Hey guys,
Thought about giving it a go on a surfboard this year.
I never tried it before, have no experience on a surfboard and am now kiting for 2 seasons.
I have a Airush Lithium 6m for those windy Tassie days, an Airush Varial 10m and a Varial 12m.
I'm around 90kg and 178cm.

So, my question is, what kind of board do I need? I guess its a lot easier to use a board with straps, right?

Thanks for your help

Thanks for that. And what about the board size? And does it need to have fins?

Howdy El,

I bought my first directional/surfboard thing about a month ago and been out on it once. As S2A said, don't jump on them as even if they're designed for kiteboarding, they'll break or dent.

Yes get fin. My understanding is: 3 fins are 'slower' but easier to edge and jibe (perfect for a newbie) and four fins are quicker but turn/jibe slower. Note that this could be rubbish as I don't really know.

Like you i've no surfing experience. I've put straps on it for now. I can't ride toe side on a twin tip, so the straps are on until I master this. I'm keen to get rid of them as I don't want to depend on them, then have to re-learn when I remove them. FYI There's now waves where I kite here in Vic.

FYI, the straps are a bit of a pain as it's considerably harder putting a surfboard on your feet than a twin tip (assuming you're sitting in the water).
I found I needed two hands to put the board on and thus, a 10m kite on a gusty winter's day wasn't the best setup, a nice steady seabreeze and a 12m would have been preferred.

It's a lot of fun and different kind of riding to twin tips. More like piloting a boat than riding a board (I went for a 5'10" Cabrinah Skillet, purchased through seabreeze to keep this great site going... and because it was easier than going else where ;-)).

Finally, if you're going to kite on bigish waves for the first time(?) be careful, as a dropped kite with a big wave powering through it will pull you under water at a high rate... Plus pulling the QR in that scenario doesn't do much if you're connected to a leash. Seek some expert advice on this subject. I hear your best bet is: If you're not going unhooked, forget the leash and just pull the QR if you dunk the kite and you can't relaunch before a wave hits it... but I am not speaking from experience, just what I've read of others.

Thanks heaps.
So the best is to try a board with straps on a kind of flatwater and just get used to it?

Don't worry about putting straps on the $60 board you can buy glue on ones but defets the purpose . Just buy a old board same size as you would paddle with ie. 2 inches taller than you are . Play around with it if you like it go buy a big dollar board from the kite shop they will size you up with the correct board . If had to 1 strap is all I would put on the front one as shuffling your back foot around on the board is nessery to do to find where your weight has to be to get the best out of the board . Yes rocker and how wide dose play a big ( is everything) to a surfboard but for a bit of fun and to see if you like it anything that is 2 inch higher will get you up and crusing . Don't forget at some point you have to turn around it is not a tt so stop drop get stuff sorted and go the other way . Hell even I have not mastered the art of a jibe good luck with it .
Yes number one rule in surf don't drop the kite . Number 2 rule : refer to rule one .

I'm 94kg (damned winter coat!) 200 cm and have recently started riding a BWS Drifter 5'8" with straps. I think I could do with a tad more bouyancy, i.e. a 6'1 type board but the drifter's fun factor makes it easy to forget that. I just went straight into the surf with it as I figured there was no point delaying the inevitable. If you're in the surf already it's not a big difference besides having to go toeside. Watch out for the shallows, or you'll tear your box out Just make sure you're well powered up to start off with so you don't get stuck between sets and also to make toeside a bit easier.

Another tip is to only take your SB to the beach with you, no backup (backout!) plans. It's pretty easy to convince yourself that the SB isnt the right tool for the job right now.

Adding the SB to the mix for me has given me a quantum leap in enjoyment to a hobby I thought was already pressing all my buttons. The word spiritual might have been used when it all clicked in place for me but you know man, peace.

Never tried it myself but reckon it'd be too slow to turn and too fast in the straights. Maybe go a mutant to transition across?

I tried the wax and got sick of the stuff getting all over me . Went off to foam place and bought some high density foam the stuff that dosnt suck water up about 10mm thick and just contact glue it on the top . Works sweet as but looks wrong but I don't care what it looks like as long as it works and as we are kiting on it your feet just melt the wax off it in no time .

Go strapless, unless you're trying to learn in big surf... which is a dumb idea anyway. It's not that difficult and you learn about board trim a whole lot faster which is muy importante. Save the straps for boosting and rough conditions.

I've been learning for the past few months on a 5'10" Dialer, strapless. I got up and rode back'n'forth on my first session, managed heel-to-toe transitions on my second and started trying to jibe at the same time... success rate (and style!) is low, but I'm getting there. Much easier without tripping over straps... and you get props from the hard-core surfer dudes for leaving the straps off

Start here: www.iksurfmag.com/technique/?q=strapless

There's adhesive plastic grip pads you can buy here (so assume you can but them anywhere) that replace wax and are just as good as the grip pad that came with the board from Slingshot. They're even mostly transparent so you can still see board graphics

If your goal is to ride strapless, you might as well start now. It's not hard to ride without straps and I would think they'd only get in the way, I've never ridden with straps so I don't know for sure. If you don't know how you want to ride, put some stick on straps on any cheap surf board and try it.

Kamikuza said...
Go strapless, unless you're trying to learn in big surf... which is a dumb idea anyway. It's not that difficult and you learn about board trim a whole lot faster which is muy importante. Save the straps for boosting and rough conditions.

I've been learning for the past few months on a 5'10" Dialer, strapless. I got up and rode back'n'forth on my first session, managed heel-to-toe transitions on my second and started trying to jibe at the same time... success rate (and style!) is low, but I'm getting there. Much easier without tripping over straps... and you get props from the hard-core surfer dudes for leaving the straps off

Start here: www.iksurfmag.com/technique/?q=strapless

There's adhesive plastic grip pads you can buy here (so assume you can but them anywhere) that replace wax and are just as good as the grip pad that came with the board from Slingshot. They're even mostly transparent so you can still see board graphics

And where do I get those plastic grip pads from?

I started with a leggie.

ive been hit by my board about 3 times in 30 years surfing and about 3 times in a month kitesurfing.

so I ditched the leggie.