The WORST THINGS in kiteboarding

The worst things in Kiteboarding : Whingers!

hahahaha hes from the United Kingdom- whinging pom.

Dont come to Australia mate, too many of you lot in the Norther suburbs of Perth.

Fisho's

forums

SELF INFLATABLE KITES!!!!!

Yeh and too many gob ****es like you ding boy

My kite wont fly when I can see my reflection in the water, hands down the number 1 worst thing about kite boarding is NO FREAKING WIND

Phew, for a minute there I thought it was your reflection you hated. You're right, the lack of a wind switch is the big problem. The odd broken body part is a bitch too ah.
Col

Kite control only really gives learners headaches, but that's just the learning process, just as catching the wrong edge on a snowboard can (literally) give you a headache. All kites can be adjusted to change the flying characteristics by changing attachment points etc. So in summary - kite control is not a problem and if it is, you need to practice more, OR you bought the wrong kite for your riding style and/or needs. Kind of like me complaining that my Kombi should handle like a sports car.

The laws of fluid mechanics pretty much govern this - power on a kite increases proportionally with the square of the wind speed. This search for the "one kite quiver" is a bit of nonsense really, you don't see guys in the America's Cup searching for a single set of sails to suit all conditions. Advances have been made that mean you are less likely to get yourself beaten about if you find yourself in stronger wind than your kite is suited but the reality is unless your local has a very narrow wind range you're going to need more than one kite.


I've sailed a range of yachts, from little Optimists to Keel Boats and a Kite is super quick to setup, in the scheme of things. Short of using CO2 canisters to inflate the kite I can't see how it could be any faster. If you do it the same way, every time you get pretty quick at it and most of my rigging time is involved checking the lines, attachments, bridles etc to ensure they are safe to use - sensible pre flight checks.
As for needing help with initial launch, is this an issue? I think it's an aspect of the sport that bonds kiters together, the chance to support someone in a mutual interest and get to know the guys at your regular spot. And if you need to, every kite has a means of being self launched.

Are you studying to be a consultant? Because you have come on this board listing problems that are non-issues and suggesting they need solving, without really knowing anything about the sport. Possibly why you got a stack of red thumbs.

sweet Mitch, can i go for a nite kite with you? you can lead the way

I have to agree with @london. Sorry but I actually took your initial post seriously and I think it's a good one. I am not a pro by any means and I am relatively new to the sport. The one thing that would be good is for a system to hold the kite's shape without an inflatable bladder. I had a further think about this and maybe it's already been invented, but why not use a foam insert and can easily be zipped in and out without the need to inflate anything? Obviously it's cumbersom to carry with the kite but there could be a way to create a foam insert that matches the shape of the kite as if it was inflated, but be portable in such a way that it can be folded back into the kite bag.
The other thing that really annoys me with kite surfing is the wind window. I know this comes from experience and there is no need to worry, but it would be good to have something that alerts you that you are either at the wind window about the water start and not at an angle to it if you know what I mean. When you have your back to the wind, you may not necessarily be perpendicular to it ready to start properly. You may be at an angle to it, and this will cause the kite to dive too quickly into the power zone. The reason I say this is because in the conditions I've been learning, there are 3 to 4 foot waves smashing onto your back, the wind is relentless and you have to hold onto the kite with one have and somehow manage to swing your feet into the foot pads all in under a concentrated and coordinate way that you manage to do all of this in less tha 5 seconds? Hmmm if there was an alert process that acts like the "tuner of a guitar" it would tell you the right moment to swing into action and get it right the first time every time. How cool would that be?