Windsurfing vs Kitesurfing

by Arne | Most Popular, Rants | 105 comments

Windsurfing vs Kitesurfing

It occurs very often that I have to hear how windsurfing is better than kitesurfing (or vice-versa), that kitesurfers are just a nuisance (or vice-versa), etc. That is not what I intend to talk about in this article. I think both sports are a great way to have fun on the water (personally I do both and think that badmouthing one or the other is juvenile as these sports can coexist perfectly and share the water without any problems). I dedicated a whole other post on surf rage and where that comes from. Here is a fun clip illustrating what happens from time to time.

Working at a surf center I often get asked the same question: Which is better, windsurfing or kitesurfing? I usually give a rather quick answer to this as usually there are other people waiting to be attended. However, I thought I would break it down a little more to provide a more complete answer for those not knowing which of these to choose.

Transport

At the Surf Center Playa Sur we also offer storage of both windsurf and kitesurf gear I keep having to witness how burdensome windsurfing gear is. Usually the board bag with one (or two) boards and 3 sails will weigh around 30 kg and has to be dragged around the airport and ends up being a bit of a hassle when added to the standard luggage we are taking with us. Kiteboarders on the other hand will have their one board under their arm and one kite over each shoulder or just a long bag the size of a large set of golf clubs. Kitesurfing turns out to be less of a hassle overall.

Kitesurf Kit

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Equipment cost

The gear for both windsurfing and kitesurfing both cost roughly the same. When new they can be anywhere within the 1000€ to 2500€ range. And in used condition the gear will be somewhere around the 500€ to 800€. The difference comes in the life of each piece of kit. In general, windsurf kit will last somewhat longer before it needs to be replaced. A kite (especially the lines) will need to be replaced after about 3 years whereas a windsurfer can easily last 5 to 6 if maintained well (ie. not leaving the rig laying out in the sun for longer than need be, etc.)

Buying used kit is a little bit more tricky in kitesurfing as the integrity of the lines must be checked carefully and the leading edge must be tested to ensure there are no slow leaks. For a windsurfer it is pretty easy to evaluate the condition of a board and sail.

The gear for kitesurfing is more fragile than windsurfing gear. Tears and holes will be much more frequent due to wear in the mite material than in windsurf cloth because it is much thinner (for less weight).

Learning

The two learning curves for each sport are pretty different. For kitesurfing you have to spend a couple of hours on the beach to learn how to handle the kite, then do a few sessions of body drag through the water and only then is it time to try to get on the board. This usually adds up to around 9 hours which is where you are at a point where you can continue to practice without supervision. For windsurfing this is different. I usually spend 15 to 20 minutes on the beach teaching my students what it is they will have to do on the water.From there it is off to the water.After around 2-3 hours with flat water, 4-5 in waves, my students are usually at a point where they can sail back and forth alone.

Now comes the main difference. A kitesurfer after about 20 hours will be riding with a speed and technique similar to that which he will be sailing in 2 years. A windsurfer on the other hand will have a more gradual and constant improvement throughout that time.

I have heard so often how kitesurfing is the sport that people turn to that are unable (or too impatient) to learn how to windsurf.

Windsurf vs Kitesurf learning curves

Physical requirement

Kitesurfing is less challenging. There is no denying that. The quadriceps get some working on but that is about it. People who take on windsurfing will be challenged more and will see their stamina increase with each session as the body adapts to the new requirements. The running joke among windsurfers is that kitesurfing is for girls and pensioners, basically referring to the physical condition required.

Independence

While it is technically possible to launch and land a kite on ones own, you need a certain level of experience to be able to do so as getting the procedure wrong can end pretty bad indeed. Usually therefore it is at the very least “strongly recommended” to have a second person on the beach to launch or land your kite. The problem mainly comes that it is also dangerous to launch someone’s kite while flying your own so two kitesurfing buddies will have to do some interesting (and dangerous) juggling if they want to go kiting simultaneously). For windsurfing this is not the case as you are quite independent in that sense.

That being said, just for general safety it is wise to go on the water with others around who can lend a hand in case of injury, equipment malfunction or any other precarious unforeseen situation.

Locations for sailing

There are two types of locations which are exclusive to one sport or the other

The first is shallow water. As a windsurfer you are in big trouble if you are cruising along at speed and the fin suddenly touches the ground. It can result in a very spectacular and possibly painful catapult indeed (and possibly some board repair). On a kiteboard you don’t have this problem since you are only skimming the water surface.

On the other hand, if we are at a spot where the shoreline is lined with tall structures such as trees or lamp posts it is rather tricky and very dangerous to go in as a kiter since if the lines get caught in them, kitelooping along the ground and crashing into stuff ensues. Windsurfers have less trouble as all they have to deal with is the immediate surroundings.

Safety

This is where the two sports have their greatest discrepancy. Ever since kitesurfing has hit the beaches I have been seeing a continuing increase in accidents. My explanation is that since kitesurfing is easier/faster to learn than windsurfing, a lot of people are not physically and psychologically ready to do an extreme sport start to do an extreme sport. The thing is that as long as nothing goes wrong, it is a fun sport which gives the sensation of speed and planing pretty easily. The problem arises when something out of the ordinary occurs. In that case, circumstances can turn dire pretty fast which leads to serious injuries. Since many kitesurfers have started to kitesurf at a level way beyond their experience, when things go wrong they don’t know how to react and are unable to reduce the consequences,.The trouble is that these consequences do not always affect only the kitesurfer but also anyone up to 200 metres downwind of them. Windsurfers on the other hand have only 5 metres to worry about, 20 if they are jumping.

Also the severity of the accidents in kitesurfing is greater. While it is true that i have seen windsurfers with dislocated shoulders, sprained ankles, broken legs and cracked ribs. Usually these are few and far between. Admittedly they tend to occur on the water and the rescue is a bit of a hassle but even then you have the option of getting on the board to save energy, be more visible and lose less body heat.

Conclusion

From an objective point of view, kitesurfing offers many more advantages over windsurfing except for when it comes to safety, and there it is far behind. This is also an aspect which I don’t see being eliminated from the sport. The long fragile (but very dangerous) lines combined with the immense power that can be generated by the large surface of the kite will always be a hazard, regardless of technological improvements. This is the reason this sport is an extreme sport.

Combine this with the fact that it is easy to learn and that the minimal physical requirements for kitesurfing and you have a dangerous combination. People that are not suitable for doing extreme sports will start to do extreme sports. And the worst part is that they are not aware of the possible risk they are putting themselves in.

I am by no means trying to say that no one should do kitesurfing. I just think that it is not made clear enough to students how to go about learning it safely and practicing it responsibly. Most of the accidents that happen are due to bad decision making and irresponsible riding (like going onto the water in unreliable offshore winds or practicing or showing off tricks near the shore or in areas with a lot of people).

As for the sensation, kitesurfing is a fun sport. I started to use it as an alternative to the low wind days where 5.7 m sails were no longer enough. For me personally, having to sail with 6.0 m or more was too much of a hassle and with a kite takes less physical effort to handle regardless of its size. As a windsurfer kitesurfing is really fast and easy to learn so it was a nice addition to broaden my range of conditions in which I can have fun on the water.

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105 Comments

1. alex

alex on February 4, 2014 at 2:49 pm

Conclusion: Windsurfing is the best if you have balls and like the REAL stuff. 😉 man, I need to sail.

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- Arne

Arne on February 4, 2014 at 8:33 pm

Hehehe, at least for me that is why I went back to windsurfing after spending some seasons kitesurfing more. For me the challenge in windsurfing is more rewarding although I can see how many would prefer the ease of kitesurfig 🙂

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- rickster

rickster on May 7, 2018 at 3:27 am

above a 5.7 sail, you need A BIG BOARD — and a wide board — you just need a big board for light winds and then you are good to go

I switched to a big board and it is great – it even works in stronger winds if you can find sheltered waters

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- Rebecca Jensen

Rebecca Jensen on May 17, 2018 at 11:09 am

You just made my day Arne 🙂 enjoyed to read your post.

Very interesting reading. I’m going back to winsurfing 2;)

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- Die

Die on March 15, 2020 at 7:50 pm

For me the windsurfing is more phisical and not easy to learn for this people prefer kitesurf but when you dominate the windsurfing is the best.

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- Tom

Tom on July 14, 2015 at 8:04 am

you mean windsurfing is for people who are scared of heights!

