What are we riding? Kitemiser.com

People ask me what gear are you riding?

Personally like to try many different brands and models of kites and compare them.

Basically if you like the kite, kiteboard, surfboard (Or car, house or island that you live on) it's the best.

Now we have specific kites for say wake style free style surfing cruising (or whatever else you can think of)
If the kite was made in the last three to five years most of them are great. An older kite may require bladder repair or have fabric fatigue.

Personally for wave riding I like the Slingshot Rally 2014 and the 2015 just coming out.
The Rally has been around for a few generations, I tried it since 2011 and this last year and the newest are great kites.Easy re-laucn good drift great upwind and durable construction as well as excellent warranty

The Rally is not just for wave riding, pretty good all around kite.(not because I ride them either)

For Free style wake style the Slingshot RPM is a fun kite. This is a C shaped kite but has a bridle so you have good wind range. It has two sets of pulleys on the front and none on the back bridle.

Light wind 17m kite

Ocean Rodeo Flite

one of the best light wind kites that I have owned , no joke
no pulleys on the kite bridle
smooth power
fast turning
Clean bar above bar de power


I also really like the Ozone REO wave kite .
No pulleys direct feel
Above the bar de power
Below the bar swivel
It is light and fast turning and drifts well on the waves, very fast, good upwind as well, easy re-launch.
The 2014 has more low end than last year, I find it still about like a 9m in power
It is fast turning so you can generate power by turning it through the lulls.

I also like the Ozone Catalyst 2014 another good kite
No pulleys
Nice bar with above the bar de power and below the bar swivel
 this kite turns like a fast 12m and it has good float when jumping or doing tricks.


Old kites:
As kites age from even good storage (less humidity and heat) the valves to the bladders fail.
This can be repaired with aqua seal or new method stick on valve and valve trap using your existing valve (more to come on this)

Kiteboarding kitesurf flysurf spots On Oahu Hawaii

Kitesurf kiteboard flysurf kite board spots on Oahu Hawaii

Thinking of kite boarding on Oahu?

What size kite do you need and what size boards?

Will depend on the location and time of the year that you want to kiteboard

Beginner level to advanced level spots are on Oahu.

Oahu is not the epic kite spot that Maui is, but we do have wind once and a while “;)

Wind direction and wind conditions and wave size will vary for each spot

It will depend on the time of the year and the swell for the side of the island that you plan on kiting.

Kailua- East Oahu Kailua beach is the easiest place to kite beginner friendly  but winds here are fickle, using kites as big as 14-17m on summer days and winter 9m to 12m sizes

Please remember some of the basic rules if you are kiting here:

1: Show Aloha All beach users and swimmers have the right of way so be courteous and friendly

2: Please launch and land in the designated launch area.

3: Launching kites have the right of way

4: Do not leave your gear (kite bar lines) on the beach when not in use

5: Do not kite in the swim area from the right of the launch area to the boat ramp and 200’ outside of the buoys.

6: Do not get close to kayakers canoes divers swimmers give them 200’ right of way

7: No beach jumping or beach tricks sand slides

If you end up downwind DO NOT come in where kids or swimmers are located, there’s a big area to come in at downwind please select a place without people if possible.

If you are not making it back to the launch area then suggest that you come in at or before Spanish house (the big red tile roof home on the beach)

After that is flagpoles a popular bodysurfing and surfing beach break and Kalama beach another body surfing beach, after that there are some clear areas if needed suggest that you self land and walk back to the launch area.

Kahala South Shore Oahu– Advanced levels only! No beach, not very deep, exposed dangerous reef and sometimes summer high surf. Needs atleast +1 ft high tide to cover some reef areas

Trees close to ocean and strong currents in ocean Kite sizes 7m-14m

Setup at Kahala Beach Park and launch at the beach ask someone. If in doubt don’t go out

Winds can become very gusty and go from 20mph to 30+ to nothing within minutes Kahala continued

Launch area is onshore or side onshore direction

Area likes E or NE winds and sometimes S SW SE winds

In the summer waves and strong currents are prevalent here. Also tide is very important as there are exposed areas of reef in several locations and inside of the surf breaks

This is not a beginner spot or a place to learn how to kiteboard!

Mokuliea Beachpark North Shore Oahu

Intermediate to advanced level kiteboarder

Winds N NE Trades  thermals and sometimes NW

Hazards include shallow exposed reef big waves and strong currents in winter no lifeguards and narrow ingress and egress areas slippery reef and rocks off beach

Winds here generally are good in the afternoon and are in the 20-25+ mph range

Rigging and launching in the beach park, narrow beach not good for learning or launching.

 Landing self land in the lee of the fence upwind of the launch area

Assisted landing in the beach park

This place is very popular so be courteous of the locals and respect the lineup if there is surf stay out of the way and take turns on the waves

The routine is tack outside get a wave then tack back outside, upwind is less hectic here and has a few waves to ride as well, some shallow reef inside to watch out for.

Waves are rights into channel or left into other side area.

Mokuliea North Shore continued-

When it’s big no channel going left as much more of a wall, also has very strong currents

If in doubt don’t go out, check your surf forecast here because new swells can arrive quickly and leave you in a dangerous situation.