Hi everyone,

I am hoping to get some feedback on a post I wrote last week about the differences of windsurfing and kitesurfing. I want to get a thorough and objective comparison so any feedback would be appreciated.

howtowindsurf101.com/windsurfing-vs-kitesurfing/

Let me know if you agree and if no t with what.

A very thorough comparison between the two. The Safety topic is paramount although maybe a mention of the interaction (sailing the same spot) of the two sports on the water as it is probably one of the biggest issues windsurfers have with Kiters and no doubt vice versa.

I think this article gives a very fair approximation of the two sports.
It also summarises why i wouldn't take up kiting despite loving to fly two line and three line kites. Kiting is more expensive in the long run due to less durable gear. I also can't launch a kite by myself safely and being able to pop down to the local yacht club, get out my gear and go is a very important part of windsurfing to me.
Safety however, is my absolute biggest problem with kiting. Just yesterday when i was down at swan bay there was a massive gust that came through (It was 30knots and the gust was 55+ knots) and the two windsurfers that were out just turned upwind, dropped their sails in the water and waited the gust out but the kite boarders ended up 500m downwind before they both dropped their kites, which ended up another kilometre down the shore. (They were both fine and swam back).
I see too little a margin for error in kitesurfing and when errors are made they tend to end up being big errors, whether they be in the evaluation of the conditions or the kiters personal skill level or just putting the kite in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The only things that kiting has going for it in my eyes is the shallow draught that they have meaning more sailing in shallower water. Its also a lot more portable which means cheaper holidays to windy places.

Thanks for the feedback guys!

I am sure that kitesurfing will still get somewhat safer as it is still in the early stages (consider how much windsurfing has evolved from its birth in the 70s). However there is probably a definite limit as to how safe it can get without having to give up the gear (although releasing your gear only gets your own life out of danger but can put others who are downwind at risk).

Anyways, thanks for the feedback!

That's a pretty balanced article as far as it goes.

I think you are correct when you say safety is the big issue with kiting but I disagree when you imply that it is mainly an issue with newbies. Dragging and lofting accidents seem to happen to kiters of all levels of experience. I also have my doubts about it getting much safer. It seems to be mainly an issue of disconnecting from the kite in a timely fashion when things go pear shaped. All the kit is already there to enable that but it doesn't help people think quickly. The other thing is that errant kites will keep bashing into the water/beach at speed due to mishandling. That raises issues with denial of access to public beaches but I guess that's not not what you are concerned about.

Crowding is also an issue with kiting but again that's outside the pov of the article.

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TheSailingMoose said..
It also summarises why i wouldn't take up kiting despite loving to fly two line and three line kites.

So if you have not tried it and are unwilling to do so, your comments about kitesurfing are totally irrelevant. You have a negative bias that clouds your comments. Never seen anyone injured windsurfing? Your not looking very hard.

I do both windsurfing and kitesurfing (badly). Windsurfing since the early 90's and in my 4th season of kiting.
So far this season I've had 25 windsurfing and 18 kitesurfing sessions.

After windsurfing for so long, kitesurfing offers a refreshing change when there are no waves. Rather than BAFing (Backwards And Forwarding) in average conditions, kiting gets me out on the water boosting and doing tricks not possible on a windsurfer, and in lighter winds as well.

Recent (reported) kitesurfing injuries and fatalities have been to experienced kiters who have forgotten the basic safety rules given to them when they learnt. No obstacles 100m down wind and don't go out in directly on or off shore winds.
Kiting does require you to do a more in depth assessment of conditions before going out, but new safety systems (if used) make kiting very safe. Going out in conditions with 20 knot gusts is not fun on either a windsurfer or kite, but I'll agree that I would rather be on a windsurfer.

BTW, what size sail where you using in 30 knots. I'm usually in survival mode on a 3.5 and 75 ltr wave board. It's not fun.

Do what gives you the stoke, and don't knock others for finding theirs elsewhere. Unfortunately there are d!ckheads in both sports. Don't tar them all with the same brush.

Got back from 2 days wave sailing up the mid west and still loving my windsurfing. Just get out on the water and enjoy it.

Mabey a bit off topic ,I gave kiting a couple of seasons before swapping to windsurfing,still got my kites,mabey ill try again later.my point is when on forums asking for advice the kiters generally were pretty abusive and intolerant,windsurfers on the other hand have been extremely helpfull apart from the odd smartarse,mabey it was because of the higher level of saftey required for kiting,mabey its just cultural

3:28 - not fake, this is real . . .

