You may have seen them on your last trip to the beach – riders strapped in a waist harness while being pulled along by a giant kite some 25 meters high in the air. Kitesurfing is another water sport that hundreds of thousands of people are learning and practicing every year.
Any kitesurfer knows that the first step in learning this exciting water sport is to choose the right gear. After all, these gears make getting dragged along the waters and in the air a fun experience.
According to Kitesurfpro.nl, there are 108 kitesurf brands as of 2020. If you are wondering which of these 108 are the best kitesurfing brands, you are in the right place. Read about it here including:
- What is kitesurfing
- Complete list of kitesurfing brands
What Is Kitesurfing?
Despite its name, kitesurfing doesn’t involve waves to surf. Instead, kitesurfing is a wind-powered watersport that uses a kite and a board to drive you across the waters. So it doesn’t matter if you’re on a mirror-flat lagoon, a choppy sea, or big waves. As long as there’s wind and water, you can kitesurf.
Kitesurfing is fun. Even more so when you progress with your kitesurfing skills. You can master the basics of riding along and staying upwind. Then you can little by little go faster, perform freestyle tricks, or go on long “downwinders” along the coast.
10 Best Kitesurfing Brands
Kitesurfing is no different from all the other sports where players have their favorite gear and brand. Likewise, every kitesurfer has its favorite kitesurfing brand.
Back in the day, there was no concept of kitesurfing nor kitesurfing brands. There were no stores, no manufacturers, no competitions, and no team players. What was available were local manufacturers working in their garages.
Fast forward to today, the equipment and kitesurfing concepts haven’t changed. But, it brought a fully-established sport with a now growing kitesurfing market. Brands are coming out from everywhere in the world. Most of the best kitesurfing names today were those that helped kitesurfing to where it is today.
These brands focus on kitesurfing gears – kites, twin tips, directional boards, and kitesurfing accessories.
- Duotone Sports
- F-One
- North Kiteboarding
- Core Kiteboarding
- Slingshot Sports
- Cabrinha
- Ozone Kites
- Airush
- Naish Kiteboarding
- Eleveight Kites
#1. Duotone Sports
The men behind this brand have been around since the first kites were seen riding downwind from Ho’okipa to Kanaha. Although the brand wasn’t in existence then, it took part in the evolution of kitesurfing.
Duotone used to be All Boards and More. The brand has been around since 2001. But, it wasn’t until 2018 when it started distributing under the new name Duotone. This brand has a wide selection of kites and other kitesurfing needs like boards, foils, bars, apparel, and spare.
#2. F-One
F-One has been in the kitesurfing scene since 1994. The brand takes pride in enjoyable kitesurfing gears that allow riders to feel the thrill of riding.
This brand from France is one of the biggest manufacturers of kites, kiteboards, bars, surfboards, and kitesurf foils. The team invented the Delta shape kite with the still iconic F-One Bandit Kite. They are focused on improving year after year to keep their fans excited.
#3. North Kiteboarding
Designed by riders for riders, North Kiteboarding is a team inspired by nature and driven by passion. One of the oldest names in the industry, North Kiteboarding has been around since 1957. It was when the Olympic gold medalist Lowell North decided to change the world of sailing through precision technology.
Since then, the team engineers their designs with the ideas they get from nature – the unpredictable elements of the waters and the extraordinary strength of winds. As a result, all of NK’s designs start and finish in the water. Now, you’ll understand just why it feels one with nature.
#4. Core Kiteboarding
Core Kiteboarding’s trademark is its eye-catching black, white, and yellow design. This color combination lets you know from afar who they are.
Core Kiteboarding is best known for its high-performance freeride and freestyle kites. Their unique technology allows for the kite to switch from a single ripstop kite canopy to double. Year after year, the brand keeps innovating.
#5. Slingshot Sports
Brothers Jeff and Tony Logosz have always been the adventurous kind. Their escapades led them to establish Slingshot Sports in 1999.
Slingshot believes that experience is what makes the brand best. They didn’t aim the be the fastest and the highest. They only wanted to be in it and to share with fellow riders just how fun kitesurfing is.
#6. Cabrinha
In a small town on the island of Maui, Pete Cabrinha started churning out kiteboards under the Cabrinha design label. He joined Neil Pryde in 2000 and has ever since been producing kitesurfing equipment for water sports adventure seekers.
Their brand focuses on innovation, performance, and safety. Cabrinha products are being sold in over 70 countries around the world. They take pride in producing products that come from 100% renewable sources.
