Kiteboarding

Drift refers to the kiteboarder or their kite as they travel down the face of a wave.

Some kites have better drift qualities than others. If the kite is too slow when being ridden on a wave for example, the board speed will be quicker than the kites and can sometimes result in the possibility of the flying lines becoming slack and result in less control.

A kite that had good forward drift will remain taught giving the rider a more direct and responsive feeling on the control bar.

Airtime is often referred to as the amount of time spent in the air whilst jumping. 

Whether you are in the air for a second or ten minutes, you've got airtime!

ABS: (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is the chemical name for ABS.

A very strong type of plastic.

It can be found in many different components used in kiting equipment. 

Examples of ABS includes the mold of a 4-Line Handle or the outer edge of a Twin Tip Kiteboard.

The baby swallowtail is the smaller of the swallowtail shapes.

This tail combines the rail drive shape of the squaretail with the sensitivity of the pintail, making this a great tail shape for big wave surfers.

The baby swallowtail can be used in small to large surf. 

A trick where the rider rotates backwards away from the kite's position.

The rider continues to rotate backwards , completing a full rotation to continue in the direction from which they were originally travelling.

A) Build up some speed and keep edging with your kite and move your hands to the centre of the bar.

B) Edge hard upwind to start the backward rotation and release your edge, throw the nose of your board upwind and turn your head to look over your front shoulder.

C) Lift your knees up to help you stay balanced in the air. Your body will rotate around your head and shoulders until you come around. 

D) Spot your landing and straighten your legs for impact. Bend your knees slightly as you hit the water to absorb the impact and ride away.

The battail shape performs like a swallowtail. Its two outer pivot points and the addition of the central point of the wing provide greater stability.

The battail is good in smallish to overhead waves and is one of the more modern surfboard tail designs.

Typically a length of carbon or plastic fitted inside purpose made pockets, either on the trailing or leading edge of a kite.

This adds shape or gives stiffness to the kite sail. 

The belly or displacement hull bottom has a convex planing surface typically found towards the front 1/3 of the board. This is designed for control. It gives it a smoother ride in choppy conditions. 

In big and fast surf, it makes it easier to roll which means it is easier to lean from rail to rail. This is essential for controlling your board at high speeds. 

The design is useful in bigger surf, where speed is not an issue and control is more important. The downside is the surface's inefficiency.

Energy is lost when water is parted and escapes from the rails, which slows the board. 

This forces the board to work harder to move because it has to plough through water rather than skimming on top of it.

A boot style fitting similar to Snowboard / Wake Boots giving a secure and more responsive fit to your kiteboard than a more conventional foot strap style.

Boot bindings have become progressively more popular in recent years with riders who are into sliders and unhooked riding.

A kite bladder is made from very thin Polyurethane and is fitted inside the Leading Edge and Strut sections of an leading edge inflatable kite.

There will be an inflate valve through which air is fed via a kite pump.

The bladders are then inflated giving the kite its final shape. 

One of the first steps in learning how to control a kite surf kite in the water.

The rider is pulled along on his/her front whilst steering the kite left and right.

This gives an all important understanding of kite control before progressing onto a kiteboard.

B.O.W or (S-B.O.W): (Swept Back Oblate Wing):

Bow Kites are Leading Edge Inflatable Kites that incorporate a bridle on the leading edge. They can be identified by a flat, swept-back profile and concave trailing edge allowing the kite greater de-power. 

Bow kites have a wider wind range than C-kites so two kite sizes (such as 9m² and 12m²) could form an effective quiver for winds ranging from 10 to 30+ knots depeng on rider weight.

This makes Bow Kites more suitable for beginners to kite sports; however, they are also used by professionals.

Bow kites are used in a variety of kite related sports, including kite surfing and snow kiting. Because of their depower range, they allow users to make them safer to use. They are also used by kite surfers for wave riding, as their unique shape lends itself to this discipline.

This term partly relates to the trailing edge of a kitesurf kite when viewed from above.

If the trailing edge is scalloped, or concaved between its wing tips, then this would be classed as a BOW kite.

The term swept back, relates more to the wing tip, which has a swept back appearance when viewed from the side.

Brake lines are found on the Trailing (back) Edge of a kite and can be used for either applying brake to the kite in order to land it, or by applying brake to one side of the kite in order to make it turn faster.

The minimum weight that flying line can withhold before it breaks.

Typical breaking strains for land based kites such as 200 / 100kg refer to the power lines and brake lines respectively.

Bridles on foil kites support the canopy and gives the wing shape, the group of lines ultimately come together to a single attachment points where the control lines are attached often by using a simple larks head knot.

Bridles on a SLE (Supported Leading Edge) kiteboarding kite would be fitted with Bridles along its Leading Edge. 

Due to the wider range of angle of attack possible, relative to the wind, this system has vastly improved the ability to depower and increase the possible wind range.

C-Shape kites give a direct feel allowing for responsive turning.

Easy to setup, powerful in the turns and great for unhooked riding and big floaty jumps.

The main difference between C-Shape kites and other LEI styles is that they do not have any lines that support the leading edge of the kite (called bridles).

The lines on a C-Shape Kite attach to the four corners of the kite.

Hybrid kites, together with Bow Kites and later Delta kites are all subtypes of a SLE Kite (Supported Leading Edge), defined by having a bridle which supports the leading edge.

This channel bottom shape consists of multiple concaved grooves underneath the tail section of the board.  

They can be anywhere from 2 to 8 channels that run parallel to each other.

The channels propel more water through the board, converting the water flow into forward thrust.

A chicken loop is a flexible plastic loop attached below a kite control bar, either at the end of a de-power line, or in a fixed position on a Fixed Bridle Control Bar which allows a rider to hook into a spreader bar on a Harness.

A short length of rigid tubing is used to lock a chicken loop in position under the spreader bar hook.

This prevents the control gear from coming un-hooked from the harness which would instantly result in the Kite becoming fully powered.

The measurement taken from the front (Leading Edge) to the back (Trailing Edge) of a Kite.