A 3 poster from Spain pops up and you guys bite!

I think your being played as fools

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Sputnik11 said..

3:28 - not fake, this is real . . .

?rel=0

23M kite. Thats rather large. We dont see too many of those around.

Im a windsurfer that taught my self to kite in the last 2 years or so. Its not that dangerous. Just think is you gve a 15yr old kid a V8 ute with 400Kw at the wheels. But you gave the same car to a bloke over 30. Its the same thing as giving a kite to a person that doesn't understand the wind.

What stops the cars on the other side of the road from running into you?? OH yeah a thin white line, painted on the ground. Thats safe??

Isn't windsurfing awesome and kiting like swinging around on your Hills Hoist in the backyard?!

Jfunk,

I'm, doing the swap-over right now. I'll give you an objective answer in about 3 months.

you forgot to mention that kites are good for filming Kevin Pritchard in "Tourists of the Sea"

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WindmanV said..

Jfunk,

I'm, doing the swap-over right now. I'll give you an objective answer in about 3 months.

I am only having a joke windman, I have tried kiting, but much prefer windsurfing, but that is just my view, so its irrelevant. All that matters is that we are all out there having fun.

I was sailing at a local lake yesterday and saw the kite surfers self launching their kites using a harness connected to a tow bar of a car and thought that was a brilliant idea. A similar idea could be applied for popular Kiting spots in metro - Have some sort of anchor point in the ground (ie: a ground level concreted lug) so kiters can connect a harness line to it and make the area a kite launching/land area. Sorry if this is an old idea, but this is a safety feature that would be good to see at local beaches.

Sputnik11: I saw a similar video, and in the comments of this video, somebody mentioned for a kite to do this, it has to be modified. Not sure if this was the case in the video you posted ?

JN1,

Caribiner quick-connect to one of these (no need to modify the kite)

https://www.pcbkitesurf.com/store/product/kite-anchor-self-land-and-launch-tool/

thekitebuddy.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=2&zenid=aomfjumjfoj4ch38st1jvm0vu2

www.rapidanchor.com/The_Wombat.htm

Same for a car (search YouTube) as well as posts for sand-dune reclamation, but posts, fences and kites have some sort of magnetic attraction to one another, so caution would be the go.

JFunk,

That???s OK, thanks and no offence taken. I still remember that as a weekend warrior, it took me 13 months to nail planing gybes on a Bic Presto.

When kites came along, people who swapped over became competent kite surfers in 3 months (also weekend warriors) and they were on C kites, which were much harder to learn on than current kites.

Their planing changes-of-direction (they don???t call them gybes, like normal people) are one of the prettiest manoeuvres, particularly when done on water that???s only 100mm deep over a sand bar.

This bloke should've hitched a ride on an out-bound flight to Hawaii. Inbound was a bit pointless.

Sorry, I'm not sure how to embed a video or hyperlink it. EDIT: looks like the straight up link works fine.

Is that vid real or what? Did he kick the bucket?

Peter,

The collision with the plane was CGI.

At 2:06, this guy died:

1. First answer: kite terminology vs. windsurfing terminology.

If the kite has two attachment points on each wing for the steering lines = downhaul.

Bar movement up and down the centre line = sheeting out and sheeting in.

If the kite bar has a centre trim ratchet adjustment system = adjustable outhaul.

2. Sausage, people have taken the trouble to write an on-line book called The KiteSurfing Handbook. Lots of good info for newbies, like me. Rules of the sea apply as per the top section: http://kitesurfing-handbook.peterskiteboarding.com/safety/right-of-way-rules.

Trouble is, I don???t think many kiters know of these rules.

3. Lurking through various ks forums, it???s pretty clear that there are some aggressive, angry young men out there. Visiting similar ws forums, the agression and anger is just not present.

Just my opinion and not looking to start a debate.

I know one thing, it's really annoying trying to windsurf around kiters. They seem to be quite unpredictable. I've had kites come crashing down on me while sitting on the beach and right in front of me when out sailing. St Kilda Beach is absolutely overrun by kiters.

I started windsurfing almost 15years ago as a young grom and started kiting about 10years ago.

