Directional vs Twin Tip Kiteboards…Which Should You Ride?
When it comes to kiteboards, it’s a tale of two styles: the trusty twin tip and the surfy directional. Walk up to any kitesurfer and ask about their board, and you might get an enthusiastic rant about why they love their twin tip for big air, or why they’ve gone mad for riding waves on a directional surfboard.
If you’re new to kitesurfing (or just curious about the difference), this post is for you. We’ll break down what each type of board is, who they’re best for, how they ride, and how you might progress with each.
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What’s a Twin Tip Board?
A twin tip is the most common kiteboard. Chances are, if you learned to kitesurf, this is what you used. It looks a lot like a wakeboard or a big skateboard: roughly rectangular, with rounded tips, and usually has foot straps or bindings. The key feature of a twin tip is that it’s symmetrical front and back (tip and tail are identical shapes).
This means it rides the same in both directions, there is no ‘front’ or ‘back’ once you’re on the water. Why is that awesome? Because when kitesurfing, you ride out with one foot forward, and when you turn to come back, you don’t have to swap your feet around!
You just go the other way, and the board performs exactly the same. This makes twin tips incredibly user-friendly, especially for beginners. Think of it like snowboarding: you can ride goofy or regular without changing anything on the board itself.
Twin tips are great for:
Learning: Most people start on a twin tip because it’s easier to get the hang of. The board goes upwind well, is usually lighter and easier to maneuver, and you don’t need to worry about footwork or jibes (more on those later).
Freestyle and Jumping: If you’ve seen those big air jumps or tricks where kiters spin and flip, that’s twin tip territory. These boards excel at jumping, freestyle tricks and anything where you ride powered up and might land in the opposite direction.
Flat Water & All-Purpose Riding: On flat or choppy water, twin tips rule. They cut through chop and can also butter along flat lagoons smoothly.
Most twin tips have fins on both ends (usually 4 fins, one near each corner on the bottom) to help grip the water, and pads/straps or boots to secure your feet. Straps are the standard. They’re so easy to get in and out of (even mid-ride if needed). Boots (like bindings) are for advanced freestyle riders wanting maximum connection (think wakeboard tricks).
If you’re wondering about sizes: twin tips come in various lengths and widths. Bigger twin tips (longer and wider) plane earlier and are good for heavier riders or lighter winds. Smaller twin tips are more agile for tricks and high winds.
For example, a popular beginner/all-round board is the Core Era Twintip, a twin tip known for its forgiving ride and easy progression. It comes in sizes from around 142cm up to 146cm. A 136x40.5cm Flow is a great ‘first board’ size for an average weight rider.
Another example at the higher end is something like the Lieuwe Falcon or the Core Carved Imperator 7 performance twin tips for big jumps and freestyle. But fundamentally, whatever the model, a twin tip’s defining trait is its versatility and user-friendly nature.
Read next: How to Choose the Right Lieuwe Kiteboard
In summary, twin tips are the bread and butter of kitesurfing. They’re the go-to for anyone starting out and remain beloved by many throughout their kite careers. Plenty of advanced riders stick with twin tips exclusively, especially if they love freestyle or big air. As the saying goes, ‘Twintips are great for getting started and for going huge later on’.
What’s a Directional (Surfboard) Kiteboard?
Now, let’s talk directional boards, often just called ‘surfboards’ in kitesurfing. These look like, you guessed it, small surfboards. They have a distinct front (nose) and back (tail). In kite lingo, this category also includes variants like wave boards and race boards, but the most common is the wave-riding surfboard style.
A directional board is not symmetrical, it usually has a pointed nose, wider midsection and a narrower tail with fins (much like a regular surfboard). You typically ride it in one direction (nose first). If you want to go the other way, you have to either gybe (a turn where you switch the board around to point the other way) or ride toe-side (more on that soon).
Directional boards are great for:
Wave Riding: If you love the idea of surfing waves with the power of a kite, a directional is your toy. These boards allow you to carve up and down waves, ride down the line and mimic the feel of traditional surfing. You can even ride strapless (no foot straps) for a more fluid, surfy experience. Many kitesurfers fall in love with wave riding because it’s a different kind of thrill…more ‘soulful’ carving rather than big jumps.
Lighter Wind Cruising: Bigger directional boards (like race or foil boards, although that’s a separate niche) can be efficient in lighter winds due to their volume and buoyancy. You’ll see some folks on light wind days cruising on surfboards when twin tips can’t quite get going.