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- Dan

Dan on September 3, 2017 at 5:42 pm

https://www.facebook.com/dan.schindler.12

Nope. This was average day at 35MPH

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- d

d on September 3, 2017 at 5:59 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR_1hNrtL8U

This guy probably is

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- Ola

Ola on April 12, 2016 at 9:22 pm

I’ve Been windsurfing since 1985 and I have had long periods of no surfing for the obvious reason that it doesent go well together with things like studies, exams, having to work and sleep, small kids, fixing houses, times with bad economy, broken down or no car.. So when turning up at a spot in the exact right conditions is where I always think its interesting to see what kind of life windsurfers materialize with workvans, RV’s, pre-packed family cars, and with trolleys. An hour later I rest a bit in the water at the tip of some island and theres a person next to you in he water shouting something about the windconditions. We both aim the rig by holding the mast close by our sides, shuffle ourselfves under it with the chin in the surface and throw a leg up on the back of the board and with the last of the last of energy put in to use the hook is grabbing the harnessline. As I use the distance to get some rest and at the same time picking up speed I really admire the eccentric people showing up that is so typical for windsurfing. On boards and sails chosen out of litteraly millions of options and variations or kits never look the same and we keep trimming and try to understand why the area in the middle of the bay with no wind can make some sink through the surface while others keep on with warp speed and you KNOW its because some tiny silly reason like his or her foot position or ability to read the water surface. As I am now 40 I still see the learning curve keep on going up up. There is always so many things to learn. There are so many techniques that can be bootcamp trained and there will always be placesmthat I wish I will get back to on the board. Experiencing nature from a bizzare position on a completely quiet vessel on my own, at some popular speed or wave spot or just going alone straight out in the open sea or in an archipelago. Its often forgotten but wind surfing has a dimention very similar to kayaking where foot straps are unnessecary. I love both this and the feeling when a gust at planning speed makes my mast bend and I might pop board and experience a spin out without even have the chance to take a descision whether to do it because it just happens as a way of letting the wind rip past the rig. Windsurfing os hard work most of the time. And as long as kitesurfers keep wearing boardshorts outside their wetsuits windsurfers are struggling with their gear not looking so cool, but as the wind picks up the windsurfers get TO the beach while kitesurfers go FROM the beach and become more keen on staying indoors watching kite dvd’s.

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- alex

alex on June 5, 2022 at 12:50 am

What you wrote just made me want to restart… for a second time in 42 years.

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- Mildred Davidson

Mildred Davidson on August 19, 2018 at 1:33 am

100% agree with you

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- Kyle

Kyle on April 11, 2019 at 10:44 pm

No. He just said kitesurfing is more dangerous. So clearly kitesurfers have more balls. Let’s go!

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- Paul Blessington

Paul Blessington on July 20, 2019 at 6:05 am

The main difference between Windsurfing and Kitesurfing is the energy transfer. With windsurfing the energy travels through your body onto the board. With Kitesurfing, the energy stays put 22 meters above your head. Yes, you can hall ass kitesurfing, and yes you can jump nearly as high as you dare. But when the day is over, you have more fun windsurfing than kitesurfing because of all the adrenaline pumping through your body.

I kitesurfed for two years, and windsurfed for nearly 20, mostly in Hawaii. Because there are so few windsurfers anymore, most of my buddies are kitesurfers, after all, we are all wind bros.

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2. Andrey Svetliy

Andrey Svetliy on February 5, 2014 at 4:18 am

Very interesting comparison! I enjoyed reading it.

I think the learning curve should have the progression not just in a riding position, but also in the diversity of tricks.

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- Arne

Arne on February 5, 2014 at 12:48 pm

I would have done it but then it would have gotten quite complex to draw 😛

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3. Richa Sharma

Richa Sharma on February 27, 2014 at 11:53 am

hiii kitesurfing is better than windsurfing.I like kitesurfing water sport so much.

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- Arne

Arne on March 18, 2014 at 9:14 am

Thats great! All watersports have their charm. Kitesurfing has some great air time and surfing with a strapless directional board is pretty physical 🙂

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4. DRS

DRS on May 12, 2014 at 10:07 pm

I windsurfed throughout my teens and it was a struggle. I am now much older and looking to kitesurf. My favourite watersport was dinghy sailing as it is quite chilled and relaxing. However, I did trapeze once on a high speed/ high end catermaran and it was exhilerating. (Trapeze is when you hang off side of boat sitting in a trapeze to balence boat while sometimes skimming the surface of the water with your backside). Maybe kitesurfing will replicate this feeling.

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- Arne

Arne on May 12, 2014 at 11:06 pm

Windsurfing has come a long way in the last 20 years. 10 years even. The equipent has become much lighter and easier to handle so learning has been made much easier.

I know the experience you are talking about with the trapeze. It is what you feel when you start planing on a windsurfer and the sensation you hace once you start standing up in kitesurfing. Kitesurfing will provide you this sensation sooner and with less energy effort than windsurfing. It is one of the reasons why kiteboarding has gained so much popularity over windsurfing. It provides the exciting experience faster 🙂

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- GibMo

GibMo on May 18, 2014 at 7:24 am

Hi DRS,

I stopped windsurfing 30 years ago but the windsurfing virus struck me again in 2003. So I bought a new Freeride kit. At that time I still thought I was Robby Naish. The thruth was somewhat different. The sheer speed and my inability of controlling the board scarred the hell out me. And worse, I could not jibe anymore. So I quitted again.

Finally in 2006, I realised windsurfing is the sport for me ( I even took a kitesurf lesson to convince myself about it ;-)). So I started again and I put extra effort into it. I got used to speed and I vigorously started mastering my jibes. And it finally paid off! I intend to go on windsurfing for at least another 20 years.

I think the chart in Arnes article says it all. If you think mastering and improving your technique is part of the fun windsurfing is a great way of having fun on the water. If you are into rapid progression (and airtime!) go for Kitesurfing

Nice article Arne!

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- Arne

Arne on May 18, 2014 at 8:34 am

Thanks for the feedback and inspiring story GibMo! Here in El Medano I see quite a few people that have decided exsctly the same as you and are doing really well. Like one 70-something year oldwho is working on sinkerboard tacks and 360s.

The jun is in the journey and the reward of when it finally works is (at least to me) more gratifying 🙂

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- Ola

Ola on April 12, 2016 at 9:46 pm

Yes exactly!! That was a oneliner I will remember “If you think mastering and improving your technique….” I have been training apnea for about six years and I keep embracing the idea of constand zen- like improvement. Last winter I had an experience where I for the first time ever I completely gave up on getting up on the board (the cold made me weak I guess and the windsurfing muscles were untrained). I sat on the board and waited for it to float to the end of the bay when my friend that I have been teatching windsurfing came swimming to help me with the board. As I was a better swimmer we was for no use he later claimed, and I kinda didi the walk of shame because I had given up. But that is so typical for windsurfing. Its not like in the ads and I often loose faith. Get scared etc. But fuck its a part of my life. A part of my persona. Windsurfing has shaped who I am. Will I ever quit? No I will windsurf as long as my spine let me. I just got a new job and there is a new Tabou or RRD board waiting for me somwhere.

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5. John Coffey

John Coffey on May 27, 2014 at 9:33 pm

Excellent objective post! I’ve been windsurfing since 1988 and have done much less the last 12 years due directly to buying a sailboat. I’ve been tempted to learn kite sailing every year when I go to my timeshare in Aruba but I need a great reason to invest more time in learning a new sport. The sailboat takes up way more time than I ever anticipated and the 2 of my old windsurfing friends; one has quit and the other has gone on to kite sailing.

So I’ve decided to keep my skills and independence with windsurfing. High wind I’ll go windsurfing, low wind sail the sailboat. If it wasn’t for the sailboat I would learn kite sailing and meet new kite sailing friends.

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- Arne

Arne on May 27, 2014 at 10:28 pm

Thanks or the insight John. Indeed a sailboat makes the range for sailing even greater. You can have great fun in a sailboat long before a kite will fly or windsurfers start to plane. Thats an awesome alternative, although I guess a little bit more costly and cumbersome 🙂

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- Joenieverse

Joenieverse on July 13, 2015 at 1:23 pm

My son is about to learn windsurfing just like i did when i was about his age (10). I’ve surfed the wind quite a bit in my younger years. Nowadays having grown a bit older and having evolved into a somewhat less athletic person ;-), i enjoy sailing. I agree with the costly and cumbersome bit but i’ve found a solution when i found the “banana boot” (boot is german for boat). It’s a german foldable boat that comes with sail. When folded it’s about as big as a surfboard. the whole thing weighs as much as the kind of board i used to surf back in the 90’s. I use it on weekends here in Holland. On holidays i strap it on the roof rack and ride towards sunnier places to enjoy the calm and beauty of foreign lakes.