#7. Ozone Kites
Ozone Kites is one of the world’s leading brands in kitesurfing and paragliding. Its team is built around a dedicated team of passionate riders and pilots who share the same desire for exciting sports involving air and water.
The kitesurfing gears that the Ozone Kites produce in the market are the brainchild of constant research and development. This R&D includes studies from the engineers and in-house athletes and feedback from fledgling beginners to seasoned experts.
#8. Airush
What you’ll love about this brand is how they incorporate carbon offsetting into every kitesurfing gear they produce. Airush is in partnership with Thor Heyerdahl climate park, where they plant and nurture a mangrove tree for every kite or board sold.
In addition, they try as much to reduce environmental strain by renovating their production and distribution centers and installing solar panels. These allow for reducing overall electricity demand for their production. Indeed, nature must always be in consideration when picking the best brand.
#9. Naish Kiteboarding
Naish has been crafting gears for water sports since 1979. This brand is famous not only in kitesurfing but in surfing, sailing, and foiling, too.
The brand’s desire to innovate is fueled by the fusion of talents of top engineers and athletes combined with cutting-edge technologies and high-quality materials. This passion resulted in a wide range of kiting, SUP, windsurfing, and surfing products.
#10. Eleveight Kites
Eleveight Kites are developed with innovation and high-standard workmanship, with every detail strategically designed for long-term durability while retaining the kite’s lightness and agility. Year after year, their lineup is anticipated as they are always impressive and exciting.
The perfection in Eleveight’s technical product design comes from its passion for watersports. The founders and engineers of this brand are avid kitesurfers, water sportsmen, and surfers. You wouldn’t be surprised just how accurate their kitesurfing gears feel.
Complete List of Kitesurfing Brands
| Brand | Kitesurf Kites | Kite Boards | Kite Foils | ||
| Tube Kites | Foil Kites | Kite Boards | Foil Boards | Foil | |
| Adi Kites | x | x | |||
| Advance Kites | x | x | |||
| Eros Kites | x | x | |||
| Airush | x | x | x | x | |
| Anton Kiteboards | x | x | x | ||
| Appletree Surfboards | x | x | |||
| Axis Kiteboarding | x | x | x | ||
| Big Blue Boards | x | ||||
| boardschmiede | x | ||||
| Bro Kite | x | ||||
| Brunotti Boards | x | ||||
| Best Kiteboarding | x | x | |||
| Blade Kites | x | ||||
| Board Riding Maui | x | ||||
| Bull Kites | x | x | |||
| Cabrinha | x | x | x | x | |
| Crazy Fly Kites | x | x | x | x | |
| Carved Customs | x | ||||
| Camet Kiteboarding | x | ||||
| Chubanga Foil | x | x | |||
| Clash | x | ||||
| Core Kites | x | x | |||
| Da Silva Kiteboarding | x | x | |||
| Decathlon | x | x | |||
| Doll Kiteboarding | x | ||||
| Duotone Sports | x | x | x | x | x |
| DSD.MFG | x | x | |||
| Eleveight Kites | x | x | x | x | |
| Eleven Kites | x | ||||
| Enata | x | x | x | ||
| Epic Kites | x | x | |||
| Firewire Surfboards | x | ||||
| Fluid Kiteboarding | x | x | |||
| F-One | x | x | x | x | x |
| Freedom Foil Boards | x | ||||
| fly surfer | x | x | x | ||
| Gaastra Kiteboarding | x | x | x | ||
| Gin Kites | x | x | x | ||
| golden board | x | ||||
| Gong | x | x | x | x | |
| Good Boards | x | ||||
| Harlem Kitesurfing | x | x | |||
| Hyde Kiteboarding | x | x | |||
| HB Surf Kite | x | x | |||
| HQ Kites | x | x | x | ||
| Ikon Kiteboarding | x | ||||
| Inobo Kiteboarding | x | ||||
| Jimmy Lewis | x | ||||
| JN Sporting Goods | x | x | |||
| Kanaha Shapes | x | ||||
| Ketos Foils | x | x | |||
| Kitech Kites | x | ||||
| https://ketos-foil.com/en/Kitech Foils | x | ||||
| Kite Element | x | ||||
| Kold Shapes | x | ||||
| Kauper XT | x | ||||
| KSP Sports | x | x | |||
| Elevator Foils | x | x | |||
| Lite Wave | x | ||||
| Little Cloud | x | ||||
| Levitaz Kitefoils | x | x | |||
| Lieuwe Boards | x | x | x | ||
| Lacuna Kites | x | x | |||
| Magic Bruce Kitesurf | x | x | |||
| Mike’s Lab | x | x | |||
| Monjet Kiteboarding | x | ||||
| Moses Hydrofoil | x | x | |||
| Naish Kiteboarding | x | x | x | x | x |
