Kiteboard - Directional

Willkommen im Bereich Directional Kiteboards bei Kitemana! Suchst du ein passendes Directional Kiteboard oder du weißt noch nicht, welches das richtige Directional für dich ist? Bei uns findest du eine große Auswahl an Wave-Kiteboards und Strapless Freestyle Boards von allen führenden Marken wie Airush, Appletree, Brunotti, Cabrinha, Core Kiteboarding, Duotone Kiteboarding, F-One, Firewire, Naish, North, Reedin Kiteboarding und Slingshot. Welches das ideale Directional Kiteboard für dich ist, hängt von den Wellen-Bedingungen an deinem Home Spot ab, ob du lieber Wave-Kitesurfen oder Strapless Freestyle zu haben bist und natürlich von deinem Gewicht und Köpergröße. Wir führen eine riesige Auswahl an unterschiedlichen Directional Boards und helfen wir gerne dein perfektes Kite-Surfboard zu finden. Kontaktiere uns für eine Beratung für dein passendes Wave-Kiteboard oder Strapless Freestyle Board! Dank riesigem Lager und schnellem Versand kommst du mit uns schneller aufs Wasser! Hier findest du mehr Infos zu Directional Kiteboards Lies weiter »

Welcome to the Kitemana Q&A section about Surfboards for Kitesurfing. Finding the right directional kiteboard depends on many factors. There are different directional kiteboard shapes that are suitable for different riding styles and kitesurfing conditions. Here we answer the most common questions about surfboards for kitesurfing that are asked over and over again. Feel free to read the questions and answers below, but don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions! Our English-speaking customer service is always available and we are happy to help you with our expert knowledge!

What size should my directional kiteboard be?
Which surfboard for kitesurfing is best for beginners?
Which directional kiteboard shape is the right one for me?
How do outline, rocker and rails change the riding characteristics of a kite surfboard?
Which directional board is best suitable for the North Sea (small and messy waves)?
Which surfboard is best suitable for strapless freestyle?
Should I use straps on my directional kiteboard?
Which fin set-up should I choose for my kite surfboard - thruster or quad fins?
Which fin size to choose for my directional kitesurf board?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of wax and surfpads for kite surfboards?
What is a Foil-Convertible Kiteboard?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a foil convertible kiteboard?
Which directional kiteboard brands does Kitemana sell?

  The right size of your directional kiteboard depends on several factors, such as your body weight and the conditions in which you mainly kite. A heavier person should always choose a larger board than a lighter person. If you are often kiting in strong winds, your directional kiteboard can be smaller. If you rather kite in small waves, your directional should be well manoeuvrable and therefore smaller. For big waves, on the other hand, you need a larger directional board so that it can pick up the speed of the wave and you get more down-the-line speed.

To get started with wave kiting and directional kitesurfing, it is good to choose a fairly stable wave board. A directional kiteboard gets stability through its width. Wave kiteboards get width and thus stability, for example, through a stubby nose and a square tail. Due to its width, the directional kiteboard gives you a little less speed, but much more stability. These characteristics make it easier for you to find your balance and you can practice maneuvers much better.

Wave Kiteboards can have different shapes, as you can find boards with and without a nose (noseless) and a lot of different tail shapes. A noseless directional wave board offers more stability and buoyancy. This makes the board well suited for light wind sessions, for getting started with directional riding and for kiting in shallow water or in small waves.
The (pointed) nose makes a directional board more performance orientated. The board can pick up a higher speed and is more agile. Such a wave kiteboard is therefore well suited for larger waves and fast turns, but it is less stable.

For the tail of a directional kiteboard, the wider the tail, the more guidance, buoyancy the directional has and the better its planning performance. This tail shape is well suited for smaller waves, for getting started with wave kiting and for sessions in light winds. However, this kind of shape seems more slowly in turns.
The narrower and more pointed the tail shape, the more easy-turning and fast the wave kiteboard is. A narrow tail gives the kiteboard more grip in big waves. On the other hand, it has less buoyancy and requires more power from your kite between waves.

The outline of a directional kiteboard can be more or less straight or round. The rounder the outline, the more agile and easy to turn is the wave board. However, the kiteboard is limited in its speed.
The straighter the outline, the more stable is the directional kiteboard and the more speed it can pick up. However, these boards maneuver more slowly and turn in a larger radius.
As with twintips, the rocker of directional kiteboards has an impact on how much contact the directional board has with the water surface. A flat rocker makes the board fast, a high rocker makes the kiteboard maneuverable and enables dynamic turns.