As a general rule, kites that have a short chord (length from the front edge to rear edge), relative to its span are high aspect ratio.

Foils that have a longer chord, relative to its span are typically low aspect ratio.

A small metal rope gripping component which is an integral part of a depower system.

This allows the rider to adjust the Angle Of Attack of the Kite by shortening and lengthening then locking the De-Power Rope in a fixed position to suit the current wind speed.

A Closed Cell Foil has several valve flaps along the leading edge that allow air to enter the kite yet resists air coming out. Also known as a one way venting system

The valves close when external pressure becomes greater than the internal pressure reducing further air from escaping the foil allowing greater stability during the lulls and floatation when landing on water.

Concaves in kiteboards can determine how tight or loose a board will grip or turn. 

The purpose for this shape is to contain water flow through the length of the board rather than allowing the water to release from the rails. From the wide point of the board to the narrow end of the board’s tail, the water is squeezed out through to the fins, otherwise known as the aft section of the board. The increase pressure from water flow causes more lift and less drag. 

By compressing the water and squeezing it out towards the tail of the board, it accentuates the acceleration of the surfboard through turns as well. 

For the more surfstyle way of riding whether it is unhooked or hooked in, a deep single concave will give the board a loose and snappy feeling.

Single concaves allow for super smooth edge transitions and increased edge hold when loading up for a jump. it will also keep the board loose and contributes to a snappy feel. Great for upwind riding.

Double concaves gives the rider stability in difficult landings and is great for riding in choppy waters. The double concave also allows you to load up more power when loading a jump.

If you ride with a lot of power in the kite and a lot of speed a double concave setup will help to soak up the chop and gives a more precise transition from the heel-side to toe-side rail in high speed bottom turns.

When the wind is blowing diagonally across the beach straight off the ocean.

This wind direction is most favoured by kiteboarders and wave riders.

Dacron is a trademark name used for a synthetic polyester fabric.

This strong fabric is widely used in kite surf kite manufacturing, particularly for the Leading Edge or Strut sections of a kite.

A daN (decaNewton) is a unit of measurement used in kite line breaking strain and is equal to 1.0197162129779282 kilograms-force (kgf)

An example of this would be (30m - 200 daN) which would denote a 30m length line with a breaking strain of 200 decaNewtons.

Refers to the component of a landboard / kiteboard that the rider stands on as you would stand on the deck of a boat, snowboard or skateboard.

The “Deep Tuttle” configuration is the same width on the sides, but the fin root is much taller (deeper), measuring 7 cm (approx. 2 3/4″) at the same point on the root.

A Delta Shape is the outline shape of a kiteboarding kite as viewed from above.

An elongated capital letter ‘D’ would be a good way of describing this.

Delta shaped kites give progressive power delivery with the safety and relaunch of SLE kites, giving performance and safety for all levels of rider.

In Single Line or Stunt Kite Flying, a Delta Shape would be more triangular.

A Depower Bar is held by the rider and used to steer and alter the kites power.

Bringing the bar closer to you will increase the kites power. Pushing the depower control bar away will decrease the kites power but can increase the kites speed as the kites angle of attack changes.

Similar adjustments are obtained via the depower rope and cleat lock.

A harness is essential for using depowerable kites. However you can fly them in light wind conditions without the benefit of depower. 

Depowerable kites are excellent for landboarding, buggying, snowkiting and kiteboarding activities as it allows the rider to alter the kite's power as you ride.

A Depower Control Bar is not compatible with a Fixed Bridle Kite. 

A Depower Line is a very strong length of line approximately 6mm or one quarter of an inch thick.

This runs from the chicken loop, through the centre of the control bar and typically through a clam cleat or some form of trim system used to adjust the angle of attack of the kite while you ride.

Directional boards are designed primarily for Wave Riding, although can be used on flat water too.

They are very similar in appearance to a conventional Surf Board and can be fitted with footstraps giving the rider a direct feel on the boards control.

These boards can typically only be ridden in one direction but provide the best qualities for speed, control and riding in and out of waves.

Downwind is the direction of travel the wind blows. Typically when the pilot has the wind on his/her back. 

Flying in or toward the direction from which the wind blows is known as flying upwind.

Dyneema is one of the world’s strongest fibres and is widely used in the manufacture of kite flying lines and bridles.

Dyneema line is the perfect solution for all kite activties. Dyneema is a superstrong polyethylene fibre which was patented by the Dutch DSM laboratories in 1979.

Next to Dyneema being incredibly strong for its diameter, it also has an extremely low moisture absorption and a very low coefficient of friction and it is also highly resistant to abrasion and stretch. And it floats!

Edging (Holding an Edge) is referred to when the rider tilts backwards with their heel side edge into the water.

Learning to edge properly is critical for learning to ride back upwind and isone of the fundamental skills of kiteboarding and is one of the ways kiteboards are different from windsurfing or wakeboarding.

EPS (Expanded PolyStyrene) is the hard ‘foam like’ material usually found inside safety helmets.

EPS is a great shock absorbing material, but can be permanently compressed when absorbing an impact, even a minor one.

Using multi-impact EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) as your core helmet though will protect your head over and over again and is best used for land based activities such as landboarding, buggying and snowkiting.

EVA (Expanded Vinyl Acetate) is a material that can be found anywhere from the grip on a control bar, footbeds and tractions pads on the deck of a kitesurf board.

EVA is lightweight, durable, has a low-temperature toughness, stress-crack resistance, hot-melt adhesive waterproof properties and a resistance to UV Radiation.

F.C.S (Fin Control System) is a fairly new system, designed in 1995 by Australian Brian A Whitty, which allows for a wider choice of Fins to be fitted to a Directional Board.

A conventional Fin would be glassed-in to the board permanently, whereas an F.C.S System has a slotted box with an Allen Key fitting.

The Fin is secured in place using this method and is easily removed should a fin change be necessary.

5-Line kites give leading edge inflatable (LEI) kites a large wind range, depower and an easy re-launch device.

