Kitesurfing equipment – GearGuide

Kitesurfing has seen an enormous growth in recent years. When kitesurfing the kiter rides a small board with a kite attached to his waist. The weight of the surfer and the wind determine which kite is needed.

The lift effect of the kite is especially characteristic of kitesurfing. High jumps are therefore no exceptions. So how do you buy a kitesurf set? To simplify the search, we have put options to consider together for you.

Subjects:

• Kites
• Riding Styles
• Kiteboards
• Wetsuits
• Harnesses
• Terminology

Kites

If you start your search for a kite you will quickly notice that there is still quite a lot to choose. As a beginner, you are looking for a kite with a lot of “depower” (meaning you can regulate the amount of power in your kite) and that makes it possible to restart relatively easily from the water. An advanced kiter has completely different wishes. So this varies depending on skill level.

Tube kites

Tubekites are by far the most used kites for kitesurfing. They get their strength through an inflatable frame (type of inner tube). The airframe gives the kite its shape and through it becomes sturdy or firm enough. The airframe keeps kites floating very well on the water and they are therefor quite easy to ‘relaunch’.

Tube kites:

• C-Kites
• Bow-Kites
• SLE Kites
• Delta Kites
• Sigma-Kites
• Hybrid Kites

C-Kites

The name ‘C-kite’ says it all, these kites have the shape of a C. The C-kite (also LEI; Leading Edge Inflatable) is the classic ‘tube-kite’. Most kites have 4 lines that are attached directly to the kite. Some models have a 5th line in the middle of the Leading Edge. This makes ‘relaunching’ on the water even easier.

This kite has lost a lot of ground in recent years to the SLE and BOW kites. Most brands still keep a model in their assortment. Nowadays the C-kites already have more depower than before and therefore are a lot safer.

Image: C-Kite North Vegas

Bow-Kites

The Bow kite is similar to the SLE kite (see below). The BOW kite has a negative trailing edge. The backward curved wing tips (“sweep”) provide more depower, a flatter stable kite and steers quickly and directly. The leading edge is supported by a bridle (a collection of ropes that connects the kite with the lines.)

Image: Bow-Kite Cabrinha Switchblade

SLE-Kites

Just like with Bow-kites, the Leading Edge is supported by a bridle, that also preserve the shape of the LE. SLE (Supported Leading Edge) kites have been developed to achieve greater safety. SLE kites are more efficient in shape than the ordinary C-shapes, and therefore provide more power per square meter of cloth.

An extra advantage is that this type of kite has a large wind range. It seems that these kites, together with the BOW kite, take the upper hand compared to the classic C-shape kite. In comparison with the BOW kite, a SLE kite has a straight trailing edge.

Image: SLE-Kites North Rebel

Delta-Kites

This is a C-kite that looks like a Delta. Especially on the kite is that it automatically reboots after a crash on the leading edge. Result of this design: large wind range, good low-end, reduced Aspect-Ratio so you can sail the kite a size smaller than the same size BOW-kite. A lot of kit manufacturers now offer this type in addition to the Bow / SLE.

Image: Delta-Kite F-One Bandit 6

Sigma-Kites

Manufacturer Robbie Naish (Naishkites) has been coming out with a special kite for several years now. The Leading Edge has a Sigma shape. There is a kink in the LE and trailing edge. This will restart the kite better. Because of the shape the force can also be traced further, because it should result in a larger wind range.

Image: Sigma-Kite Naish Bolt

Hybrid-Kites

Originally, the hybrid kite was a kite that can be flown both as C-shape and as BOW / SLE. Actually, only the Takoon FURIA was a hybrid. You can “convert” it from SLE to C (with 5th line). Nowadays people call everything that can not be placed in the pure categories Bow, SLE, C-kite, Delta C kite, “hybrid kites”

Foil kites

Foilkites (also called mattresses or ram-air kites) fill themselves with air, like for example, a parachute fills itself with air. By using ingenious check valves, no water enters the kite after it has been poured on the water, for example.

_{Image: Peter Lynn Hornet II arc-foil kite}

The two biggest differences between foilkites are that there are types with lanes (‘bridle’) and types without lines. Kites of the latter type have the fixing points for the lines directly at the ends of the kite.

Foil kites:

• Arc-foil kites
• Tomed-foil kites

Arc-foil Kites

These kites look like they are in the air, strongly on the classic tube kites. They have the same inverted U-shape and the 4 lines are also directly attached to the kite. Instead of a single canvas with inflatable frame, this is a double cloth. (mattress). At the bottom are 2 carbon poles that keep the sides in shape.

