I don’t like to say that I gave one up for the other, but it’s really hard to find the time and energy to support two activities while still maintaining the skills needed to participate in both. Honestly, I would love to have all the time in the world to devote to kiteboarding as well as windsurfing.
However, there are some things about windsurfing that make it easier to just drop in and cut a wave with. It’s much more reasonable to bring out your kit and catch a little wind than it is to set up a whole kiteboard rig and then get out to a point on the water where you have enough motion to actually get going.
Now, there are certainly some people online who are committed to one and bad mouth the other, but I don’t want to be like that. However, there are certainly some reasons I’m going to be sticking with windsurfing more than anything else.
Pros of Windsurfing
Perhaps the biggest benefit of windsurfing is that the skill progression with it isn’t anywhere as steep as it with kiteboarding. That makes me feel like I’m actually going somewhere with what I’m doing.
Outside of this, some of the other pros I’ve found including the following:
- You don’t necessarily need nearly as much wind to windsurf as you would to go kiteboarding.
- Windsurfing can be easier to do when you’ve gone away from it for a while and finally have time to come back to it.
- It’s great exercise and always gives me a good core workout.
- While windsurfing is by no means inexpensive, it’s certainly got lower long-term costs than kiteboarding since you don’t have to replace things nearly as often.
- Upfront charges might not be as steep either.
- Arguably, the risk of injury in windsurfing is lower than it would be from kiteboarding, which is important because I wouldn’t be able to work if I took a serious injury.
- Perhaps most importantly, windsurfing is a very social activity. I’m always stunned when I find fresh faces on the beach who bond pretty quickly.
Cons of Kiteboarding
Besides the fact that you need a pretty good gust of wind in order to go kiteboarding, one of the biggest problems I found was how hard it could be to put together and disassemble a kit. Putting together a windsurfing board and stashing it in the car was personally easier, though I know that this isn’t going to be the case for everybody.
Besides that, I always had a few other issues:
- Maintenance: While windsurf kits with universal joints tend to need certain parts replaced, they certainly stand up better than some kites that always seemed to be getting tears in them.
- Beach Rules: Some beaches I’ve been to have really restrictive rules about what you can bring to them, but it doesn’t seem like anyone minds windsurfing gear.
- Skill Differential: If I have to take some time off from the boardsports, then I can usually come back to windsurfing much more easier than I can kiteboarding.
- Cross-training: Longboard surfing translates well into windsurfing, but if I were to try to switch between my big wave board and a kitesurfing kit it would feel really awkward.
- Run Length: I personally found that it took more lateral water to get going on a kitesurfing spot than it would with a windsurf board. Everyone is different though, so your mileage may vary.
What is More Fun Kitesurfing or Windsurfing?
Notice that I didn’t say fun is a big pro of windsurfing nor did I suggest that kiteboarding isn’t fun! That’s because both are some of the best things that you could do with your time, period!
I don’t think that I could really pick one as more fun over the other, because I’ve really had a lot of great times with either and I’ve seen some really gnarly and choppy water from the vantage point of both kinds of boards!
One thing I do like about windsurfing is the community, but those in the right area will find an equally great group of folks who’ve bonded together because of their shared love of kiteboarding as well.
Any of the boardsports are every bit as fun as you make them out to be. Whether you want to skate a spot or surf the biggest waves, you can have a great time and get a great workout.
Just make sure that you’re doing what you really want to do and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.
Is Windsurfing Coming Back?
I’m not sure that it ever went away! While windsurfing might not be the most popular of the boardsports, that’s actually made windsurfers all the more tight-knit.
Plenty of surfers who’ve preferred carvers and longboards are also starting to switch over to windsurfing, though I’m going to bet most of them will never want to give up their original choice! Since the skill set is so similar, you never need to.
Skaters and even snowboarders use some of the same carving moves that windsurfers do, so you’ll probably see even more people giving it a try. While it might not be the least expensive thing on the planet, it’s affordable enough that most fans of summer sports are probably able to give it a try.
One of the biggest reasons I think that people are starting to turn to windsurfing is because of the affordability of used equipment. Modern gear is built so much better than old boards used to be, so they last a while.
That means that any surfer who wants to save a little cash can invest in some gear that’s still got a ton of life left in it. Plus, if you have any maker skills you’ll probably have more fun messing with your gear as you get it going.
That alone should be more than enough to bring back windsurfing, if it even went away to begin with.