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Funny question for some people I bet - I've never been on the ocean (everywhere I've kited is sheltered and seems at most to have chop, but no real waves). I'm also a really new kiter, just having learned two sessions ago to really lean back and ride upwind, so I genuinely am curious here... What's the specific appeal of kiting in waves?

Imagine going to a ski resort that is a symmetrical cone shaped hill with every run groomed identically and every run exactly the same, same length, no trees, no jumps, no powder, no ice, no rocks, every chair lift goes to the same place, and even every chairlift is identical.

Waves is the opposite of that.

Waves - would be variation - shape, size and relative wind direction can make it so different, just when you think you got it down there is a whole next level to contemplate/learn about.

For me they are just ramps...great feeling to ride fast towards it and time the jump so you have a perfect, smooth liftoff...amazing feeling!

So following the ski analogy, are waves the equivalent of bumps and trees? (and perhaps park--though I guess everywhere is a bit like the park when you have a kite to lift you)

Is wave riding harder, and how long does it take people to pick it up when they're used to flatter or choppy water?

Waves are cool. They add another dimension to kiting. They give you moving ramps to hit and boost off. Riding them is like shredding on a constantly moving half pipe. Lots of fun for lots of different riding styles.

They are dynamic which means your riding needs to be dynamic also.

When bigger they suck the water in front of them flat and you get sweet flat sections followed by sweet ramps.

Riding in waves is so much more fun than riding chop or flat water. Just try not to drop your kite or it will be eaten up.

and perhaps park--though I guess everywhere is a bit like the park when you have a kite to lift you

it adds another dimension to the riding - so if you were riding the flat water the kite and your momentum would be your incline (if jumping) or decline (if carving). Once you get on even small waves you overlay the carve with the kite onto the shape of the wave or park the kite and ride the wave or both together on the same wave.

There are a hundred ways to do this - throw in downloops, catching the wave from behind, jumping etc - tons of possibilities.

The thing about waves that makes them great is that your riding environment is unfolding in front of you - you have this constant read on what's happening and you make snap decisions based on second to second changes. This wave is over/I'm going to fast to engage here/the next one is better do I need to jump over this one?/I'm too far off the face for another hit but I can still downloop into the shoulder of the last one.. - it's fully engaging.

And then when it gets good (I like short period waves) I get this sensation like the waves are trying to get me and I have to dodge and jump to get past the break, but at the same time I'm attacking them with the board - the old "it thought it was going to eat me up when I went in the pocket but I smacked it on it's lip and left my line on it" Does anyone else feel this way?

It isn't really that much harder, all the time a person spends learning about them is fun, and it might open your eyes to the limitations of some of your equipment.

ARGH... NO.... nonononno

Riding good waves well is a mystical experience. When you are on a good wave you breathe different, you think different, and you feel different. You must interact fully with the wave to make it work. I cant express it well, but I guess any surfing magazine has articles that explains why people surf.

The kite adds a lot more freedom and possibilities compared to windsurfing... and a lot more speed that just pure surfing (plus it makes crappy waves a lot more fun!)

If you have great reliable waves then just grab a surf stick, but if you live in the real world then kiting is an even better way to experience this extra dimension! Plus you get to have fun even when it's flat (a' la Toby...)

On a twin tip board waves are like a dynamic skate park, each wave you hit is like hitting the next randomly generated ramp so it never gets boring.

On a surf board its the closest feeling you gonna get to regular surfing except you there is no duck diving and you catch about 10x more waves that you would in a regular surfing session.

Waves are the most important of a session for me if there is wind but no swell or waves I don't bother going out.

There are waves and there are WAVES!!!!!!

Small waves (1-3') are fun as berms and bumps and ramps.

Big waves (5-6-7+'') are ... awe inspiring, terrifying, amazing. The joy of kiting in them is it is much easier to do with a kite than other methods of surf riding and you can power in and out of them at will.

All waves are spectacularly beautiful things.

When it comes down to it, all board sports are carving sports. When you add the carve of your turn to the curve of the wave and the arc of your kite swooping you get heaven.