windsurfers that kite

From my observation kites are good when the water is shallow but the wind is good. When the wind is light and the water is shallow kites still need wind, they don't seem to go upwind in really light wind. Post on the kite forum for an expert response. Lightwind shallow windsurfing needs a longboard or sup with a short fin or weed fin.. shallow water strong wind needs short Delta type fins that don't break or stop suddenly if you start to run aground but there's no guarantee of not crashing .. twin fin setups with really small deltas are used by some sailors in strong winds. I've used a 19 Delta in strong wind and on the longboard in light wind with a little bit of centreboard down too.
Hope this helps.

I'll bite, This topic always goes pear shaped on this forum and has been done before......but for entertainments sake...I swing both ways!

For shallow river mouths kiting winds hands down, especially in a light wind area where you need big boards/sails/fins and none of that works well in shallow sandbanks, unless you want to break your gear and neck, eg Cotton tree, noosa river, caloundra bar, especially outgoing tides

Physically and stoke wise I get more from windsurfing, kiting is way easier physically and to do stuff like below is dead easy, (me at C/tree) if i did that windsurfing I'd be super buzzed, as its much harder to do.

In the past I found there was little cross over, but now I'm often tossing up on what to do as the range capabilities of both sports equipment is so good now, it's light time to kite / windy time to sail line is often very blurred.

I don't like kiting in strong winds, just too much down side when its super strong, i figure I've used a lot of my kite luck up back in the early days, so no need to push it, if its 'properly windy' I always windsurf.

A down side to the shallow llghtwind/rivermouth/scene is that every man and their dog is doing it now...these places are often OTT crowded, not fun when there are 25+ kites up and a heap of beginners crashing all around you! So you need to skill up to handle open water and downwinders (which are the best)

It's all good, if the world did more of each it would be a better place, i don't buy into the us/them thing, just make sure you get lessons, its not like windsurfing, mistakes can have massive consequences.. book in with one of the local schools.

Now to stir some ****....:)

I find kiting is bit like masturbation, it's easy and convenient, feels good and you end up with a smile on your face, but it kinda feels like your cheating , it's not as good as the real thing, which is often much harder to obtain but the reward so much better.:)
A lot of girls kite? ....probably much more convenient than finding a ......windsurf school :)

Kiting is no real different to sailboarding when you get down to it but just different ways to enjoy the wind. I think there are considerations to think about as to which one is more suitable and they are conditions and location. If you have wind around 25 knots and more get the sailboard out but under that and I think you can get more out of a kite. If your location is shallow water, has weed or you need to carry the gear a long way to the water then kites are the way to go.
I still think some of the most epic sailing sessions I have has been on a sailboard and that's most likely due to the strong wind but in SE Queensland kites rule due to the conditions I think. One way you can make kiting feel more like sailboarding is to ride a directional which I do a lot and you get the speed thrill and the need to gybe.
Sailboarding for me now is getting the one design out and cruising in wind to light to fly a kite and the rest is kiting. No matter what you do its all fun.

I don't honestly know why you need to compare, if your enjoying sailboarding stick at it. Kiters are not out there recruiting in fact most like small numbers on the water but welcome any!

I agree Kiting is probably easier to learn the basics than windsurfing from my memory of both experiences. But 90% don't do high level tricks on either. Both are difficult and risky to cross that line from the basic routine. I still see most sailboarders in my area jumping off and turning around as they haven't taken the plunge to learn powered Gybe, no big deal ride at yr level but don't think because you do a high speed run or pop a bit of a jump that you are in the 10% who rip and really take either sport to its potential.

Both sports are reliant on wind and an individuals definition of what is fun for them, yes a kite board can be pretty powered over 12 knots on the right gear but many don't bother until over 15-20knots, trick riding is just that and can be adapted to flat or wave riding depends how good you are also how brave and physically fit you are.

For me these days I want easy and simple, rather be out often! as its my fitness and relaxation. I used to love Cat sailing, threw in a bit of sailboarding as well. But time is precious and just as sailboarding took a lot of casual punters from Sailboat racing due to time to setup and pack up in the late 70's early 80's. Just throwing yr kite gear in plastic tub in the boot of yr car far beats loading sailboards onto roofracks or buying a van to carry it around. Trust me a big day pushing it on a kiteboard is just as wearing as big day sailboarding, cruising either is just that cruising!
Both great sports and I wonder why more young guys don't take them up but just how it is.

As someone with 20+ yrs windsurfing and 5yrs kiting.....

Go for it. Kiting gear more compact so easy to take both.

Also buy a cheap small high wind kite board. If marginal turns 20+ knots and you can't be arsed rigging up, just switch boards.

Safety note, kiting in shallow water is dangerous. Lots do it but I've also taken people to emergency with broken bones because of it.

I do both but kites since 2000.
nowadays mainly kite foil.
save the windsurfing till I can use my trusty slalom with either my 5.3 or 5.8.
im currently lying in wait for the opportunity to put a pair of tracks on my wife's Freeride board then sneak a Zeeko windfoil through the finances.

Nothing to lose in giving it a crack. Back in the day a slalom board and a 5 or 6m sail was my goto for a fun session. Then a few mates started kiting on the days the 6m was marginal and convinced me to take a few lessons rather than sitting on the beach waiting for the wind to come up. Completely different skills/experience with each sport, but things like reading the wind/waves/chop translates across. Ended up taking the windsurfing gear on the roof and the kite gear in the boot for a few years and just used whatever the conditions called for. If you are just looking for more time on the water it's probably a good call. Unfortunately I sold my windsurfing kit when I moved countries (kite gear was easier to get in the luggage) but every time I see a windsurfer blasting along out off Sandgate/Brighton I start thinking about getting back into it.

The fabric on kites has a UV protection layer applied at manufacturing and is only really good for about 400hrs of UV exposure.
for kites this amounts to about 3 years of average use. But things like pumping them up to wait for wind or washing and drying in backyard etc. eat into those hours. Plus the fabric bags out losing shape and efficiency.

in last say 3 years many manufacturers have gone to using better ripstop fabrics with more ripstop strands which is proving way more durable. But to my knowledge not much improvement in the UV protection.
So look to kites using these new fabrics around 2-3 years old for buying S/h.
kitesurf harnesses are stronger more durable and more comfortable than windsurfing harnesses and work for windsurfing just as well.