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6. Roland

Roland on July 7, 2014 at 10:58 am

I’m taking up kitesurfing. I used to windsurf in the past, I will also pick-up windsurfing again but with my family and 2 kids it will be easier to kite on holidays etc. But in my heart I think windsurfing is definitely on top. Just watch this clip, it tells enough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1yWG9fdD10

I saw some kite”wavesailing”, but it looks ridiculous and it seems like a really easy access to waves that they normally cannot ride.

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- Arne

Arne on July 7, 2014 at 4:29 pm

The good thing about kitesurfing is that every new step is pretty easy to learn. Specially when it comes to waves, as long as you keep the kite in the air you are safe. It is really easy to start waveriding in kitesurfing as you can start with a twin-tip and then move on to a directional surf board once you get the hang of it. In windsurfing the technique for wave riding is much more tricky.

For travel kitesurfing is more comfortable as it is lighter and setting it up takes less time, which is good if you have to coordinate with your family and are pressed for time 🙂

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7. Szörftábor

Szörftábor on August 21, 2014 at 6:37 am

In light wind kitesurf is much more interesting than windsurfing with big sails.But in hardcore conditions windsurf is the King. Am I Right? Regards : Szörftábor.

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- Arne

Arne on August 21, 2014 at 7:22 am

That is indeed how I have ended up looking at it 🙂 If I can windsurf with sails smaller than 6.0 it’s windsurfing for me. From 6.0 upwards it is time to go kiting. But in the end it depends on the preferrence of every person. There are some who don’t want to use bigger than 5.0 and others who enjoy 7.0 and 8.0m sails.

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- oregon111

oregon111 on August 27, 2015 at 8:50 pm

for using bigger sails — you NEED to use a larger board!

nothing sucks more than trying to uphaul a big sail on an unstable board,

get a 200 liter board — you can stand on it all day, never fall off – jibe easily every time – and only uphaul once per long back and forth session

and yes, you can still get in the harness and footstraps,

if more people realized this, more people would be windsurfing in light winds than kiting

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8. bob

bob on August 23, 2014 at 10:50 am

I kite at a very high level and as with anything, it depends how you do it. I can assure you the physical strain on my body doing huge tricks 100ft in the air is more than anything you could ever experience on a windsurf. Yes, I windsurfed for years and am also very good at that but I haven’t touched one for a long time now. You are free with a kite, you are not with a windsurfer. I am on the water daily wind or not. Most windsurfers I see are generally rubbish, there are a few on good windy days that are great. There doesn’t ever seem to be anything in between (agreeing with the chart above). However, when the wind gets really going 50-80mph I never see a windsurfer. Mind you I’m not even sure how you could setup up a windsurf rig with a sandstorm blowing like we get. Each to their own. Being on the water is all that matters and doing what suits you. For me, kites win everytime. If there is not enough wind, please do something else and don’t flap your sail trying to get somewhere. Just except there is no wind. Watched an entire championship like that once. Was hilarius for me, most embarrasing for so the socalled windsurf pro’s. Kite’s either fly or don’t.

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- Arne

Arne on August 25, 2014 at 4:54 pm

Lots of great and valid points there Bob. As to the physical strain, you are right, it depends on the level you do it at. However, at the level of your average sailor, windsurfing is more exhausting. With regards to the really windy days (+50 knots) here in El Médano it is usually only 2-5 kitesurfers and 10-20 windsurfers on the water. To be fair we have a few sheltered locations to rig the kit. There are also more experienced windsurfers here than experienced kitesurfers. I am completely with you on the competitioin without wind. If there is no wind, there should be no windsurfing. Although there are moments when the kite flies but not enough to go kiting 😉 Thanks for the comments!

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- Axel

Axel on July 6, 2015 at 10:44 pm

The physical strain during wave-sailing with a windsurfer is immense, because you’ll be sailing unhooked most of the time. In fact i can’t remember ever having as much muscle soreness, in almost every single muscle, after any other sport i’ve tried so far. I sometimes even feel muscles i never heard about before 😉

In a way it is a perfect full-body workout – just tons more fun than training in a gym…

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- Rebecca jensen

Rebecca jensen on May 17, 2018 at 12:22 pm

Very good point Axel 👍

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9. Travis

Travis on May 9, 2015 at 8:22 am

I really enjoyed the article. I’m at the beginning stage of either and have just bought a trainer kite to see if that’s something I will enjoy and be able to handle. I don’t like the idea of the long lines, but I live in Japan so storage is a huge issue. Having a place to store wind surfing gear is problem. I lived in Maui for a few summers as a college kid and didn’t have the money to buy gear, but tried wind surfing a few times and would love to be able to get good at it. Flying on the water with a small freestyle board just seems so fun! Great article!!! Thanks

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- Arne

Arne on May 12, 2015 at 1:27 pm

Hey Travis,

it is good that you got yourself short lines at first. It is much safer and effective for learning in the early stages. However in the future you will need 20m lines though.

As for the storage issue, kitesurfing will definitely win. Storing kitesurfing equipment is much less of a hassle and takes up much less space than windsurfing stuff. Enjoy the learning process!

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10. Al

Al on May 12, 2015 at 11:07 am

Nice to see an objective comparison for a change as a kite-surfer and occasional windsurfer the rivalry between the to sports gets a bit old

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- Arne

Arne on May 12, 2015 at 1:28 pm

Thanks for the kind words. That is exactly what I wanted to achieve. All the article I have read are alsways strongly biased and I wanted to give a truely objective breakdown of the pros and cons of each sport.

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11. eric taylor

eric taylor on May 16, 2015 at 5:46 pm

agree mostly but you leave out one critical component that makes kitesurfing the king in most locations in the world. Kitesurfing can not be beat in light wind. that’s because the lights grab better air and a kiter can hold down more sail no problem to rig a kite that is 20 or more meters in size that’s no possible on a windsurfer. kite for life!

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- Arne

Arne on May 16, 2015 at 6:40 pm

I don’t fully understand your comment. I am guessing that you are referring to the fact that the lower limit of wind speed is lower for kitesurfing than for windsurfing. That is correct. For a kite you can go as low as 7 knots (with an ultralight special kite and race board -or hydrofoil) whereas for windsurfing you need at least 10 (with specialized gear). And even with a big kite it is not very physically challenging while windsurfing with a big sail and board can get exhausting fast. Fair point 🙂

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12. piolo

piolo on May 19, 2015 at 7:50 am

Thanks for the article,another here wanting to get back into sailing after a bit of great time in windsurfing but I’m thinking to learn kitesurf just because of the light/small equipment. I wonder if doing kite you find your self looking at the kite or sky more often rather than the sea? How dependent are u if need another person to set the kite? Thx

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- Arne

Arne on May 19, 2015 at 2:54 pm

Hey Piolo,

as for the size and weight of the kitesurfing equipment, you are correct. It is less hassle to transport it.

IUn the early stages of kiting you will look at the kite quite often but as you get the hang of it you will stop looking up and focus on where you are going more. You will know from the feeling of the bar and the pull of your harness where the kite is.

In terms of being dependent on another person for launching and landing the kite: it will always be safer if you have someone help you (someone who knows what they are doing, if you choose someone who has never done it you can put yourself in a lot of danger). It is possible to launch and land on your own though. Just make sure you learn to do it somewhere where you have a soft landing and no obstacles downwind 😉

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13. Johan

Johan on May 31, 2015 at 4:02 pm

Hi, thanks for a great article. I am 37, live by the sea and have started learning windsurfing recently. I find windsurfing fun but hard to master. I am still very much a befinner, just starting to plane and still can’t tack or gyb properly. I borrow the gear from my local windsurfing club and get a few tips now and them. There is also a kiteclub where I live. I have only the summer months to surf due to the weather in my country. Now to my question: Do you think I should continue to learn windsurfing (which I find really hard) or should I instead try kite surfing this summer?

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- Arne

Arne on June 1, 2015 at 2:16 pm

Hey Johan. Thanks for the compliment.

Now to your question: it depends greatly on where you want to sail and in what comditions. If you want fast success you should learn kitesurfing. The same goes if you are going to sail with less than 18 knots and very shallow water as in thise conditions windsurfing is not that great (at least for me). However, if you enjoy the journey of learning a new skill and want to get fit while doing it, comtinue windsurfing. Kitesurfing is not so physically chellenging until you start doing very high level stuff.

Another thing to keep in mind is that in kitesurfing you spend less time in the water (as you dont have to know how to tack or gybe, meaning that you can do it for longer sessions even with low water temperatures. The downside is that if you drop your kite you can really get into trouble with hypothermia.