5-Line Kites are great for users after a stable kite for gusty conditions and a very direct bar-feel for new-school riding together with the ultimate safety system. 5 line kites also give the kite a larger wind range and aids in a quicker and full flagging out of the kite when activating the safety system.

The 5th line can also be used to lower the angle of attack for additional depowering giving the kite a larger wind range and stability in gusty conditions.
 
The added adjustment of a 5th line also tends to give you a better low end wind range together with the ability to load up the kite for more freestyle manoeuvres.

The 5th line can also be used to assist rolling the kite into the proper position for relaunch.

A fin is a small component, similar in appearance to a sharks fin.

There are typically four of these on the base of a twin tip kiteboard – one in each corner. Fins on a twintip board normally range between 3.0-6.0cm and can give more or less grip as you turn in the water. Fins also provide lateral resistance enabling the rider to hold a particular course in the water.

As a general rule, smaller fins will allow you to turn the board quicker into the direction you want to go, whereas larger fins will give you more grip and pressure against the water allowing you to hold more power when needed.

There could be anywhere between one and five fins on a wave board and a multitude of configurations.

Based on the idea of the sailboat keel. Single fins are added stabilization and control on the powerful, larger waves, although lack maneuverability.

Twin fin setups are great for small waves, being fast and manoeuverable, but when put into tight spots on larger waves, they can become hard to control. Popular with Fish surfboards.

Thruster / Tri-Fin setups are widely recognized as the standard fin configuration. The thruster answers the shortcomings of the single fin and the twin fins configurations. The thrusters give you stabilization, control and maneuverability in all types of surfing conditions.

Quad fin setups boast an extraordinary amount of holding power in larger surf. You may think that having four fins would sacrifice speed by creating more drag, but this is not the case. The both sets of fins are working together on the rail, which makers believe they creates less drag than a board with a center fin. The manoeuverability isn't sacrificed either, with fins directly under your back foot, the quads are very responsive.

Keel fins setups are a similar setup to the twin fin, although smaller (low profile) fins are generally placed wider (closer to the rails) on the surfboard. Popular with Fish and Egg / Retro surfboards.

2+1 setups are popular with longboards, the fin set up utilizing a single centre fin is complimented with two small fins.

Twin with trailer are basically a twin fin configuration with an added small centre trailer fin, this adds more stability than the standard twin fin configuration.

Twinzer fin setups are generally two larger fins at the back (middle) and two toed (set on an angle) smaller fin placed outside and further from the tail of the board. Like Quad fin setups, the Twinzer is much looser than a thruster yet maintains speed. Popular with Hybrid surfboards.

A Bonzer / C5 5-fin configuration is similar to the Twinzer but with the addition of a centre trailing fin in the back. The two front fins are typically small and oval shaped, designed to direct the water through the larger side fins, thus allowing more drive from your board. Like the Twinzer, Bonzers are popular with the Hybrid boards.

A flat bottom surfboard has a flat planing surface.  The design is efficient for planing on top of the water. It slaps the wave rather than parting the water. 

The board is quick, loose and responsive in small and mushy waves.  However, they are more unstable in bigger waves and at higher speeds. 

The flatness of this setup can make it difficult to initiate turns and will frequently slide out if turned hard.

An essential item of safety gear for anybody considering taking up the sport of Kiteboarding, offering the all important floatation in the water should it be needed.

Float jackets / vests are designed to still allow freedom of movement while providing a user with the necessary buoyancy. They are also designed for minimal maintenance.

They are NOT a life jacket.

Kite lines come in many different sizes, diameter, lengths, weights, colour and construction.  

Choosing the right line for your kite is almost as important as choosing the kite itself. Too thin and it will fail and break, Too thick or too long produces unnecessary drag affecting response and manoeuvrability of your kite. 

Quality of line is important, we want zero or minimal stretch in line so that kites directly respond to the inputs we make. 

While it is true that longer lines are producing more drag sometimes there are benefits in light winds or in overcoming a blustery ground turbulence. The increased size in wind window will improve the length of pulling time experienced as a kite travels across the wind window. 

Conversely, shorter lines can make your kite respond much quicker and can get your kite out of the power faster.

This term refers to the aerodynamic profile of the kite.

The word Foil is derived from the word Aerofoil, which in turn relates to any type of wing that is flown in the air. 

Once a kite is inflated its aerofoil design encourages it to move forward and give lift.

Supportive bridle lines keep the kite at the optimum angle achieving speed and power.

Footbeds are positioned directly underneath footstraps that are found on kiteboards to give you extra grip and resistance against the board.

Footbeds are normally made from EVA Foam offering comfort and durability.

Foot straps can either be found on a kite landboard or kitesurfingboard and are designed to hold the riders feet in position whilst riding. They are mounted to the deck of the board and adjusted for foot entry and stance.

Free ride is the style of riding that allows you to do anything that you want it to be and is the most popular kite surfing style.

Most kiteboards sold today are designed primarily for free ride.

It’s about having fun and learning new techniques.

This style of riding is built towards using the kite and board to get big air (jumps) so that various tricks can be done while airborne.

This style is often used for competitive events.

Often smaller twin-tip kiteboards are used to allow for easier rotations and kites with good boost and hang time are used to allow for more time in the air.

A style of trick where the rider rotates forwards (begins by turning away from the direction of travel) and away from the kite's position.

The rider continues to rotate forwards, completing a full rotation to continue in the direction from which they were originally travelling.

G10 are a composite of layered fibreglass cloth and resin, sandwiched together to form a super strong solid sheet.

These sheets are then machined down to produce kiteboard fins for twintip, directional and race boards.

G10 fins has very little flex which results in a fin that has excellent drive properties in the water.

A Grab (Rail Grab; Tail Grab) is trick whereby the rider ‘grabs’ the rail or nose of either a Kiteboard or Landboard with his/her hand while in mid air.

In competition, grabs are scored depending on the position of the grab on the board based on their technical difficulty.

