Power Kite Forum

Kite Surfing vs Wake Boarding

bwebb78 - 17-6-2009 at 06:22 AM

Hi Everyone, I'm a newbie to Kite-Surfing, just found and getting interested in the sport. About to buy a traction trainer kite, with the goal of getting to Kite-Surfing quick..

I grew up water skiing, and only tried wakeboarding once, and wasn't able to get up.. (I was also heavier then)

Can someone compare/contrast the differences between getting up out of the water (wakeboarding and kite surfing)and boarding for longer time periods (wakeboarding and kite surfing)

When I was skiing after about 10 minutes, my arms and legs were cooked and would need a short break before skiing again.. (Arms/Legs i guess just weren't used to it, because I didn't ski everyday..)

Thanks for any input!!

PHREERIDER - 17-6-2009 at 06:42 AM

QUICK, hmmm

find 40 hours of good coniditions and you are there , but to do this quick you'll need to be in rock solid shape.

i know what you mean with the cooked arms skiing and being heavier

10 hours with the trainer at the end of that you should be able to fly it blind if not keep flying.

GO to hatteras jump into it with an instructor. a day (8 hours) with more kite in coniditions for learning

the better you are in shape the faster and longer you can work at it .

wrestling in the water/surf with a kite dragging around and doing open water relaunches it will test you. if you are not use to it you will only be able to do 30min . and be totally smoked ...so 40 hours is a long way away

be patient work with the trainer

or if you got the time and the $ go hang at Cabarette for a couple months and you will be set.

it gets better

PHREERIDER - 17-6-2009 at 06:48 AM

oh yeah failed to mention

this is a balancing board sport , nuture this component and it will go smoother when time to add the board

get an indo board or something like it

bwebb78 - 17-6-2009 at 06:50 AM

Phreerider, Thanks for the response.. I'm in pretty good shape now... Of course, could be in better shape.. ;)

I'm a cyclist, and doing a couple triathlons this summer.. My endurance is very high, where it wasn't when I was younger and skiing..

What's Cabarette?

Is getting out of the water the same for kite surfing and wakeboarding?

bwebb78 - 17-6-2009 at 06:51 AM

balancing board sport? indo board?

BeamerBob - 17-6-2009 at 07:08 AM

I've got hundreds of hours with various kites, I've gotten lots of experience with the buggy and while I still have lots to learn, I can make the kite take me anywhere I want to go now and speed doesn't scare me since I can get rid of it. I have been a waterskier, wakeboarder, barefooter for over 30 years. I've been looking at the water lately and have gotten some kites suitable for that and have done the body dragging side for 3 sessions now. I see the possible pitfalls of using the kite in the water and with a good float plan, I'm ready at my next opportunity to ride something on the water. In teaching people to both waterski and wakeboard, I have only had 1 person I couldn't teach to waterski out of maybe 200 in my lifetime. However more than half that try wakeboarding don't make it the first or even second session. The balancing board thing that Phreerider mentions is a very difficult concept for many that aren't used to being towed by something. There is a sequence of balancing acts that you must do to come out of the water and plane off, and as you found behind the boat, isn't completely intuitive. Add to that difficulty that you are also trying to extract your power from a kite that you are having to control and it is easy to be overwhelmed with the kite, the board or both. When I learned to buggy, I remember after my first 2 sessions that I had forgotten to use over half of my kite flying skills. Moving across the ground was sensory overload. I'm sure the same thing happens when kiteboarding but its worse because you have to plane off AND stay that way while you control the power from the kite and take the board in the direction you want to go. Quick might not be in the cards but Phreeriders system could work if you get good with the kite, and are fit and athletic enough to "get" the board thing.

PHREERIDER - 17-6-2009 at 07:10 AM

Cabarette is in the Dom. Republic. huge kiting scene esp for learning just blows 20mph all the time.

the whole riding thing is about balancing

like riding your bike with no hands in a resting position. it all about balance

like skate boarding it is a balancing board sport.

indo board http://www.indoboard.com/

bwebb78 - 17-6-2009 at 07:26 AM

Thanks guys!! thanks for the information on the indo board, I've seen people using them at the Y.. And I've used it a couple times for the heck of it.. Standing on it, and doing dumbell excercises.. I've got the balance down on the bike.. I can coast or peddle without hands on the bars.

