Kite-Boards (water)

Board Brands
Aggression - Best - Spleene - Skywalker - Crazyfly - Litewave Designs 
 

        Twin-tip, wake, 2 strap mutant, or Surf Directional ?  

Its an old question with a simple answer...
If you're a beginner, Get a "twin-tip"   
Keep your life simple and maximize the fun factor.

 

All boards, and ALL kites have they're pros and cons. Nothing is perfect, but
some of new boards are getting close!     Here is a brief overview.


Twin-Tips: 
Sometimes called wake designs or bi-directional.
One end looks just like the other end. Thus the name: Twin-tip (2 tips).
Currently the most popular type of kiteboard on the market.
No need to do a U-turn, or ever move your feet.
As a beginner, just slow down, move your kite SLOWLY to the other side of the sky, and begin
riding in the new direction.
 
Riding to the Right, your Right foot is the Front foot, 

Riding to the Left,  your Left foot becomes the Front foot.

It doesn't matter if you have a favored side ( regular or goofy stance), since you'll be riding
1/2 of the time in each position.

Twin-tips work for beginners, experts,  in flat water, and in the waves. 
They can do it all, and the reason why their the most popular design.


Directionals
Designed with an obvious front and a back, and shaped to travel best in one direction. 
Just like a car, bicycle, or surfboard.  They travel best when going forward.

They look similar to surfboards... fins in the back, and basic footstaps like on a windsurfer,
or like a tow-in surf board.

The main advantage of this design is wave riding.  If waves are all you do, consider a directional.
The downside is that you'll need to turn the board 180 to change directions,
and then move your feet to their new position, or ride in a "toe side" position.

Riding a directional or Surf model means learning how to "jibe"  Not the easiest skill to learn.
No jibing  is needed on a Twin-Tip.

Directlionals are also great light wind efficiency.

Wave / Surf:
Directionals that are Surfboard shapes for down-the-line wave riding.  Large, Floaty, loose,
and very efficient for use light winds and surf.   The extra size and float allow you to generate
"drive" just by using the power of the  wave, so you can truly SURF the wave, without the need
for the kites power to keep you from sinking.


Stock Wakeboards:

Designed to work best in flat water pulled by a boat, normally have "boot" bindings.

The good: 
They can be purchased very cheap.

The bad:
Heavy, Inefficient, and dangerous if used with boot bindings.
Stock wakeboards are normally designed with a decent amount of rocker (curve in the bottom)
which translates into slow and limit upwind-ability, and not good for lighter winds (inefficient)

Please avoid the Boot style binding, as they are Super dangerous for a beginner kiteboarder,
and not recommend boots for anyone.   Better to use common  sandal type, so your feet are
NOT locked in.
You'll only have one free hand to help you into the bindings. The other hand is flying the kite.

Footstraps vs  Boot-Bindings vs Sandal-Bindings

Simple answer: Footstraps or Sandals.  ( Avoid the boots ) 

You want comfortable "easy-in" and "easy-out".

Basic Straps and Pads.  (Most economical)  Some boards come with "peel and stick" foot pads.
Stick them on and their stuck it that position.  Then screw on the footstraps.

Sandal bindings are very similar to "Basic straps and pads"  but with the added advantage of the
pads NOT stuck to the board, but instead glued onto a movable (adjustable), "Binding-Plate"
They are more expensive, but its nice to be able to change the foot positions quickly and easiliy.
Wide or narrower stance,  and the amount of "duck" of the stance. ( amount that the toes are angled
out).

Regular wakeboard type boot bindings are a pain in the butt for learning because you only have one
free hand to assist with entry, as your other hand is need to fly the kite.  When re-launching your 
kite after a crash you'll want your feet free from the board to help swim the kite into position.  
Remember, kiteboarding is NOT the same a wakeboarding behind a boat.  When you fall behind a boat,
you just let go of the handle and relax in the flat calm water.  With a kite, you fall and the kite keeps on pulling. 

Having one foot out and one locked into a boot binding as you get dragged through the water can quickly
lead to a knee injury.  I learned with footstraps, progressed to boot-bindings and went back to footstraps.  
Ultimately its your decision, but from an instructors point of view, get the footstraps, or sandal bindings.


Mutants / Hybrids.


Mutants are a cross, (mutation), of a directional and a twin-tip style board. 
Most have 2 footstraps.  the fins are larger in the back (directional)  but also have fins in the front
like a twin-tip.
The stance is slightly aft (back) of center. They favor one direction, but can ride nicely in reverse.



Modifying a twin-tip for the surf
Take a stock twin-tip and add large fins. or just an extra fin (try 2.5" fins), 
and the board will feel very different.  Move the footstraps back an inch or 3 closer to the tip,
and the board will feel...better orientated to wave riding.

