Power Kite Forum

Anyone use a SUP for learning on water?

nate76 - 5-3-2016 at 08:20 AM

I've got some friends looking to get into the water side of the sport, and I was wondering if there is any advantage to starting with a SUP? I was thinking it may help speed up the learning curve since you don't have to worry about staying afloat. But then I've never been on a SUP, so I don't know if you are actually gaining anything, or just trading one frustration for another.

Costco is carrying SUP's this year, getting them into the semi-affordable range (~$400), and I'm sure they'll start cropping up on craigslist. Just curious if anyone has any experience and if it might be worth taking a look at?

ssayre - 5-3-2016 at 08:29 AM

I don't kitesurf so take this with a grain of salt. I'm guessing a sup board would be so slow and hard to transition being so long that I'm guessing it would be equally (if not more frustrating) than learning on a kite board. I wouldn't think you would learn much other than kite control which you can do on land. I would start them off with a trainer and longboard on land to gain sailing and kite knowledge then start on regular kiteboard on water. with lessons and all that stuff

bobalooie57 - 5-3-2016 at 08:41 AM

There was a video of (I think) Steffen Born riding an SUP with his NASA Star flying off the bar.

ssayre - 5-3-2016 at 08:57 AM

here is one with kite board


And one with sup





I know, I'm kind of a born-kite nerd. Bobalooie started it though :)

abkayak - 5-3-2016 at 09:19 AM

Sups and kites will work but as a general statement it's for folks who are already accoplished kiteboarders ...Their is little edging and no rudder so downwinders are easy but cutting across the wind is tuff and getting upwind harder...trainer, lesson and time in is better spent $$$
IMO

skimtwashington - 5-3-2016 at 10:21 AM

This kite hits the water with more than a glancing light tap... likely game over. :(

...Reel it in and paddle (uh-ohh.. Paddle??) in to shore, and launch again from dry shore...

Backpack w/collapsible paddle or way to strap some small paddle to SUP for emergency...?

Wet 'single skin' will shake off and get up much easier than foil.

A Friend has a SUP so I am likely to do a short line 'ss' kite on it, actually.

Don't know what a better fin set up could do for little better tracking straight across or upwind..

Randy - 5-3-2016 at 01:50 PM

I've been trying various kites and setups with a SUP for a while, but mainly because I like to experiment. If you check on kiteboating, I have links to my videos showing it all. I've tried kites with an SUP on short lines and had some fun with that. I've never tried kite surfing. My guess is that there might be some small benefit in using the SUP first method, but probably taking lessons and getting the right gear in the first place is a much quicker path to success. I certainly would not try kitesurfing myself w.o taking lessons first.

I didn't go the SUP route with an eye to going into kitesurfing, but rather as a way of making SUP more interesting and to find more ways to use kites. There are very few feasible launches in my area for kitesurfing, so I've not seen much point in that route (esp. since I've windsurfed for 20 years and have plenty of gear and experience). As it turns out, I live very close to a river where the current opposes the prevailing winds, so downiwnders are quite easy and can be pretty fun. Bottom line - I'd save my money and take lessons if kitesurfing was my ultimate goal. A lot of people like SUP since they don't have to wait for the wind, and have plenty of access almost anywhere. I'm pretty sure its now a much bigger sport than all of kiting/windsurfing combined.


nate76 - 5-3-2016 at 08:33 PM

Thanks for the replies; some good points to think about. Didn't really think about the edging/lack of rudder. For some reason I was thinking they had fins to aid directional control.

Might be something I still kick around; I've got kids who would love to have something like that to horse around on, and I thought it might be something that I could also use as a filler when winds are really light. I like having the whole family along, so if they had something to play with, and something I could maybe experiment with in lighter winds with no worries of staying afloat, I thought it could maybe be fun. I think I've seen some videos of guys using HQ Hydras with SUPs as well.

Bladerunner - 5-3-2016 at 09:57 PM

After kite skills learning to get up and going and then edging to get upwind are the hardest to learn.

I am with the folks who say to spend the money on lessons. THEY will speed everything up !

Fooling around with the kite and SUP may help with kite control but it will do little to teach board skills. or WATER SAFETY !

Randy - 6-3-2016 at 06:01 AM

Quote: Originally posted by nate76  
Thanks for the replies; some good points to think about. Didn't really think about the edging/lack of rudder. For some reason I was thinking they had fins to aid directional control.

