Surfboard riders...Whats your biggest Kite?

[Windrider]

The trouble with "There's only one-way to do it purists" is that they turn into fanatics. And you know what Fanatics turn into.... windsurfers.

http://www.fanatic.com/content/index_eng.html

... which is maybe not so bad after all.....

It takes all kinds.

[windmaker]

Sorry to say, but judging from that picture I would say that is not kite 'wave riding', but rather 'kiting in waves'. It can still be loads of fun but all you can expect on a big kite in light wind -- unless the wind it cross/cross-offshore in which case you aren't that reliant on the kite's turning speed.

.[/quote]

Spot on. May I add that the bigger the difference between wind and wave direction the more it's possible to ride a bigger kite and do a good job although I believe most will agree that's around 9/10m max.

To Iblocalsufer, so true being light is definetly an advantage when wave riding with a kite.

[tommeltot]

8m is my biggest kite with a 5'11" surfboard. Mine has a good low end and is a one kite quiver in wind speeds around 15 to 25 knots. I'm 64 kilos. It's a good travelling combo.

If I wanted to kite with a surfboard in lighter winds I'd go no bigger than a 10m. 8m is my favourite size. If I wanted to score at each extreme I'd consider 6,8 and 10 to cover all conditions.

[TheJoe]

@ Windmaker
Have never flown a 19m, but I have a 17m that turns as fast as an average 12 or 13m. And, this kite has a front line adjustment on the leading egde that enables it to sit more forward in the window. Also, due to the thin leading edge/struts it's fairly light and does not fall easily. These attributes make it great for upwind wave riding where it almost feels like real surfing, but not quite(especially in the bottom turns). However, you can still let go and feel the power of the wave and pull off some similar moves as you do in surfing. And, with the kites power, you can make some difficult sections that you coundn't freesurfing. So, a slightly blown out day can be fun (and that's most mid-days for us)
I'm totally in agreement that it's more ideal in side-off 6m-9m conditions. However, you take what you can get. Lastly, I'll try to get Juan-Carlos to take some vid of our next swell so we can show you that it's a little more than just "Cruising"

I call BS. A 19 or 17 is not going to turn as fast as 12 or 13. Wont even be close. The problem out side of sheer size is air flow over the foil. All kites will turn faster the higher the wind speed is going over the foil its physics. Well unless you have a kite that defies them that is.

[tautologies]

I've had good fun on the Naish Fly and Fish and alaia in small waves.
In anything from side off to on shore.

Bigger kites like the park and ride style though when the waves are small it kind of works turning it. Kind of.

For me...sure I prefer going with a smaller kite, but when the choice is sitting on the beach is messing around in the water I will choose the water.

I also think that flying a big kite in the waves makes you a better wave kiter overall since the big kites makes you better at planning and understanding when the kite needs to turn. It also happens slower, so you can practice the stuff you have to do fast later.

A.

[naishdude]

Switchkites Methods V2 9m 7m 5m
Board old naish strapped surf 6'1 and 5'7 old Cyclone board strapped with good tailkick
myself an old 80kg

Dude
www.Switchkites.com

[plummet]

hahaha. pretentious surf dedicated zelots make me laugh. "thats not wave riding... its riding in waves not on them".....

News flash. If your standing on a board (any board) and that board is on a wave face your riding the wave... thus its wave riding.

You sorta remind me of a horse with blinkers on its eyes so it can only see one narrow veiw of the world.

Of course any sized kite can be used to ride waves. the bigger it is the harder it is and you do have to change technique and timing. but its still possible.

[Brent4336]

News flash. If your standing on a board (any board) and that board is on a wave face your riding the wave... thus its wave riding.

Well, no not really. The difference is pretty simple and if you cant see it, well its not anyones problem but your own.

Your approach kind of reminds me of what the vast majority of kiters do. That is eat crap out there all day and call it filet mignon! Riding the wave with a kite is pretty much an art, and to debase it by saying that everyone out there is doing it is misrepresentation. The thing is that you actually have to do it to know that everything you did before was just kiting in waves. Many never reach that level and fail to understand the difference for lack of context. Call them zeolots or whatever you want, but I call it a paradigm shift. Once you get a taste of something better, well, you know its better and you simply want more of it. I ride around in wind driven waves all season and I know that prescious few moments in my kiting season are actually wave driven riding. I dont bag on the guys around here on twintips, but I sure as hell know what it is that I'm after when I'm out there, and as much as possible its not kiting in waves though to say Im surfing would also be misrepresentation.

There is a general consensus so far and thats pretty much that 10m is max for decent wave kiting for the average weight rider. Heavy guys gotta go bigger, light guys can get away with smaller, but apart from a few people talking about big ol light wind kites, the overwhelming answer is that 10m is about as big as you can go and still have a fast enough kite with enough power shut off to really surf waves well with a kite.

[Peter_Frank]

Well said/written Brent and I agree fully

Peter

[plummet]

News flash. If your standing on a board (any board) and that board is on a wave face your riding the wave... thus its wave riding.

Well, no not really. The difference is pretty simple and if you cant see it, well its not anyones problem but your own.

Your approach kind of reminds me of what the vast majority of kiters do. That is eat crap out there all day and call it filet mignon! Riding the wave with a kite is pretty much an art, and to debase it by saying that everyone out there is doing it is misrepresentation. The thing is that you actually have to do it to know that everything you did before was just kiting in waves. Many never reach that level and fail to understand the difference for lack of context. Call them zeolots or whatever you want, but I call it a paradigm shift. Once you get a taste of something better, well, you know its better and you simply want more of it. I ride around in wind driven waves all season and I know that prescious few moments in my kiting season are actually wave driven riding. I dont bag on the guys around here on twintips, but I sure as hell know what it is that I'm after when I'm out there, and as much as possible its not kiting in waves though to say Im surfing would also be misrepresentation.

There is a general consensus so far and thats pretty much that 10m is max for decent wave kiting for the average weight rider. Heavy guys gotta go bigger, light guys can get away with smaller, but apart from a few people talking about big ol light wind kites, the overwhelming answer is that 10m is about as big as you can go and still have a fast enough kite with enough power shut off to really surf waves well with a kite.

hehe.... your blinkers are firmly in place. I know what you seek. That is to depower the kite so your feel no pull from it and have the wave provide the power and then you surf the wave as closely to a surfer as you possibly can. You then want to use the kite to power back upwind and start all over again.

Granted its a whole lot easier on a small kite. but not impossible on a big monster given the right conditions.

My 15m flysurfer is about the stupidest kite to use in the waves. but I've had some surreal super light wind sessions on butter smooth clean waves on that kite. You would tell me i'm not wave riding... however I know different.

ps While your standing on the beach with your 10m in your hand waiting for the wind to build stating its too light to "ride waves" i'll be riding them with a massive grin on my face with my 15m!

I'm in the process of making a skim board to go out in even lighter wind. with your blinkers on yourl tell me I can't possibly ride waves on a skim board.... I'll beg to differ there too. Sure the experience will be different to a surfer surfing a wave.... I simply don't care i'll be riding waves when others watch.