It is and will continue to be a tricky question with a lot of debate and opinions and I am afraid that I can’t tell you what you should do. Personally I find wimdsurfing more fun but as with anything, I think you should try out kitesurfing and then decide which you prefer 🙂

All the best! Let me know what you decide to do 😉

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14. Jan

Jan on July 10, 2015 at 3:05 pm

The difference is of physical nature. Windsurfers will never jump as high as Kitesurfers. If you like jumping fucking crazy high and feel insane amount of force pulling you hundreds of meters then kiting is your thing to go for. However once you like to do spinloops and roles with kitesurfing you chose the wrong sport since kite-lines do not transmit torque on to your body. Concerning momentum you rely fully on the power of your legs. Thats why Kitesurfer cannot do a delayed frontloop. Windsurfing is all about looping when jumping. The torque a sail generates outperforms any human leg on this planet and thus kitesurf-loops and roles. Actually i always thought they are a waste of time. And thats why there are delayed frontloops out there in Windsurfing… You like Jumping high, go for kiteSurfing. you like looping, Go for Windsurfing…. But make no mistake, jumping high in kitesurfing took me probably 3-5 years and some bad kitelooping After that. My first frontloop in Windsurfing took 13 years and it was a radikal one . By the way waveriding is a Different point, i prefere by far Windsurfering in European waves. Have a nice day

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15. Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith on August 1, 2015 at 7:14 pm

Ok, I’ve been reading similar posts for years, so my turn to give my two cents. Here’s the unbiased deal. I windsurfed for about 15 years and started kiting about 5 years ago. I therefore feel that I can comment on both sports. All of this, of course, is in my opinion.

Windsurfing:

Pros:

– It is an amazing rush and incredible fun.

– Very safe. Once you drop the sail the power is gone and you can just relax and catch your breath

– You can launch virtually anywhere there is wind- particularly useful for small lakes where you could not launch a kite.

– Many would add ‘it’s hard’. In fact, you can progress in both kiting and windsurfing. The people who say that kiting is easy need to work on their front-roll-mobes with a kiteloop thrown in…

Cons

– It needs to be windy- 12 knots or above to really be comfortably planing.

– Aside from those lucky buggers who live in a place with wavesaling, you will just be planing around, maybe a few small jumps.

– So much equipment. I mean, it never ends with all the bits and pieces, sails and boards. You can spend a fortune and always need to spend more. And to get to the wind, you need to buy a dedicated van to carry all your shit.

Kiting:

Pros:

– Incredibly fun. I’m sorry to the die-hard windsurfers. Kiting is just more fun than windsurfing on flat water (I don’t wave sail so can’t comment on that).

– Small, transportable equipment. One sail has a large wind-range that will do you from 12-20 knots.

– How high you go is only based on how big your balls are :>

– You can go out in A LOT less wind. I have a 19m Flysurfer and can be planing in 7 knots comfortably. As I live in Toronto where there is limited wind, this is a big plus.

– There is also a cool factor to kiting. It looks really crazy so you also get to look like a baddass.

Cons:

– This is a biggie. This sport is dangerous. ESPECIALLY the launch. Everytime I launch I think about the fact that a gust could grab me and drop me on a house. You can’t simply ‘dump’ the wind like in windsurfing. Yes you can pull the release but even that has risks. Simply put, the nature of throwing up a 7-20 meter kite is more risky than picking up a sail. And when you break a line 2 miles from shore you are basically fucked. You can self rescue but essentially you’re in for a rough few hours.

– Weird one but I find the windsurfing community is a better group of people. Mostly older guys who love adrenaline. There is no attitude like you find in kiting. This is also because you can pack 100 windsurfers in a place that would only accommodate 15-20 kiters.

– You need a large beach or reasonable launch.

– There cannot be any windshadow from launch to the kiting area. On a windsurfer you can pump out to the wind. On a kite, if the wind doesn’t hit the beach cleanly, you are SOL.

I guess that’s it. To summarize, I kite whenever conditions suit. BUT when the water is cold. when there isn’t a good launch or I’m alone (never kite alone) I tend towards windsurfing. Both have sold reasons. And both are awesomely addictive… so it’s really how much time and money you have to dedicate.

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- Arne

Arne on August 5, 2015 at 9:36 am

Hey Kevin!

Thanks for your extensive breakdown of pros and cons. All pretty much spot on.

I think what people usually mean when they say that kiting is easy is that it is easy to learn and progress in. Obviously any activity ends up being as difficults as the limits you are trying to push 🙂

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16. oregon111

oregon111 on August 27, 2015 at 8:43 pm

I just windsurf: as for being too hard, I sort of agree — what I did was dial it down by getting boards that are 200 and 180 liters,

I use sails 6.5 and lower on the smaller board, and use my 7.5 and 8.5 on the 200,

I also stay off the rough water

since I live close to the Gorge, there are easy options to find the conditions that make windsurfing easy,

but one thing I hate is uphauling

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17. Andy

Andy on October 6, 2015 at 6:44 am

Arne, did you try unhooked tricks with the kite? You get fully powered beast and wakestyle tricks to handle kite with one hand. Did windsurfing before and disagree about the physical condition required. It was fun, but nothing compares to the kitesurf freedom in freestyle.

Was able to sail back and forth the first hour I jumped on the board with sail, but see kiters after a year still struggling to stay upwind. So Id say windsurfing is for kids and seniors, not even girls :D, cause it’s easy and safe.

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- Arne

Arne on October 6, 2015 at 8:29 am

Wow, you have had an experience very different from most people that I have seen at the beach 🙂 you also seem to have some talent because the progress you had on a windsurfer is definitely not tge norm.

I tried unhooked tricks and wasn’t that thrilled about it. Maybe when I get older 😀

With respect to the physical condition, as was mentioned in other comments, it all comes down to what level you are going at. In this article I am talking about the average sailior. When you look at the people in El Médano you see that the average kitesurfer is much older than the average windsurfer 🙂

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- Magyar Windsurf Akadémia

Magyar Windsurf Akadémia on October 16, 2015 at 2:56 pm

Kitesurfers older because that’a less exacting sport.

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- Andy

Andy on October 16, 2015 at 4:44 pm

I understand windsurf schools, they want to keep the business going 🙂

Sorry guys, Im not old and my friends neither too.

We see more and more boys joining us and less windsurfers showing up on the beach.

BTW, most of them are older than me 😛

Kitesurf is much younger than windsurf. And it’s one of the fastest growing sport.

Let’s check back the beach after 10 years :)))

Arne,

It’s not about me, I could make anyone windsurf in one hour.

You take big board to hold your weight, smaller sail as per wind conditions and you are sailing.

Then gradually change the equipment as your style improves.

There is nothing like that in kitesurf. You have to work really hard to start cutting upwind.

But you will be generously rewarded once you do that as the whole variety of different tricks will become available for you.

Reach that level, do simple jump with backloop and then tell everybody that’s boring :))))

So again, windsurf is easy and safe, it’s for kids, not adrenaline fans.

And then maybe one of these kids, maybe after 10-15 years will learn to perform some jumps and do other tricks on the waves.

Before that just back and forth all day long. Deadly boredom.

If you guys choose windsurf just for exercise, then good luck 🙂

I go to gym to train all my muscles properly.

Want to relax and have fun on the beach. Lots of fun yeee 🙂

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- Arne

Arne on October 16, 2015 at 5:29 pm

Hehehe, you pretty much confirmed what I am saying in mid comment. As I mentioned in the post, in the early stages of windsurfing the progress is immediate and to get to a high level it takes quite a long time. Kitesurfing on the other hand takes longer to get on the board and once you are up the progress is really fast. Depending on what you are after, you chose which one you prefer. Then the difficulty is just a matter of how far you want to push yourself 🙂

As for the age groups, I guess that depends on the spot where everyone sails. Here in El Médano we have a couple of young kids getting into kites a few middle aged guys and a LOT of older folks many of whom switched from windsurfing to kitesurfing because it is requires less physical fitness to just sail about. Kitesurfing gained a lot of popularity because its relatively new (like what happenend with snowboarding) and because it looks really impressive to onlookers. I have no idea what will happen in 10 years. Probably more kitesurfers because of how easy it is to transport the equipment. Personally I enjoy windsurfing more but if I have to travel I am sure I would prefer to take kite gear with me 😛

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- Andy

Andy on October 16, 2015 at 9:17 pm

You wrong, not because of mobility, because of much more fun.

What can you do on the flat beside of those silly board pops?

Tell me

how many years did it take for you to start riding waves and land successfully after a jump?

and how many DAYS before your first jump and loop with a kite?

The point is most windsurfers will never get there and will end up occasionally sailing the bays with the same style.

