Select to expand quoteLoftywinds said..
This is way better than both Surfing and Kite Surfing.
Quicker to set up, safer than you think, hear the Woahs from the public (good for the ego and beach babes), and the kites don't need to be pumped!
I've had a few people PM me about that video and ask how they can get into land kiting, and see the benefits of it for obvious reasons (not sure why it was red thumbed by kooks that have never tried it). Plummet is a pro at it. Ask him!
Anyway, just to clarify - you need a BIG kite to do serious land kiting, not a small kite contrary to popular belief. If it's too small (say under 10mt) then you're going to be pulled hard and if you dare to jump, your landings will be hard and dangerous! Best to leave the smaller land kites for the buggy riders.
I suggest - Flysurfer Speed 3 or 4 in 12 or 15mt sizes, or Chrono 12 or 15mt kites. If it has to be a LEI then consider the 16mt or bigger kites like Epic, Naish, etc.
Oh and only land kite in sub 20 knots. I find 12knots is enough up to around 18.
Select to expand quoteLoftywinds said..Loftywinds said..
This is way better than both Surfing and Kite Surfing.
Quicker to set up, safer than you think, hear the Woahs from the public (good for the ego and beach babes), and the kites don't need to be pumped!
I've had a few people PM me about that video and ask how they can get into land kiting, and see the benefits of it for obvious reasons (not sure why it was red thumbed by kooks that have never tried it). Plummet is a pro at it. Ask him!
Anyway, just to clarify - you need a BIG kite to do serious land kiting, not a small kite contrary to popular belief. If it's too small (say under 10mt) then you're going to be pulled hard and if you dare to jump, your landings will be hard and dangerous! Best to leave the smaller land kites for the buggy riders.
I suggest - Flysurfer Speed 3 or 4 in 12 or 15mt sizes, or Chrono 12 or 15mt kites. If it has to be a LEI then consider the 16mt or bigger kites like Epic, Naish, etc.
Oh and only land kite in sub 20 knots. I find 12knots is enough up to around 18.
Maybe another thread is in order for this discussion!
Counted how many waves I rode kitesurfing today.
30 in 1.5 hours.
That's 20 waves per hour.
Oh yeah. Most waves in the 1 1/2 to double head size.
That's O for Awesome no matter which way you look at it.
Prob can't beat proper hollow tubing waves but to be able to ccompetantly surf these conditions you gotta put in a whole lot more time in the soup.
Select to expand quotePlummet said..
Counted how many waves I rode kitesurfing today.
30 in 1.5 hours.
That's 20 waves per hour.
Oh yeah. Most waves in the 1 1/2 to double head size.
That's O for Awesome no matter which way you look at it.
Sounds great! Any pics...?
I once heard that surfing requires you to go to the beach every day for a few years, whether it is good or bad, just go every day - in order to get good.
After many years windsurfing (wavesailing) and then thinking I could learn to surf a little easier than most, yeah I agree. I was so wrong, surfing is fkn hard. If you live somewhere with an Indo style peeling wave that is the SAME for months on end, then yeah go for it - learn to surf
But if not, or u are over 15 yrs old lol, then maybe kiting is the go. In a season you are up and going, turning around and coming back without getting wet. Then you can learn to ride waves.
But then what are you doing? Jumping high like u r strapped to a bungee jump (wow, dragged up there) and riding waves - dragged along them with no real wave riding (until you are the elite 1% who can ride waves with zero power from the kite.....)
Go for the one that is easier to learn than proper real surfing, but harder than kiting, and has endless possibilities........ both aerial and wave riding. Windsurfing.
2 x faster on the wave than surfing. Proper 360 rotations in the air, backside and frontside riding with rotations off the lip that are impossible kiting, and at least 3 - 5x more moves than kiting. Look for a vid of a kiter riding waves, busting aerials off the lip and doing any sort of rotation BOTH back and frontside. Go on, find it.
Or just go the trendy one, and gloat about getting out thru shorey in 15kn so easy yet be bored after a couple of years doing basic hi jumps and bottom-top turn combo's.
