Kitesurfing Kites By Riding Style (Must Know Styles)
If you’re new to kitesurfing or kiteboarding, you might think that the process of buying a kite is as simple as picking one from a list.
After all, there are only so many styles and sizes out there. But choosing the right kite for your style can be a bit more complicated than that. It helps to know what kind of riding you’re going to do before you go shopping for your first board—or even your second or third one!
Once you know your riding style (and have had some time to practice), choosing the right kites becomes much easier: just match up what kind of kitesurfing gear suits your needs with the type of boarder who would use it!
Kitesurfing Kites By Riding Style
As a beginner, it’s important to know what kind of kite you want before making a purchase. Here are the different types of kites:
- Freeride – These are great for riders who like to have fun on flat water and aren’t serious about competition. They offer quite a bit of power and control but still provide great maneuverability, so they can be used by all skill levels.
- Freestyle – These are designed specifically for freestyle tricks; they’re lightweight, durable, and easy to handle even in rough conditions. There’s no need for a depower bar with this type since it has built-in safety features that allow you to control how much power is applied throughout your trick progression.
- Surfstyle – This style is usually used by surfers on large waves—though anyone looking for big air may prefer them as well! Surfstyle boards are designed with extra buoyancy at either end so that even when you’re catching huge air or doing other extreme maneuvers there won’t be any risk of nose dive (or “nose plants”).
The light wind kitesurfing kite:
While the light wind kiteboarding kites can be used in more winds, they are designed for lighter wind conditions. They are not built to withstand the harsh conditions of a stormy day or high wind speeds.
The light wind kitesurfing kites should be used when there is no wind at all or only a slight breeze. These types of kites tend to be smaller and less stable than others which means that you need extra care when using them.
They offer different features such as depower, which allows you to change how much power your kite has without having to adjust its lines or move around on your board.
This feature is especially helpful if you are learning how to ride a new type of board and don’t feel comfortable using large waves yet!
The freeriding kitesurfing kite:
Freeriding kites are designed for smooth, stable, and unhindered riding. They have a high lift-to-drag ratio which makes them really good at power-up and power-down.
This makes freeriding the best choice if you want to get going quickly and if you want your kite to be stable in gusty winds.
The small sizes can also be used in light wind as well as unhooked riding. The larger sizes are usually used for unhooked freestyle tricks like jumps or spins in moderate to strong winds on flat water where there’s no need to use a harness because the rider can stay on their feet most of the time.
The freestyle kitesurfing kite:
Freestyle kites are ideal for freestyle tricks. They are very agile, responsive and sensitive to bar input. This makes them extremely easy to control and ride, even in small waves.
The surf style kitesurfing kite:
The surf-style kites are meant for the rider who wants to surf on land. A good example of this is the best-selling Manta Ray 5’6″ Kiteloop Surf Style Kiteboard by Flysurfer. The surf-style kite is a great choice if you want to go big, but also has a soft spot in your heart for going fast!
The wake style kitesurfing kite:
Wakestyle kitesurfing kites are the ultimate all-around performers.
They are designed to be used on the water, in the air and on the ground. These kites can be used in a variety of wind conditions, which makes them ideal for wake-style riders who want to improve their freestyle skills.
The versatility of these kites makes it easier for you to learn new tricks because you won’t have as many limitations during your training sessions. You’ll also be able to spend more time practicing instead of waiting for optimal conditions before taking off or landing back on shore.
We hope the information we’ve provided above has given you a better understanding of how to make the right choice when choosing a kiteboarding kite.
Since there are so many options available on the market today, it can be challenging to know where to start. We want you to feel confident in your decision and confident that your new board will be ready for action when it arrives at your door!