OK, my spidey sense is tingling, this may be controversial (especially to non kiting surfers reading this forum), and maybe my bravado is running high having just emerged from the KOTP 'Kiters carnt do full round house cut backs' fur ball but I like kiting so much more than surfing.
There, I said it.
Lovely spring day, light off shore.
Surfing is 95% paddle, wait, hassle, 5% doing.
Kiting 3% setup, pull down, 97% doing.
I'm waiting for the nor easter to pick up this arvo for the main event.
Ahhh, either way, life's good.
they both have there pluses and minuses.
small glassy = SUP
big gnarly glass = Surf
15knt > kite.
any time in between is sleep, eat or trying to get laid.
Spring is the best time of year for watersport.
Summer sure is peak time for kitesurfing, but if you surf/sup...
+ Still getting swells from winter fronts
+ Banks still present at local breaks for great waves
+ Mild easterlies in the morning for glassy surfing/sup
+ Arvo seabreeze for kitesurfing
+ Not getting fried by 50+ UV from the sun
Happy days. 
Still get the most stoke from a good surf. However, on the east coast of Aus as a surfer, you'd be crazy not to kite too. Therer are so many days when it's too windy to surf and kiting on a surf board makes so much sense. They don't compete against each other, they complement each other.
Have surfed since i was 5yrs old am now 33yrs old and wished i started kite surfing years ago, Kite surfing is heaps better than surfing .
Also, with surfing, it's about the whole experience not just riding the board. The paddling keeps you fit and the time spent in the water chatting to your mates is also part of the whole package.
As a life long surfer and a k surfer of 11 years I would rather it 6 - 8 foot. Offsite and barreling with naked women on the beach every time. Failing that and crossshoe / onshore kite surfing is absolutely fantastic !!!!!
Unquestionably, I find surfing much more physically demanding overall than kiting. It's all the paddling, especially when it's a bit bigger or a hard, rippy paddle.
But how deeply sore do ones core muscles get after a few hours kiting? Like a million sit ups.
If you are not a good surfer, and you surf in a populated areas, you either have to surf the close out sections or you have to compete with the good surfers and end up having to give way to them all the time as they are up first... surfing can thus be quite full of tension and is quite competitive.
Kiting on the other hand, is way less competitive, everybody gets to kite, we tend to keep well clear of each other, but keep an eye on each other just in case we need to help out ... cause next time we might be the ones looking for help.
As a result I am now a way better kiter than I am a surfer, Kiting wins.
IMHO, Matthew
I do both. Was either bali or kiting at exmouth with two new kites. The latter won. Say no more. You need a lot of factors to come together for a good surf and when they do come together it's mad crowds. Kiting just needs wind. Both are great, surfing you are more connected with the water, kiting is far more experimental and intense - unless you big wave surf, but not good enough for that. I think an uncrowded 6 to 8 foot barrelling wave in the mentawi's though could beat a great kite, but how often can that happen. Time versus experience versus cost, kiting wins.
Disclaimer: surfed most of my life (not a pro, but good enough), kiting for 4 years (this is my second strapless season), and 2 years paragliding.
When you get those surfs that are just insane (I call them "f*ck yeah surfs") then it wins in my opinion, hands down. No questions. However unless you can travel the world surfing, you are lucky to get a handfull a year (if that).
When you get those days with a delicious white puffy clouds base at 10 000 + feet, paragliding comes in a close second. Those are also not so frequent.
Kiting is always good when there is enough wind, and can be exceptional when you combine it with good surf. However comparing the best surf with the best fly with the best kite, it comes in third. But oh the consistancy :-)
Put a gun to my head to choose one for the rest of my life, I would pick surfing
surfing is like my wife - i'll never leave her
and kitesurfing like my girlfriend - just on the side but adding plenty of fun to my life
you just can't do both at the same time either
They clearly dont vS eachother...when its windy its **** surfing so kiting wins...when its not windy and the swell is running surfing wins easy..the only thing close waking up with a 10 in your bed.
Now the trifecta is rolling off a 10 coz your mate has rocked up for the dawny and you pack kite gear incase wind picks up. Wind rocks up after a an epic surf and lunch and bang you are tearing it up with just yo mate out while the surfers are writing you off(but u dont care) This is all doused down with cold beer after with yo mate at the pub where you are clearly looking to replicate that days activities the next day and your next bedwarmer is in sight. If you are a married man this story may vary slightly but we get the drift...Lets just be greatful we have this awsum **** to do.
Surf, kite, strapped or unstrapped, SUP, fly (preferably hangie wing. Big hill or small hill), snow or waterskiing, whatever floats your boat. I don't care what activity it is as long that I'm having FUN and learning something new with whatever playing surface I'm on.
Peace
Aren't we lucky we can even have this discussion. 99% of the people on the planet reckon they've had a good day if they get 1 decent meal.
Just keepin' it real.