So in summary -
if you always surfed and want to get more waves - then SUP also cos it is easy
If you always surfed but want to get more waves when it is windy then go kite also - cos it is easy
But if you have done none of the above and starting from scratch then I say windsurf. Cos it will take longer to get in the waves but when u do there is SO MANY more moves than basic waveriding and dangly stuff available to you. Seen a kiter do full end over end rotation lately? Seen a 360 rotating aerial off the lip landed on the wave, both front and backside, from a kiter lately? I live where the pros come to practice for a season and the spectacle from windsurfing blows ur mind whereas the kiters mow the lawn and then ride a wave like an average surfer.
Up to you.
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
I once heard that surfing requires you to go to the beach every day for a few years, whether it is good or bad, just go every day - in order to get good.
After many years windsurfing (wavesailing) and then thinking I could learn to surf a little easier than most, yeah I agree. I was so wrong, surfing is fkn hard. If you live somewhere with an Indo style peeling wave that is the SAME for months on end, then yeah go for it - learn to surf
But if not, or u are over 15 yrs old lol, then maybe kiting is the go. In a season you are up and going, turning around and coming back without getting wet. Then you can learn to ride waves.
But then what are you doing? Jumping high like u r strapped to a bungee jump (wow, dragged up there) and riding waves - dragged along them with no real wave riding (until you are the elite 1% who can ride waves with zero power from the kite.....)
Go for the one that is easier to learn than proper real surfing, but harder than kiting, and has endless possibilities........ both aerial and wave riding. Windsurfing.
2 x faster on the wave than surfing. Proper 360 rotations in the air, backside and frontside riding with rotations off the lip that are impossible kiting, and at least 3 - 5x more moves than kiting. Look for a vid of a kiter riding waves, busting aerials off the lip and doing any sort of rotation BOTH back and frontside. Go on, find it.
Or just go the trendy one, and gloat about getting out thru shorey in 15kn so easy yet be bored after a couple of years doing basic hi jumps and bottom-top turn combo's.
So in summary -
if you always surfed and want to get more waves - then SUP also cos it is easy
If you always surfed but want to get more waves when it is windy then go kite also - cos it is easy
But if you have done none of the above and starting from scratch then I say windsurf. Cos it will take longer to get in the waves but when u do there is SO MANY more moves than basic waveriding and dangly stuff available to you. Seen a kiter do full end over end rotation lately? Seen a 360 rotating aerial off the lip landed on the wave, both front and backside, from a kiter lately? I live where the pros come to practice for a season and the spectacle from windsurfing blows ur mind whereas the kiters mow the lawn and then ride a wave like an average surfer.
Up to you.
Why then have most wave junky windsurfers ditched windsurfing in favour or kiting? The grin factor in the waves must be better.
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
I once heard that surfing requires you to go to the beach every day for a few years, whether it is good or bad, just go every day - in order to get good.
After many years windsurfing (wavesailing) and then thinking I could learn to surf a little easier than most, yeah I agree. I was so wrong, surfing is fkn hard. If you live somewhere with an Indo style peeling wave that is the SAME for months on end, then yeah go for it - learn to surf
But if not, or u are over 15 yrs old lol, then maybe kiting is the go. In a season you are up and going, turning around and coming back without getting wet. Then you can learn to ride waves.
But then what are you doing? Jumping high like u r strapped to a bungee jump (wow, dragged up there) and riding waves - dragged along them with no real wave riding (until you are the elite 1% who can ride waves with zero power from the kite.....)
Go for the one that is easier to learn than proper real surfing, but harder than kiting, and has endless possibilities........ both aerial and wave riding. Windsurfing.
2 x faster on the wave than surfing. Proper 360 rotations in the air, backside and frontside riding with rotations off the lip that are impossible kiting, and at least 3 - 5x more moves than kiting. Look for a vid of a kiter riding waves, busting aerials off the lip and doing any sort of rotation BOTH back and frontside. Go on, find it.