Grab Handles are found on the top side of twin tip kiteboards and landboards and primarily are used for carrying the board. On Kitesurfing boards the Grab handle is usually used when the board requires repositioning eg. ready for a water start or to get your feet into bindings.

Grunty is a term used to describe a kite that has a good amount of pulling power especially in low wind conditions.

Gybe is when we change course/direction downwind. Wind on our back.

A handle pass is often a trick performed while airborne and unhooked from your harness.

The rider passes the control bar behind their back while performing a 360 degree rotation in the air.

Hangtime is often referred to the amount of time spent in the air whilst jumping. 

A harness is used to take the strain off your arms, allow you to fly in stronger winds and reduce overall fatigue or be an intergral part of a depower system.

A harness is not essential when you first start out kiting on the land but is essential for kiteboarding.

Harnesses can be used for either 4-line handles or control bar. Depowerable kites require a harness to function correctly.

Waist harnesses fit around the lower back and abdomen giving you freedom of movement for technical manoeuvres.

Seat harnesses fit around the legs and lower back giving you lots of support and hip protection. These harnesses stop any chance of the harness riding up your body when the kite is overhead.

A harness line is often fitted between the top of four line handles to enable the flyer to hook into a harness and take the strain off your arms, it allows you to fly in stronger winds and reduces overall fatigue.

Harness lines can also be used as a fixed position on a depowerable control bar allowing you to hook into the harness at a fixed power position. This allows you to perform no handed manoeuvres at a temporary power position and are often used for downwind expeditions to reduce fatigue on your arms. 

Harness lines are only recommended as a temporary power position as they do override some auto safety mechanisms. Practising hooking in and out is highly recommended.

Heelside is term often used to describe the side of a kiteboard closest to your heels.

This is the correct stance position a rider will adopt whilst stood on a twintip kiteboard in most riding conditions.

A term referred to if the pilots chicken loop is connected to the spreader bar hook on the harness or not.

Being hooked in is often the safest way to kiteboard however many advanced tricks now require you to be hooked out or unhooked from the harness.

This term is often used when explaining tricks and manoeuvres.

An impact vest is essentially a safety vest that has strategically placed sections of padding to protect vulnerable parts of the body during an impact with the water or an object.

Impact vests are not to be used as a floatation or life saving device.

An invert is a term given to any type of trick where the rider is upside-down.

Jibe, Jybe, Gybe is when we change direction downwind. Wind on our back.

KG (Kilogram) a unit of force used in kite line breaking strain.

An example of this would be 25m/200kg/100kg which would denote a line length of 25 metres with a 200 kilograms breaking strain for the main flying lines and 100 kilograms for the brake lines.

A Kiteloop is a term which involves a powered manoeuvre whereby the rider sends the kite in a downwards and upwards loop whilst performing a jump.

The 360 degree rotation of the kite can generate large amounts of power.

Knots are a measurement of speed used mostly in nautical and aero settings including weather forecasting. It seemed natural that Kiters and Kitesurfers would adopt this measurement of speed.

1 knot for example is equal to 1.15078 miles per hour.

The term derives from counting the number of knots in the line that unspooled from the reel of a chip log within a specific time.

KP (Kilopond) from the Latin (Pondus) meaning weight. It is equal to one kilogram and is a unit of measurement used to state the breaking strain of kite flying line.

An example of this would be 25m/100kp which would denote a line length of 25 metres with a breaking strain of 100 Kiloponds

This type of knot is used to attach flying lines to a kite.

A larks head knot is both easy to do and undo making it the perfect solution for the sport of kiting, as lines are regularly attached and detached.

To make the larks-head knot, place your thumb and first finger through the loop.

Roll them over making it into two loops and pinch them together.

Push your connecting toggle through the two loops and pull tight.

The ability of a particular vehicle from being moved sideways by the wind.

For example, the Fins on the base of a Kiteboard would be an example of a component that is used to prevent Lateral movement. 

To resist lateral pull, the pilot of a kite buggy would use its wheels as a traction tool in order to reduce the sideways pull that the kite creates; this is also true of how a kite landboarder would prevent him or herself from being pulled sideways.

Launch is the term referring to getting the kite in the air.

The kite may be launched assisted or un-assisted.

An assisted launch is generally deemed to be safer that an un-assisted launch.

Leader lines can be found at the ends of a Kite Control bar, or on Four Line Handles.

They are the point at which flying lines are connected using a Larks Head / Hitch Knot.

Control line length can be tuned by inserting additional knots on the leader lines and reaffixing control lines to its new setting.

Leading Edge (L/E) refers to the front edge of a kite.

In foil kites, this is where the wind enters.

In kiteboarding, this is the main inflated chamber.

The back edge of the kite is referred to as the trailing edge.

LEI (Leading Edge Inflatable) this term refers to any kite that has an internal bladder system which requires filling with air. It's purpose if to give the kite a stable frame and to float on water.

This allows the kite to be launched off the water if crashed.

Leading Edge Inflatable (LEI) Supported Leading Edge (SLE) and Vented foil kites are built mainly for kiteboarding and other water based activities as they do not take-on water.

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Locked in describes the position of a kite that is being flown keeping it in one position.

A locked in position would typically be at about 10 o’clock or approximately a 45 degree angle from the ground / water.

Lofted refers to getting lifted vertically into the air by the kite often due to a strong gust of wind or incorrect kite size being flown for the conditions..

If a kite is flown too close or beyond the headwind the sail will loose lift and start to flap or in extreme cases can even nose dive or flip over and fall out of the sky.

If the kite is luffing while launching, the rider should move farther upwind, or the person holding the kite should move downwind in order to fill the sail.

Mutant kite boards aim to combine the best features of twin tips and directionals boards. They use directional rocker like a directional board but can still be ridden backwards or forwards like a twin tip.

The stance is slightly off centre (around 60/40) with the stance position being biased towards the back of the board, so although the board favours one direction, it can be ridden backwards.