Fins: 

Smaller fins have less drag in the water and thus faster, more efficient and feel more slippery (skatey).
Larger fins will give the board more bite.  I prefer larger fins for beginners, chop, and waves.

If you ever ride a board, and think to yourself...

" this board feels too loose " or
" this board feel too grippy".  
No need to ditch the board!   Just change the fins! 

Still confused???   No stress its normal. After you take your first lesson, this imforamation will make sense. 

If your buying a brand new board, the decision requires a bit of thought.  If your going cheap
(close-out or used) just get a board and ride!  Nothing will teach you more than time on the water.

_____________________________________________________________________________

The best board for winter???   If the ground is white, Grab your Snowboard and a kite.
No lift tickets needed!  Hard packed, powder, and the ability to ride uphill.


Sand, Dirt, Grass, Salt or mud flats:
A Mountain-board (all-terrain skateboard)  combined with a kite designed for use on land.
Inflatable kites are for the water.  Foil kites are recommended for use on land.
For more info on Kite-Landboarding, go to:  "Landboards"
______________________________________________________________________________

Board Design:  Kiteboards (water)


5 things to consider:   
Length, Width, Rocker, Weight, Overall design, Price,

Length:  Shorter boards are normally preferred for flat water riding. Intermediate and advanced riders 
Average board length 120-125 cm.
For chop and wave conditions as slightly longer board will be less likely to pearl ( dive under the water ).
Intermediate to advanced riders:  127- 140cm  ( I ride a 128cm in the surf ).
Beginners: 140cm to 160cm

Width:   Remember the old pontiac car TV comercials? " E Aho La 'Ula  "wider is better"  
Its true for light winds.
Wider boards work much better for lighter winds, beginners, and heavier riders. 40cm to 50 cm
Narrower boards work better for high winds, advanced riders, and lighter riders.  35cm - 39cm
40cm is the most common width for all types of riders.

Bottom shape: "Rocker":   Over the past 2 years we're seeing more boards with very flat, minimal rocker
design.   The flatter the board, the more efficient it is, meaning you wont need as much wind or
power in the kite.
This is critical.  During the summer if 2005 I was riding a 120cm board by "squall".  It was the shortest board
I ever owned, and it was all the best light wind board I've owned!   Yes, 120cm is very short, but the shaper
used wide tips, a very flat rocker, along with his magic combination of rail shape and concave.
It worked really well.  The down side was too short for wave riding.   No board is perfect, they all have pros
and cons.

Length and Width:
Width is far more important than width in terms of planning ability.
If you have 2 boards:  both 135 cm long,  but one is wide 45cm, and one is narrow 37cm,
there will be a huge difference in the feel of the board.  The wider board will feel much bigger
and plane much faster in lighter winds.
When selecting a board:  width is the best dimension to look at to estimate how the board will perform.
Only focusing on the length can be very misleading.


What size board for me?



For beginners: When choosing between 2 boards, in general, go with the
larger one.  Bigger boards will get you up and riding much easier and
allow you to ride in lighter winds.  As the wind picks up, and you begin to feel
like your board is too big, simply rig up a smaller kite.
Recommended: Average weight riders. Bigger Board and smaller kite.  42 to 46cm wide
Lightweight riders can go smaller.

For Intermediate looking for bigger jumps, look for a smaller and lighter board
than you are riding now.  The idea is a board that will allow you to dig-in and handle
more power from the kite.   If you go too small, you'll be sitting on the beach or
drifting downwind, while your friends are ripping.
If in doubt, a wider board will get you out in a bigger variety of condition.


General guidelines. 

Location / Average wind speeds:  If you live in an area that gets a lot of
8-12 knot days.  Get a board designed for VERY light winds.   42-46cm wide
10-15 knots: with more days in the 10-12 range is still considered light wind, where a
board wider than 40cm is recommended. 40-43 cm wide
15-20+ knots is good wind and most boards will work well in these conditions, provided you
have the right size kite to give you the power you need. 37-40cm wide

If you have 3 kites for all winds: a smaller board is great.
If you only have 1 or 2 kites, or frequent a light wind area, your want a larger more efficient board.

There ALWAYS exceptions. 

A wider board that has the footstaps "off-center" and closer to the heelside edge will
compensate for the width, allow a wide board to be easily ridden in strong winds.

A narrower board with a flat rocker and small fins will work better than another board

of the same width but with most rocker in it.

FREE Shipping on ALL Boards. (within the USA) 
Complete!  All boards include:  Straps, pads, fins, handle, hardware

 

Brands, models, specs, and Prices



SPLEENE

( 2006 Spleene's are 100% gone )

New 2007 SPLEENE BOARDS  are here!


