Windsurfing versus Kitesurfing

[BelSkorpio]

I've recently met an old windsurf buddy.
He's been kitesurfing now for almost 10 years and he said something remarkable:

"The last couple of years, kite surfing has become a lot safer because of the depowering facility of modern kites, but even to this day, each time when I go out, I feel nervous, thinking about the dangers that are involved with this sport. There is no way I would dare to use still a kite older than 5 years. I can't understand that I ever took the risk using these older type of kite."


It makes you wonder, not ?

on my beach, when the seas get messy and the wind is post 25knts, not many windsurfers dare go out. yet, thats when there is most fun to be had and thats when kiteboarding wins. on small chop, i prefer to windsurf and go blasting. why the debate? i recomend both sports - live a little and stop being a windsurf or kitesurf biggot...

[Farlo]

Fully agree, however the fun is not always there. Despite heavy flood and storm in the South of France, a dozen of kitesurfers went out and had to be rescued, forcing other people to risk their lives.

From the news today:

Sur le littoral, la préfecture maritime de la Méditerranée rappelle à la prudence en mer: "malgré les nombreux appels à la vigilance (...), le Crossmed et les services départementaux d'incendie et de secours ont coordonné une dizaine d'opérations de sauvetage impliquant des kitesurfeurs sur les côtes méditerranéennes", regrette la préfecture maritime.

"Si toutes se sont heureusement bien terminées, elles ont nécessité l'intervention de nombreux sauveteurs qui parfois sont obligés de prendre des risques pour accomplir leurs missions", ajoute-t-elle.

Agree with unreg sentiments about having a go at both sports and not criticising either but not with his mechanics of windsurfing v kitesurfing..

My observation of it has been that once its really windy (35 knots +) windsurfers are again coping/sailing easier than kiters.. I`ve seen strong Tromontanes in Leucate area literally blow all kiters off water..Wherea the windsurfers are out sort of still coping... (However there are kiters down there with 6 metre kites going out in anything but seems to me on kites that size they have very little range. )

kiter kook: stay off my wave if i am about to - or already going down the line. I have no respect for any windsurfer or kiter flat water kooks that show up at the beach and just get in the way. Learn the rules. You have no clue. go forth and die.

I tried to learn windsurfing several times and just couldnt get past
The uphaul stage. Finally I tried kiting. The first 2 weeks were tough
But suddenly i could kite. Now im addicted. Sold all the windsurf gear.

Now i've kited in many areas around the world and one thing
That's obvious: there are a LOT more kiters than windsurfers out there.
Maybe 20 times more. The people have voted and kiting has won.

[davide]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I tried to learn windsurfing several times and just couldnt get past
The uphaul stage ... The people have voted and kiting has won.

You can always count on finding somebody who wants to "win" instead of just enjoying what he does. Unfortunately "Unregistered" post is actually quite typical of the attitude of many kiters who seem to relish the idea of "winning" over windsurfing. It would be just pathetically juvenile if it wasn't the same attitude behind the failed attempt to kick windsurfing out of the Olympics. An attempt that actually backfired and put kites out of the Olympics for the foreseeable future.

[davide]

Originally Posted by BelSkorpio

I've recently met an old windsurf buddy.
He's been kitesurfing now for almost 10 years and he said something remarkable:

"The last couple of years, kite surfing has become a lot safer because of the depowering facility of modern kites, but even to this day, each time when I go out, I feel nervous, thinking about the dangers that are involved with this sport. There is no way I would dare to use still a kite older than 5 years. I can't understand that I ever took the risk using these older type of kite."

What is interesting is that the whole industry and kite community are in active denial of the risks associated with kiting. And the quote by the kiter above is a refrain one hears very often: now equipment is so much safer.

The realty is that the sport is very dangerous. This year alone I am counting 5 people dead just by doing a quick search on google

http://www.phuketgazette.net/archive...icle16080.html
http://articles.kwch.com/2012-08-06/...arder_33039325
http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/ki...206-1r0oi.html
http://www.surfertoday.com/kiteboard...-suttons-beach
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/...-from-pacific/

there have been probably more, plus two killed, probably after getting in trouble, by sharks

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/ne...led-by-/nL3Sd/
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news...ectid=10727525

and who knows what large number of serious accidents happen every year (e.g. http://www.lecceprima.it/cronaca/inc...obre-2012.html).

[Ken]

Kiting simply appeals to the younger crowd more than windsurfing. It has that "exciting visual appeal" which as it turns out is easier to learn, so a teenager or young adult is more apt to be drawn to the sport than windsurfing. Windsurfing also seem to cater to the "older generation" which I am sure is a turn off for any 20 something kid.

Risk taking doesn't' matter much to the younger crowd. Just look at all the extreme sports and kiting is pretty mild in comparison to many.

I am too old to add a new sport, plus after watching kiters on lakes and bays since the beginning, the appeal of working/cutting upwind for 90% of the day just for a few jumps does little to interest me. Of course, the better you get, you can throw in some aerial moves for excitement, but I am simply not interested.

Now that "course kiteboards" are in style, at least one can sail around the lake/bay with a lot less effort.

Kind of like skiing and snowboarding. In the powder, boarding looks great, but on the groomers or bumps (actually I rarely see boards in the bumps), 95% of the boarders just slide down the hill with little edging or real carving, and to me, it doesn't look like fun. Terrain parks and jumping on boards does look cool, but also on skis for those into risk taking.

well living up north in the cold, I really have second thoughts about those kiters.

I see grown up men in wetsuits wearing board shorts OUTSIDE on their wetsuits.

I guess that says everything about kiters