Fin setup is similar to a directional board, but with the addition of nose fins to allow for 'backwards' riding.

The concept produces a board with an enormous power range and incredible upwind drive and allows the rider to mix freestyle and wave riding without having to change boards.

New School refers to the freestyle and wakestyle tricks performed by kiteboarders which have become more popular in recent years.

New School Riders often have their kite positioned low allowing you to take off with lots of speed into the air with an explosive pop without lift from the kite.

The majority of manoeuvres are performed with the kite unhooked from the rider's harness for extra difficulty.

The nose refers to the pointed end of a Directional Kiteboard.

Nuking if often referred to when the wind is blowing at great speeds (30-40 knots).

These conditions are considered to be very extreme and dangerous for most riders.

Off-Shore Wind is a term to describe when the wind is blowing out to sea.

Off-Shore Winds are usually not recommended to kiteboard in.

One-Pump is a kite inflation system whereby the Leading Edge and Strut Bladders are inflated from a single Valve. This may also be referred to as an Octopus System.

A one-pump system allows for easier inflation from one position on your kite.

With one inflate valve on the kite, you can pump up the leading edge and the strut bladders at the same time.

Open Cell kites also referred to as ram air kites rely on a constant airflow against the inlet valves to stay inflated, They are primarily used for land use, as using in water for relaunch is difficult because they have no means of avoiding deflation and taking on water. 

Open C-shape kites give a fast turning and direct feel for responsive turning and boosting.

Easy relaunching shape and are great for progressive freestyle and wakestyle riders.

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Overflying happens when a kite keeps flying forward and over the top of the riders position.

It often occurs in stronger conditions where the kite efficiently overflys its wind window.

It can be rectified by applying the brakes before the overflying occurs or by shortening the brake lines for that particular day.

Overpowered is the result of having too much power from the kite and can be a result of an increase in wind, incorrect kite size (too large for the conditions) incorrect de-power adjustment, or simply going too fast.

A rider can switch down to a smaller kite or kiteboard size to help combat the problem of being overpowered.

Pigtails are connecting points to where flying lines are attached.

They can be found either on the leading or trailing edge of an kiteboarding kite and are identified as short lengths of line with either a loop or knot at their end, or in some cases, they will have both a loop and knot giving a wider choice of flying line compatibility.

The pintail shape is the next step down from the rounded pintail.

The pintail comes to much more of a point than the rounded tail and finishes in a sharper, thinner pin.

This is the tail shape for surfing large, powerful, hollow waves.

Pop is often referred to the height gained above the water using only the board and tension in the lines to get lift, with the kite usually positioned at 45 degrees.

Lower kite angles are possible for more experienced riders.

Used as a basis for many tricks and regarded as an essential skill for progressing to unhooked manoeuvres.

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The Powerbox is a fin system using a root with both tapered sides and tapered front and back.

Primarily used in Kiteboard Racing.

The power zone is the area of the wind window which generates the most pull, it's usually directly in front of the kite flyer and 60 degrees up from the surface.

Cut a wing in half and you would see its profile the aerofoil shape that gives a kite its flying characteristics. Its shape size may be numerous throughout the length of a wings length and will differ from kite to kite.

A thin profile will generally make a kite fly faster more manoeverable but less stable whereas a deep profile on a kite of similar size may fly slower but offer more lift, more stability and have smoother all round flight.

To enable a kites lifting capability to be described clearer beyond just a sail area the projected area is often used.

A Kites Sail area when it lays flat on the ground differs from the Projected area.

Projected area is the main lifting area the kite offers.

Tip areas of the sail provide stability and will not provide as much lift as achieved in the centre of the kite

A kite with the same sail area when arched would provide less lift than a kite that flew flatter with less arc. The greater the arch shape the less projected area to the wind would occur. 

P.S.I: (Pounds per Square Inch) is a unit of air pressure. It may be used in kiting to describe the amount of pressure a kite is inflated or a landboard tyre is inflated to.

An example of this would be 6psi or 6 pounds per square inch.

Rails are the longer outer edge of either a twin tip kiteboard or wave board.

Surfboard rail design is a critical component to the overall surfboard design and will greatly affect the way you surf.

Since the rail is one of the primary interfaces with the water (wave) the way the water flows around the rail and how the wave interacts with the rail will determine if you are able to do a hard cutback or a long drawn out turn or if it will hold in steep waves or work well in slow mushy waves.

A soft rail will be rounded throughout its shape, nose to tail, often found on a kite surfboard.

A hard rail will have an edge throughout the length of the board often found on twintip kiteboards.

A Raley is a trick term where a kitesurfer jumps in the air and extends their body and swings the board behind them up over the level of their head.

Ram Air kites have openings at the front leading edge to allow foil inflation and to create the wing shape. The varying wing shapes create differing power and manoeuverability.

Compact bridling systems ensure the kite stays inflated and angled correctly to the airflow. Some look square (usually low aspect) while others look elliptical (usually high aspect).

Generally elliptical kites are more efficient whereas square shaped foils are more stable and slower in comparison.

Kites that are thinner (thin profile) are usually faster than thicker profiled kites whereas, the deeper profiled kite usually lift more at lower speeds than a thin foil.

Ram Air kites are used mostly for land based activities such as buggying, kitelandboarding, kitesurf training and recreational kites.

Ripstop Nylon is a woven fabric widely used in the manufacture of kite sails. 

A special reinforcing technique is used that makes this fabric resistant to tearing and ripping.

The rocker refers to the shape or curve difference between the tip and tail of a kiteboard and the centre of the board.

It is easiest to see when the board is laying on a flat surface and viewed from the side. There are two main types of rocker lines 3-stage and continuous.  

A continuous rocker is just like it sounds, one uninterrupted curve from tip through to tail.  A continuous rockered board will provide a smooth even ride which will be very predictable and consistent. This type of rocker will also slice through the water with a minimum of friction and will ride much faster allowing the rider to generate a greater amount of speed when heading into the water.