Or just go the trendy one, and gloat about getting out thru shorey in 15kn so easy yet be bored after a couple of years doing basic hi jumps and bottom-top turn combo's.
So in summary -
if you always surfed and want to get more waves - then SUP also cos it is easy
If you always surfed but want to get more waves when it is windy then go kite also - cos it is easy
But if you have done none of the above and starting from scratch then I say windsurf. Cos it will take longer to get in the waves but when u do there is SO MANY more moves than basic waveriding and dangly stuff available to you. Seen a kiter do full end over end rotation lately? Seen a 360 rotating aerial off the lip landed on the wave, both front and backside, from a kiter lately? I live where the pros come to practice for a season and the spectacle from windsurfing blows ur mind whereas the kiters mow the lawn and then ride a wave like an average surfer.
Up to you.
Nope. Too busy riding.
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
After many years windsurfing (wavesailing) and then thinking I could learn to surf a little easier than most. I was so wrong.
That's funny. ^^^
I mean, how could extensive windsurfing experience ever help you to become the instant surfer ?
Windsurfing is nothing like pure surfing.
Not even close.
lol.
I kitesurf, surf and sup. Surfing is the best (and those who disagree cannot surf!), and to be honest im starting to even froth on supping (dont tell my mates). Kiting is awesome but after awhile i have started to feel limited in progression (even though there is much more to learn) or maybe just burnt out from kiting and want to surf more than kite, even sup!!!. However as mentioned before definitely a time and place for all watersports.
Select to expand quotePlummet said..
Surfing action per hour is too low for me.
Paddle out, bashing through surf to sit and wait.
Wait for the set then wait for your turn in the line up.
There's too much waiting and paddling for 10-20 seconds of glory every 10 minutes or so.
I want action. Kitesurfing gives you action on the way out and way back in. It almost non stop fun once rigged up.
So when theres no wind i look for a more action packed sport. For me that's mountain biking.
Soooo many good comments in this thread. And really all of them are valid. Plummet put it to the point for me though.
What I would add is this: Surfing is a lot harder. It requires an extraordinary amount of effort to become good, especially in less than swell (excuse the pun) conditions. If I lived in the Mentawais, I'd love nothing more than Surfing. Aussie breaks are generally not that good and way too crowded.
With surfing, unless you start from a very early age, and later are not too tall or too heavy, you won't ever master it. Kitesurfing is much easier to learn even later in life.
One last note I would make is that kitesurfing is a much more social sport. People are super helpful mostly, happy to chat and just hang out with at the beach. To me it's part of the fun. Surfing is super competitive, no chatting, no sharing, very ego driven.
Select to expand quotePlummet said..Mark _australia said..
blah blah
Why then have most wave junky windsurfers ditched windsurfing in favour or kiting? The grin factor in the waves must be better.
They left when we have narrow useless boards and it was hard. The new boards are unreal, those who come back love it and kite less and less....those who come back say quite the opposite to you. But of course we'd all do 4 watersports if we all could have the time and $$$
I disagree about 'most' wavesailors BTW, my local has way more windsurfers out, and so did my last local.
^^^^^^ Not sure why you are trying to push windsurfing again(yawn) 
, when the question by the poster was about "which is better surfing or kite surfing, but at our local all the life long windsurfers now kite and havent looked back and say they never will. 
Sailing is totally different to kitesurfing and surfing a wave, and cant be compared in any way.
But back to what the question actually was.
Kiteing 100% wins for me now, if I could surf perfect indo waves with no one out it might be a different answer, but that is unrealistic.
With kitesurfing its non stop action, surfing is a lot of waiting, paddling, duck diving and less time on waves.
Select to expand quotelotofwind said..
But back to what the question actually was.
Kiteing 100% wins for me now, if I could surf perfect indo waves with no one out it might be a different answer, but that is unrealistic.
With kitesurfing its non stop action, surfing is a lot of waiting, paddling, duck diving and less time on waves.
Exactly my thoughts too.
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
Go for the one that is easier to learn than proper real surfing, but harder than kiting, and has endless possibilities........ both aerial and wave riding. Windsurfing.
