Rider: Weight, 82 Kg Level (intermediate)
Style: Surf
Weather: ?-? knots
Build Quality: ?/10
Satisfaction: ?/10
Disclosure: I am looking for the best kite & board. if you sell please disclose your interests
My Comments: I am looking for the best wave kite & board yourve ridden in the West Aust waters. Yes if youre not a WA rider thats ok. I think a few will still be interested any way.

I reckon the question should rather be "which kite doesn't work in the waves"...
For pretty much every kite you find people saying that it performs good in waves as well, for one reason or the other. Although some characteristics can be very different, e.g. arc turns vs pivot turns, Delta relauch vs c-kite relaunch..
Even with some dedicated racing kites, which I would rather expect to be the crappiest imaginable wave kites, you find the odd dude stating that "it works in the waves as well".
Anyway, bring on the 34 different suggestions ;)

The naish park suprised me. It made me look way better than i really am in the surf :)

Shop owner (Geraldton Surf & Sail) so maybe biased but more so because I haven't ridden everything out there. For me, my ideal combo is the North Fuse 7m & North WAM 5'8". Otherwise the Rebel is great (more responsive) and the Naish Park is good because it is so quick. North Kontact as better for DTL/high wind condiions. If your into quads its worth trying the Naish Custom Wave boards as well. My 2 cents.

BWS Noise 8m!!

Hi ColD,

Asking what peoples idea of the best kite for waves is, is like arguing about what the best colour is.

I sell 4 different brands, all of which have a "surf" oriented kite or two, and to be honest all are very good. There a couple of stand outs but that's just my perception/experience, all of them are quite different to each other and the best kite will depend on the wind direction and also the type of kite surfing you do.

There are "park n ride" kites and powered wave riding kites, some do both, others only suit one style. Then there are the guys who love "C" kites in the surf for the speed and power in the turns. No right or wrong, just different or as the Thai's say, "Same Same, But Different"

A skilled rider can make a flying Woolworths shopping bag look good in the waves so pro riders should have zero influence in your decision, so really the only opinion you can truly trust is your own. To do this you need to grab a demo of the kites you are interested in. Personally I don't have the money for a kite that only does one specific job, so for me, a kite that drifts and moves quick is essential.

The characteristics of a good wave kite IMHO, should be light and responsive, stable, nimble and quick, and good relaunch. Kites with heaps of reinforcements or "bomb proof" construction make for a heavier kite which equates to a less responsive kite. Some times I find my kite up in Neutral at about 2 o'clock as I approach a bottom turn or top turn. I need it to respond super fast, accellerate and turn super fast so I can down turn it without it hitting the water to power on for my next move.

Some kites allow you the freedom to ride the way you want whilst others demand that you fit in with the way it flies. Personally I like to go where I want on a wave and hit what I want, when I want, again this requires stability, responsiveness, direct feel, depower and speed. Most pulley bridle kites lose that sense of directness I need because I rarely look at my kite when I ride, I do it all by feel and experience and instead focus my attention on the wave and how it is forming down the line.

I ride all styles, Park n ride, powered, hooked, unhooked, strapless and strapped, again dictated by conditions. Please keep in mind, these are characteristics I like to suit my style, I follow no one and couldn't care less what people think about my style or form.

Bottom line to decide on the right kite for you is to know what characteristics you want from your kite before you start looking at kites to try. Strike off the ones that don't have the qualities you are after before you start so that you don't end up confused.

Good luck with your decision.

DM

^ The (wind) season might be almost over Col but unfortunately in Perth the only decent swell we seem to get is during the offseason.

Dear Johnt

Would that be a 7m or a 9m?

I second Johnt on the Core GTS.
I changed my GT quiver to GTS's and I feel that they are an improvement on the GT model particularly for wave riding (up and down the line)

Hi ColD

The Ozone Catalyst is worth a try as others have mentioned. It gives a light, smooth, maneuverable feel with precise handling that lets you place it where you want when you want. It's stable in the air, drifts swiftly down the line and performs well hooked or unhooked. It took us about two seasons of regular kite demos to find this one and the quality and performance as a wave kite is higher than anything we've seen or ridden. Here's a photo of a 2011 model we took on a recent trip to the south coast of WA (this is a 10m in very light wind).

Happy demo-ing!

Nath

Hey eppo,

The Catalyst for sure is one of the best wave kites, if I go for a dedicated wave sesh, the Cat is the one I choose for all conditions. On shore, off shore, side on, side off, it works well in all directions.

The Cat isn't as grunty as the Kahoona or other Delta's but it's light weight and direct responsiveness is pure gold. The lightweight translates to the ability to change directions almost instantly and allows it to drift predictably when lines ocassionally go slack, come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had one drop in the waves and I slack line regularly.

The Cat has ample depower and the ability to shoot forward to the edge of the window if you need it to, but can quickly be downlooped back into the action.