| Newwind Kiteboards | x | x | x | ||
| Nobile Kiteboarding | x | x | x | x | |
| Nomad Kiteboarding | x | ||||
| North Kiteboarding | x | x | x | x | |
| Ocean Rodeo | x | x | |||
| Odo Kiteboarding | x | x | |||
| On Kiteboarding | x | ||||
| Ozone Kiteboarding | x | ||||
| Ozone Kites | x | x | x | ||
| Pansh Kites | x | ||||
| paraavis | x | ||||
| Peter Lynn Kiteboarding | x | x | x | ||
| Psychoreef | x | x | |||
| Radical Kiteboards | x | x | x | ||
| Reedin | x | x | |||
| RRD | x | x | |||
| RSC Boards | x | x | |||
| Ride Engine | x | x | |||
| Seafarer | x | ||||
| Almost Boards | x | ||||
| Shinn Kiteboards | x | x | x | ||
| SP Boarding | x | ||||
| Slingshot Sports | x | x | x | x | |
| Spleene Kiteboarding | x | x | x | x | |
| Sroka Company | x | x | x | x | |
| Star Kites | x | x | |||
| Storm Kitesurfing | x | ||||
| SU-2 Boards | x | x | x | ||
| Switch Kites | x | ||||
| Takoon | x | x | |||
| Ten Kiteboarding | x | x | |||
| Tona Life | x | x | |||
| Ulman Kiteboarding | x | x | x | ||
| Vantage Kites | x | ||||
| Ventum Kiteboarding | x | x | |||
| Wainman Hawaii | x | x | |||
| WMFG | x | ||||
| Wood Board | x | ||||
| Woody Board | x | ||||
| Xenon Kiteboards | x | x | |||
| Zeeko Kites | x | x | x | x | |
What To Consider In Choosing The Perfect Kitesurfing Brand
Generally, the best kitesurfing brand is one that can cater to all your kitesurfing needs.
But, there are primary factors to consider to determine whether the brand is good for you, such as your level of expertise and the wind and sea conditions. In addition, there are other things you need to understand, too.
Type of Kitesurfing Kite
Every kitesurfing kite is designed to provide the functionality you need from it. Different types of kitesurfing kites in the market may confuse you, but as long as you understand what the kitesurfing type can do and whether it matches your style, you will be fine.
| Kite Type | Beginner Friendly | Power Through Turns | Bridles | Pros | Cons | Riding Styles |
| C-Type | No | Consistent | No | > High-performance > More control > Consistent power |
> Short wind range > Not so safe > Weak depowering |
Freestyle |
| Bow Kite | Yes | Inconsistent | Yes | > Depowering system > Wide range of wind > Easy relaunch |
> Inconsistent Powers | > Freeride > Big air |
| Hybrid Kite | Yes | Inconsistent | Yes | > Beginner Friendly > Depowering system > Easy relaunch > Good power |
> Slow response > Inconsistent Power |
> Wave > Big air > Freeride |
| Delta Kite | Yes | Inconsistent | Yes | > Wide range of wind > Great in light wind > Easiest to relaunch |
> Depower in turns | > Wave > Big air > Freeride |
Size
The right kitesurfing kite size should match your:
- Bodyweight
- How many times you plan on kitesurfing
- Wind speed
The size of the kite is crucial. It can never be too small nor too big. You would not want to be in the wrong kite for the wrong speed. Otherwise, it can get tough to control your kite.
Bottom Line
We have seen the kitesurfing industry overgrowing in recent years. Different brands and manufacturers come out now and then, all introducing interesting features and innovation. The market for kitesurfing has grown so much that it is starting to influence people to try kitesurfing.
The future of kitesurfing looks promising, despite the number of brands that have declared bankruptcy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kitesurfing technology is evolving quickly, that every brand comes up with innovative and safer products. It won’t be long when deciding which brand is the best will be tough.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: What equipment do you need to kitesurf?
A: The essential equipment is the kite. Aside from that, you should be ready with harnesses, boards, headgear, line cutter, buoyancy aid, and a short kite leash.
Q: How can you jump and fly with a kite?
A: The kite you use in kitesurfing generates energy from the wind it faces. This energy translates into speed as you edge your board in the water against the kite’s pull. Generating speed simultaneously generates power, too. This power then lets you pop off the water as if you are flying.
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