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Why buy a small kiteboard when wakeboards cost half as much?

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MissionMan
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Postby MissionMan » Tue Apr 08, 2003 10:34 am

Most beginners tend to have the slipping problem, a wakeboard just exaggerates this, but if its happening on a wakeboard, it'll probably still happen on a kiteboard, just not as badly. If he digs in the rail, the board will stick, its partially a confidence thing as well. A lot of beginners don't have the confidence to really dig in their rail of the board.

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Postby Guest » Tue Apr 08, 2003 2:29 pm

Before i startet Kite-boarding i was on for two years Wakeboarding, just for the first three try's i jused a biger TT, after that i have taken my O'Brian Suspect Wakeboard, and it works great for me, even i like the Wakestyle more than all the Board off Tricks. And I have a bigger Windrange with the same Kite. Vrom beginning on I could hold that Edge really hard all the Time. I think a little Wakeboard experienc would help much for Kiteboarding.

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andrè

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Postby Peter_Frank » Tue Apr 08, 2003 2:56 pm

Kite wakeboards are very different from wakeboards, regarding particulary the rocker line.

So because kitesurfing is a new industry, whereas wakeboarding is like snowboarding, quite "old" now - the prices will be higher, no matter if it was the exact same technology used.

Thats how things work, and nothing you can do about it :roll:

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Postby MissionMan » Tue Apr 08, 2003 3:19 pm

I can definitely understand where the cost difference is coming into play. I also think the demands are lower on kiteboards compared to wakeboards so they don't have the same high volume production to reduce costs.

The lightness of boards is definitely an impact on the boards. My wakeboard is heavy compared to my kiteboard (about 6kg's compared to 2.5kg's - Add the bindings to the wakeboard and it gets even heavier). The board manufacturers are producing strong custom boards which weigh in at 1.1kg's for a 110cm board, i don't think pressed boards can compete with that.

Hopefully we see the costs reducing over time. You are already getting better quality boards for lower (around $300) and they are getting cheaper all the time.

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Postby sq225917 » Tue Apr 08, 2003 3:27 pm

so how much does liquid force charge for its top of the line boat board compared to its best kite board?

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Postby h2oslider » Tue Apr 08, 2003 4:03 pm

Liquids top of the line board, the ultra core series (includes the Balance, Subjekt, and Substance boards) all have a suggested retail of $599.99. However these boards don't have the same construction as regular wake or kiteboards. Instead of a foam core the boards have a balsa wood core making them even lighter and gives them way more pop off the wake. The boards are more responsive and maintain their stiffness longer. On the other hand, the kiteboards from them have a suggested retail of around $500.00. But these are also different than normal wakeboards as most wakeboards don't have a p-tex bottom on them like snowboards. There are a few and unless the mold is fairly old (like two seasons) the cost will be a little higher.

The reason these also run pretty high is that whenever a company comes out witha new compression molded board they have to try and cover the $20.000 dollar mold they had to buy to make the board. Once a board has been around for a while the price definitley comes down because the mold is close to being paid off or already has been paid off. Hope this helps a bit.

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Postby Marley » Tue Apr 08, 2003 4:17 pm

I would say a wake board was close enough to kiteboard untill the new ocean rodeo boards came out.

before only major differences were rocker being flatter on kite and outline being straighter on kite board.

Now a major major difference is the realization that we bang the shit out of our boards when launching and landing. Setting them down and packing them away. We don't start from a boat so from land the board touches land= dings and dents.

New O.R. boards go with snowboard technologies that are tougher and a little more flex.

Flex in chop bounces your edge off water a bit: enough for loss of upwind and digging.

Flex = stable, smoother ride for more board control.

Is it worth the dollar?

Now durability and performance may make the bucks come out.

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Postby h2oslider » Tue Apr 08, 2003 5:05 pm

wakeboards are still the same in that area though, riders these days are hitting sliders. kickers, and doing land grinds and gaps just like snowboarders. Thus the boards have to stand up to hitting a solid object at 20 to 24 mph and still hold up to impacts from 10 to 15ft up at the same speeds on flat water. The impacts in wakeboarding are so much more intense than in kiteboarding, you have a huge kite floating you down and gently putting you back on the water. In wakeboarding there is no kite, just gravity doing its job.

Honestly I think wakeboarders are way more abusive on their boards than kiters are. Yeah we may run over rocks, but the impacts are less severe and for the most part kiters are just now starting to hit sliders, so the majority of riders don't do this, where as close to half of all wakeboarders ae hitting sliders on a frequent basis and an impact at 20 mph on a solid object will do way more damage to a board than simply dropping it on the beach.

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Postby Marley » Tue Apr 08, 2003 5:35 pm

I think I am kicking the shit out of my board on purpose for the purpose of R&D and I don't think old products are near as durable. But I would definately agree they are comparable but when fine tuning and looking at resale there are more options in kite boards now. Yes there is a difference and that is my answer to the original thread.

On a larger scale wakeboards do work and so does most anything like a piece of plywood. But adavances and evolution is out there so campare if you dare.

Ride rough is what I do and I think the O.R. boards are something to think about in ways of evolution. Not only durability but performance.

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No Doubt

Postby Guest » Wed Apr 09, 2003 4:53 pm

No Doubt, That's a great example. A company which sells both kiteboards and wakeboards and charges twice as much for the kiteboards. WHAT'S the deal? Don't tell me it's any harder to make the kiteboard than the wake. :o


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