All the C vs. The bow kite debate has been raging on the beaches for the past few years and now, with the addition of hybrid and hang glider kites, it has become even more difficult for the beginner to determine which kite he should ride after his kitesurfing lessons.

The AC kite is the ‘original’ kite, it is what we veterans learn and there are still some that are usually ridden by inveterate kiters who learned with them and have practiced them throughout their kitesurfing career. C kites are recognizable by their exaggerated C-shape and lack of bridle. They are an endangered race, when I first arrived in Tarifa 5 years ago, the C kites were the only thing you saw in the water, when I returned from a session I now counted 1 C kite in the water, the rest were bows. And I suspect it’s because the guy bought it so cheap on eBay. The reason bow kites now enjoy dominance in the market is summed up in one word … de-power. A bow kite will lose almost 100% power when you release the bar, this has several obvious advantages; The first and most important of these is safety, if you mess up something and find your kite in the power zone and about to send you skyward against your will, simply by releasing the bar you can release all the power and maintain 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 for me says everything. In short, if you find yourself taking your kitesurfing lessons with C-kites, it’s probably worth asking your instructor why.

There are other less obvious advantages of bow kites as well. Buying bow kites will really save you money! Due to their huge derating they have a huge wind range (that means 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 even 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 on a particular day. Most schools will have a supply of Bow kites in their inventory and should be able to bargain for one after their kitesurfing lessons.

Bow kites are more easily relaunched, in fact, many are now relaunched so easily that they relaunch when you’re not looking. Oh and for the fashionistas, they look pretty too!

Now that I have completed the Kite C character assassination, I will talk about the different types of bow kites. The bow kites have been branched into 3 main types in the form of a pure bow, hybrid and delta. To be perfectly honest, the difference between a hybrid kite and a bow kite is now so blurry that there really isn’t any difference at all. Hybrid kites were originally designed to be heavily depowered C kites, but in recent years the term has become so widespread that it has lost much of its meaning and kites that would once have been described as bow are now called hybrids and vice versa. . My personal opinion is that hybrid is now simply a marketing term used by manufacturers to ensure their kites appeal to fans of C kiters and the new generation of bow kite-raised. Hang glider kites are all the rage right now, you will recognize these kites by the wingtips to the back (think Tom Cruise in Top Gun when he sweeps the wings of his F-14 … Yeehaa Jesters dead, etc. … etc … !!!) anyway, 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’s too early to tell. but here in Tarifa they are fast becoming a much more common sight on the beach and could be the way of things to come.

You will most likely spend your first few days and your kitesurfing lessons on bow kites, with that being said, if you get a chance to test out a C kite, jump in. They are really worth trying … if only to let you realize how comfortable your Bow kite is !!