Our team at Long Ocean Boards have been developing and producing kite boards since the sport began in South Africa over 6 years ago.  We would like to share some of our valuable information which we have learnt from over the years on buying your new kite board.

Common questions:

1)  What size kite board should I learn on?

We suggest a person of 85kg (or more) start on a board with dimensions of around 1400mm length x 400mm width with a fairly square outline for staying upwind.
Someone lighter could learn on a 1300mm length by 380mm width also with a fairly square outline.
You don’t need a large board to learn on.  Shops may try to sell you 150cm and 160cm boards, but these size boards have long since been cut from our range of boards and most probably are old stock left in the shops.

Most new boards are shorter and wider and have good flex in the tips for easy riding.
Shops should offer new designed boards in plain colour as well as full graphic.
With an option of plastic or fibreglass fins -  the difference can be more than a R1000.
Remember: the board stays the same, its the quality and options that differ, just like the way you buy a motor vehicle.

2)  How does tail shape, outside rail curve and width affect the board?

The wider the board, the more surface area you have -  thus creating an easier planing board.  The outline gives you rail contact with  the water:  a straighter edge gives more contact and better upwind ability.
Tail shape:   this is the point of the board you push against to pop off the water.  A fuller tail creates more pop, but it has a downside -  in wave riding it tends to catch more.  A more surfboard shape prevents this, but does not have as much pop.
It all comes down to you, the customer and what your needs are.

3)  I am a tall guy - does this affect where I stand?

Yes, a natural stance would be too close to your eyes.  Shift your feet and then look down at the distance between your feet, this would give you your natural stance.
In our board range the stance varies from 380 mm to 440mm .
The freestyle boards are 1280mm x 390mm with a very wide stance for landing manoeuvres .
A wider stance is for taller guys and freestyle boards.

4)  I live inland,  do I need a thicker board with more volume?

No. Kite boarding is not like windsurfing which has different volumes ranging from a 65 liter wave board to a 145 liter super x board.

Kite boards are all about surface area.  I would suggest a 1400 mm x 400 mm with a straight curve and wide tips for pop and upwind to get you going in those gusty conditions.
Remember the kite generates much more power than a windsurfing sail and a thick  board with more volume will make the board hard to edge and keep in control at high speed.

5)  What type off fin do I need for my kite board & what is the difference between plastic and fibreglass fins?

This is often asked.  There is nothing wrong with a good quality plastic fin, they all work, but with a fibreglass fin you have less vibration at speed which creates a more stable and smooth ride.
We design different fins for different conditions:  a good g10 fin (g10 is highly compressed 80g cloth laminated with epoxy resin)  has a very thin profile with an even curve to create lateral resistance without vertical lift (you will have enough lift from your kite, it’s all about board control).
Fins are a budget question:  once again the difference in price can be as much as R400  between different fins. A good kite shop will offer you both options.

6)  What about construction and weight - how important are they?

Very important, a good board should have a solid high density closed cell foam (closed cell means no water can be absorbed) as a blank.
Watch out for companies trying to sell you fancy honeycomb cores (looks like a beehive) the cores look great, but can easily puncture because off their hollow nature, water moves through the cells and the board collapses.  We used this honeycomb nomex years ago on windsurfing boads but its use was discontinued because off the above reason.
This honeycomb construction is a marketing ploy to add excess cost to your kite board.

The boards should have fibreplastic rails like those off snowboards, showing radical contouring  just after the foot straps (to give flex in the tips).  Any board you see which does not have the rail showing with the contouring is outdated and will not flex properly
This is very important:  fibreglass does not flex around rails - it snaps!  You must be able to see your rail like that of a snowboard.
A good kite board should be under 3kg complete (straps handle and fins).  Most production board companies weigh their board’s hull only and if you weigh it later they actually way over the 4kg mark, so don’t be fooled.
A good, strong, light kite board is always desired.

7)  What kind off straps and footpads do I need?

A good strap will be slightly contoured towards your stance and should be adjustable for different foot sizes.
The strap should feel like a binding - nice and snug.  You should be able to swing your board under your body  without the feeling off the board coming off.
There are two types off footpads:
1) flat with raised heels
2) contoured with toe grip
contoured straps fit most people -  the flat with raised heels suits people with big or long feet.

8)  Do  i use a surf style board or a twin tip in the waves?

For pure wave riding with a small kite on a smooth down the line wave a surf style wave board will work well.
The downside is that we all don’t often have those conditions and you have to gybe.
The boards are not suitable for jumping because off the surfboard construction.
Twin tips are cool for edging hard, boosting big air and freestyle moves, but when your are doing down the line wave riding, they don’t bottom turn and top turn that well.
The Long Ocean Boards team have designed a board called SURF TWIN,  this board incorporates:

1) Special surf style wave fins with a very thin foil;
2) Varying rocker lines (less rocker in tail and much more in front for those big bottom turns);
3) A new outline with a fuller nose (like a surfboard);
4) Different foot strap positions and wider stances (the back strap is right above the back surf fins);
This board can do everything a surf board style can do, but you don’t need to gybe it and it’s made of the same bullet proof construction as all our other boards.
The only disadvantage is that you will have to change your foot straps around for the SE and NW wind direction ( back fins stay back fins ) - a small price to pay for a board that performs this well in the surf without gybing.

9)  Do I buy a production kite board or from a local manufacture?

Production boards are built for the masses (cheaply) in China with no reference to our conditions in South Africa at all - which is where we mostly kite.

How the production board design works is that the boards are designed and then
samples are manufactured.  These samples are then tested.  Once all is approved, they go into mass production, then it is marketed and sent to the distributors.  The distributors will sell to various the importers, from there to the retailers and then finally on to you.
They have to make them cheap to go through this long distribution chain and to still be a financially viable option.  This distribution process can take up to one year - a long time in the world of constant development, even if you buy your production board when it lands on the shelf - it is already considered old in terms of board design.

Always buy from your local manufacturers, the guys have all the technology and skill to make great boards. The local manufacturers test and design their boards with local conditions in mind, and new shapes and designs are available immediately and not a year later.

Most guys I know in the business, offer a great back up service and know you guys and girls personally.  Support local.

I hope you have gained some  insight about boards and what to ask the shops.  All the best and thanks for taking the time to read our article!

Raymond and the Long Ocean Boards team.