Kitesurfing

Flying kites is originally a child’s past time. However that does no stop the adults from continuing to enjoy them. Kites have become a past time for people of all ages. It was a matter of time that adults find a way to diversify the activity. With our unending quest for thrills and extreme sports, people are finding more ways to create something exciting by combining different ideas. Combining the propulsive power of the kite and a surfboard, you have kitesurfing.

Kitesurfing is one of the newest additions in extreme sports. It is a sport where the kitesurfer uses the power of the wind to manipulate the kitesurfing system on or above the water, snow or land. However, the most popular type is kitesurfing on water.

There are 4 types of kitesurfing equipment. They are as follows:

KITE

It is any type of traction kite that is large enough to hold the weight of an average person. There are three major components that should be considered when choosing a kite. High performance which is defined by its capacity to facilitate up winding sailing and jumping above land, relaunchability which is the capacity of the kite to relaunch from water after it falls. And power control which is the capacity of the kite to provide the surfer with considerable degree manipulation.

There are several types of kites that have varying degrees of controllability, relaunchability and performance.

a) The inflatable kites are crescent-shaped and could relaunch on almost all conditions except when the wind is just about 6 or 7 knots per hour. There are two types of inflatable kites: the 2 line which has the main advantage of stability and convenience of use and the 4 line which has efficient power control and better performance. Most manufacturers of kites these days distribute 4 line inflatable instead of the 2 line ones.

b) Bow kites or flat inflatable kite is the more dominant choice of among kitesurfers starting from 2006 due to its advantages over other kites. For example, it could be fully de-powered. It could also provide larger wind range plus it offers fast relaunchability.

c) Framed Single Skin Kite is more like the one used for windsurfing and like windsurfing it takes awhile for the kitesurfer to learn how to efficiently control the skin kite. It has reliable relaunchability and could surpass all types of kites in terms of performance when the kitesurfers masters the controls.

d) Ram Air Foil Kites, unlike all other kites, has no definite shape since it has no rigid structures. It only takes its shape once it flies.

FLYING LINES

These are the lines that attach the kite to the kitesurfer. The flying lines must have a low stretch capacity and must be floatable. The line strength should depend on your weight. For example, 2-line kites should have a minimum strength capacity of 2 ½ times of your weight.

The line length, on the other hand, is largely dependent on the wind condition and the size of the kite. The more common choices are anywhere from 20m to 40m. For overpowered kites shorter lines are more recommendable while underpowered kites should have longer lines.

KITE CONTROL DEVICES

The control devices provide the kitesurfer the maneuverability of the kite, the direction of the kite and the capacity to maximize the wind window. Here are the general kite control devices used in various types of kites:

a) Inflatable Control Devices and Depowering Systems
b) Foil Control Devices
c) Reel Bars
d) Safety Systems

BOARDS

There are two types of kitesurfing boards- the directional and bidirectional boards. Skim boards, wake boards, water skis and windsurfing boards can all be used.

However, it is highly recommendable for someone to use kitesurfing board for the simple reason that this type is made especially for the demands and needs of the sports.

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