The rails of directional kiteboards can be so-called "sharp rails" or "soft rails". The sharper the rails, the more grip a board has when carving, in turns and at high speeds. These properties are particularly important the bigger the waves get . Directional boards with Sharp Rails require some experience in wave kiting.
If the rails are soft, the board has more buoyancy and is more forgiving, but you can edge it less precisely. A directional board with soft rails is particularly suitable for small waves and for beginners in wave kiting.

Which directional board is best suitable for the North Sea (small and messy waves)?

Since the waves on the North Sea can be very different in size and usually run unsorted, it is an advantage to choose a board that is very easy to turn so that you can react quickly to the waves. Accordingly, a smaller board with a more rounded outline is suitable. Nose and tail shouldn't be too wide either.

Which surfboard is best suitable for strapless freestyle?

Directional boards, which have less rocker and a straighter outline, offer you a lot of edge to create a decent pop for freestyle tricks. A wide or stubby nose gives the board a lot of surface when you have to push the board against the wind while doing tricks and the kiteboard is well balanced in the air thanks to an outline that is as parallel as possible.

Should I use straps on my directional kiteboard?

Whether you ride your directional with or without straps is primarily a matter of taste. It can be an advantage for getting started with wave kiting, as straps give you more grip on the directional board. Even in very big waves, advanced riders often use straps so that they have a firm stance on their board. You can also carve harder with a waveboard with straps than without.
However, for many kiters, the feeling of freedom that you only get by riding without straps makes the attraction of directional riding. There are boards that can be ridden with and without straps. So if you are unsure whether you want to ride with or without straps, you should choose a board with inserts for straps.

Which fin set-up should I choose for my kite surfboard - thruster or quad fins?

Finns offer you control but also drag, which means resistance in the water. Thruster fins (3 fins) offer more control, but are also less fast. For the most kite surfers, thruster fins are the right choice. A quad fin set (4 fins) feels more loose, more agile and faster. This set up is particularly suitable for strapless freestyle boards or very high and steep waves. There is no right or wrong here, so don’t hesitate to contact us if you are indecisive.

What size should the fins be for my directional kitesurf board?

The fin size depends on your weight. The rule is, that the heavier you are, the bigger finns you need. On the other hand, it essentially depends on what you want to do with your directional kiteboard. For sharp turns, precise carving and more relaxed upwind-ridingl, you need more grip, so large fins are better suited. For strapless freestyle or directional riding in shallow or choppy water, a more playful board with smaller fins is an advantage.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of wax and surfpads for kite surfboards?

Whether you prefer to use wax or a surf pad is a matter of taste. The advantage of wax is that it doesn’t change the design of your directional board and it gives you that "real surf feeling" and sometimes more grip. However, sand also sticks to wax, so you have to reapply it from time to time and you should be careful not wax your car too much during transport. Pads are less complicated and offer a similar performance for most kiters.

What is a Foil-Convertible Kiteboard?

A foil convertible kiteboard is a board that you can use as a directional kiteboard as well as a kitefoil board, as it has inserts for attaching a foil mast.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a foil convertible kiteboard?

The advantage of a foil convertible kiteboard is that you have to carry less equipment with you if you want to be equipped for all disciplines and conditions. When traveling by plane, you have to check in less luggage, or you have more space for other things in your camper van. However, if you are a performance-oriented wave kiter and / or foil kiter, you will realize that a board that combines both in one cannot offer you the same performance as a specialized foil board or directional.

Which directional kiteboard brands does Kitemana sell?

In the Kitemana online-shop you can find Surfboards for kiting of the following brands: Airush: BY INNOVATORS FOR INNOVATORS
Appletree: LIGHTEST, STRONGEST AND BEST-PERFORMING KITESURF BOARDS
Brunotti: RIDER DEVELOPED PRODUCTS
Cabrinha: LIVE FREE. RIDE FREE.
Core Kiteboarding: PREMIUM KITES & BOARDS FROM FEHMARN, GERMANY.
Duotone Kiteboarding: TRUE KITEBOARDING.
F-One: ENJOY ALL CONDITIONS, TRY OUT NEW THINGS, OPEN UP YOUR PLAYGROUND
Firewire: THE FUTURE UNDER YOUR FEET
Naish: POWERED BY NATURE.
North: FOR THE SEEKERS.
Reedin Kiteboarding: IMAGINE KITEBOARDING #BEYOND
Slingshot: THE ART OF POWER