Kitesurfing is the new buzz in extreme water sports. It is a hybrid sport that combines kiting and surfing for the adrenalin junkies.
Kitesurfing is already popular in well known beaches around the world. Thrill seekers can enjoy the technical and dangerous manoeuvres of kitesurfing while splitting through ocean waves at high speeds guided by the gusty winds. This sport includes such manoeuvres as wakestyling, freestyling, waveriding, jumping, cruising and freeriding.
For such dangerous extreme sport like kitesurfing, safety becomes an obvious concern.
Here, we will learn about the kitesurfing gear that is mandatory for a thrilling yet safe ride.
Kitesurfing equipment:
Kitesurfing is an extreme sport and like any other has specialized kitesurfing or
kitesurfing equipment that are considered mandatory for maximum safety as well as excitement.
1. Kites this is the main source of flight and control and is available in 2 varieties,
a. Leading edge inflatable kites - also known as inflatables, LEI kites or C-kites, are the most popular and typically made from ripstop nylon with an inflatable plastic bladder, which give the kite its shape and also keeps the kite floating in the water. LEIs show a quick and direct response to the rider's manoeuvres.
b. Foil kites These are arc shaped, similar to a paraglider, and are mostly made of ripstop nylon fabric with air pockets that gives it lift and a fixed bridle to maintain the kite's shape. The foil kites main advantage over LEIs is that they dont have manually inflatable bladder, which saves time.
2. Flying lines are made with ultra high molecular weight polyethylene These lines connect the riders control bar to the kite and hence are core equipment. Most kites use 4 or 5 lines.
3. Control bar is a light weight compound metal bar that is attached to the riders end of flying lines. It is used to control the kite by pulling at its ends that causes the kite to manoeuvre clockwise or counter-clockwise.
4. Kite harness is connected to the riders control bar. The harness takes most of the kites pull off the riders shoulders while surfing and allows the rider to do jumps and other tricks while remaining attached to the kite via the control bar.
5. Kiteboard is a small light weight board made of a composite material or wood or foam. The riders feet can be firmly strapped on to this board for surfing. There are directional surf-style boards, wakeboard-style boards and skim-type boards.
6. Wetsuit is a part of the protective gear worn by the kitesurfers which aides in reducing the body loss of heat whiles surfing.
7. Safety hook knife a corrosion resistant stainless-steel blade that can be used in emergency situations such as failure of the kites safety release system or to cut entangled or snagged kite lines.
8. Helmet an obvious compulsory kitesurfing equipment to protect the kitesurfer from any head trauma in case of any mishap.
