BayAreaKiteboarding.com

"it is so choice. if you have the means, I would highly recommend picking one up"

I brought out my 6'10" shortboard surfboard to 3rd ave today. the wind was pretty light, so I figured i'd give it a shot. it's AWESOME. waterstarting and jibing are definitely a challenge, but it's so relaxing to just cruise around, carve some swell and just relax while riding. Riding strapless is a cool experience, jumping doesn't work so well, but other than that it's pretty sweet. If you wax up your board before going out, your feet aren't going anywhere.

I figure there are a few kiteboarders out there who surf too, so if you have a shortboard, bring it out on some of those lightwind days we're bound to have this fall. My 6'10" worked well, but I probably would have been even more stoked on something in the 6' range. It's a pretty fun challenge, and sweet to be carving upwind when everyone else is struggling. Waterstarting might take a few tries, I felt that my old windsurfing waterstart skills were helping though. I'm nowhere near ready to take it out on the ocean, but I'm definitely pumped to give it a shot when the swell is big in the 3rd ave channel...

I'm sure a number of you are pros at riding strapless surfboards at waddell and OB, but coming from someone who has never done it before, it was pretty damn fun!

After riding a wake skate or surf board strapless putting on a board with straps is akin to putting on shoes and socks on Monday morning...

Yea, I saw two guys on Sunday with a directional board (surfboard looking thing), one was doing jumps at the jump area. Not sure it that was you are not; Question: do you get good results going upwind with a board like that?

Board looks fun to ride.

Fun little trick is to ollie off a little swell INTO the wind and try to air it back in. Next you can do some grab airs for a bigger effect then try a spin. Fun as hell with scrapy up-wind ability.
Enjoy, L.M.G.

Ha ha, yeah, my jumps on my strapless surfboard didn't go so well. So, I doubt that was me (I must have been the other non-jumping guy :-). I did manage to figure out how to sit down on the board and still kite. Pretty fun, sorta like sledding.

upwind is awesome. it takes a little practice, but with those big rear fins and so much volume, you can go upwind very easily. It's almost like windsurfing when you can load up the fins and just shoot upwind. when it's light like it was on sunday, the water is pretty calm, so it just glides along.

i'd be tempted to get a dedicated kite surfboard with straps, as i'm sure the upwind and jumps would be even better, but I gotta say that riding a big surfboard strapless is really quite relaxing.

I'll keep bringing it if the wind stays light, so if you see me on the beach, stop on by and i'll let you take it out.

Its pretty cool to be able to jump off the beach onto the board and ride away clean.
Also, If you take the surfboard into real breaking waves, you can potentially have your best session ever.

work your way into the waves.. practice doing tons of turns, jibing etc... then take it to the sea,
L.M.G.