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Kite Boarding Boards

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Kite Boarding Boards

Kiteboarding is a favorite pastime for hundreds of thousands of people around the world. It can be a great way to spend a warm summer’s afternoon out on the water, but it does require a bit of practice, as well as the right equipment. One of the most essential pieces of equipment, the board, may seem simple enough but there are a surprising variety of designs on the market. Understanding the differences between these designs is vital to choosing the board that is right for your ability level and style of riding.

There are three basic categories when it comes to kiteboarding boards, surf-style, wake board-style, and bi-directional boards. Each of these basic styles has their own unique characteristics and features, with some models being better suited to beginners than others. Surf-style boards (often referred too as “directional” boards) are the oldest of the three designs. They are based on the design characteristics of a surfboard (thus their name) and made to move in one direction, forward. That is to say, they do not allow the rider the option of leading with one foot or the other, but instead they are intended to be ridden from a fixed position.

Bi-directional boards, by comparison, are not so restrictive as far as the riding position is concerned. Sometimes referred too as “twin-tip” designs, these boards can be ridden both forward and backward and are the preferred choice for the vast majority of kitesurfers today. The ability to move in any direction allows these boards to be extremely maneuverable and makes them the ideal platform from which to perform a variety of tricks. The popularity of this style of board virtually ensures that one can easily find one to suit your needs from just about any kiteboarding shop, locally or online.

If you’re a beginning rider, there is some debate as to which of the above styles of kiteboarding boards are best suited for starting out. Many people recommend starting with the directional styles, as they are fairly easy to control and float quite well, meaning they work well at low speeds. However, other people cite the fact that those that start on directional boards usually switch to a twin tip design relatively quickly. The suggestion is that by starting on one board then switching to another, one is essentially forced into buying two separate boards and is therefore spending too much money. The other argument is that a surf-style board requires different riding techniques than does a bi-directional version, and when the switch is made, one essentially has to learn to ride all over again.

Finally, there are the wake-board style kiteboarding boards. These designs are generally only recommended for experienced kitesurfers, as they require a great deal of skill in order to control them. They are typically designed for high speeds and aggressively performed tricks, neither of which is recommended for beginners. While these boards can be ridden forward or backward, they are in fact different than a most bi-directional designs in that they do not utilize fins on the underside of the board, which is why they are not as stable as bi-directional designs at slower speeds.