All the C vs. The bow kite debate has raged on the beaches for the last few years and now with the addition of hybrid and hang gliding kites it has become even more difficult for the beginner to determine which kite to ride after their kite lessons. kite surfing

The AC kite is the ‘original’ kite, it’s what we veterans learned from and there will still be a few out there, usually ridden by hard-core kiters who learned from them and have ridden them for their entire kitesurfing career. C kites are recognizable by their exaggerated C shape and lack of bridle. They are a dying breed, when I first arrived in Tarifa 5 years ago, C kites were the only thing you saw in the water, just coming back from a session I now counted 1 C kite in the water, the rest are bows. and I suspect it’s because the guy bought it cheap on eBay. The reason why bow kites now enjoy market dominance can be summed up in one word… disempowerment. A bow kite will lose almost 100% power when you let go of the bar, this has several obvious advantages; The first and most crucial of these is safety, if you mess something up and find your kite in the power zone and about to launch into the sky against your will, simply by releasing the bar you can unleash full power and keep the control. , avoiding that ‘oh sh*t’ moment and saving your beach style! Kitesurfing insurance used to be a step above other water sports due to the high risk factor, now due to bow kites most insurers classify kitesurfing in the same class as windsurfing which to me says it all. In short, if you find yourself taking your kitesurfing lessons on C Kites, it’s probably worth asking your instructor why.

There are other less obvious advantages to bow kites as well. Buying bow kites will really save you money! Due to their huge power reduction they have a large wind range (meaning they can provide a much larger wind difference i.e. 8-20 knots instead of 8-12 knots) because of this it means that many people now they travel with a 2 kite quiver whereas with C kites 4 or 5 kite quivers are more the norm, that’s a money saver, storage space and brain power when it comes to deciding which kite to put in a kite! particular day! Most schools will have a supply of Bow kites in their inventory and you should be able to make a deal on one after your kitesurfing lessons.

Bow kites relaunch more easily, in fact many now relaunch so easily that they relaunch themselves when you’re not looking! Oh, and for fashionistas, they look great!

Now that I’ve completed kite C’s character kill, I’ll talk about the different types of bow kites. Bow kites have branched out into 3 main types of pure, hybrid and delta bow shape. To be completely honest, the difference between a hybrid kite and a bow kite is now so blurred that there is really no difference at all. Originally hybrid kites were designed to be high depower C kites, but in recent years the term has become so overused that it has lost much of its meaning and kites once described as bowing are now called hybrids and kites. vice versa. My personal opinion is that hybrid is now simply a marketing term used by manufacturers to ensure that their kite appeals to the hardcore C kiters and the new generation bred with bow kites. Hang gliding kites are all the rage right now, you’ll recognize these kites by the backward wing tips (think Tom Cruise in Top Gun when he flaps the wings back on his F-14… Yehaa Dead Jesters, etc…etc…!!!) however these kites tend to spin faster and with more power than their bow style counterparts as with all things their success will be decided by the market and it is too Too early to tell yet, but here in Tarifa it is fast becoming a much more common sight on the beach and could be the shape of things to come.

You will most likely spend your first few days and kitesurfing lessons on bow kites, that being said, if you get a chance to try a C kite jump on it. It’s really worth a try…if only to let you know how comfortable your Bow kite is!