On the other hand newbie kiter after a good season will get the pandora open. He will be able to performing basic tricks.

Maybe because of those retirees staying at your beach you dont see the real picture :)))

Average windsurfer rows back and forth, average kiter has fun jumping and looping.

That’s the reality here in NY.

If you get enough adrenalin by sailing fast and dont dare to go up, then stay with windsurfing.

If you want to go up more extreme and get more fun – grab the kite.

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- Arne

Arne on October 16, 2015 at 9:40 pm

That is exactly my point 😉

- Jonesy0o0

Jonesy0o0 on November 21, 2015 at 3:33 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZs_x-iV8z4 – these silly board pops??

I’m part of a university windsurfing club and have been windsurfing for 12 years, kiting for 8. I absolutely love the physical, mental and technical challenge of spending hours trying to learn different windsurfing tricks and techniques. On the other hand (like Arne’s graph shows) – once I kitesurfed at a good level for a while I felt almost as if I’d completed it and didn’t have much left to do.

I’m the type of person that needs to be constantly challenged to be stimulated and so I absolutely love windsurfing, but obviously this can be flipped – those who find repetition tedious and not as rewarding would most likely prefer kitesurfing.

don’t get caught in the ugly side of this old argument Andy, respect both for the awesome sports they are!

- szörftábor

szörftábor on October 16, 2015 at 6:53 pm

I do both and I am much more tired after a high wind windsurf session compare to kitesurfing.

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18. john

john on October 19, 2015 at 11:20 pm

I windsurfed for 23 years. I bad-mouthed kiting unfairly during that time especially when I saw kiters at my favorite sailing spots in the Gorge. When my son was old enough to learn to windsurf, I had a change of heart. I was bored with windsurfing, my gear was becoming outdated, and I wanted to try something new with him. I saw many of my windsurfing idols (i.e. Naish) take up kiting, so I thought I’d give it a try. My son and I took 2 IKO certified lessons together and we had a blast. We always take kite safety very seriously. Now we are both able to water start and ride. My son is my kite buddy and we help each other launch and land. I just turned 50 and it is like getting a 2nd chance on life to learn something new. I will always have fond memories of windsurfing. Neither sport is better than the other. They are just different. I just happen to like kiting better. To each his own………..

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19. Paul

Paul on December 8, 2015 at 7:52 pm

I found this thread really interesting. Been a windsurfer on and off for 35 years, pretty much since short boards started. Been looking at kiters for, I dunno, 15 years. Shall I, shan’t I. I haven’t tried it so can’t comment. Did have a little play with old kite on sandbank, soon went very pear shaped. Frankly I’m scared of kites. I have abiding memory of windsurfing in force 8 off IoW, and in some weird way being totally at home with the conditions. I’d float, the wind would rage a foot above my head. When I choose, I’d lift the sail and fly over the water, turn on the waves, best day of a lifetime. Right now I see more value sharing water experiences with my daughter. We did a little windsurfing in the summer. 3.7 meter board and uphauling, she found that a load of fun. Old stuff – but GOOD. The rest of the year we try to learn to surf. Which even in this part of the world, is much more frequent than windy days.

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20. Josh

Josh on February 2, 2016 at 9:20 pm

I think this article is missing some biased opinions and comments – ha ha.

Please read the following with a stoner voice.

When kiteboarding, if there are no spectators – are you supposed to wait to launch?

What is the difference between a vacuum cleaner and kiteboarder?

– it’s how you attach the dirt bag.

Kiteboarding is fine and dandy – but why do many kiters have to act the Jehovah Witness missionaries on the beach. – If you don’t switch to kiting you will burn in hell!!!!

Let us all have fun in the wind. You can kite while I windsurf – just don’t act like a kiter on the beach.

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- Windkitesurfer

Windkitesurfer on February 3, 2016 at 8:18 pm

You are just jelaous haha.

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21. Bouke Witchcraft

Bouke Witchcraft on February 2, 2016 at 9:43 pm

I can imagine kiting is more fun on flat water where you have enough space. But here on Fuerte´s North Shore with volcanic reefs there is not that much space. On the good waves you will get 20-30 windsurfers without a problem. In the past kiters would mix in and that is when it gets dangerous. They need more space to keep a safety distance, a lot more than a windsurfer does. I´ve often had discussions with kiters when we´ve asked them to leave, their argument being the ocean is for every one. True, the road is for everyone as well but if you come with a vehicle twice as wide, you are not allowed and rightfully so. I´ve been teaching our kids to windsurf in a small lagoon and a kite school turns up and starts to teach next to us, kites slamming in the water right next to my kids. I asked the teacher to leave and when they did not I said to the teacher that if a kite would come down again, I would wrap the lines around his neck and let the kite up again and I got the finger so had to call the police to make them leave. KITERS need to keep THEIR safety distance to everyone else, not the other way round. And often they don´t. If they need more space, they need to look for it. And if there isn´t, tough luck, you can´t play football in a crowded area either. The beach guards accident records are full of kite inflicted accidents and often bystanders are hurt. Totally unacceptable. As a result it is now forbidden nearly everywhere over here. Some kite schools go out with a RIB to teach kiting off shore now.

BTW in our wave sailing conditions, you can still ride waves when the kites drop out of the sky and often those days are amongst the best. Windsurf equipment has improved a lot.

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22. GuyT

GuyT on February 3, 2016 at 4:52 am

I have been windsurfing for 20 years, started kiting on snow a couple of years ago, with in mind the idea of kiting on the water on those light wind days.

I have a lot of fun kiting on snow, but it also convinced me that kiting can be a dangerous sport: got dragged quite a few times on the snow and was just happy it wasn’t water. Boy, those “death loops” are scary.

So, I’ll stick to windsurfing on the water and kiting on the snow.

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23. Ron

Ron on February 3, 2016 at 11:59 am

When I was 7 years old I learned to windsurf on an old board. I didnt use the harness or footstraps, but I was planing in strong (6-8 Bft) winds. I had so much fun that I could stay on the water continuesly for 6 hours, enjoying bodydrags and catapults and simply fighting the elements.

From 12 years old I didnt surf anymore, but I picked up at the age of 20. Mainly going out in storms, simply to feel the energie and fight the elements. I like nature. And I like hard work and adventure. For me that is windsurfing. I like surfing in hailstorms and thunderstorms when everyone else is off the water.

I also tried kitesurfing, which was great fun to learn. Especially because I was stupid and simply bought an old kite and went for it. I learned the dangers of kitesurfing the hard way 😛 For me that was an adventure. Once I got the hang of it I had to choose. I noticed that every time I went surfing I didnt want to pick up the kite. One reason is that I had the feeling of being in the way for other people. Another is that I had become a good windsurfer, and having little time it seemed like a waste to learn something new. I am now practicing high jumps and front loops. I sold my kite to buy new windsurf equipment.

Usually the ‘rivalry’ between wind- and kitesurfers is simply for fun. Calling kiters gay or little girls just because you can 😛 There is a difference though between the ‘general windsurfer’ and ‘general kitesurfer’. I think windsurfers are usually more laidback people, with more respect to other people and nature. Kitesurfers often seem to be a little self-centered and vain, even a little arrogant. I think many young kiters choose kiting because they think it looks cooler (vanity). That creates a difference in personality between windsurfers and kitesurfers, not neccesarily the sport itself. Both sports are cool and have pros and cons. Just dont be a bitch about it and keep it cool!

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24. bert

bert on April 20, 2016 at 9:44 pm

I’m living in the southwest of France, dreamland for surfers, not for windsurf, not enough wind most of the time. Kite is the best option down here, those guys are sailing a lot (10/12 kts). I sticked to the windusrf because of the fact that windsurf for me is propulsion, when kitesurf is traction, and that makes a big difference. I stuck to my gear, I’m inboard (onboard?), driving, when kitesurfers are far from their engine and driven. My point of view. I see they have fun though, when they control these big kites, so that’s great, and down here the ocean is big enough for all of us, but I won’t quit windsurfing, even with less sessions!

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25. Sam

Sam on May 14, 2016 at 8:00 pm

Really interesting post and comments. I dos some windsurfing as a teenager (20 years ago) and really enjoyed it but would only class myself as a beginner still. I am now looking to do some more but am really stuck on whether to choose wind or kite surfing. The main issue is I sometimes suffer with lower back pain and would prefer to do something which won’t leave me in pain afterwards. I imagine up hauling won’t be good for that, but once I guess learning the water start and harness in windsurfing would help. I think my preference would be to improve my windsurfing rather than to take up something new, but I’d be particularly interested to know whether either sport is likely to put more strain on lower backs? If it is windsurfing I’d be grateful for advice on anything I could do to reduce? Thanks in advance,

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- Arne

Arne on May 23, 2016 at 5:02 pm

Hey Sam!