 

 
Spleene Door.  Notice the unique Parabolic profile. ( like a snow-board)


The board is AWESOME!!

It was very gusty yesterday in Titusville. side off, so water conditions
were pretty good, but it was ranging from 10-20knts.

I was the only one staying upwind, able to coast through the lulls,
but still it handled the lit conditions beautifully!

And I got the single highest boost I have ever got, it was insane!

thanks for the quick shipment!

- Jon Morsics




Thick footbed, and comfortable, highly adjustable footstraps to
fit feet of every size.

 

154 Door,  141 Session,  138 Rip plus, 134 rip,  Zone Surf model
  New 2007 picts and specs coming soon)

154cm  (x 42cm)    This replaces last years 159.

Regardless of who trys the spleene door, the reviews keep
coming back much the same...
"Amazing",  " Best light wind board I ever used", 
" Fully power up riding my 9m,and then powered up using
 my 16m, felt great with both" ,
"Strange looking board, but it works!".   

It seems that instructors want a spleene 159 (now called the 154),
or the larger 164 model to use for teaching. 
Experience riders want one for maximizing light wind riding.
and other just want one.

By most accounts, for people that live in areas with many light
wind days, the spleene kiteboard is was the "go to" board in '06

.

"I have tried and owned plywood, a Glide and the one that I really love is the Spleene Door 164. The spleene has the low
end but it has a huge range, you can still ride it powered up over 20knts. Which is a great feature if you don't want to sprint
back to the beach when the wind comes up a little bit.

I'm a fellow big guy. 6'3" and 240. I love the spleene boards, (same factory and tech as nobile) I have tried the session
(mini door) and thats a great board for flat and choppy waters. I'm looking at the new rip plus for something with more
rocker for waves. The spleene boards love to go fast and are a great match for the new kites that love board speed"
- Spleene Review that was posted on Kiteforum.
 

It's true! .....

There are many excellent kiteboards on the market.  The rider reviews
on the Skywalkers, Agressions, litewave, and crazyfly are impressive.
I personally would have a hard time parting with my Agression.


The question of "which is THE BEST board?"  does not have a clear answer.

The correct question is " Which is the The BEST Board FOR ME?"   Now you're thinking! : )

Skill Level, Riding Style, Personal needs, Local conditions, Budget, etc, are all factors.
The fact is that any board we sell is an excellent board, or we would remove it from the site.
Thats the beauty of "Not"  being married to any Brand..

Other Opinions...

Of the many Kiteboarding forums on the internet,  Kiteforum moderated by "Toby" is the best known
and most respected worldwide.  


This Post  http://kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2335996    has some good feedback on lightwind
brands and models compared.

SKYWALKER

Dimitri Pro T-Wave   ( Wave oriented Twin-tip)

Dimitri Pro D-Wave  150 x 46  ( Surf / Skim Hybrid )
as a 2-strap Surf / one direction oriented  (directional) you'll need to learn "jibing" skills
( 180 down-wind turn follow by a quick switching of your feet ) 
It's either jibing, or riding "toe-side".  This board was Not designed to ride symmetrically like a "twin-tip".
Beginners or intermediates riding in flat water would be happier on a twin-tip.

Recommended for intermediate and advanced riders focusing on wave riding, or finless skim riding.


 

Pro 127  ( Twin-tip )

Pro 131 x 40 ( Twin-tip )
Excellent all around board.  Ideal for  one board to cover a wide variety of wind ranges and condition.
Not the best for light winds, not the best wave slasher, not the best for heavy weights, but, perfect for
for versatility.      Beginners would be be better off with a slightly larger board.




Pro 135  x 47.5 ( Twin-tip )
Wide!  Light wind machine.   Excellent to get you on the water when people with 40cm wide boards are
sitting on the beach.  also recommended for big guys.
Designer: Dimitri says:
8-18 knots for 180 lbs rider
12-20 knots for heavyweights (200 lbs+)


BEST




Comparison Chart

Which board for me?

.... Good question, there are lots of excellent boards on the market 
and it can be tough making a decision without first trying  them. 
Read about the boards, and write down any questions that come to mind.  
Contact us anytime and  we'll be happy to assist you to the best of my
knowledge considering your weight, skill level, preferences, and budget. 
There really are several boards that you'll be happy with.
One word of caution, set a limit on you decision time... 1 week or 1 day,
just don't wait too long to get out there, because riding is what its ALL about!   

Bottom line:

There are quite a few excellent boards on the market.  common question:  "what's the best board?" 
Answer:   There is no "best board".   Try to find the best board for you, your skill level ,your weight,
your local conditions, and your budget.
 

Dry Alternative:  All-terrian boards.  "KiteLandboarding"

Don't care to brave the cold water,
no snow on the ground,
NO EXCUSES,  here is another way to kiteboard.

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