BeamerBob, Thanks for the input.. ;) Yes, skiing is very easy, and snow skiing is easy too.. wakeboarding, I've only tried it once and didn't get up, then went back to skiis.. Staying with the comfort level.. ;)

I plan on putting many hours with a trainer kite.. with my stunt kite experience, Sunday when I flew my first 4 line kite (the Scout 4) I flew it with ease with figure eights and having fun in the power zone..

One question that I still have, wake boarding vs kite surfing.. with the wake board, the boat is on the water, so it's pulling (thru the wake board) With the kite and the air, is the initial force similar (pulling thru the board?) or is the kite pulling (up, out of the water?)

PHREERIDER - 17-6-2009 at 07:38 AM

both! twin vector of pull

after you have progressed to the harness then things will be clearer to you

snobdr - 17-6-2009 at 08:25 AM

the kite does have some upward pull but is still pulling you through the board. If you have the chance try wakeboarding again. it will help alot in the whole scheme of things.
If you want to learn quick, get good with the trainer, Head to hatteras and go for lessons, Will be worth every penny. Youll get the most water time possible, instructors following you on jetskis, and the perfect place to learn.
I wouldnt worry too much about getting cooked, the kite is pulling through your harness and not your arms, and you seem to have good leg strength.

macboy - 17-6-2009 at 10:16 PM

Yeah, you'll definitely click once you're hooked in with a harness. Finally this winter (snowkiting) I learned how to lean HARD against the power and use the depower to hold me there - letting the bar out if I feel a surge of power, pulling it in if it felt like I was gonna fall over sideways from leaning too hard against a lack of power. I think that's the balancing act being referred to. All the kiteboarders I've seen are damn near sitting on the water surface when they are powered up nicely. I'd guess it's a combination of leaning against the kite and using the bar to keep everything in check.

I did manage to get up on a wakeboard last summer and though not intuitive at first, if you can break it down into a sequence it should be the same with the kite. the only difference really being that as soon as you're planing (or nearly as soon) you need to carve away from the kite. Behind a boat you could just keep heading straight behind the boat. The sequence for me was:
1) Power up either by yelling "Hit It!" to the boat driver or by dropping your kite down into the powerzone;
2) Use your legs and hips to rotate the board and point it at the kite (or the boat) while at the same time allowing your body to "roll" up out of the water onto the board.

You're on your own from there :lol: I couldn't carve out of the wake heelside to save my life but shot off toeside no problem and coulda rode out there for days. Need to do some pretty serious work on the whole switch thing.

I too am hoping to turn these assumptions of mine into first hand knowledge this summer - hit the lake yesterday to help me mentally prepare (and to make sure the wife and baby would be OK hanging out for an afternoon ; )

macboy - 17-6-2009 at 10:18 PM

Oh, and by the way - it's a ton of fun flying "static" chest deep in water. Good practice too since you'll surely crash the kite or overfly it and luff forcing you to learn the water relaunch. Plus you might just find yourself airborne because you will be able to hold that much more power. It's fun when you realize "hey....I'm not in the water anymore......"

BeamerBob - 18-6-2009 at 03:56 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by macboy

The sequence for me was:
1) Power up either by yelling "Hit It!" to the boat driver or by dropping your kite down into the powerzone;
2) Use your legs and hips to rotate the board and point it at the kite (or the boat) while at the same time allowing your body to "roll" up out of the water onto the board.


That is exactly my experience Mac. It's the roll up on the board that gets everyone. They either do it too early and go out the front or don't do it at all. The board planes off and they are skipping on their backside behind the board. :spin: I tell everyone that says they want to wakeboard that it is much easier if you already know how to ski. They always want to skip that beginner/intermediate step. Sound familiar? :rolleyes: