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Kiteboard

A kiteboard is little more than a surf board with footholds and a mooring point for rope. The thing that makes kiteboarding so interesting is what you do with that mooring point. You see, when you surf, you let the waves carry you, and you are limited to the speed of those waves. It’s a very different experience when you decide to use a kite to propel you instead.

Unlike windsurfing, which harnesses the wind at water level; kiteboarding actually propels itself with the wind hundreds of feet off the ground. The further from the ground you get, the fewer impediments wind runs into, and the stronger the wind is. So on a kiteboard you will see speeds much faster than you can obtain with windsurfing or traditional surfing.

Of course, additional speed brings its own hazards. While surfing or windsurfing you are unlikely to reach speeds that are fast enough to start breaking limbs. However when a person is kiteboarding serious injury becomes a very real possibility. So it is important to understand how to safely land the kite, as well as how to maneuver it to avoid accidents. Basic training is usually enough to avoid injury, but make sure you understand what you are doing before you step out on the water.

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