Hey - lets talk about what kinda boards people use in the SURF when kiting....and what boards that are coming out this year (or 2005 gear) that are looking good for this.

What do people find that works best for say medium sized surf (bout 3-4 foot) - What kinda board sizes/fin sizes/shapes of board/footstrapes or bindings seem to suit this kinda kiting.

Also what about when the surf gets up over say 6 foot and possibly bigger - do people have a second board for these kinda conditions ?

I got a Stonker kx 137 with 4 x 1.25" RFC fins (kinda long and low - slider fins i think they are) with Dakine contour footpads (good for grip i reckon cause u can fit your big toe over the ledge to keep your foot in there).
http://web.aanet.com.au/tato/Kiteboard%20pics/

The board seems to be very skatey/slidey on the water - sometimes too much and hard to hold a good edge at faster speeds, its my first board but it feels like it has less bite compared to some others i have tried (Cautions/Slingshots/Underground), but anyway i am still having fun on it.

Anyway - lets hear some other opinions

yeh i was going to order up those exact fins actually but then i bawked when i found out the price was $20 per fin !! - i have since found out that that's considered kinda cheap for fins (never realised fins would be so expensive)

plus talking to some other guys about the board they reckon that adding bigger fins wouldn't make a huge performance difference and its more the shape of the board/rails, so now i am kinda unsure whats my best option. Either selling it and getting something newer and more geared for waves or just getting the fins.

but i'm keen to hear what other people find best for the waves.

I ride an Airush Switch 135 with 50mm fins in surf of all size, from half a foot slop to double overhead bombs.

If your board is skatey, changing fins could be a good idea, you dont want to go too big as the front ones will start to catch. A good idea to save a bit of cash is just to put some bigger fins in the back, when riding your natural stance.

I wouldnt ride a board much shorter as you will need to be more powered to keep it planing and alot of time on a wave you dont want that.

You want a board with a decent rounded rail. That is what your turning on. The new super thin boards with a tiny square rail might be sick on flat water, but not that great in waves. Those flat water boards are quite often quite flat though the rocker line aswell which makes them harder to handle in waves.

Surfboards go good too, and there alot of new ones about to hit the market. If you want one just for waves, you could easily buy a cheap surfboard, dont go much over 6 foot and put foot straps on it. Then start filling in the new heel dents when they appear. Just dont boost on it, it will snap. Either that or buy an old directional that everyone used to ride way back in the day and your set. Just pick one that doest have straight rails.

I've tried surf boards kiting and didn't really think it was great.
I thought, why not just go for a surf instead!

My favourite board in waves to date has been the drop series, especially the 138ltd. Just so smooth forgiving and fun in waves.

Speaking of the new Cabrinha Custom. I am getting one this season but would also like to get into kiting in the surf/waves, how would this type of board perform? Say compared to a Underground FLX 06'

Any feed back would be great.