Might be something I still kick around; I've got kids who would love to have something like that to horse around on, and I thought it might be something that I could also use as a filler when winds are really light. I like having the whole family along, so if they had something to play with, and something I could maybe experiment with in lighter winds with no worries of staying afloat, I thought it could maybe be fun. I think I've seen some videos of guys using HQ Hydras with SUPs as well.


SUP do have a fin to help with tracking . I've only seen a few really expensive ones (used for racing, I think) with rudders for steering.

SUP can be fun for family and friends. If you live near the coast with waves, you can surf them, apparently, much easier than using a regular surfboard.

Windstruck - 6-3-2016 at 06:06 AM

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre  
here is one with kite board


And one with sup





I know, I'm kind of a born-kite nerd. Bobalooie started it though :)


There's something really bizarre at the end of the first video when Kerstin (Steffen's wife) heads out for a little swim with the kite to pull her around. That was just strange! :lol:

volock - 6-3-2016 at 08:40 AM

I've SUPed upriver when the wind is right,so I don't have to paddle upriver/shuttle for getting in as long of a ride. Used an LEI that packed down small, and strapped it to the boat (packed up) when I got to the point I wanted and paddled down. I tied the paddle to the SUP for the trip, though used it as a rudder at a couple points. My board edged better than I expected.

I've not gotten to testing it out with a small LEI on a lake enough to weigh in on that, will update when I do. I'm thinking underpowered it's most doable, or using it for offshore wind, in surfing waves. I'm hoping to make crosswind, more than upwind. SUP board I'd not recommend for a learning process, but can be fun in low wind. Kind of like if I had windsurfing gear, I'd consider a big floaty board for screwing around on during low wind.

For the record, the board I have is a Boardworks Badfisher... Which I love for fishing (and general screwing around going down white water). It's a bit too big/wide/"stable" to river surf, but it's a fun board I got for an amazing steal as it was a factory second (color is slightly blemished/off, uniform across the board, but not what it should be).

Randy - 6-3-2016 at 11:49 AM

Sean and Steve - those videos (and the similar Hydra one) are what started me down this road to ruin.:D Kind of like a gateway drug into the world of NPW kites.

chris - 6-3-2016 at 12:08 PM

Going upwind will require some work with a smaller kite. Downwinders all day long. Paddling upwind first is recommended. It will teach (surf) board skills.

Proletariat - 14-3-2016 at 05:25 PM

Hey Nate, for that price, you can get a REALLY nice used kiteboard. Speaking as a newly minted novice kiteboarder, the skills that you'd build kiteboarding from a SUP wouldn't really be that helpful kiteboarding. Plus there's the issue of the JIBE.

We are going up to Big Mac soon. You should gather your buddies and come up. I'd also HIGHLY suggest a lesson. Unfortunately, there is no shortcut for the learning process on water. My kite skills are rock solid and I still went dozens of times without ever really riding (until I took a lesson).

That being said, it might be kinda fun to try SUPing with a tiny kite, but I think they call that foiling, so why go halfway. :)

nate76 - 14-3-2016 at 08:04 PM

Let me know when you are thinking of going up to Big Mac. I'll be looking to do a multi-day trip next week; days are a little flexible. Was planning on trying to get out to Snow Mesa, but if snow conditions are bad, I would consider a lake trip.

I've already got a kiteboard and have been kiting on water for a few years; I was more thinking whether there would be any advantage to trying to get a friend started on a SUP so he doesn't have to worry about battling to stay out of the water. Then there is the fun factor of having the SUP for the family and just to try something different.

I think everybody is right though - not really translatable to regular kiteboarding.

We'll def need to get out for some water riding this spring/summer with Jeff. I've got some buddies chomping at the bit to try water kiting as well. Mac can be a great place if the winds cooperate.

br44 - 15-3-2016 at 05:31 PM

I doubt you can find anyone who learned on a SUP. I happened to try once in lighter winds with a large, SUP-like windsurfing board during the same week when I learned how to ride with a TT. Paradoxically, it seemed much harder. The kite provided little pull, so it was a challenge to keep my balance (compared with windsurfing, where the rig is a very helpful counterweight). Then I got going but downwind only, so I had to stop quickly as I had not planned for a downwinder.
But if you have a SUP board, then by all means try it with a kite.