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Have been kiting on the coast with bow kites. Purchased a hybrid kite designed specifically to be used in the waves last year and found my bow kites to be vastly superior to this hybrid kite.

Got me to thinking about kite design and what works. Put aside for a moment brand identification, what kind of kite do you prefer for kiting in waves?

I learned on c-kites, and then transitioned into bow kites. I figured the next evolution was to try hybrids, but I was not impressed. I am currently planning on sticking with bows-what am I missing?

The kite companies also seem to not want to tell you what kind of kite you are buying, only that it is a "freeride", or "wave", etc.

Subjective Question & will probably yield Subjective Answer but here goes mine:

Open C, High Depower, Fast Turning, Low Turn-Arc Grunt

Here's my list:
- fast turning
- smooth power through turns
- drift well (I slack the lines a lot). A light kite is a big help.
- decent low end (not too important in NorCal, but I like to get out in the light days at SPI)

I like my kites for all the above reasons.

i don't really think anybody makes a "bow" kite anymore, I don't really understand what a "hybrid" kite is either.

kites don't really fit into categories. the way I see it, there are three main types, and all other kites are generally combinations of those.

you've got your flat, swept kites (like the ozone edge, cabrinha crossbow). these are slow turning but very efficient, best hangtime, upwind.

you've got your delta, buckety kites (like wainman or the LF envy, or SS Rally), not very good jumping / hangtime, more stable, fast turning, good drift

you've got your C kites (torch, vegas): slower turning than the delta, not as good drift, better kiteloops, more slack for handlepasses.


in the waves, people want a fast kite that's stable and won't fall out of the sky when the lines slack. soo, generally people are using the delta style kites in the waves these days. but like anything, there are variations, the SS RPM isn't a delta, but it's still pretty low aspect so maybe in between the delta and the standard C. that said, SS definitely markets the rally as the wave kite and it is a delta.

i don't really think anybody makes a "bow" kite anymore, I don't really understand what a "hybrid" kite is either.

Just found this graphic:

Yeah what was a "hybrid" supposed to be a hybrid of? Bow and C? The "bow" was supposed to be defined by the concave trailing edge shape and being flater then the arc of a circle ("arc" of an elipse?), I think. Bruno had a patent on the shape, which seemed similar to bridled foils of a while ago.