Bridle-foil Kites

Again, this is a mattress flyer. This uses a complex bridle. This keeps the kite in shape and, just like a BOW / SLE kite, it is much flatter on the wind, so that more power per surface is developed.

Image: Flysurfer Speed 3

Riding Styles

Matching the kite to your riding style and conditions:

Freestyle

A riding style that is characterized by the wide variety of tricks. C-Kites are the standard in this branch. In 2007, the hybrid kites also evolved according to the wishes of the different freestylers.

Speed

Here, hybrid and bow kites are preferred, simply because with these kites you can determine the strength yourself, such as windsurfing. If you are active on land / snow before, then you should opt for a high-quality powerkite as they are lighter and faster.

Wakestyle

Kitesurfing with a lot of power in the kite. The kite is generally kept very low and the tricks are mostly pulled out; power tricks or speed moves. For this kind of jumps you do not send the kite up to fly high. You keep the kite low and use the pressure under your board to turn down hard. These kinds of tricks are fast and short and landings are hard.

Kiteboards

Er zijn verschillende typen kiteboards. De meest voorkomende zijn de twin-tip, de wake-style, het racing-board en het wave- of surfboard. Het gebruik hangt af waarvoor en binnen welke categorie het board word gebruikt. Alle kiteboard types variëren per discipline. Veel kiters hebben meerdere boards en kiezen al naar gelang de condities van die dag.

Twin-tip boards

Dit is het meest voorkomende type board. Dit is een multi-purpose board en kan worden gebruikt in verschillende omstandigheden. Een twin-tip board is gelijk aan beide uiteinden en heeft doorgaans foot-pads met voetbanden. Twin-tip kiteboards kunnen in beide richtingen worden gebruikt, gezien de identieke voor en achterkant en vereisen dus geen jibe-to-switch stand. Deze boards zijn goed voor big air en wake-style tricks, maar worden ook vaak gekozen door beginners.

Afbeelding: Brunotti Onyx Twin-Tip kiteboard

Wake-style boards

Het grootste verschil tussen de twin-tip en de wake-style kiteboards, zijn de bindingen. De maat en shape van het board verschillen nauwelijks, echter de bindingen die worden gebruikt op een wake-style kiteboard komen overeen met die van wakeboards. Daar worden ze “boot” genoemd. Dit is een soft schoen die om de voet past. Deze boards zijn geschikt voor de meer ervaren riders die van aggresieve wake-style tricks houden.

_{Afbeelding: Slingshot Wake-Style kiteboard}

Race boards

Door de vorm en het ontwerp is een race board goed aan de wind te varen. Kiteboard racing wordt binnen een parcours gedaan. Daarvoor is het nodig boards te gebruiken die goed aan de wind te varen zijn. Mede door een speciaal vin-systeem en het ontwerp van het board.

_{Afbeelding: North Race LTD kiteboard}

Wave boards

De meeste boards die zijn ontworpen voor golven hebben dezelfde vorm als de de reguliere golfsurf boards (gewoonlijk short-boards). Deze kite specifieke surfboards zijn een stuk smaller doordat de ‘pull’ van de kite komt in plaats van de ‘push’ van de golven. Wake-style riders zullen het waveboard voorzien van bindingen. Sommige kiters gebruiken zelfs reguliere golfsurf boards in plaats van kite specifieke wave boards.

Afbeelding: RRD Wave Toxic 2 kiteboard

Light Wind boards

De meerderheid van boards die zijn ontworpen voor weinig wind hebben een vergroot drijfvermogen en zijn groter om het gebrek aan wind te compenseren. Deze grotere boards zorgen ervoor dat de boards eerder gaan planeren al blijft het een uitdaging bij kiten met weinig wind. Over het algemeen zijn de ‘light wind’ boards ontworpen in de twin-tip categorie, al zijn er ook wave-boards met meer drijfvermogen voor weinig wind.

Afbeelding: Litewave Wing light wind kiteboard

Wetsuits

In België en Nederland wordt er zelden zonder wetsuits gekite. Het risico van onderkoeling is zelfs in de zomer groot als je lang in zee komt te liggen. Bijvoorbeeld doordat je kite kapot is gegaan terwijl je ver uit de kust bent, of als de wind wegvalt.

Afbeelding: Gust Len10 Longarm Shorty 3/2 mm

Meer over wetsuits vind je in de Wetsuit GearGuide.