Basically both will put strain on your lower back to some degree but you can minimise the risk with the correct technique. In kitesurfing it is important that you sail with your hips pushed forwards and not in a half squat. In windsurfing the same applies but you have one more thing where you can hurt your back and that is in the early stages when lifting the sail out of the water. If you don’t do this with a straight back and only use your legs to push upwards you WILL worsen your back issues.

That said, once you are planing and doing the water start windsurfing helps because all the small stabilising muscles are used which adds to the core body strength. I hope this helps in your decision.

All the best!

Arne

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26. Vladimir

Vladimir on May 23, 2016 at 12:09 pm

Thank you for great article. So nice and neutral presentation of both sports. I have just started to learn both.

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- Arne

Arne on May 23, 2016 at 5:04 pm

I am glad you find it impartial to either of the two. I tried to be as unbiased as I could 🙂

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27. David

David on June 1, 2016 at 12:53 am

Interesting article… I spent last Saturday shooting photos of kiteboarders here in Victoria BC. I used to windsurf back in the day… Had a Rocket 88 and a One Design to give you a sense of time… Never managed to learn to jibe the Rocket but had a lot of fun trying.

Watching the kiteboarders rekindled the desire…might have to investigate some used gear.

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28. jan

jan on July 25, 2016 at 11:23 am

Happy to have read your article… I was doubting between Kite & Windsurf… I stopped windsurf many years ago, and most I see these days is Kite…

I’ll go for the lessons again in windsurf, and looking very much forward to it…by the way i’m 53 years Yehaaa!

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- Arne

Arne on July 25, 2016 at 1:43 pm

That is awesome dude! Way to go! I am happy to have helped 🙂

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- Arne

Arne on July 25, 2016 at 1:49 pm

Thats awesome dude! I am happy to have helped 😉

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29. Mike

Mike on August 19, 2016 at 6:19 pm

I have been windsurfing 25 years. 1st times out while learning in 6.0 or better conditions it was tough but I had the vision of what it could be if I stuck with it & it has paid off in spades for me & never have seen a reason to try kiting. I enjoy the freedom of windsurfing & the feeling of flowing with the wind & waves as well as jumping. I may be mistaken since I have never tried kiting but it appears like a cross between wake boarding (which I was enjoy) & paragliding seems like you have the feeling of being pulled rather going with the wind as I get windsurfing seems artificial compared to windsurfing where I feel like I’m flowing with the wind & waves. I feel as one with the windsurfer & wind no feeling being pulled to me almost like flying. not sure if Kiters feel the same thing. Windsurfing challenges you no matter how good you get always room to step up

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30. Mugrelo

Mugrelo on October 3, 2016 at 6:33 pm

Why the kiteflyers wear the wetsuit behind the swinsuit?

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- Arne

Arne on October 3, 2016 at 6:34 pm

… Fashion?

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31. Marty

Marty on March 5, 2017 at 12:05 am

Fantastic comparison. Kiteboarding seems more complex to me, and windsurfing more straight forward. Which you confirm is true. Steeper learning curve for KB in the beginning. Surprising that after a few weeks you advance faster in kiteboarding than windsurfing. I still think I would really love windsurfing, but kiteboarding from time to time would be fun too.

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32. Andy

Andy on April 17, 2017 at 9:07 pm

I windsurf and still go out on an old Equipe and 7.5m when the wind is light and smaller kit when it is windy. For me, there is still something wonderful about cruising in light winds and enjoying the scenery. I too have a great deal of admiration for kitesurfing but have not tried it…yet! I see the safety issues and always help with launching or landing if needed. The two sports are pretty compatible where I live and I have seen quite a few good windsurfers make the transition to kitesurfing. I use pretty old windsurfing gear and one attraction is being able to acquire functional kit for cheap or free!

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33. Anton

Anton on June 4, 2017 at 6:13 pm

I can confirm advanced windsurfing improves the situation with the pain in the back. Also because it is a sport that is indeed truly demanding in terms of one’s physical condition. Most of my windsurfing friends and I do as much additional sport as possible, in part to be able to return to the water in good condition and enjoy longer. I have two quite annoying disc herniations but I haven’t had complains for a long time now since I am able to windsurf two-three times a month in good conditions.

As to the debate kiting vs windsurfing, I feel it it much an individual preference coming from one’s character, lifestyle, condition, etc. Both sports are highly addictive and incredibly exciting but the sensation is different, hence you cannot figure out the “better” one, there is little point to debate. Usually people would have a preference for the one or the other sport before deciding which one try out. Compactness of the kit would be rather secondary to factors such as attitude to safety vs adrenalise from risk, physical condition and balance skills, attude to different learning curve and experience etc.

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34. Frustrated

Frustrated on June 5, 2017 at 10:37 pm

Regardless of which you do kindly stay out of the way of those that can if you can not.

Please be realistic with ‘your’ skills and stay out of the way. Big tricks need a big space! There is one guy at the moment that is like some sort of virus. Poor skills and always in the way pottering around. He is dog shit, always has been, always will be. Whilst he might have a right to be on the sea, when the beach is miles long I’d just wish he’d fuck off somewhere else and stop following us around. I mean seriously, where do I have to go to not have this prick in my way! We don’t go playing ball in the middle of someone else’s ball game now do we. Clearly that is not the case on the sea. Bunch of damn sheep!

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35. Namaste

Namaste on June 19, 2017 at 9:07 pm

Hi i just bought kite 7,5m and took trial ant the medow becouse thers no see or lake nearby. Althoug is studied how to fly a lot I made mistake and kite drag me 3 times 20 meters and i think thats quite dangerous. Not talking about lift up which seems to me quite scary. I did a lot of snowboarding when i was young but now i am father and have 3 dougthers. So i feel i dont need to risk kite anymore. Becouse one never know when the strong gust come and from which side!!! I gonna swop for windsurf. More safety for me. If you like the risk enjoy…………

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36. John Bellis

John Bellis on July 5, 2017 at 11:31 pm

I’ve tried windsurfing and found that after a couple of visits to our local lake and without lessons the initial learning curve was safe and quick. Due to circumstances I had to stop windsurfing and years later I have just taken my first couple of Kitesurfing lessons.

Comparison can be made but at the end of the day it’s like trying to compare chalk with cheese. Although they both use a form of sail and board they are unique in their own rights. As a beginner the one thing I have noticed is the extreme danger you would be putting yourself in if you went out, bought a kite rig and decided to go to your local spot and just have a go. Please don’t even think about it, have lessons.

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37. Justin

Justin on July 21, 2017 at 2:57 pm

HA – amazed to see this thread started 3 yrs ago and is still getting comments. I’m having a boring day at work so my mind has wandered to this topic that has plagued me for the last 16 yrs. I did a ton of windsurfing back in the day and was just about to take up kiteboarding (bought a trainer kite) when life got in the way. For me, I was most attracted to the lighter wind / less gear aspects of kiteboarding – as I was burning out from chasing good planing conditions on my boards. In my opinion, once you’ve progressed in windsurfing, sailing under 20 knots and with bigger gear loses its appeal. It also becomes considerably more expensive and more of a hassle to gear up for lighter wind conditions. Instead, I switched my attention to mountain biking so I could just leave behind my constant wind frustrations. I love mountain biking but here I am 16 yrs later and every time the wind is blowing my pulse still races…what am I to do? My goal remains to learn how to kiteboard but the safety / reliance-on-others-for-launching issues bums me out. And, although, I’m convinced I’d learn quickly how to get up and going on the water, I don’t have a sense as to how long it will take before I’d be carving or jumping turns and doing more than just simply going back and forth like most kiters I see at my local beach.

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- Md

Md on July 28, 2017 at 5:38 am

@justin. I can totally relate. I picked up kitesurfing out of frustration last summer (2016) when the fluky wind in the waves caused me to gain a new hole in my favorite 5.3 wave sail, meanwhile all the kiters around d me were catching waves. I windsurf a lot. But would only catch one or two sessions a week on the coast in the summer. This summer I’ve pushed my kitesurf learning to riding my surfboard with straps and now strapless (I don’t know how to ride a twintip). Pretty much learned to gybe early thanks to windsurfing, and because I surf a lot, it was really easy to learn DTL wave riding. However the notion that kitesurfing is easier than windsurfing is false. You must compare both in equal terms: windsurfing in waves is kitesurfing strapless. I can say I get the same rush gybing my strapless surfboard as I do gybing my windsurf board. Wave riding is way more fun kitesurfing because… Well.. You can see the wave!! But in terms of jumping sensation, yeah windsurfing wins.. Gravity, you can’t beat gravity. However, the overarching net result is light wind and the fact I log 5 days per week average on the ocean kitesurfing than I would windsurfing. To me, that makes it harder to windsurf again. I can get out in the surf in 10kt gusting 15kt, whereas that would require a 7.5 windsurfing and a 110L board and where I go, that means gear breakage (fins, mast or sail) because waves are always a minimum of 4 ft faces…. So at 25+ knots I windsurf, under that, it’s all kiting.

