The Similarities Between Kitesurfing and Surfing

Kitesurfing is a unique extreme sport in which the kiter utilizes the power of a giant kite with an equally massive strength to pull over water, snow or even dry land surface. It blends aspects of wakeboarding, paragliding, windsurfing, surfing and kiteboarding. This means that you are basically getting all three of these extreme sports in one go!

To learn to the proper equipment is imperative. A kitesurfing board has to be light in weight and strong enough to carry the kitesurfing rider. The kite harnesses are connected to the board by a collar, leash or strap. The rider is required to wear goggles to protect their eyes from wind and water and to have the appropriate protection for their ankles and wrists. Kite boarding gloves also come in handy in this case.

There are several kitesurfing resorts that are situated near beaches and water bodies like canyons and rivers. Surfing there is a great way to get a feel of what kitesurfing and surfing is all about without having to try it yourself at home. Many tourists who come to the country are surprised to see the similarities between surfing and kitesurfing. Both involve high speeds and large wakes and a lot of edging along the shore. However, kitesurfing features a much longer wavelength and smaller waves found in flat water.

Kite surfing is similar to wakeboarding in its concept, except for the way the rider is propelled. While wakeboarding, your movements are entirely powered by you arms and legs, kite boarding uses your torso instead. The difference is that the rider has more control over their movement because their legs are in the front and the body on the back. This is why riding in the ocean has the feel of a wave hitting the body and creating a wave as opposed to just a straight line across the water.

Since kitesurfing and surfing have many similarities, both require the use of a directional board. A directional board is one that provides assistance to the rider while they are in the air. Some of the common types of a directional board include a spinnaker and a foam wave. These types of boards have blades attached to them which bend as the rider moves into the airflow.

Kitesurfing and surfing will also use foam props on their boards. Foam props are used because it allows for a smoother ride when in the air than traditional boards that are made out of wood. Typically, the foam is blended with the wood of the board making it firmer in the middle and less noticeable on the water surface. Kitesurfing and surfing both use directional boards and foam props because it makes the rider feel like they are in an ocean.

Windsurfing and kitesurfing are similar in other ways too. Kitesurfing and surfing use kites with open ends that have little lips at the tips. The rider has to use these open ends to cut through the wind and gain speed or try to ride through it and make it go straight. Kitesurfing and windsurfing share the use of air cells on their boards and these air cells are made to give the rider a smoother ride.

Another similarity is that kitesurfing requires a much higher degree of skill from the rider. Kitesurfing requires a great deal of maneuverability, skill and requires that riders have a very efficient delivery of the board so that it gets the spins it needs to get on top of the water. Kitesurfing on a flat surface area takes much less power than when performing tricks and stunts on more vertical surfaces. A kitesurfing rider must be very acrobatic and precise with their moves.