I was thinking the other day that windsurfing is the best sport. All other sports seem to have too many problems.

Kitesurfing, well it could be fun but then you would have to ware boardshorts over your wetsuit to fit in. I really don't understand this trend, nor do I really want to.

Surfing, well everyone complains that there are too many people in the water every day of the week. Also most surfers seem to more concerned about posing and fighting over waves than actually surfing.

Mountain biking, yea it ok but crashing hurts, it really hurts.

other sports.. well they either cost $$$$$, or then they are not worth talking about.

Any minute now.....

walshd said...



However, we in south oz have seen stuff all wind for ages and on saturday I got a nice 1hr session in only 10-12knts of wind.

Can you do that on a windsurfer: NO

My apoligies again guys, but you should really consider trying kiting just for those light wind days or when its low tide. The guys over here have seen the light.

I hate to disagree with you there but I was out in about 12 knots of wind Saturday and Sunday for over 3 hrs at a time and reached speeds of about 18 knots even on my gear. ( I am sure some of the guys would have been able to pull 25+) .A kiter came out yesterday arvo and was only out for about 3/4 hr because it was a little light for him.

OK, then but you must have a bloody big board for that light stuff.

I've got the perfect lightwind board, but dont have a dedicated lightwind kite. With the right kite I could go out in 6-8knts of wind.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but surely kites are better for the light stuff???

I don't really feel like defending windsurfing on a windsurfing forum now. I was wrong to post anything in this thread. If you get you kicks out of kiting then good for you. No need to bag out windsurfing if others get their kicks from it.

Gotta agree, I love it.

Went sailing down the river all weekend (5-8kn, rare ~10kn gusts with huge holes of about 0-2kn), was out on a old epoxy ~120L freeride/wave style board and a 6.5m Gaastra Matrix, had heaps of fun, even got planing a few times.

Nice just watching the nose of the board peel the water either side

Had a couple of times where just dumped the rig and sat on board waiting for wind (0-3kn), what do you do then when kiting (how do you paddle a kite and basically a wakeboard in to shore)?

Seems there's a misconception about this lightwind kiting thing. Windsurfing is a much wider wind range sport, we can be out there when kiters would be depowering and getting flung around or guessing sitting in the water waiting for enough breeze to waterstart kite (that would suck when they are just trying to get the same fix, using different kit)

Last time I ended up in 6-8 kn of wind I was still sailing without probs while all the kiters were either standing at the beach or getting dragged straight downwind . The joy of windsurfing.

I don't really get this "kiting is better in light winds argument". I get planing in 12-13 kn on a 110 litre board. Ok, maybe in 5-10 kn kiting is more fun than windsurfing on big gear. But even kiting in 5-10 kn sounds zzZZZzzzZZZ, so I'd probably either move to a windier place or switch to sailing a cat etc.

I agree that the smaller gear is a big plus for kiting. My kiting friend sometimes comes to the beach with a push bike (that is with his gear and no his bike has no trailer) .

we where talking about this on the beach yesterday, windsurfing is what we loved the most, we all did other things such as surfing, stand up paddling, mountain bikes, golf, soccer etc. we all enjoyed our other sports, but if we didn't surf or what ever for a few months, we weren't too worried about it, but we all agreed that if we hadn't been for a sail for a few months, we missed it, we are grumpy all the time, keen to sail when ever it happens. if this wasn't the best sport why would we miss it... yer it rocks...

Yeh for me Kiting only becomes fun in 15knts upwards. So you guys prob do win the lightwind category.

Pros for kiting:
- Compact setup. You can take your gear by horse, taxi, plane, boat, dinghy, windsurfer, ect. go exploring the coast or islands.
- Windrange. 1 board and 2 kites can cover you from 15-40knts. 2 boards and 3 kites can cover you from 8-50knts (and this all fits in your car boot).
- Shallow water. You only need 3 inches of water
- Lightweight. You can walk out 2km to low tide mark no worries.
- Easy on the body
- Anybody can do it
- Boosting
- Speed (almost as fast as windsurfers)

Pros for windsurfing:
- lightwind
- speed
- ?

this that and the other...

they are both great sports, pretty simple. Like anything there are pros and cons to both.

There is the odd occasion I watch the Kite guys and think it looks like a blast. I got into it at one stage but a dodgy shoulder had me move back to windsurfing, not cause I thought I was less likely to hurt myself, but I knew from lots of experience how to protect myself with windsurfing.

I would like to think the Kite guys see what we do as cool also, however I haven't seen a lot of evidence of that on the forums.

So hey, all in all they are both awesome sports, as is SUP, and Surfing and heaps of other stuff, Hell I used to get a huge rush from white water kayaking.

But I agree with the thread title for me, cause yeah for me and what I want out of it, it is the best sport.

laff77 said...

Any minute now.....

I dunno, kinda sucks when there's no wind. Sucks so bad it hurts.

elizabethb said...

haha mate, when will you learn...