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38. Michael Goetz

Michael Goetz on July 21, 2017 at 7:01 pm

My local spot in Delaware Bay is often side-offshore or straight off-shore so that eliminates kiting for me. My Kona One windsurfer with dagger board enables me to sail in all wind directions with relative assurance that I can make it back to the beach. I would never try that with a kite board that offers little flotation. Like Justin, I also will bike or mountain bike if the conditions are so light that rigging is not worth it. It’s good to have some variety.

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39. Scott

Scott on October 7, 2017 at 12:41 am

We normally have 5ft differences in tides, so that means water is moving pretty fast and sailing inside of sandbars can get tricky at low tide. Opposing wind and water is good for early planing for windsurfers, but sometimes the wind and tide don’t always line up correctly when the opportunity to sail presents itself. The kiters are less affected by the currents and can also enjoy cleaner air higher off the water. Plus, they can use a regular surfboard and don’t need to be in more than 30cm of water before they risk going over the handle bars at 25 knots at low tide. So, they seem to get more time on the water.

If I was just starting out, it would seem logical and tempting to buy a kite and take some kite lessons. However, I’ve been windsurfing for 25 years and still love the way windsurfing feels…flat water blasting, wavesailing, bump and jump. Fun stuff. I’m amazed at what the “new school” freestylers can do, too. Something to aspire to.

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40. Justin

Justin on October 11, 2017 at 4:53 pm

So, how about we throw in the topic of foils into this discussion? I’m seeing a lot of foils lately – more kites but increasingly windsurfers. I’ve also seen videos of foiling windsurfers planing in ridiculously light winds. Does this change the argument that kites are better for light winds?

I’m really compelled by some of the new products Naish, for example, is coming out with to offer combined SUP / Windsurfing / Regular fin or Foil for light wind days. JP is also selling inflatable windsurfers that pack up (with complete rig) into smaller, trunkable bags. My guess is that these products still won’t come close to the absolute fun factor of kites in lighter winds but may be good enough (while providing more options) to fill in the gap until the wind picks up enough to pull out the smaller high wind gear.

Any thoughts?

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41. Doug Cutler

Doug Cutler on April 22, 2018 at 7:09 pm

I live on a canal right off the ICW and next to the Port in Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA. I do a lot of SUPing but would like to get into windsurfing. My questions are:

Would I be able to windsurf down my canal to get out into the open water, or would I have to transport my gear?

Is there a good place to get lessons around here?

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Doug

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42. Alex L

Alex L on April 23, 2018 at 3:08 am

I live in Miami. Wind here sucks. Only a few days a year it blows above twelve knots. During summer, the wind completely dies so your gear becomes clutter. I really wish I could spend more days in the water and I do feel kiters may have the upper hand in this respect. Still, one thing I have noticed is that regular kites in the 12 the 16 m2 range when paired with a wakeboard also need winds above 12 kts not to struggle. During low wind days, foil kiters are the only ones out there. So like windsurfing, the more fancy gear you own the more you get to spend in the water. It’s a matter of how much money you have to spend and space to store your stuff.

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43. DS

DS on April 25, 2018 at 1:30 pm

I am 50 years old and started windsurfing in 1979 as a 12y/o. I went through the huge windsurfing hype in Europe during the 80s and the 90s, even got some boards for free because I could duck-jibe in 1984 (learnt it on a windskater)… getting sponsored was easy then 😉

All our vacations were organized around windsurfing, my wife caught the virus as well and my 3 kids windsurfed with us. You probably can imagine the material we dragged with us.

I didn’t believe in kitesurfing, until I saw some locals in 2004 at Ponta Preta on the Island of Sal, Cabo Verde. Huge waves, strong winds, these guys really ripped, while a few surfers were struggling and the only windsurfer, a professional, ended up on the volcanic rocks.

I bought a 16m^2 kite for the days where wind was not enough for windsurfing in 2005, but never really switched until 2012, when my oldest daughter said she wanted to get into kiting. Since 2014 my windsurf equipment remains untouched. My wife was very reluctant to kiting. She was afraid of the lines and feared the power and the lack of control (you can’t just jump of the board and let everything go). But she finally did it and is thankful for every moment she spends on the water with us. Before that, she simply couldn’t follow us (bad windsurfing conditions, driving to nearby spots, separate kite and windsurfing spots).

Today my teenage kids love to spend 3 times one week per year with us kiteboarding. We have a blast, we can go out in conditions where I would not dare to go out with a windsurf board (on-shore wind & large waves, spots with a lot of tide), we spend much more time on the water and goging to surrounding beaches is so much easier. Material costs are roughly the same.

I still would love to windsurf, but time spent on the water is not enough to evolve any further. I basically reached my limits 15 years ago and did not get any further than forward loops and volcanoes. In addition, it’s much harder on my body and my bones.

I am much more impressed when I see a really good freestyle windsurfer, but his level is far beyond reach for me. While as a kitesurfer, I share waves with world-class kiters and I can at least imagine to copy their tricks… with 3 time less jump height 😉

One guy summed it up pretty well: you need one season to learn a trick in windsurfing, you need one session to learn one in kiting.

Both sports are great.

I hope to have 30 more kitesurfing years in front of me…

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44. aleksandar

aleksandar on September 4, 2018 at 8:40 pm

I have never seen a kitesurfer go into windsurfing while in most cases kitesurfers are ex-windsurfers and none of them are above 35…so I doubt its the age.

Learning kitesurfing without a supervision is a serious matter, because you have a flying object with extreme power connected with your body

Windsurfing is yes, more challenging for the muscles, but if I wanted muscle chalenge i would go on the tredmill in the gym

We dont go home when the big wind hits, we get our 7m kites and fly 20m in the air

Yes, kitesurfing is a dangerous sport, more dangerous than windsurf because you also fly+surf, flying is always a serious mater.

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45. Elana

Elana on December 9, 2018 at 3:56 am

I’d really like to take up windsurfing and want to start with an inflatable windSUP as I’m looking for a recreational activity to start with and love the idea of a multifunctional and more portable option. Would LOVE recommendations from the real deal community and not my local shop with their own agenda.

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46. Nabi

Nabi on November 6, 2019 at 4:58 pm

Free style is infinitely more interesting in windsurfing. Kiters are essentially stuck with dangling–nobody much impressed by this point since it’s now an old sport. Some of us hate to be a pest, love the independence of windsurfing.

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- demi

demi on December 7, 2019 at 10:00 am

really…. like to see you run through the air whilst rotating you board! Being attached to a kite some 20meters away produces a lot of force very quickly. I don’t think you have quite been there ay.

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47. Alexander Dekeyser

Alexander Dekeyser on April 12, 2020 at 8:17 pm

5,7 as your biggest windsurf sail ???? I never used less than 6,5 when I was windsurfing. My 8,6 was the most used sail during the year. The thing that draws me to kite surfing is the obvious logistical advantage, the ability to plane in 12 knots, and not to be forgotten : the ability to surf with gloves during winter… that didn’t work when windsurfing, cramps the first 20 minutes… That meant PAIN, lots if it, surfing two hours without feeling your fingers, and when they heat up afterwards… I mean PAIN !! 🙂 I also think the twintip board is a lot more durable than modern windsurf boards. Windsurf boards almost break when you look at them…

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48. Slothia della Lethargica

Slothia della Lethargica on September 2, 2020 at 1:05 am

Thank you for this article. Just the sort of comparison I’ve been looking for on the internet. A couple of follow-up questions.

1. Which sport is easier in light wind?

2. Which sport offers enjoyment over a greater range of wind-speeds?

3. Can you recommend the best locations for learning to kitesurf? (Given a student who is a chubby, feeble, geriatric, bitter, washed-up, debt-ridden windsurfer.)

A few decades ago, windsurfing was my life. However, unless I was on a regatta board with a big sail, light air sailing was difficult. Also, I had to re-rig my sail every time the wind increased or decreased by five knots.)

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- Ernie

Ernie on September 19, 2020 at 5:29 pm

The article of Arne is very good. But he did not answer in the last two years.

