GEAR: CHOOSING YOUR FIRST SURF KITE MODEL!

This is it! Your mind is set : this year you will have a directional board in your quiver!

  The desire to extend the low range and above all to send top turns like a pro surfer could no longer be contained. That’s the deal with kiting on a surfboard, you get relatively easy access to sensations known only to high-level surfers. Another appeal and not the least for many kitesurfers, surfboards are more comfortable and less traumatic, especially for your knees and ankles, than a twintip. So here are the models we recommend to get started.  

  For a smooth transition from a twintip to a surf kite, you need a board that is stable and forgiving in maneuvers. Because your new challenge on a directional board is learning jibes and tacks which now involve switching your feet. A fairly wide outline and a well-distributed volume will help you enormously to master them quickly. More volume around the front foot will help you work on these different maneuvers that go with feet movements. The volume also helps to get going in light wind and in your first wave rides where the challenge will be to maintain a constant speed with fluidity in your turns. The quad set-ups (4 fins) like those you have on the Matata and the Pie provide the acceleration and grip you have experienced in twintip, but without having to be overpowered! This helps to relieve the physical stresses over long sessions. In our range, three boards adapt particularly well to the needs of a beginner. They are split apart as follows:

• Beginner on a directional board and for light wind: the Matata for a super early planing and unparalleled upwind capacities.
• Beginner in surfing and strapless: the PIE for surfing on a tolerant shape, super fun and great for learning maneuvers.
• Beginner in strapless and freestyle: the Catch to have the best stability and the best chance of landing your tricks regardless of the position of your feet.

Note that these boards are also suitable for experienced kitesurfers who want to have fun in specific conditions or in a more versatile program than the more radical boards in the range.