Enjoying the sea and playing sports is something that attracts the attention of many of you. Water sports are the most rewarding, and you might think about learning one. To help you decide, today we tell you the differences between surfing and kitesurfing.

For people who already practice them, these inequalities between surfing and kitesurfing can be very noticeable. For those who want to start they represent a whole new world, so if you don’t know them, don’t worry because it is normal and you are not alone. Let’s go check them!

1. Driving force

The first big difference between surfing and kite surfing, which often goes unnoticed, is the driving force that drives us. In surfing, the power of the sea, transformed into a wave, will allow us to reach our goal of navigating the sea with our board.

On the contrary, what we need in kite surfing to be able to sail is the wind. This is what will push us through our wing to be able to sail. In fact, in both sports, the wind plays a fundamental role. For surfing the wind is essential in the wave formation process but it is not necessary (indeed it could ruin the waves if it comes from the wrong direction). In kitesurfing, the wind is the driving force and it must be present in the surf spots. This difference inevitably leads us to the next point.

2. Spots

For surfing it is necessary to have waves, but not for kitesurfing which, thanks to the wing, can navigate in a flat sea. Therefore, even if when we go to the beach we can see many practitioners of both sports sharing some spaces, kitesurfing can be practiced in the open sea, while surfers are usually closer to the shore (except for the outer reefs that are normally found away from the coast).

Another curiosity is that, since waves are not exclusively necessary for kitesurfing, this can also be practiced in some lakes that offer optimal wind conditions to start flying!

3. Material

In order to practice both sports we need different materials, so this is one of the main differences between surfing and kitesurfing. For surfing we will only have to choose a board and a wetsuit but … for kitesurfing it takes a lot more!

The main element of the kite is the wing, which is what will help us slide in the water with our board. We also need a harness that connects us to the wing and also to its controls in order to steer it.

4. Type of table

Another difference between surfing and kitesurfing is the type of board. At first glance you will see that the kiteboard is shorter and that it may have a different shape than what you normally see in surfing as they appear “square”. These models are bi-directional and you won’t find them in surfing. Those that look like surfboards are not bidirectional, but have another aspect that differentiates them.

The fiber of the kite boards is usually harder because the hits on landing are stronger since, thanks to the wing, you get higher and the hit is more pronounced. Which leads us to ask, what happens to the board if you fly very high?

5. Streps

This question leads us to another of the differences between kite and surf, and that is that some models of kiteboards have straps (so-called “streps”) installed at the top so that we can put our feet in and not lose the board. when we start to fly.

In this way, you will notice that there are boards that tend to look like surfboards, with a grippy grip (pad) placed at the top of the board, and another with different types of streps that help us fly as much as we want without losing control of the table.

6. Difficulty

Like everything, this will depend on ourselves, but as a general rule it is often said that it is easier to learn to kitesurf than to learn to surf. The truth is that handling a wing requires dexterity and also something very important in both sports, calm.

When taking flight it is important not to get nervous and to know how to handle the kite to find the perfect balance in the jump and the correct direction. The aerial factor can be key which is why many people also believe that surfing is easier. Do you want to find out for yourself?

Come and visit us at our school and enjoy a surf course in Fuerteventura with surfintrip.com. We will adapt it to your level in order to enjoy the sea like never before!