Kiteboarding and kitesurfing are two activities that often end up commonly confused. Even though these are terms that are loosely used to describe a sport that is similar, the hardware between the two has a technical difference.
Kiteboarding has a board which is designed in a twin tip design. To see the board on land it looks very similar to awake board and it performs in the same sort of style when you are out on the water. Whether you’re writing it left or right or you are facing the tip forward, this is a board that can be easier to maneuver and simpler to ride as it performs best when the rider is jumping over waves or cruising along the top of the water.
Kitesurfing has a board which is a little bit larger and designed more like a surfboard. The board in this case is designed as a directional board and it only works well for facing the nose forward in specialized Waveriding.
Regardless of the type of board that you might be interested in, it’s always best to start with kite boarding and the twin tip design so that you can have more versatility while you’re out on the water. Learning how to get your balance on the smaller style board and then focusing on keeping your board straight across the waves is always the best option for learning. Learning strapless from the start can be a great way to get a feel for the balance and for learning how you can feel more comfortable on both styles of board as well. The learning curve is a little more steep learning strapless but the rewards are always better because you can ride both boards easier.
Consider this main difference if you are looking at a kiteboard vs a kitesurfing board.
This post was written by Aaron McClearnon, Owner of Elite Watersports. At Elite Watersports, We strive to provide exceptional service and genuine interactions with those interested in kiteboarding lessons. We hold dear our passion for being out on the water and maintain this as our foundation for all business practices.
