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Pick a Sport - Surfing Vs KiteS
Ezzer1000 - 4-3-2005 at 12:15

Hey,

I am trying to choose between starting in surfing or kitesurfing, and wondered if anyone here could make any reccommendations.

As an ex-national swimmer and breakdancer i hope to make reasonable progress, but wonder which you can get off to "a better start" with over the first couple of years. E.g dingy sailing easier for a beginner than windsurfing. Does such a difference exist?

I appreciate talent is key!

Kitesurfing seems more expensive, but perhaps better suited to british waters. Right?

Advice please (ASAP, so i can start BEFORE the summer, when everyone does!)

mNeil - 4-3-2005 at 12:49

kitesurfing is much easier than wind surfing.
GET LESSONS!!!!!

Ezzer1000 - 4-3-2005 at 12:56

I'm trying to decide between surfing and kite-surfing! I've never much like windsurfing (no offence to many others on here!)

So, easier to learn KS or surfing?

dunk - 4-3-2005 at 13:02

Do both dude !

But if I had to choose I'd kitesurf. You Breakdancin 'll come in handy for the "Borth Massiff" signature move of spinning on your head !

Get yourself down to Borth and join Da Massiff!

Oh, and if you want some cheap kites , give me a shout!

justal - 4-3-2005 at 13:44

Kite surfing is easier than surfing by a long way, but it will all depend on where you are based, where you will be surfing/kitesurfing and how much money you have got... The best thing is to do both of course, if you can afford the kitesurfing kit, then you'll already the wetsuit so the only other thing you will need is a surfboard and you could get yourself a decent 2nd hand one for £100 no problem.

Al.

mNeil - 4-3-2005 at 14:05

oh surfing! now let me think back to when i used to live in durban; ah yes, that was when i used to spend all day waiting on a board for the perfect wave that never came and when it did i usually missed it.thats it i remember now.
yes is that why i took up kitesurfing or is it becaouse of the buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz?

Ezzer1000 - 4-3-2005 at 15:57

Pretty compelling so far, though i was surprised by "justal" saying KS is way easier.

Without getting into a subject that might be covered elsewhere, how cheap can you sensibly start KS?

After 6months what sort of standard might one reach?

mNeil - 4-3-2005 at 16:37

its a buyers market these days with so much good s/hand gear around; wouldnt expect to pay close to £500 to get kited and boarded and on the water; however do get advice re gear from someone who has an idea on gear,and someone who is a bit on the mean side might be an advantage!
everyone s apptitude and natural ability is different,we all learn at different speeds. no ome gets good without putting in the effort and the time on the water.

col123 - 4-3-2005 at 19:22

there both good sports however just ask any kitesurfer to explain the look of jealousy on surfers faces when you rip past them on a face of a wave, then boost 20ft over them..as neil says kitesurf kit you can get hold of good second hand kit at the mo and £500 should set you up

justal - 4-3-2005 at 22:08

quote:
Originally posted by Ezzer1000
Pretty compelling so far, though i was surprised by "justal" saying KS is way easier.


Put it this way, it takes years in this country for most people to get to a standard of surfing where they can ride along a wave properly... It certainly took me a while, despite managing to stand up on my first ever go... On the other hand my first go at kitesurfing (on less than ideal equipment) and I was up and riding and in relative control in less than 5 minutes. (I had flown kites on the land for a while though which made things easier).

Al.

bucski - 5-3-2005 at 09:39

I used to live in cornwall and australia and surfed my arse off for years, I can honestly say there is no better feeling than surfing perfect waves - but I now kitesurf because good conditions are a lot closer to me, and you get far many more good sessions and it's way easier, the learning curve is real fast.
If you live by the ocean near good waves then sure try surfing but if you're just gonna do it every so often go for kitesurfing - plus when you get good at kitesurfing you can use the kite to tow you onto waves and you can then surf em - double bonus!!

shem - 6-3-2005 at 07:43

Ive surfed for 15 years and kited for 7 years. Surfing is much harder to learn, for the basic reason that you spend more time paddling and duck diving, than actually standing on your board. With kiting and kite surfing, every second is spent improving your skill level. Dont get me wrong surfing is great, I still love it, but we dont get consistent enough surf, to get in the water enough.

As any kite surfer will tell you, theres nothing better than dropping into a wave and riding it, whilst kite surfing, ( two birds, one stone)!!

Pluto - 9-3-2005 at 21:34

Like Shem I've done both for some time now. I think all the above says it all. I spend more time kitesurfing now just because it's more accessable.

Good waves are hard to find in the UK. To learn to Kitesurf is not hard. AS LONG AS YOU HAVE LESSONS. Don't try it without QUALIFIED supervision. With practice 6 months down the line and you could be a pro. People have done it.

To reach pro surfing standard you'd need to be at it for at least 10 years in quality waves that you just don't get in the UK. The world Champ Kitesurfer is a Brit and the one before was a Brit too.

The future is kitesurfing - BUT GET LESSONS!!

justal - 9-3-2005 at 22:15

It still amazes me the number of people who live here (West Wales) and still ONLY surf. I've been windsurfing and surfing for 20 years now and used to mainly surf while I lived in N. Devon, but since moving to Wales I soon swapped over to mainly windsurfing or kitesurfing and just surf on the rare occasions that the surf is actually good. If all I did was surf then I'd probably get less than 20 good sessions a year.....Do it all then you can pick and choose the best sport for the given conditions.

Al.