2 x faster on the wave than surfing. Proper 360 rotations in the air, backside and frontside riding with rotations off the lip that are impossible kiting, and at least 3 - 5x more moves than kiting. Look for a vid of a kiter riding waves, busting aerials off the lip and doing any sort of rotation BOTH back and frontside.
Go on, find it.
... dribble blah blah
Up to you.
I did!
I am like most converted surfers.
I like the fact that once in the water the whole ocean is your playground.
Not too many surfers have an awesome time getting out to the break.
Its like being in a skateboard park with a motorised skateboard.
Yes time to set up and to pack up is a pain but the time utilised on the water must be 95% more than surfing.
Select to expand quote
surfingboye said..Plummet said..
Counted how many waves I rode kitesurfing today.
30 in 1.5 hours.
That's 20 waves per hour.
Oh yeah. Most waves in the 1 1/2 to double head size.
That's O for Awesome no matter which way you look at it.
Sounds great! Any pics...?
This a pic from when the bws boys turned up a year or 2 back. Same break. Similar conditions. If you pick the 3rd or 4th wave in the set the previous ones have sucked the water flat and you get a cleaner wave.
whoaahhhh, meaty! Is that somewhere around where you are?
Looks windy but, unlike my time in NZ... 
Select to expand quotesurfingboye said...
Looks windy but, unlike my time in NZ...
Another dud kitesurf trip hey ?? ^^^
Bummer.
lol.
Select to expand quotewaveslave said..
surfingboye said...
Looks windy but, unlike my time in NZ...
Another dud kitesurf trip hey ?? ^^^
Bummer.
lol.
Define dud for me...
Only had 2 days of wind in a week, but kited an epic kiwi setup with good waves.
Would do it again for the same conditions. lol.
Select to expand quotesurfingboye said..waveslave said..
surfingboye said...
Looks windy but, unlike my time in NZ...
Another dud kitesurf trip hey ?? ^^^
Bummer.
lol.
Define dud for me...
The definition of being skunked would be if you visited WA for the whole goddamn month of Jan 2016. ^^^
Total dud.
But I can kite all year round so it's no biggie.
lol.
Select to expand quotesurfingboye said..
whoaahhhh, meaty! Is that somewhere around where you are?
Looks windy but, unlike my time in NZ...
That's the north point at Tai Road near opunake. When the ground swell meets a howling SE.... oh yeah.
The shot ol matey on the bws does look like heaps of fun...what kind of wetsuits do you use for the summer/winter seasons plummet?
I'm abit of a pussy when it comes to cold conditions reckon id need a dry suit to be comfortable
Right now its 28 deg C and water temp 24. I roll a 2-3 spring suit in summer.
But winter down at the spot when the southerly cranks its bitterly cold. 12 deg water and maybe 10 deg air temp. But the wind chill is brutal. I run a 4/3 with booties, gloves, hoodie and throw an impact fest on too.
Yeh still love a good surf with a few buddies but the surf is rarely good and rarely is there only a few mates. Just a whole bunch of kelly slater wannabes. Come out more aggressive and pissed than when I first went in.
Windsurfing, mark, really .... Has its place in certain conditions I suppose. Again rarely get them....
Select to expand quotePlummet said...
Right now its 28 deg C and water temp 24. I roll a 2-3 spring suit in summer.
But winter down at the spot when the southerly cranks its bitterly cold. 12 deg water and maybe 10 deg air temp. But the wind chill is brutal. I run a 4/3 with booties, gloves, hoodie and throw an impact fest on too.
Aahw yeah cool I'd need a 5/4 than to remain comfy cheers wokachang chang
Select to expand quotewishy said..
Only a surfer knows the feeling of getting a perfect 8 foot barrel in crystal clear warm water and one or two friends around.
Only a kitesurfer knows the feeling of sending a 7 metre C kite in 40 knots, pulling 5 G's on the takeoff and soaring nosebleedingly high above an evil grey ocean. (your friends won't come with you for this one)
^^ Yes, what he said!!!
