Equipment necessary to practice kitesurfing (Updated)

The kite is the main element of the equipment necessary to practice kitesurfing, providing the power needed to boost you across the water and lift you into the air if you wish. Available in a range of shapes, sizes and designs, each type of kite offers specific features to match different riding styles and wind conditions, so choosing the right kite type and size will depend on factors such as your skill level, body weight and the environment in which you plan to practice.

To choose which size kite to buy, I recommend that you ask local kitesurfers what size kite would be the best option, depending on your weight and the most common wind conditions in your area, so it will be more reliable a good choice and at the same time begin to socialize with kitesurfers in your local spot (those who practice this sport used to help each other as a big family).

As for the type of kite, although there are “foil” type kites that have a structure similar to that of a paraglider, in this article we will focus on inflatable kites, as they are the most used and offer an easier and more versatile handling, mostly due to its ability to float in the case of falling into the water. Basically the inflatable kites are built by an inflatable structure formed by a main tube called leading edge, that defines the shape of the kite, and the struts, that provide stiffness to the kite. These inflatable components are attached by special fiber fabric resistant to the forces of wind and water.

Currently each brand offers a range of different kite models adapted to each style of riding. The manufacturers of the best kite brands in the market include in their product range at least one kite model specialized for surfing waves (Wave), a model for “Freeride” (valid for a bit of everything), a special model for big jumps (Big Air), and a model of “Free style” oriented to perform tricks style “wake boarding”. Normally, no matter the brand, the “Freestyle” and “Big Air” kites have 5 struts, although the shape of the leading edge differs between them, and the wave and “Freeride” kites are usually equipped with 3 struts, although some models may have more or less struts.

If you have already finished your kitesurfing course (remember that it is very important to learn with professionals), it means that you are a beginner/intermediate level kitesurfer and you are starting to ride on your own, in this case it is highly recommended that you choose to buy or rent three struts kites more oriented to freeride as a first option. With them you can progress more quickly without compromising safety and fun, because with this kind of kites you can improve your level of riding, get started and progress in the jumps easily, while they will offer great depowering capacity and easy relaunching when they fall in the water. Choosing a good freeride kite will be the key to your success in improving your skills in this sport.

The wave kites would be the second option, focused to allow you to surf the waves with comfort, with them you can easily ride as they are usually very reactive and intuitive to handle, and it is very easy to relaunch them when they fall in the water. Although their performance for jumping is not so good, depending on the brand some wave kite models will give you the possibility to practice good (or at least acceptable) jumps.

Next on our list of recommended kite types for a beginner/intermediate level kitesurfer would be the “Big Air” focused kites, usually featuring 5 struts and a more flat-to-long shape, they offer exceptional jumping performance and airtime although they may sacrifice handling agility and reactivity, usually this type of kites are a bit more complicated to relaunch when they fall in the water due to their less compact shape.

Finally the least recommended kites for beginner kitesurfers would be the ones focused exclusively on “Freestyle”. These “C” shaped kites usually have 5 struts and an additional line (5 lines). They are super fun and reactive if you know how to control them and offer unbeatable performance for tricks wakeboarding style, jumping and turning in the air while you pass the bar from one hand to the other will be a piece of cake using this kind of kites if you dare and your level is suitable. On the other hand this kind of kites are not at all valid for surfing waves, and relaunching them when they fall in the water can be complicated if you do not know how to do it correctly, as sometimes they relaunch in a slightly different way from the other types of kites.

If you are going to buy a kite and you do not know which model to choose, I advise you to ask the seller which is the freeride model and go for it, so you will not fail. In our kitesurf school Capitan Kite Tarifa we do not sell kites but we have a lot of experience training kitesurfers, we have tested many models and brands of kites over the years, and now we can advise you on which kite model to choose without any compromise, just contact us and we will advise you for free to make the best choice when buying your new or second hand kite.