G'day there,
First up-totally understand the anti leash idea and have no intention of ever using one.
I also find up wind body dragging very easy, was taught how to do it properly before I was put on a board, BUT....Theres been afew times where I've had a minute of panic when I cannot see the thing. Never come close to losing a board but I will say I find myself holding back worrying about blowing a grand on a new board.
Basically I think I would have more fun/push limits more, if I wasn't worried about loosing board. Sooooooooo, why not bindings? I suspect from a search on here that increased chance of injury is one reason, though I think learning how to fall with board attatched might help with that? Is it cost? A little bit of research on the Liquid Force site points towards costs of like $500 odd...
Anyone gone to bindings/come back etc?
Cheers,
Matt
Trouble with bindings when you're new to the sport is putting them on while trying to control the kite. I saw one poor guy spend more time sitting on the sand trying get his feet in the bindings while his kite wandered all over the sky then he actually spent on the water. Also, each time you come to shore you have to take them off which is not always easy while holding a kite. It's a different style of riding needed for bindings as well. Some guys love 'em, most have never tried them or would ever consider them.
For me, their heavy and restrictive.
Bindings are not for beginners, you should be a solid rider with the basic moves under your belt before thinking of moving to the dark side. Bindings are a different style of riding that doesn't suit everyone. chat to people who ride with them at your local and see if thats the direction you want to progress too. try borrowing someones at your local for a test ride before forking out the dollars ( they're not cheap, for a good pair $800 retail ).
Personnel I hate riding without my boots.
Kit33r-hadn't considered that, I figured they would have designed bindings that are relatively easy to get on and off.....would take a little practice I suppose.
What do you guys mean by a different style of riding? I honestly have seen very few with them around Perth...maybe that says something, though what everyones doing isn't always best either. $800 would sure keep alot of people from considering them.
For what its worth, to me they look like enormous bulky ski boots in comparison to straps.
If you do decide to give them a go i would recomend you wear a lifejacket or impact vest. As well as giving you extra protection in crashes it will keep your head above water in rougth conditions when your kite hits the deck.
The different style of ridding is a lot more powered, with the kite normaly lower, faster riding speed. You will have to learn how to transfer your weight diferently and how to edge properly a lot of your movements will transfer more twisting through your knees and hips which can take its toll on your body.
If you get them make sure you do them up tight enougth that you wont pull out a foot in a cash as this could cause your other leg knee to sustain a serious injury.
Learning how to ride a board with boots after a crash standing on the deck can take some time to master. As will water starts when you are lying on your guts.
It is not imposible to learn in boots but it could prove to be more frustrating in a lot of ways. If you do decide to give them a go make sure you get a board that suits them, a bigger board than what you normaly use this will help a lot. Allso a good quality set of boots SS PB floyds, LF's synergys or unions, Ronix just to name a few cheaper boots wont last as long and realy wont provide the flexability for kiteboarding.
If your curent riding style is leaving you in the water a lot boots will not help that, they allso will not help you learn tricks easyer, but they can help you add more style and power to moves you can allready do. I love ridding in boots but only use them in selected conditions if you are keen to give some a go keep an eye on the buy and sell section, you ocasionaly come upon a good setup at a reasonable price.
bindings now days are so easy to get in and out of. A set of them and a wakeboard is cheaper then buying a new kiteboard and goose straps..
If you just wanna get going without losing your board as often whilst learning make some heel straps and forget boots they will just hinder your learning curve....
try getting an old push bike inner tube, work out how long you need to go round the back of your heel cut to size remove your straps make a hole in each end of the inner tube and screw the straps back on with the "heel strap" between the deck pad and strap. U probably want to put a washer either side so the rubber doesn't snap immediately. This may mean you also need longer screws..... Now ur board is more likely to stay on your feet meaning less body dragging..
As you progress which shouldn't take long you can just remove the old bits of rubber.....
Just personal preference mate..
Agree that heel bungees are what you need if you just want to keep your board if.
If you like to do wakestyle tricks with the kite low then go bindings..
If your ready to take the training wheels off, get a good pair of new boots and their easy to get in and out of. 2 months of riding them will make those toe warmer things feel like amateur hour.
Hadn't considered heel straps. Probably because I've never seen/heard of them.
Like these http://www.dakine.com/kite/footstrapsdeckpads/raptor-heelstrap/
These ones look as though they would be better-pull from higher up kiteboarding.com/proddetail.asp?prod=nsiheelstraps
Again, perhaps theres a reason I haven't seen them-been tried and not worth the hassle.
Chopper said harden the @#$% up
Disclaimer - Chopper meant get boots when he did the original harden up skit
So, boot riders, are you advocating boots even for those who don't necessarily hit sliders or even do hardcore wakestyle stuff but who just want a more secure connection to their board?
I'm starting to unhook and do some raleys. Also enjoying tricks on the little waves we get at Altona in a good southerly. (On this point I find Dre's riding on breaking kickers much more creative and dynamic than what he does on rails/sliders.)
Boots? It seems like you have to take a while to get used to them so can't necessarily try before you buy? Demo boots? Any decent boots under $500?
^^^ Thats a joke right?
Ronix are by far the leaders in the boot market. Their boots are pretty much as light as a set of pads and straps and look really nice. LF still isn't up to the same standards.
I'm keen to see these new Slingshot boots when they come out as they have been completely redesigned by the Burton snowboard factory. I have heard they are going to be alot lighter smaller and lower to the board and are meant to have the best lacing system to date. Only time will tell I guess.
.
LF is still higher off the board though and has those silly air cells that break and fill up with water. Also when LF get wet they take on a lot more weight than ronix. They are catching up but still not really the same.
Trust me I have looked at everything.
I am sorry I wasn't actually comparing LF kite boots to Ronix wake boots, I was comparing LF wake boots to Ronix wake boots. This might be why our view differ.
The reason LF "kite boots" are so light is for the simple reason that their is nothing to them, they have about half the fabric and thus half the support of the similar style LF wake boots. In my opinion they are totally ****, you might as well just use straps. What's the point of using a binding if it gives you nothing extra?...
p.s. Also with dry and wet weight, LF seems to soak up nearly no water in the first little bit you have them but after a while the waterproof coating or something comes off and they retain a lot of water. My 09 LF Watsons I think were the best made boot for the least water retention, I think they should have used the same material again in 010 on their wake and also on their kite boots. Sadly they didn't.
How do bindings cope with chop - are they best for flatter water riding? Or is it just the style of riding that suits flatter water also suits bindings? (if you know what I mean!)
Starting to do bigger jumps and transitions and rolls I'm finding I'm getting sore heels as my foot isn't secure in the footstrap and gets a bit of slap on landing - never used to have this problem with wakeboarding so I'm seriously considering moving to the darkside 
I guess my main concern is with the disadvantages with bindings - will they also be cool for me to tool up the coast from Cott to Trigg with my mates on a downwinder? From what I read the disadvantages are:
1. awkwardness in getting bindings on while controlling kite
2. ???
3. profit
