The kite is arguably one of the most important parts of your kitesurfing setup; without a proper kite we wouldn’t be able to catch any wind at all! While a kite controls your ability to pick up the wind, it gives you no control over direction, turning, acceleration and deceleration and jumping. All of this depends on a component known as a kite control bar; your bar is the literal steering wheel of your kitesurfing set up. Knowing the basics and fundamentals of kite control bars is an important starting point for kitesurfing beginners, we’ve decided to make a tidy concise guide to everything you need to know about kite control bars!

Purpose and Composition

Kitesurfing setups aim to be as lightweight as possible, and the kite control bar is no different! Most bars on the market are made of specially treated carbon or aluminum materials that offer superior resistance to wear and tear experienced out on the water. Aluminum is also extremely lightweight, giving you a more lightweight, less sluggish setup!

There are two main types of kite control bars out of the market:

• 4-Line Kite Bars: of the two main types, 4-line bars are much easier to use and more suited to beginners. 5-Line bars often take much longer to set up and can be a hassle to clean up as well, causing headaches.
• 5-Line Kite Bars: these bars offer a higher level of safety when compared to their 4-line counterparts. The 5th line (the namesake of the bar) is often present to provide a safety net when activated with a specialized failsafe present on the bar. However, when utilized by a novice surfer, this 5th line can turn into a liability as it is easily twisted around the main lines.

This post was written by Aaron McClearnon, Owner of Elite Watersports. At Elite Watersports, We strive to provide exceptional service and genuine interactions with those interested in kiteboard in St. Pete. We hold dear our passion for being out on the water and maintain this as our foundation for all business practices.