Windsurf vs Kite to pickup on vacation

[Roccats]

I am lucky enough to be heading out to st Martin for a week of vacation at the end of Feb. I am dying to try kiteboarding or windsurfing but probably only have time/money to try one. Any suggestions from the crowd? I have been sailing cats since childhood and currently own a F18 boat up at lighthouse beach. I am looking for something a bit more wet exciting and for days when the cat is overpowered.

[Windydoug]

Oh Baby, this could be a spirited debate to heat up the cold winter.

The short of it though for your trip in my opinion is try windsurfing. BECAUSE......you already have a strong background in general sailing technique and would then progress quickly. Getting your balance on board and against the sail would be the only adjustment for you. Starting from scratch with kiting sounds like you need to take a bunch of lessons to practice kite handling, then actually get on the water and get dragged and then perhaps on board. If you have the time and money then perhaps that would be the way to go.

Hopefully some of the other guys will weigh in on the sport(s) they are passionate about.

Check back often.
Windydoug

[mikeyz]

I say go with your gut - which one looks like more fun? I windsurf because I like the compactness of it, my sail is right in my hands and I feel like I am more in touch with the wind than I would be with a kite. Though I have never tried kiting so I can't really say this is true ...

[gwind]

I spent a Great! windsurfing vacation on St. Lucia, the next island South. Snorkeling was pretty sweet too. Now the kiting/windsurfing thing... I'm thinking kiting, like sailing, is for light wind and windsurfing for those days when your "cat is overpowered". Besides I just think there's more to learn windsurfing and I really like that challenge. I sure would rather be windsurfing in strong winds than kiting. It's just amazing to have some sense of mastery when Mamma Nature is howling! even if it is an illusion and it all blows up in the next sec!

[Ontario Buoy]

As the resident buoy I can assure you that from my vantage point the windsurfer's are having much more fun then those kite kids. Heck they barely leave the shallow water and venture out where the real men play. Besides, I heard kite boarding was canceled!

[waterauthorityrick]

Ontario Buoy nice to hear from you again, did the ice hockey on the canal need any retired (washed up) referees for the weekend? I know two; me & you.

Roccats you should ask one of my friends and likely yours Jack Eisenschmid what his choice would be Kiting or Windsurfing.

My vote would be windsurfing based on my biased opinion. I have taught my children friends on vacation who had no sailing history how to windsurf in a mornings time frame. There was a quality manager at work once who took kiting lessons on his vacation and he never made it out onto the water one reason due to the light wind one of the later days of the lessons which means the earlier day of the lessons were spent on the land learning to fly the kite. The land simulators for windsurfing takes less than an hour and they have you out on the water ready to go. The new style boards for beginners are very wide and floaty so your water balance is effortless. A kiteboard however is much much smaller.

As far as your cat being over powered; the thing to be on around the Rochester area is a Windsurfer. I have seen many times first hand both on Ontario & Erie when the wind picks up the kites pack up.

Be sure to let us know what decision you end up making and let us know how it worked out.

H2O Rick

[David]

This is such a ridiculous argument it barely warrants a response but for the sake of discussion lets get into it again. As I have explained in previous posts windsurfing and kiting complement each other. Try both and put in some time to see what you like. Generally speaking if you suck at something you are not going to like it (I think we can all remember the first time we planed on a windsurfing board); once you "get it" though it becomes a feeling that can never be replaced. I feel I can comment on both because I actually can do both, I choose to kite because of the versatility. Water, snow, ice, land, you can go all terrain in a small package. I travel on a plane with 2 bars, 4 kites, 2 boards, wetsuit, and harness in a golf bag and I can ride in winds from 8-35mph, you can't do that with a windsurfer. If you are going to say that when the wind picks up the kiters head in thats fine, at 35 mph kiting is dangerous, but so is windsurfing to an extent. Windsurfing is Last time I checked when the wind goes down the windsurfers head in. There have been several days at Durand when I'm on the water with other kiters and there is a beach full of windsurfers, its not possible or fun in light wind, kiting is. I don't need to go to the bouy to have fun because I can ride the shore break and inside waves all d**n day without running my fin into the sand. Kiting is a different sport but the two sports can coexist and you don't have to pick a side, you are allowed to do both. Additionally unless you have and can do both I don't see how you can form an opinion that is relevant. Its like a skier saying that snowboarding sucks without ever spending the time to try the other and get proficient at it. When you have spent the time to learn to kite then you can comment on both, till then it all chin music... ;D

BTW I have taught people in less than a day to be up and riding and they go upwind within 2 days. Learning to kite is not hard but an instructor is going to go slow with you so they can make money.

Also I am selling all my windsurfing gear My 131 carve wood, 70 acid wood, ezzy hookipa skinny masts, booms, and sails...lol

[Windydoug]

Good to hear from David again, right? The guy knows his stuff.

[rider1200]

When you go on vacation do you snorkel (windsurf) or scuba (kite)?

--my very biased newby kite opinion...I also think a Standard Transmission is better than an Automatic.

[edg]

I never have tried Windsurfing but had been kiting for a few years in the Gorge with both sports hot and heavy there. From my understanding...Windsurf gear is much $$$, not that Kiting is cheap. Also portability and finding remote locations with a kite is easier. I know a few people that have rigged their motorcycles to carry the gear. It's also easier to hide in most vehicles. What it comes down to is we are all watermen (people). play with a trainer kite and a trainer windsurfer, I think I saw one somewhere. I could be wrong about the windsurf stuff. But some kiters have a trainer kite, mine got stolen and I have not replaced it yet or I would let you fly it.

Enjoy whatever you end up doing. It's all addicting though.

ED

[mikeyz]

Here are some guys carrying their windsurfing gear.

windsurfingmag.com/videos/2010/02/01/video-tubamancha/

- mikeyZ

[edg]

mikeyz- great stuff. I have not seen that before, call me a noob. Props to the search for wind and I meant no disrespect to you or the sport. We always look for that secret spot with wind.

[mikeyz]

ed, no offense was taken. I just thought it was neat and wanted to share.

And just to set the record straight for our friend "roccats" who is probably looking to buy some wind gear. The internet will tell you how much each sport costs:

www.windsurfing-direct.com/

www.bestkiteboarding.com/

Keep in mind that kiteboarding kites have a little bit more range than a windsurfing sail. Also keep in mind there are more sites that are windsurf-able than kite-able. though you can't use a windsurfing sail during the winter as often as you can use a kite snow board combo. Just figure it out for yourself gawd! Don't come to us with your silly question. You probably never came back to our awesome forum anyways and my brain has been hurting ever since you posed your question about which one to try. Its really been wearing everyone down. Doug can't sleep at night. David quit his job cause he can't concentrate. The WaterAuthorityRick stopped eating humans. We sinking into the abyss. None of us know! We just do it! So go do it!

- mikeyZ