs-kitesurfing/
If you could check it out and let me know what you think.

Cheers!

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U2U2U2



Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 5467
Location: Shipsterns Bluff, Tasmania. Colorado

PostPosted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 5:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

since you wrote this:

**

Quote:
As for the sensation, kitesurfing is a fun sport. I started to use it as an alternative to the low wind days where 5.7 m sails were no longer enough. For me personally, having to sail with 6.0 m or more was too much of a hassle and with a kite takes less physical effort to handle regarless of its size. As a windsurfer kitesurfing is really fast and easy to learn so it was a nice addition to broaden my range of conditions in which I can have fun on the water.


you already kite surf when conditions would indicate a sail above 5.7m is needed, what else do you want to know ? the popularity over windsurfing would be something like its easier, and require less strength, and the transportation of equipment can be carried in a micro vehicle

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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 6:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I merely skimmed it, thinking it would be lame, biased, and/or superficial, or maybe even a troll. MAN, WAS I WRONG! You did an outstanding job if the couple of sections I read in detail are any indication. Very insightful, concise, and useful. Welcome aboard!

Mike \m/
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joe_windsurfxxx



Joined: 29 Jun 2008
Posts: 67

PostPosted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 7:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DUDE
i thought why kitesurf in stuff requiring bigger than 5.7 sail??
and then i looked at the video in your "about me" !!!
http://vimeo.com/69541134
cuz you have the waves n conditions !!!

some editing to do - if you wish
no double t's on but like i do, butt ... Smile

personally i do NOT like the word versus
you , Robby Naish and many others do both windsurfing and kitesurfing
i hope we all learn to SHARE the water and FUN !!!

perhaps stick in a decent kitesurfing video or ad like the Phil Koster windsurf one ??

not so sure about the running joke "diagram" on physical requirement
implications are ???

locally some windsurfers have taken up kiting because they can do this both
on ice and on water !!!
i am one of the few locally who windsurfs on ice n snow
http://joewindsurfer.blogspot.ca/2014/01/winter-sailboarding-20132014.html

thanks for sharing !!!
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Sailboarder



Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 656

PostPosted: Sun Jan 05, 2014 8:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Concise and well written. Thanks!
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dvCali



Joined: 23 Aug 2007
Posts: 1314

PostPosted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 10:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sailboarder wrote:
Concise and well written. Thanks!

Nice article, but I would increase quite a lot the sail size over which kiting might be more convenient.

There are now 6.0-6.5 sails that weight under 4 Kg and those combined with a 100-110 freewave/wave board open up a lot of conditions for a lot of people.
Best present a windsurfers can do to him/herself is to get out of the "only-sub-5.0" mentality and get a bigger, but nowadays almost as nimble, sail.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 12:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Our local purist kiters switched from WS largely to find fun in winds lighter than 5.0-6.0. They soon became jaded to the point they seldom bother launching their kites until they're sure the wind isn't going to build to 5.0 conditions. IOW, they reverted to Just Say No To 5.0 unless there's no other choice. Most of them will kite a while @ 6.0 conditions, then sit on shore with the WSing 5.0 snobs.

The primary problem with inland 6.0 conditions for WSers is the flat water, not sail handling. The solutions include light air freestyle, racing, knowing when and where to find usable swell when it's averaging just 20 mph, realizing that a camless 6.2 and 80-90 liters can handle great with a little practice, giving up that 4.5 we WANT to sail for the 6.2 we NEED to plane consistently, and, ultimately, accepting the fact that WE, not anyone else, get to decide whether we want to be out there or on shore. I've tried on hundreds of days over 20 years to convince non-freestyling WSers, by words and by example, that there's a whole untapped world of g forces, spray, air, upwind and downwind thrills out there in marginal 5.2 wind, but the vast majority try to force-fit their 4.7s when the right sail (as evidenced by their prompt return to shore) is a 5.7 or 6.2.

That and more lead me to generally agree with Arne's 5.7 cutoff when terrain depends on windspeed. There are plenty of valid exceptions, but for a short article he's darned close.

I often get asked by "civilians" about the kitesurfing prospects here in the TriCities. I strongly discourage it because the wind is extremely gusty, the current is strong, the wind blows across rather than along the river, and the shorelines are crammed with objects waiting to maim or kill errant kiters. Arne addresses that issue very succinctly and without overstatement.

BTW, I like versus or vs; it's succinct and Google loves it.
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arnegahmig



Joined: 27 Nov 2013
Posts: 17
Location: El Médano

PostPosted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 5:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow! Thanks for the epic feedback guys.

I must admit I am a rather spoiled windsurfer when it comes to windspeed limitations. For me 6.0 is already a very cumbersome size to play around in waves with. In those cases I rather go kitesurfing or rockclimbing Razz

Since I don't have to deal much with snow in Tenerife it never occured to me that there might be advantages there. I guess for kiters they just have to take their smallest kite and the standard snowboard and off they go. As a windsurfer you have to get an additional board which takes a lot of dedicetion to the sport Smile By the way, I like the creative solution on your blog Joe.

As for the versus thing. Mainly it was just made for a more interesting title that "or" Razz I have a future post scheduled concerning surf rage and localism in which I address the conflicts between the various sports that share the same spot.

Again, thanks for the feedback and ideas!

Arne

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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 6:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

arnegahmig wrote:
As a windsurfer you have to get an additional board which takes a lot of dedicetion to the sport

Every WSer I know has several or even many boards, some idiots as many as two dozen ... that they actually use. Sad
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nw30



Joined: 21 Dec 2008
Posts: 6485
Location: The eye of the universe, Cen. Cal. coast

PostPosted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 7:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Windsurfing: If it was easy, they'd call it kiteboarding.
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