A 3-stage rocker can be best seen when the board is laid flat on the ground, you will notice that through the centre section part, the board will be flush with the ground, or flat.  

 When a three-stage board hits a wave, the angled tip rides up similar to a continuous rocker, but instead of continuing to slice through the flat spot of the boards hits the wave and pops the board up off the water creating a type of pop.  

Due to the shape of the 3-stage rocker, more friction is created while riding through the water so some speed is sacrificed in order to gain this extra, explosive pop.  

In general continuous rocker boards are great for beginners, people looking for a smooth ride, or riders wanting speed in the flats.  

A three-stage rocker kiteboard is best for people who really enjoy the high jumping and wakestyle riding.

A flat or low rocker line board gets you up and riding early and are perfect for flatwater and lightwind riding.

Medium Rocker allows for upwind performance, hold an edge well and are typically forgiving in choppy conditions. Suited for riders of all levels.

High rocker boards are best suited for freestyle and wakestyle manoeuvres or riders looking to ride at slower speeds and still hold lots of power.

Very similar to the thumbtail, the rounded pintail is slightly more "pinched" toward the tail.

This tail was very popular in the single-fin days and is the tightest-holding rail.

Like the thumbtail and the regular pintail, there is no interruption in the flow from the rail directly through to the tail.

The rounded pintail is a great tail for medium to large waves and ideal for powerful hollow surf. 

Describes a kite that comes complete with all of the equipment necessary to fly.

A kite for example can come complete with lines and handles or lines and control bar.

A Seat Harness is worn by kiteboarders and land kiters alike.

It fits around the seat and leg area as opposed to a waist harness.

The seat harnesses position is lower and with the leg straps make it more secure stopping the harness from riding up.

A harness has to be worn in order to use a depower system - if flying a fixed bridle kite the harness is optional.

The force created by the kite when taken through a harness allows greatly extended flying sessions.

Self Launching is a technique whereby the kite is launched unassisted. This technique is not recommended for strong winds, or by inexperienced riders.

Sending the kite is a term used when redirecting a kite at speed in the opposite direction of travel.

This would usually be performed when initiating a jump.

The Primary Power adjustment on a kites control system is often the depower rope passing through a cleat.

By pulling the depower line in, and shortening the front lines, sheeting out the back lines, we reduce the kites angle of attack and depower the kite though the kite may fly faster.

By letting out the depower line and lengthen the front lines, sheeting in the back lines, we increase the kites angle of attack powering the kite up though the kite may fly slower.

The secondary Power adjustment is done via the bar, by pushing the bar away from the rider, sheeting out, we reduce the kites angle of attack and depower the kite though the kite may fly faster.

By pulling the bar towards the rider, sheeting in, we increase the kites angle of attack and power the kite up though the kite may fly slower.

An SLE (Supported Leading Edge) Kite has a Bridle fitted to its Leading Edge. The bridle holds it's shape and gives support.

SLE kites incorporate a bridle to support their leading edge allowing for increased depower and easy relaunch from the water.

Due to their flatter profile, SLE kites tend to produce more power than C-shaped kites of similar size and have a larger wind range.

Great for freeriding and all-round kiteboarding.

A Sleeving Kit is used for resleeving broken or frayed lines.

The protective material used as a covering to the looped ends of kite flying lines and bridles.

This prevents the premature wearing out of the flying line positioned underneath.

A slide turn is often referred to when a kiteboarder changes direction while on the water.

A kiteboarder can turn by stopping or sinking backwards into the water and then turning the kite in the opposite direction and starting again.

A 'heel turn jibe' or slide turn is a quicker and more skillful turn that is executed by slowing down, flattening the board, then reversing the board flat on the water by bringing the rear foot around downwind to eventually become the new leading foot.

The direction of the kite is then reversed, which swings the surfer's path in a semi circle, centred on the kite.

As the turn ends, the kite is flown over to be in front of the kiteboarder again.

Spectra is a synthetic fibre which is widely used in the manufacture of kite flying lines.

It is stronger than steel for the same cross sectional dimension and is extremely flexible and soft in its texture, it hardly ever stretches and it is very light weight.

This design offers a stable ride but enables the surfboard to still remain loose.

The squashtail is a great tail shape for any standard of surfer and can be used in both small and overhead waves.

The squashtail is probably the most common tail shape on modern surfboards.

The design offers a stable ride but enables the surfboard to still remain loose.

The squashtail is a great tail shape for any standard of surfer and can be used in both small and overhead waves.

A Stopper Ball is usually found fitted to a depower line and is designed to ‘stop’ the control bar from sliding too far out of reach of the rider.

A Sliding Stopper Ball is a good option for a customizable control bar throw.

Stopper Balls are also used on safety control systems along control lines. (Arc kites) These stop the controls from traveling up the line any further than is necessary.

A strut is the inflated tubular section which runs from the leading edge to trailing edge of the kite.

Its purpose is to give the kite a frame and shape.

A kitesurf kite can have anywhere between zero and seven struts depending on what the kites criteria is. 

The swallowtail shape, like the babytail, combines the rail drive of the squaretail and the sensitivity of the pintail.

This is the tail shape used on fish surfboards.

The wider tail gives better paddling power and increased drive in smaller waves.

Tacking has derived from a sailing term. It describes the moment when the leading edge of the board is steered into the wind to carry out a turn from one direction to the other. It describes the manoeuvre by which the rider (who is riding momentarily into the wind) turns the front tip of the kite board through the wind so that the direction from which the wind blows changes from one side to the other.

The thumbtail is a more rounded version of the squashtail, the design of the thumbtail results in more stability for the board.

This shape has no hard edge that you find in the squash and squaretail and makes it great for rail-to-rail surfing and big old turns!

It's most effective in medium to very large surf.

The side of the kiteboard along the edge where the riders’ toes are (opposite of heel side). 

Riding toeside is an important skill especially for riding on a directional kiteboard.

Learning to ride toeside also helps for riding into transitions (changing from one direction to the other).