I still enjoy both, but if i was made to choose i would definitely windsurf.

It all comes down to where you live.

My previous home town is perfect for kiting.
Medium sea breezes, pretty much flat water and heaps of room.

Now i live in Sydney, i have one of the best metro wave sailing spots (i reckon anyway) in Australia, down the road and we get good strong wind.
So its windsurfing for me.

I think the biggest point that i haven't seen mentioned is the learning curve.

sure i had sailing and windsurfing knowledge on my side, but the time spent to get from entry level to water start/small board level was far longer, tougher and more expensive then the level it took me from first rolling out the kite to staying up wind and doing ****ty jumps.

Do what you enjoy and regardless of whether your on a pole or tea bag, give each other some room.

seeya out there.

Windman that looks like Florida storm front guy to me. He most definitely did not die, he was on TV some weeks after being a douchebag, saying he was awesome and would be out in the next storm. Typical seppo stuff.

before the windsurfers there were the surfers
somehow they managed to live together and share the wave
now there are surfers, windsurfers AND kiters on the waves
on the beaches and setup areas kiters and windsurfers also need to "live" together
as a windsurfer i smile and wave at the kiters
have rescued a kite board and that wreaked my windsurf session - NO PROBLEM

there are buggers/pricks everywhere - on the streets, sidewalks, stores, beaches and ON the water
some of them are kiters and some of them are windsurfers
luckily in my experience - they have been few and far between on the water

we are all looking for FUN and TOW
can we not learn to live together and SHARE the beauty, the wonder of it all ??
or perhaps i just need to increase my meds ??
maybe that will put a shine on things

at the very least - if someone makes a mistake or is in need - HELP THEM - don't just film it

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westozwind said..
So if you have not tried it and are unwilling to do so, your comments about kitesurfing are totally irrelevant. You have a negative bias that clouds your comments. Never seen anyone injured windsurfing? Your not looking very hard.

I may not have tried kiting directly but I have tried aspects of kiting (flying kites) and i know how much power they can generate in a split second.
And yes i know of and have seen people hurt when windsurfing but at least with windsurfing you aren't going to get lofted 30 meters into the air then dropped onto something hard.
Anyway, im not trying to start a debate. I just wouldn't take up kitesurfing same as some people wouldn't take up BASE jumping.

Not a fan of kitesurfing myself. I just feel its become the latest thing to be seen doing like having an iphone or saying Yolo and a lot of the people doing it have no idea about safety or the rules of the water. I'm sure there are plenty of guys that are fine as well, but i see a lot of kiters jumping into people or not staying in designated areas for them and therefore causing problems.
The tricks dont impress me because they have so much time to complete them, its like hanging off the hills hoist and doing 360 varials with your skateboard. ;)
To each thier own i guess.

Funny how some kiters say how sailboarding is for old men, because that's why I kite as it's lots easier on the old body. I stated sailboarding in the beginning of the 80's and gave it away when kites started in the late 90's and still suffer the damage of all the years sailboarding. I still think kiting is better under 20 knots and sailboarding is the go after that.
Alex

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joe windsurf said..

at the very least - if someone makes a mistake or is in need - HELP THEM - don't just film it

That's the beaut of a GoPro - you can do both at the same time.

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Hardcarve1 said..

Funny how some kiters say how sailboarding is for old men, because that's why I kite as it's lots easier on the old body. I stated sailboarding in the beginning of the 80's and gave it away when kites started in the late 90's and still suffer the damage of all the years sailboarding. I still think kiting is better under 20 knots and sailboarding is the go after that.
Alex

Makes perfect sense. I know an older guy (70+) who switched to kiting after many many years windsurfing. He won't go back to windsurfing, he says it's just too demanding. He is very cautious however, won't go out with a kite that's too big, doesn't jump, he understands the rules of sailing, and when the wind really kicks in he heads for the beach to enjoy a cold one!

One of the differences I see is kiter's rarely go out further than a few hundred metres from shore, sailing around so close to shore and needing people to launch and land seems to be real restrictions. Windsurfing seems to offer more freedom and independence ,

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cammd said..

One of the differences I see is kiter's rarely go out further than a few hundred metres from shore, sailing around so close to shore and needing people to launch and land seems to be real restrictions. Windsurfing seems to offer more freedom and independence ,

Kiters point higher upwind so they don't need to go out as far to make up ground.