Page 5 of 6

Re: Surfboard riders...Whats your biggest Kite?

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 12:41 am
by tautologies
Though I to some extent agree with what Brent wrote, I think it is wrong to put a value judgement on it tho. There is a difference, but I do not think one thing is better than the other. Do whatever you want and feel good about doing...yeah I know post-modern bullshit but it is how I feel anyway.

I do not think 10 meter is the max. I think 10 meter and down ideal, but you take what you can. :-)

Re: Surfboard riders...Whats your biggest Kite?

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 12:57 am
by DJwilson
No one is judging it Taut, they re just saying that that bloke in the picture is riding in the waves, not surfing them (with a kite). Totally different style of riding - and no harm in calling it such.

Re: Surfboard riders...Whats your biggest Kite?

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 1:45 am
by tony montana
Brent and Plummet,are both right,any day on the water is a good day,but a small kite day waveriding is the best,take what you get,or get a North nugget use your 8 or 10 when the others guys are on there 12, TONY

Re: Surfboard riders...Whats your biggest Kite?

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 9:56 am
by FredBGG
tony montana wrote:Brent and Plummet,are both right,any day on the water is a good day,but a small kite day waveriding is the best,take what you get,or get a North nugget use your 8 or 10 when the others guys are on there 12, TONY

There is no set rule as to what is the best day...

Strangely enough while I love small kites one of my most memorable days was riding big lefts upwind
at C-street with a slow big ass speed 19. The seaweed or whatever was creating a soft foam in the white water and the wind was low, but steady and filled in. No one else could get out on their smaller kites. It was quite an experience ... smooooth waves due to low wind and the bottom turn in the "beer head" foam was something like skiing in powder.

Re: Surfboard riders...Whats your biggest Kite?

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 10:57 am
by tautologies
DJwilson wrote:No one is judging it Taut, they re just saying that that bloke in the picture is riding in the waves, not surfing them (with a kite). Totally different style of riding - and no harm in calling it such.
That part I agree on.

For me it just depends on the conditions and how I feel. I love to do the park and ride, but I can also enjoy a bump and jump super powered to the point where you hit the waves so hard your knees fold (might not say too much since for some of us it doesn't take as much) or you just take off. They are definitely different, but to me they are both fun in its own right.

Re: Surfboard riders...Whats your biggest Kite?

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 5:24 pm
by Peter_Frank
Arent we getting away from what Brent meant ?

He (or me) is not calling anything right or wrong, or dissing anybody.

Just pointing out that the "general consensus" for the average weight rider, is a 10m2 as the max size used in waves, when riding waves DTL with a surfboard 8)

This is true, no matter if you ride with kite parked, or kite aggressive or whatever - just different styles - but the very "art" of surfing waves with a kite where everything fall into place mostly and you just KNOW when its right, makes around a 10m2 the max used size generally (for the average weight).

Then some might use bigger kites because they like being out in different conditions, or dont have conditions for waveriding DTL etc etc, but it is still typical that most wavekiters use 10m2 as the max size, all over.

Noone is saying what is right or wrong - but Brent simply points out that there is a reason why most dont have a "big" kite bigger than 9 or 10m2 when riding waves - as this is the limit where most still find it "okay" and it makes sense :naughty:

Of course I sometimes go out with an 11 or 12m2 kite in waves - but that is because I like it and have fun.

I would mostly not call it "waveriding" as such, because it does not make sense to talk about DTL waveriding with these kitesizes in side or sideonshore, using the wave for power/speed.
An awesome exercise and great fun, yes, but does not feel "right" the same way.

It is not a matter of "the smaller the kite the better for waveriding" IMO - as a big 8m2 kite can work just as awesome or often better than a 4 or 5m2, but it is simply the limit where the typical (lower) windspeed makes waveriding "not really happening".
Maybe fun and possible yes, but more fickle and limited and by a huge margin not the same, not even close :wink:

Brent put the words spot on IMO, without dissing anybody :thumb:

:D Peter

Re: Surfboard riders...Whats your biggest Kite?

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 7:24 pm
by plummet
I think what is mildy offensive to me is purists telling me I am not wave riding when quite frankly i am wave riding.I'm on the wave face in the pocket I feel the pushing of the wave.... I'm wave riding. The dude in the picture is also wave riding! he's just bombing out of a close out section.

In my mind you can ride upwind and down wind and anything in between and still be wave riding. Sure when riding upwind you feel the pull of the kite. But so what. you still feel the push of the wave and therefore are waveriding.

Feel free to have a sub classification for down the line riding. Yes it is very hard to ride down the line on big kites. but still its not impossible. just very difficult!

Re: Surfboard riders...Whats your biggest Kite?

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 8:28 pm
by Brent4336
Dude you can call it whatever you want. It wont change what I'm after. Correct me if Im wrong, but your a muttant rider? The post is directed at Surfboard riders specifically. Of course your mileage is gonna vary from the norm when your comparing apples and oranges. Nowhere in here is there attempt at offence, just clarity. What your doing is not what the OP is asking, so maybe find offence elsewhere.

Re: Surfboard riders...Whats your biggest Kite?

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 8:53 pm
by TheJoe
Brent4336 wrote:Dude you can call it whatever you want. It wont change what I'm after. Correct me if Im wrong, but your a muttant rider? The post is directed at Surfboard riders specifically. Of course your mileage is gonna vary from the norm when your comparing apples and oranges. Nowhere in here is there attempt at offence, just clarity. What your doing is not what the OP is asking, so maybe find offence elsewhere.
:thumb: +1

This is the reason why I'm not politically correct when I speak but rather rash and to the point. My rule is it does not matter what you say or how you say it. Some one will find it offensive.

To the OP 9m is usually prime here. We seldom get enough wind for anything smaller and we have a strong downwind current so it makes it that much harder to get out. We really have crappy waves locally have to really drive hours to get decent surf. I find anything bigger than a 9 for me is no good for staying on the wave. Once I go for a bottom turn I can not make it back to the wave. I only ride parked and only move the kite enough to keep it from taking a bath.

Re: Surfboard riders...Whats your biggest Kite?

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 9:31 pm
by plummet
Brent4336 wrote:Dude you can call it whatever you want. It wont change what I'm after. Correct me if Im wrong, but your a muttant rider? The post is directed at Surfboard riders specifically. Of course your mileage is gonna vary from the norm when your comparing apples and oranges. Nowhere in here is there attempt at offence, just clarity. What your doing is not what the OP is asking, so maybe find offence elsewhere.

Yes to be fair I high jacked the thread somewhat. Should be a different subject. "What is waveriding?"