I made the same experience as Arne (you can see in the following post).

at1) Learning kitsurfing was much easier for me

at2) Can not tell you because I use kites only at lightwindcondition

at3) The easiest lokation I know is Podersdorf Neusiedlersee. ( about 30-40 km to Vienna)

The water is very clean becaThe article of Arne is very good. But he did not answer posts in the last two years.

I made the same experience as Arne (you can see in the following post).

at1) Learning kitesurfing was much easier for me

at2) Cannot tell you because I use kites only at light wind condition

at3) The easiest location I know is Podersdorf Neusiedlersee. (about 30-40 km to Vienna)

The water is very clean because of the big reed belt around most parts of the lake. (But the water is not clear. (The water is very healthy for me)

It is possible to walk almost everywhere in this Lake because the water is not very deep.

That is the reason why it is very easy to learn watersports there.

If you visit Europe, you should see Vienna. In summer you can also go to Podersdorf at the Neusiedlersee. (In Austria we call this Lake ‘Ocean for the people of Vienna’

use of the big reed belt arround most parts of the lake.(But the water is not clear but it is very healthy for me)

It is possible to walk almost everywhere in this Lake because the water is not very deep.

That is the reason why it is very easy to learn watersports there.

If you visit Europe you should see Vienna. In summer you can also go to Podersdorf at the Neusiedlersee. (In Austria we call this Lake ‘Ocean for the people of Vienna’

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- Laurie

Laurie on September 19, 2020 at 9:19 pm

Thank you for the suggestion. I’d love to visit Vienna.

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49. Ernie

Ernie on September 19, 2020 at 4:50 pm

I am windsurfing for 40 years and started kitesurfing in a kite school 10 years ago. For learning how to windsurf it needed at least 100 hours in the water until I really had fun. (without teacher)

Kiting I learned much faster. At first with a trainer kite on land 3 hours. We didn’t have enough wind, so we went on a waterski lift with the kiteboard for 4 hours. Then we finally got wind and we started kiting with a teacher. I could kite from the first try. For me it was very easy. But now I only go kiting if the wind is very low. (12 and 18 m2 kite). Biggest windsurf sail is 6m2 and biggest board 120liter. If wind is strong enough, I always prefer windsurfing.

In windsurfing the things, I like most are wave riding loops and duckjipe . (I don’t like lightwindtricks)

The only thing I miss in windsurfing is that kiters can fly if there is strong wind. I mean about 20m high and 1-minute airtime. But for strong wind condition there is very few kiters who can fly (because they are not able to ride in strong wind conditions). In Podersdorf Neusiedlersee there is only one. (But he is a European champion in kiting). I am afraid that I am too old to get good enough for really flying.

The second thing I love with the kites and board that it only needs 2 minutes to get the kite stuff in my car. For the surf stuff I need 10 minutes.

But I always take surf and kite equipment to the lake because I hate to sit and wait for wind.

Next thing I want to try is foiling with surfboard kite and wing foiling. Maybe I will find a new activity for light wind.

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- Laurie

Laurie on September 19, 2020 at 9:22 pm

Thank you for this info. I’ve decided to learn kiteboarding.

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50. Zeke

Zeke on September 23, 2020 at 7:33 pm

Interesting how this thread goes on and on over the years…I think we’re at the point where it’s all good and for light winds, foiling has really changed the game for both windsurfing and kiteboarding and now wingsurfing. I haven’t tried foiling yet, but plan to do so soon, starting with windsurfing, as I’ve been advised it’s the easiest one to try first if you already know how to windsurf. In super light winds, my observation is kite foiling is the best – but then again, if it just isn’t windy enough, I’d rather hit the mountain bike trails. Also, it sure looks sucky when the wind completely drops and leaves the kiters stranded. I’ve seen this more than a few times, even with their large, lightweight, foiling-specific kites.

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51. MrR

MrR on June 22, 2021 at 1:21 pm

I am a long of time and tooth windsurfer. I have a few friends who have transitioned to kiting over windsurfing for the reasons mentioned by the author here. With these windsurf/surf trained guys sharing a wave zone is manageable, as they understand surf etiquette. They also don’t exploit the advantages provided by their ability to make transitions on a dime. Unless a windsurfer can tack a small wave board, they generally will lose some ground, as well as speed, when they jibe. Those not educated in the ways of sharing water space and waves through another sport seem to present the biggest problem.

Case in point: Yesterday I was sailing with a few buddies at our local wave-riding spot. We have an area that is limited by buoys, rocks, and a a few surfers who don’t know not to be in the windsurf area. After a short time a kiter, a young guy I’d never seen before, comes out. The first negative I felt from this guy was I was trying to head upwind, which presented bigger challenges for me due to the wind direction. As I tried to point, this guy passes me and gets just upwind and outside of me where he proceeds to do his kiting surface churn. So there’s this turbulent zone set up by kiters, pushing water in a diagonal so it cover a larger area. In essence they set up a mine field of uncomfortable water that I have to ride over. My only other option is to go downwind, away from the “kiteboard wash”, which takes me further from where I need to be to catch waves on the outside. On my next reach this kiter was coming out behind me and downwind. He was right where I needed to jibe in order to catch a set wave. He just stayed in that position until he made sure I was out of position, due to his antics, made his transition, and caught the wave that really should have been mine. Kiters like this, wave hogs, space hogs, who only care about themselves are what give kiters a bad name. As I said, I actually know some good kiters so, I am aware that they can be good while un-buried.

Oh, and we also have an ongoing situation where the lifeguards who work the beach have to police the windsurf/kite zone and its vague line separating us from the classic board surfers. This unknown young, selfie-generating/generation kiter, kept pushing far upwind and sliding down close, and in the surfing area. This is dangerous for the surfers who have little idea of the power in a kite and what it can do to them. The kiter, well, he just didn’t care. However, the lifeguards do care, and they were yelling at this guy to stay out of the surfing zone over their PA from their station. It’s difficult to hear, but his putting others at risk should have been evident to the self-absorbed kite-skipper. This behavior tends to turn the lifeguards against all wind-sport enthusiasts, including us local silver-backs who have been sailing this spot, with tenuous acceptance by the lifeguards, for many years. Their job is difficult and important in order to keep a windsurfer or kiter from killing someone lying on a board. I’m guessing that this kiter will be back today to do the same thing. Maybe the lifeguards will write him a citation to teach him that he’s not alone in the world or water, that there are others who will sit in judgment of his rude posterior. The lifeguards sometimes ride jetskis to keep the peace during larger swells, which we now have. I’m guessing kite-boy will learn that there are crafts that will catch up to him in order to warn him, and perhaps cite him. We’ll see. Another day, another balance between hassle and bliss. And I hope that this young kiter, if present, will not be the big hassle that he was yesterday. Hope springs.

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52. kite club cabarete

kite club cabarete on September 27, 2022 at 9:52 am

Thank you for sharing this blog. Most people are confused between wind surfing and kite surfing. You have explained it very well. Windsurfing offers more independence than kitesurfing. since kitesurfing is less physically demanding and progress is fast.If you want to learn kite surfing, then the best IKO kitesurfing instructor training is offered at Kite Club Cabarete in the Dominican Republic. To learn more, go to https://kiteclubcabarete.com/.

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53. kite club cabarete

kite club cabarete on September 27, 2022 at 9:53 am

I appreciate you sharing this blog. Most individuals don’t know the difference between kiteboarding and wind surfing. It was really effectively stated by you. Kitesurfing lacks the independence that windsurfing does. since kitesurfing progresses quickly and requires little physical effort. The Dominican Republic’s Kite Club Cabarete offers the greatest IKO kitesurfing instructor training if you’re interested in learning the sport. Visit https://kiteclubcabarete.com/ to find out more.

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54. Freddy

Freddy on March 7, 2023 at 6:59 pm

Honestly one thing I think could be mentioned in another article is the advanced progression in both sports. From my experience, you can be doing decent jumps in kitesurfing after a week or so of solid sailing. A small holiday and you can get a back roll and then front roll. Basically, everything leads from one thing to another nicely (even jumps from plain sailing, as the kite is always pulling up slightly). But I think any advanced windsurfing will tell you the change from planing and a few gybes to something like freestyle is almost like a new sport. Learning to vulcan is one the most painful things a human can go through (maybe an exaggeration but it’s extremely difficult). It’s one of the reasons i think while windsurfing has a decently sized community, the professional community seems smaller than kitesurfing. TL;DR I think it’s fair to say doing cool tricks is easier in kitesurfing and is more accessible to lots of kitesurfers, not just the ridiculously dedicated ones.

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