Is kitesurfing better than surfing ?

[Skyhooked]

The few times I was surfing by myself were fun, but there wasn't someone there for me to enjoy it with, which made it less of an experience for me.....I think it's the people you enjoy your hobby with are just as important as the activity itself.

 

Completely agree with Antigrav there, I'd sooner have a great day with a few people to share it with even if it meant missing a few waves rather than a day on my own with it all to myself.

 

At the risk of sounding like a bit of a pretentious twit, for me surfing, kitesurfing and even SUP are all the same; whether it's on a twin tip, a flat water paddle or in waves it's just about doing the best thing on the day.

 

Usually when it's good for one it's not good for the other, so I just do whatever's best. I do really look forward to the good swells as they start to arrive this time of year.

 

But since I started kiting I've more than trebled my days on the water, so I'd say there is more chance of enjoying yourself in the UK kiting rather than surfing. There are more 20knots plus days than clean offshore groundswell days.

 

Proximity helps with surfing; i.e. if there is a spot at the end of your road that you can just run down to for that magic half hour when it all comes together.

[kiteloopkid]

would like to have a go at surfing, no surf round here tho.

 

love kitesurfing, so sticking with that, the surfers don't seem to like kitesurfers.. perhaps they are jealous because we have so much more fun and look cooler than them

[Robster]

I personally prefer kitesurfing for various reasons, but whatever water sport you do, surfing/kitesurfing/wakeboarding/ etc there is something special about spending time at the beach with your friends or family. The reason we took up these sports in the first place was because we loved the beach or whatever.

I know it sounds a bit cliche but since doing my kitesurfing course a few years ago, my whole outlook on life has changed. I think differently about my job for example. I dunno what it is but for me I can spend hours just sitting on a beach watching the waves and being in the fresh air. Its like I'm drawn to the sea. I'm sure for most of you its the same and its a magical feeling.

 

For all the ugliness in the world at least we have our pursuits which nature intended us to take up.

[gixerkarl]

all this talk about surfing really makes me feel like a surf:D and come to think of it i havent been skating in a while either,thats what happens when you live so close to westshore.....life is hard;)

[SCrowther]

i prefer surfing over kiting, because its so much more simple. board,wetty,leash, waves.

kiting: kite,board,wetty,lines,harness,bar,pump ect ect...

[gixerkarl]

yeah,i used to be bothered about the amount of kit i needed to go surfing in winter..now it seems so simple! i have some ocd thing with my bar kiting,i have to check at least twice! anyhow,i could understand if you kite and thik surfings to much effot for the riding time,what i dont understand is why you would surf and not consider kiting...

[Antigrav]

and come to think of it i havent been skating in a while either

 

Have recently gone back to skating for a laugh. The strange thing is, after about 7 years without skating, now after about 5 times on my board I am better than I was when I had been skating for about 2 years straight! There's a lot to be said for growing bigger and being on a board which I can easily chuck around! I was even riding the vert ramp today, getting some nice carves and stuff in (definitely more of a surf style skater now )

[gixerkarl]

good man...i take it if you havent skated for 7 years your no youngster..check out http://www.middle-age-shred.com theres a few guys your way that will help out!

[gixerkarl]

:Ddoh! 21....??? you shouldnt even START to skate till your 28:D that way you wont obsess about abecs and kickflips:D

[Cadan30]

i think i enjoy both equally they both have their ups and downs like my last kitesurf session not really enough wind but still got my wetty nice and wet and heavy then came the climb up a 50ft sand dune to the car so much easier with just a surfboard but then there are so many wankers/posers in the water now its not nice

[Skyhooked]

i think i enjoy both equally they both have their ups and downs like my last kitesurf session not really enough wind but still got my wetty nice and wet and heavy then came the climb up a 50ft sand dune to the car so much easier with just a surfboard but then there are so many wankers/posers in the water now its not nice

 

that's true. the arse has been kicked out of surfing. so many people think it's their duty to paddle around the line up like they are a local badass when they've been in town for an entire weekend. still, the first real swell of winter usually seperates the weak and the chavs.

[jjfox1]

Learnt to Kitesurfing from advice from complete strangers who love the sport, launching, landing and generally giving advice in a nice way - I even once crashed my kite into someone, apologised and he even re-launched me. Kite surfers generally want to promote the sport and enjoy the fact new people are taking it up.

 

Thought I would have a go a surfing, so I brought a board and went to the marked learner section of the beach. Ended up bumping into some jumped up prick with his mates playing the hard man, thinking he was mustard I explained he should get out of the learner section or at least appreciate he was surfing with learners . After he continued to be a prick I told him to swim in and we would settle it on the beach.

 

I have been surfing since and notice that surfers are generally more closed and rude, probably due to the fact a set of half decent waves is rare, and when they do come 60 people are attempting to get it at once.

 

When I see a learner I avoid them best as possible and appreciate that Kitesurfing at first is hard.

[too much wind]

In general i don't prefer one of the other. But to be honest surfing with a group of your mates in warm water with a few barrels to be had is just head and shoulders better than kitesurfing, for me anyway. But here in the uk i enjoy both just as much as the other.

 

TMW

[gixerkarl]

i got into kiting through surfing.i thought kiting would pass the time when there was no surf.......now 1 year on i hardlly surf,although thats more to do with the fact i can kite 3 or more spots local compared with a 1 hour drive.

[plummet]

well surfed my first real wave today kitesurfing.

been slamming around in the surf for a few months but haven't until now dropping into a wave face.

and i gota say it is super sweet. dragged my hand on the face did a nice bottom turn shreded up and down the wave then burnt it off before it ate me.

 

for me kitesurfing kicks surfings arse. why? its all abut how much action you can jam into a session. with kiting once you step into the water its all action untill you step out. its fun hauling out through the surf and fun hooning back in. air time is supreme....

 

with sufing you battle your way out. not fun. you sit.... boring then you get 20 seconds of wave and start battling out again. you might get 2-3 mins of action and fun in a hour or 2. with kiting yourl get all action. non stop action.

 

ps i'm living in the naki which has the best most consistance waves in the southern hemisphere.

 

Dave Edwards - Wave riding on C4 on Vimeo

thats sponserd rider dave edwards shreding strapless 40km down the coast from my local spot.