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Windsurfing vs Kitesurfing
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 4:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

outhaul wrote:
consider trying the Dakine harness shorts, very comfortable and defiantly won't ride up and hurt your ribs.

Reassuring, but it raises another obvious question.
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 6:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"popularity of kitesurfing gaining participants vs windsurfing losing some practitioners.
While in SanJuan the past 3 years, the prevous 2 showed at least double the number of kiteboarders on any windy day of over 12mph as compared to this past winter.
OTOH, the number of windsurfers coming out of the woodwork seemed to have doubled.
On the best 4 days at SanJuan, the number of kiters easily dropped at least by a 2/3rds, while the number of windsurfers increased by about double.
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beaglebuddy



Joined: 10 Feb 2012
Posts: 1120

PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 9:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In reference to ultra low wind kiting and windsurfing one important distinction must be noted, in windsurfing we can uphaul if need be and if on a floater board we can sail back in with almost zero wind, maybe just a couple of MPH and pumping the sail can get us home but on a kite you are always "waterstarting" after the initial beach launch and trying to get a giant kite relaunched in very low winds can be very difficult, James Douglas had commented on this previously.
I think large kites are particularly suited for shallow water, one does not have to worry so much about a giant fin and you could always walk back in if the sail won't relaunch.
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jamieinnyc



Joined: 26 Apr 2010
Posts: 108

PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 9:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Outhaul- I am a seat harness wearer, always have been, can't do a waist harness. Only seat harness at the kite school I was at in Cabarete was a Dakine Fusion, which is huge, rose too high on the chest for me. I bought a Dakine Storm on sale when in DR (great price) - much smaller, much better.

Zirtaeb- I agree that when windy windsurfing looks better to me. But I'm a windsurfer. Kiters would point out the jumping potential of kites. I'm past the age that I want to jump 40ft in the air, but I get why others might want to.

BBuddy- So true, no light wind cruising away from shore on a kite board. But what about a SUP? I've found some pretty amazing footage on the web - won't know until I try it for myself.


Last edited by jamieinnyc on Thu Jan 23, 2014 11:15 pm; edited 1 time in total
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justall



Joined: 30 Jul 2007
Posts: 442

PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 9:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

isobars wrote:
outhaul wrote:
consider trying the Dakine harness shorts, very comfortable and defiantly won't ride up and hurt your ribs.

Reassuring, but it raises another obvious question.


Exactly! I love the concept of no-ride-up for both windsurfing and kiting, but those straps ... those straps ... Waist harness for me please.

Jamieinny -- Were the line crosses your fault or the other rider (assuming you meant your lines crossed another kiter's lines)? When i have kited, I kept looking at the kite, so felt out-of-touch with where I was heading. Seemed too dangerous. I assume that I probably should just have been able to feel the kite, but at novice level, it just seemed too dangerous. So, sticking to windsurfing.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 10:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

justall wrote:
Exactly! I love the concept of no-ride-up for both windsurfing and kiting, but those straps ... those straps ... Waist harness for me please.

Been wearing harnesses with crotch straps for > 30 years. Never noticed the straps yet. You're not supposed to cross them! Very Happy
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techno900



Joined: 28 Mar 2001
Posts: 4161

PostPosted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 8:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A couple of years ago, I was out on my formula board and 11.0 having a great time. During a break, I watched a kiter doing a very slow body drag for about 15 minutes to cover the last few hundred yards to shore since he didn't have enough wind to get him up on his board.

As far as formula board windsurfing and kiting (both planning) in winds between 7-10 knots, neither will be very exciting, but both are possible. At 10 knots of wind a formula board can (or come very close) to doubling the wind speed. I don't think a kite can do the same.
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outhaul



Joined: 27 Sep 2011
Posts: 254

PostPosted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 9:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

jamieinnyc wrote:
Outhaul- I am a seat harness wearer, always have been, can't do a waist harness. Only seat harness at the kite school I was at in Cabarete was a Dakine Fusion, which is huge, rose too high on the chest for me. I bought a Dakine Storm on sale when in DR (great price) - much smaller, much better.


I would agree that the Fusion was not working for you, ouch!
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outhaul



Joined: 27 Sep 2011
Posts: 254

PostPosted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 10:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

@Jamie, do you feel like you can now continue on with kiting pretty much on your own or will you take more lessons?
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jamieinnyc



Joined: 26 Apr 2010
Posts: 108

PostPosted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 12:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

techno900 wrote:
A couple of years ago, I was out on my formula board and 11.0 having a great time. During a break, I watched a kiter doing a very slow body drag for about 15 minutes to cover the last few hundred yards to shore since he didn't have enough wind to get him up on his board.

As far as formula board windsurfing and kiting (both planning) in winds between 7-10 knots, neither will be very exciting, but both are possible. At 10 knots of wind a formula board can (or come very close) to doubling the wind speed. I don't think a kite can do the same.


This very same situation could have occurred had you seen a windsurfer on an 87 liter board, no? Shlogging home in 10 knots? This is a case of having the wrong gear for the conditions, not a problem with the sport.

I think formula is fantastic: it has pushed the low-wind limits of performance windsurfing, and offers the most competitive course racing of any windsurfing discipline (I think). I spent 2 years with formula before deciding it didn't work for me, though I have to say when it was good it was great (but I sail in a spot that has a shallow and weed-prone bay, or ocean with shore break and swell, so formula was a poor fit).

But light wind kiting looks like it's pushing the wind limits even lower. The new race boards - in capable hands - can do more than 2x windspeed in 7knots. Kiting with SUPs can get one cruising as long as there is a zephyr to hold the kite in the air. As with windsurfing, there are many kiters who think getting out on the water in light wind is silly, and not the real sport - or so it seems from the puzzled looks I got to questions I asked in Cabarete, or from the distain for SUKing on the kiting sites. So, there's conflicting info, but I can say that I kept a 13.5m kite in the air in 5knots, and could relaunch it (in flat water) - this makes all kinds of things possible if one applies some creative thinking.
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