12/11/2023 0 Comments Kiteboarding for beginners![]() ![]() The purpose of the inflated tubes which make up the leading edge and struts is two-fold –įirstly to give the kite a fairly rigid shape so that it’s flight characteristics are reasonably constant. So it needs to be pumped up before you use it. ![]() This category of kites make up easily over 90% of the kites you will see on the water and will be the main focus of our attention in this guide to best kites for beginners.Ī LEI is essentially any kite that has an inflated structure of leading edge and struts. But in my opinion, they’re not ideal for a novice.įor these reasons, this is all I’m going to say about foil kites. This is not to say you shouldn’t consider a foil kite at some point. They’re also about twice the price of LEI kites. This can make them more difficult to control. They’re also less predictable than a rigid inflated kite. Their major disadvantage, especially in the hands of a beginner, is that when they land on water they can be difficult to re-launch as they flatten out on the surface and can easily get swamped. They are flexible in shape rather than rigid like a LEI, and very similar to the trainer kite you hopefully will have used.įoil kites have a loyal following and have a number of advantages, including the fact they don’t have to be pumped up at the beginning of your session and in light winds their lower weight compared with LEI’s means they will fly more easily. Kite design can be broken into a couple of major categories, Leading Edge Inflatable (LEI) and Foil.įoil Kites do not have an inflatable structure, they’re made up of a series of tubes (cells) which inflate naturally from the air-flow as they move along. Let’s take a look at the various categories of kite design and what differentiates them and, most importantly, which type will be most suited to you as a beginner: In another article, Kitesurfing Kites for Beginners, I detail 4 kites that I know from experience are great for beginners and beyond. You’re looking for a system that is easy to trigger but can also be easily re-set after triggering, so that you can set off again after using it. But do check the reviews that are available before you buy.Įasy to use safety system – This is more to do with the control bar than the kite, but most kites are bought with a control bar and lines. Most modern kites are pretty good at this apart from maybe C-kites. This means you need less kites, but also that if the wind is gusty, picks up or drops off while you’re out, you can still control and use the kite.Įase of Re-launch – You want a kite that sits easily on the water when you crash it and is easy to re-launch. Wind range/ De-power – You want kites with a decent wind range of at least 10- 15 knots. It gives you one less thing to have to think too much about if you know your kite isn’t going to mis-behave or drop out of the sky suddenly. Stability – By this we mean that the kite sits fairly easily where you want it to be and doesn’t flit around in the gusts or with the slightest twitch of the control bar. So it’s worth looking briefly at what they mean and how they relate to what you should be looking for in your first kites.Įssentially the main characteristics you’re looking for in your first kites are: And these all represent different types of kites with different characteristics of design and how they perform. You’ll hear terms used like “LEI (Leading Edge Inflatable)”, “SLE (Supported Leading Edge)”, “Foil-Kite”, “C-Kite”, “Bow-Kite”, “Hybrid”, “Delta”. Kite technology has come a long way in recent years, and most kites manufactured within the last 5 years will be good quality and reliable, as long as they aren’t damaged and have been looked after well.īut there are a number of different styles of kite available, all with different characteristics suited to different styles of riding and levels of skill. So here I’ll take you through a guide to the best kites for beginners, what style of kite to look for, what to avoid and the various parts that go with the kite to make it work. So it’s important to know what you’re looking for when you’re about to splash out your hard-earned cash on your first kite. Your kite will most likely be the most expensive item of your kitesurfing kit, it is after all the power source! ![]()
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