Apart from a sesh in 10-12 knots isn't fun anyway! To be honest what can you do but cruise and work the kite and probably be riding a surfboard or light wind board anyway. This would've been a sesh on the old 20m 'C' kites, but these days prob a 15 or 16m bow would do it... Not fun for me! imho

YES we can go in 6 inches of water, but as some of the kiters know, that's when broken wrists and bones happen. Nothing beats the flat shallow water though. i must admit that!

I'm certain that we ALL do the sport that best suits us. Its like saying swimming is better than running because I'm a swimmer. We all prefer what we are good at and like; so why don't we all stop trying to compare the two sports and just get along; It'd make life a lot easier.

walshd said...

I got a nice 1hr session in only 10-12knts of wind.
Can you do that on a windsurfer: NO

So what.......well most of the time I were cruising in only 6 inches of water.
Can you do that on a windsurfer: NO

Plus I can fit all my gear into the boot of a taxi.
Can you do that on a windsurfer: NO

right on elizabethnow let's compare this to the surfers

The title of this thread has the word "sport" in it. Probably, as in, "gee, I'm working really hard", "I'm exhausted", "I feel achy the next day", etc.

I don't care about the cool factor and the fear factor, personally I find jumping off a plane and having a baby girl are wayyyyy more of a feeling than any of the abovementioned water sports altogether. The cool factor at windsurfing and kiting, seen from afar, is more about matching colours and gear and doing the same jumps over and over. That's not cool.

So I sail for the sport of it.

Sailing without harnesses and/or freestyling at all times - either - makes windsurfing a real sport to me. It allows one to sustain my heart rate as high as I want, as long as I want. About any condition, most boards. Triceps as much as biceps, etc.

> Shallow water. You only need 3 inches of water

In winds less than 12-15 knots, there's nothing more fun than screwing about the shore in less than a foot of water with an old board you don't mind damaging. Look at the Tubes on so-called "lightwind" freestyle, they're all very few feet from shore, in the shallows. Personally, that kind of sailing makes my rate go up 150 in a few minutes, and is useful for strong wind skills.

> Lightweight. You can walk out 2km to low tide mark no worries.

(You have to walk those distances when the wind dies...)

Weight has never been a problem here. Yes ideally any gear of any sport would weigh nothing, but I don't remember people loving their windsurfing ever complaining about these things. I hope kiters don't complain about the strings thing either. I know board reviews in magazines push for ever more recent, 2-ounces lighter boards, but I suspect they just want to make $$ off you. Perhaps you have a weak back from not doing enough exercise?

> Easy on the body

You're right: I know this is what people (and you apparently) want nowadays - easy, no effort, not too much work, light, not difficult. But personally I want sport, exercise, in my particular case, violence and a some chance of breaking bones. When I'm too old and broken up for sports such as windsurfing (which is anytime now it seems), then I'll join up modern "easy on the body" people in their activities, be it chess or macrame or even kiting. Something easy on the body.

> Anybody can do it

Over the years, I've seen at least 90% success rate at people really wanting to take up windsurfing. The rest is the "too difficult" category after 5 minutes of trying, "too hard on the body", "too expensive", that type of stuff. Those don't count. In short, just about anybody can windsurf and kite.

To conclude my rant: let's not discuss how un-difficult one's activity is, and how cool it may look to others. Open up a new thread for these embarrassing arguments.

To me windsurfing is a sport: how much it can contribute to one's endurance and muscle tone. Those who plod about on kites, good on them, I think this is a great activity too! My mum plays bridge.

jp747 said...


right on elizabethnow let's compare this to the surfers

Haha letssss not. To be honest, I LOVE kiting, but as Justin says below, I do want to at least try windsurfing, as with SUPs; I mean, you can approach everything two ways. Narrow minded like a lot on here saying one is BETTER than the other, or you can WELCOME difference and that both have their advantages, disadvantages and potential for growth and development!

Gestalt said...


hey liz,
has padi managed to get you on a windsurfer yet.
i think wello is a relatively good example of kiters and windsurfers together.

Howdy Justin - Super apologies for my mind blank on the weekend. I knew I knew you, but I didn't know you were you haha anyway.

I think Wello is a prime example of Windys and Kiters getting along. Yes we rig in different areas and usually sail in different areas of the bay (depending on direction), but I enjoy kiting with the Wello windy's because I've never had a problem with them! From what I've seen and know, they are really top blokes.

Nah I haven't tried one yet. I'm REALLY keen to! So I think one of the days thats not enough for kiters, I'll come over and beg to try one of the Wello Windys gear! Don't know how well that will go over! lol

SeanAUS120 said...

Eek! I'm not sure if I should add fuel to this fire... but...

About 3 weeks ago in Brisbane we had this really unusual north-easter. Started out about 6 knots so I rigged up and went sailing (while the kiters were still on the beach waiting for the wind I might add - although they might not have had the right kite for the lightstuff) and after a few hours of cruising around full-power, the wind picked up to 15 knots... then by the afternoon it kicked to 20-25knots.

I didn't change rigs once. Not even a fin. All one sail... all 5 hours I sailed.

Windsurfing. What a sport.

Jeezuss! 6 to 25 knots with one sail??!! Can this be true?