The Trailing Edge (T/E) refers to the bottom or back rear edge of the kite sail. 

The True Wind is the wind felt (speed and direction) while stood in a stationary position. When moving, the kite and craft can increase and change the direction of the airflow creating apparent wind which is the vector sum of the true wind and the wind created by movement.

When the tang (or base of fin) is clamped in the box with the set screw the tang is compressed horizontally.

This compressive force is dissipated by the trusses into the solid base of the fin.

The trusses act as I–Beams with their long axis running the width of the tang.

The long axis of the truss resists lateral loading on the fin during surfing keeping the base extremely stiff.

The use of Truss and I-beam technology gives the base of the fin a maximum stiffness to weight ratio.

This enables Futures to have 60% more base than plug systems while still remaining extremely light and stiff.

The Tuttle box has straight sides and the root is a uniform 1.60 cm (.625″) and the “fit” is supposed to be quite tight on the sides. The depth is set by the angles on the front and rear of the fin root.

The tuttle fin gets most of it’s support from the close fit between the sides of the fin root and the sides of the fin cavity in the board.

Twin Tip Kiteboards are designed to be unidirectional. If the rider wants to change tack, only the kite's sailing direction must be reversed, while the feet can be kept in the footstraps as the windward edge doesn't change sides.

Usually very lightweight they are designed to carve into the water on their edge to gain maximum traction from the kite.

Initially larger boards are required to give the buoyancy required to get on top of the water enabling easier planing.

Later experience will allow smaller boards to be used and the speed of the board will create the buoyancy.

The condition of having insufficient power from the kite. This can be a result of insufficient wind, choosing a kite that is too small for the wind, board too small, water current in the same direction as the wind or not riding fast enough.

A rider who continuously dives the kite and sends it in a sine-wave pattern is usually underpowered.

A term referred when a kiteboard is riding with the chicken loop unattached from the harness.

Being unhooked from your harness is sometimes required for powered advanced wakestyle tricks and wave riding. 

The direction from which the wind is blowing windward.

The valve is the point through which an leading edge kite is inflated or deflated typically found on kiteboarding kites.

The Vee Bottom is a convex planing surface typically located towards the back 1/3 of the board. Similar to the belly bottom shape, it acts as a pivot point for rail to rail surfing. 

Because the shape is used towards the tail of the board, this helps to make the tail area more responsive at high speeds. 

Like any convex planing surface, energy is lost as water parts and escapes from the rails making it inefficient in smaller or mushier waves. 

The shape is suitable in big and fast waves where control is needed more than speed.

A waist harness makes it possible to kitesurf, buggy or landboard with less effort required by the rider.

The waist style harness gives freedom of movement to achieve technical / freestyle manoeuvres.

The harness will take most of the strain of the kite's pull away from the rider's arms and spread the loads across your body waist area.

Wake Skates are a strapless board, similar to skateboards for use on the water.

Typically shorter than a twin tip kiteboard they are generally used on flat water and small waves and allow you to perform tricks similar to skateboarding.

As wakeskates do not have footstraps, riders use shoes, similar to the skateboarding shoes for grip on the board and to protect feet.

Wake Style is a term referring to tricks and aerials while using a board with bindings similar to wakeboarding.

This style of riding may also include tricks and jumps involving ramps and sliders.

Flat water is preferred for this style of riding and the use of larger twin tip boards with high rocker lines are common.

Every kiter knows it is inevitable at some point the upwind tack is just too hard or sometimes the wind just drops off completely, in both cases you will have to walk back to your original location rather than riding.

This is known as a walk of shame.

A water start is the essential skill needed to get the kiteboarder out of the water and on top of the surface.

For a water start the pilot sits back in the water with their feet in the foot straps.

With the kite above the flyers head in a neutral position. The rider then takes the kite back to a 1 o’clock or 11 o'clock position, dive the kite at speed to generate enough pull and power to get the board up to speed and get the rider on top of the surface of the water.

Wave kiteboards (Directional boards) are very similar in appearance to a Surf Board and will in most cases have foot straps to give the rider better contact with the board.

These boards are usually very manoeuvrable, have good bouyancy but also light enough to do jumps if required.

The Wind Range portrays a kites minimum and maximum wind speed within which it can be flown.

This wind range changes dependent on the size of the kite.

A smaller kite would have a higher wind range as there is less surface area to catch the wind, whereas a larger kite which has more surface area would be flown in less wind.

Often manufacturers will base these estimates on a 75kg rider though an experienced rider will know if he/she is capable of riding beyond these recommendations.

The wind window is the area in which the kite can fly.

By manoeuvering the kite through different parts of this window we can get different amounts of power and direction.

Power is dramatically reduced at the edges of the window. If you are unsure of the power that could be generated it is safer for you to launch from the edge of the window.

Keep the kite at the edge and manoeuvre it up overhead and dip into the power zone to test whether you can handle the power being generated in safety.

If the conditions are beyond your skill level modern kites have in-built safety systems to let you abort safely without losing your kite.

Combining the rail drive of the squaretail and the sensitivity of the pintail.

The wider tail gives better power and increased drive in smaller waves.

The wing is really not a tail shape but more of a rail shape and can be seen as a bump in the rails just in front of the front fins.

If the wind is light, it may be necessary to sine or work the kite.

This involves moving the kite up and down in a sine wave or even looping the kite.

Speeding up a kite increases airflow over the kite increasing the overall pulling power.

This technique can be used with both water and land based kites.

A Y-Line can be found attached to a kite with a 4-line or 5 line set up.

These lines come down to a ‘Y’ type configuration to form a single line.

Apart from reducing drag by excluding a control line, Y or V lines can change load distributions and characteristics of a kite

The zenith is the location in the wind window directly above the flyers head.

This is classed as a neutral position where the flyer can place the kite to stop moving or prior to movement.

Depowerable kites allow you to use a single kite over a much larger wind range.

This is achieved by the depower control bar and bridle system that can be adjusted to alter the amount of power generated as you ride. 