Bottom line is that when I get into the thick of a heavy situation, I often switch off my conscious control of the kite and just ride the wave. The Catalyst allows me to ride the way I want without worrying about the kite. Complete faith in the kite being there when I need it.

I sell other great surf kites too, but this is my pick for my style.

DM

Hey eppo,

I'll keep it real brief for the minute and will fill in a more detailed review when I get a few minutes.

Power : Core GTS is more powerful than the Catalyst

Steering: Catalyst and GTS about same speed but Catalyst is lighter to steer at the bar. Catalyst is more direct in feel due to lack of pulleys.

Responsiveness: Catalyst is a winner here as it is a lighter three strut kite compared to the GTS.

Drift: Catalyst would probably have it here too due to it's light weight.

Upwindability: Both kites go upwind really well

Power in turns: GTS wins here as it has a more "C" shape than the hybrid style of the Cat.

Bottom end power: Goes to the GTS by a small amount.

Top End of wind range: This one is also to the GTS as the 5 struts hold the canopy in better more stable shape in over powered conditions.

Boosting: The GTS will go higher as it relys on good old "C" kite jumping technique to go big. Catalyst goes pretty large too and is no slouch in this area.

Hangtime: I'd say probably a draw.

Versatility: Both are excellent Freeride kites, Catalyst is better in waves if you prefer the park n drift style of riding and suits onshore riding conditions better unless you are into the powered sytle of riding where the kite is whipped around and power is used then it would be a draw fpr wave ability. For Freestyle, the GTS is a clear winner.

Both kites are excellent in the waves but it depends on your riding style as always, so a demo is the best idea or be realistic with your fave dealer about your ability and knowing exactly what you want the kite to do for you and your riding style as both kites will be great fun so long as you match the kite to your style.

DM

Hi eppo

The design brief states that the Catalyst is suitable for beginners through to experienced wave kiters. Although it has never been marketed purely as a wave kite, from the many that we have tried, it is by far the most fun to use. It is one of those kites that suits a wide variety of styles and performs exceptionally well for most. I think DM's thorough comparison clearly highlights the characteristics of the Catalyst. Typical of Ozone kites, the Catalyst flies super smooth even in gusty conditions. This works for strapless surfing and makes more possible the option of using shorter lines if you want to speed things up - giving new meaning to a 'Cat on acid'. It looks like the general trend for this thread is steering you in a positive direction to try a few good kites and choose one that best suits the way you like to ride. Hopefully the seabreeze pattern will be back soon so that you can!

Nath

Hi Sanjay,

Nath is a team rider for me, he doesn't hide his connection in his reviews and neither do I or any of my small but talented team. Am I missing something???

I tried for two years to get Nathan and his wife Shan on our team. It took that long to find a kite which they liked, took even longer to get them a board they both liked. They tried lots of gear of different brands and models before settling on the gear they ride now.

They paid for their original gear they rode, but each year I swap it for them to the new models. Is this transparent enough for you?

None of my team riders are under any pressure to stay on gear they don't love to ride, they can change if they choose. No point having a team rider on a kite they don't believe in, same goes for me. I won't sell a kite or board I don't believe in.

Read our reviews, then try the kites and see if our reviews don't match the kites. I'm more than happy to take the pepsi challenge. You'll see we don't BS our customers or the forum members. When you've been around long enough, you'll know this.

Here is a list of AKS Team riders so you know who my guys and Girls are:
Shannon Ducker - Shannon
Nathan Ducker - Nath
Zac Brueker - Grommit
Abel Tomkins - Abesy
and Sam from SB -Sammyj

They don't blindly pimp, they make usually rare but carefully considered and factual comments about the gear they ride and are passionate about. All others on this thread and any other, pay for their gear. They make remarks because they are passionate about their gear too!

Have a good night.

DM

Airush varial 6m vs Airush Lithium 6m FOR WAVES

Hi guys, did anyone tried these 2?

A lot of people compared these 2 kites BUT really the dynamics change related to kite sizing, wind and wave conditions.

So this is the scenario:
rider: 68 kg rider, 6 years experience kitesurfing, 1 year experience in waves
conditions: 27-33 knots, side on-shore wind, mushy waves, quad surfboard

First though is lithium 6m BUT WHAT I WORRY ABOUT IS whether side on-shore conditions are not good for lower aspect ratio kite that flies back in the window...meaning you dont get good upwind and drags you a lot downwind to the shore? am i thinking correctly? Is Lithium really bad on going upwind?

Is varial 6m a better option under this conditions? Varial flies further front in the window, it is a racing kite...really is it an option for wave riding compare to the Lithium which pivots more and helps when wave riding? A 6m Varial might be too "aggressive" for wave riding at 30 knots? The fact that varial has a forward turn will it help in these conditions...is it a plus?

naish park-sweet ride