Bring the bar closer to you will increase the kites power. Pushing the depower control bar away will decrease the kites power but also increase the kites speed as the kites angle of attack changes. 

A harness is essential for using depowerable kites. 

However you can fly them in light wind conditions without the benefit of depower. 

Depowerable kites are excellent for landboarding, buggying, snowkiting and kiteboarding activities as it allows the rider to alter the kite's power as you ride.

Check out our range of Depowerable Kites here >>

No. A Depower Control Bar is incompatible with a fixed bridle kite as is a fixed bridled bar on a depowerable kite.

Depower or Power adjustment is achieved using a control bar and a technical bridle system usually via pulleys that allows angle of attack and consequently the power generated to be changed as you ride.

A fixed bridle foil kite has a fixed bridle position and can only be used in a specific wind range suitable for that size of kite. 

Sometimes manufacturers will descibe a kite as being capable of depower but really is only a fitted safety system that fully collapses (depowers) the kite in an emergency.

It's important that it's understood that these systems are completely different in set up.

On a fixed bridle kite the power lines attach to the pigtails at the ends of the bar. You then fly the kite steering on the power lines and use the back lines for reverse launching and safety.

With a depowerable kite,  the power lines attach to the centre of the bar and you steer using the back lines which are attached to the ends of the bar which also allow for depower control.

A harness is used to take the strain off your arms, allow you to fly in stronger winds and reduce overall fatigue or be an intergral part of a depower system.

A harness is not essential when you first start out kiting on the land but is essential for kiteboarding.

Harnesses can be used for either 4-line handles or control bar. Depowerable kites require a harness to function correctly.

Waist harnesses fit around the lower back and abdomen giving you freedom of movement for technical manoeuvres.

Seat harnesses fit around the legs and lower back giving you lots of support and hip protection. These harnesses stop any chance of the harness riding up your body when the kite is overhead.

Ram Air kites have openings at the front leading edge to allow foil inflation and to create the wing shape. The varying wing shapes create differing power and manoeuverability. 

Compact bridling systems ensure the kite stays inflated and angled correctly to the airflow. Some look square (usually low aspect) while others look elliptical (usually high aspect). Generally elliptical kites are more efficient whereas square shaped foils are more stable and slower in comparison. 

Kites that are thinner (thin profile) are usually faster than thicker profiled kites whereas, the deeper profiled kite usually lift more at lower speeds than a thin foil. Ram Air kites are used mostly for land based activities such as buggying and kitelandboarding though there are specialist foil kites that are used on the water. These will usually have some form of one way venting system to protect them from water ingress.

For advice on selection call Telephone + 44 (0) 0121 544 9514 

Click here for our range of Ram Air Foil Kites >> 

Leading Edge Inflatable (LEI) Supported Leading Edge (SLE) and Single Skin kites are built mainly for kitesurfing and other water based activities as they do not take-on water. This allows the kite to be launched off the water if crashed. 

Normally larger kites are required to fly on water to overcome the water resistance. These kites are very efficient and powerful - to enable greater control, depower systems are usually incorporated into the kite. It is imperative that pilots learn on land first and obtain water based tuition before venturing out onto the water. 

For advice on selection call Telephone + 44 (0) 0121 544 9514 

Click here for our range of Single Skin and Inflatable Kites >>

Based on the idea of the sailboat keel.

Single fins have added stabilization and control on powerful, larger waves, although can lack the manoeuverability of other fin setups.

Click here for our range of Kiteboards >> 

Twin fin setups are great for small waves, being fast and manoeuverable, but when put into tight spots on larger waves, they can become harder to control.

This type of configuration is often popular with Fish surfboards.

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Thruster / Tri-Fin setups are widely recognized as the standard fin configuration for the majority of kite surfboards.

The thruster answers the shortcomings of the single fin and twin fins configurations offering stabilization, control and manoeuverability in all types of surfing conditions. 

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Quad fin setups boast an extraordinary amount of holding power in larger surf.

You may think that having four fins would sacrifice speed by creating more drag, but this is not the case.

The both sets of fins are working together on the rail, which makers believe they creates less drag than a board with a centre fin.

The manoeuverability isn't sacrificed either, with fins directly under your back foot, the quads are very responsive.

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A Bonzer / C5 5-fin configuration is normally has the addition of a centre trailing fin in the back.

The two front fins are typically small and oval shaped and designed to direct the water through the larger side fins allowing for more drive and grip from your board.

This type of setup is often used for kiteboard racing.

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Depth: 
The maximum height of a fin is measured from the bottom surface of your board.

The hold of your surfboard increases with more depth but generally makes it harder to turn as well.

The shorter the depth, the more slide the board will have. 3-4 inch depth is normally standard on tri-fins.

Base:
The base is often referred to the length of the fin where it joins your board.

Increasing length adds forward drive, but can make it harder to turn.

The less length there is in the base of the fin, the shorter the turning arc will be.

Shortboard tri-fins usually have a 3.5-4.5 inch base.

Rake:
Rake, also know as sweep, can be seen as the amount of the fin outline that is curved backwards.

It is the angle created between the back of the fin base and the offset of the tip of the fin.

The rake prominently affects the turning ability of the board.

The smaller the rake angle is (i.e. the greater the offset), the better the drive but less manoeuvrable the board will be.

The larger the rake angle is (i.e. the less the offset), the tighter the board will be able to turn.

Flex:
Fins with little flex are more responsive and will have more speed and direct drive.

Fins with flex are more forgiving and easier to use.

Ideally a fin would have a stiffer base for drive and more flexible tip for release.

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Kitelandboarding is a great way to learn the principles of Kiteboarding without spending a huge amount on inflatable kites and beginner boards. 

Even when you have bought all the Kiteboarding gear - they offer a great light wind alternative to Kiteboarding. 

If the wind drops or goes offshore - get onto the beach, grab your Landboard and practice some light wind tricks. 

For advice on selection call Telephone + 44 (0) 0121 544 9514

Click here for our range of Kite Landboards >>