Going Upwind at Angles & Long Distances: Race directional boards (with big fins) can go upwind like crazy, typically used in long distance racing. Surf directionals also go upwind well if ridden properly (with fins engaged). They are generally more efficient once on a plane, but they require technique.
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Riding a directional is a bit more complex technique-wise. If you’ve surfed or snowboarded one direction (say left foot forward) your whole life, a directional will feel natural one way, and awkward the other until you learn to gybe or ride toe-side. Toeside riding means if you haven’t switched your feet, one direction you’ll have your toes, rather than heels, on the edge of the board (imagine riding a snowboard switch stance but not switching your feet, just facing the other way. Tricky, but doable).
Directional kiteboards can be ridden with straps or strapless. Strapped gives you more security for jumping or choppy conditions. Strapless is very popular for wave riding because it allows full freedom of movement on the board. Strapless riding also opens up a discipline called strapless freestyle, doing tricks and even jumps without straps (impressive to watch, harder to do!).
An example of a sweet directional board we carry is the Core Ripper 5 Surfboard, a classic all-round wave kiteboard. With a lightweight build and tri-fin setup, it’s made to handle everything from small mushy waves to overhead breakers. As Core describes it, ‘the Ripper 5 is ideal for every wave from small waves to steep overhead breakers’ a true all-purpose wave stick. (Check out the Core Ripper 5 on our site – even just looking at it gets you dreaming of shredding waves). Directionals also come in different shapes: some have more volume (float) which can help in really low winds or for heavier riders, others are thinner and faster for powered conditions.
In short, a directional board brings surfing into kitesurfing. It’s about flow, carving and using the wave’s power in harmony with the kite’s pull. If a twin tip is a sports car, a directional is like a classic convertible. Both can be thrilling, but in different ways.
Twin Tip vs Directional: Who Should Choose What?
So, should you be riding a twin tip or a directional? The answer depends on your riding goals and style.
Choose a Twin Tip if:
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You’re a beginner or early intermediate. The twin tip will fast-track your learning. You can focus on kite control and basic board skills without also worrying about foot swaps or wave timing. It’s the forgiving friend who won’t punish you for riding ‘the wrong way around’ because there is no wrong way.
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You love freestyle, big air or wakestyle. Want to jump to the moon, loop the kite or throw handlepasses? Twin tip all the way. It’s built for those explosive moves and can take a beating on hard landings. Twin tips excel in flat water lagoons, reservoirs and choppy seas alike when it comes to jumping and tricks.
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You primarily ride on flat water or chop. If you don’t have waves at your spot (or you’re not interested in them), a twin tip might make more sense. You can still do long rides, upwind exploring etc. on a twin tip comfortably.
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You enjoy riding both directions equally without technical footwork. Some people just prefer the simplicity. They can heel-toe carve both ways, do transitions by just stopping or sliding the board around, no need for that extra dance step.
Choose a Directional if:
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You’re stoked on waves. If the idea of carving a wave face or doing a bottom turn gets your heart pumping, you owe it to yourself to try a directional. Riding waves with a kite is a unique joy. You can catch way more waves than a regular surfer because the kite hauls you back upwind for another go. It’s addictive, trust us.
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You come from a surfing background. Many surfers who take up kiting gravitate to directionals pretty quickly. It feels familiar underfoot (aside from the kite part!). We’ve had students who after learning the kite basics on a twin tip, switch to a surfboard and feel right at home carving turns.
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You want a new challenge after mastering twin tip riding. Some kiteboarders add a directional to their quiver as a next step. It’s almost like learning a new sport, suddenly you’re practicing jibes, learning to ride toe-side proficiently, maybe doing small strapless jumps. It can reignite the learning curve excitement.
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You prefer a smoother, lower impact ride. As mentioned, directional riding (especially strapless) can be gentler physically. The crashes are usually just falling into water without a board attached to your feet. No big slams from high jumps (unless you really push it). This style lets you ride longer sessions with potentially less fatigue on knees/ankles.
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You’re interested in light wind cruising or racing. Some folks pick up large directional boards (or foilboards, but that’s another topic) to extend their rideable wind range. A twin tip has its limits in low wind, whereas a floaty directional with a bigger kite can keep you going in marginal conditions.
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That said, nothing stops you from doing both! In fact, many advanced riders have multiple boards and choose based on conditions or mood. Small waves and 20 knots? Take the surfboard out and slash some lips. Flat water lagoon and 25 knots? Time to boost to the moon on the twin tip. Think of it like having a mountain bike and a road bike, different tools for different jobs, and both fun.
Riding Style Differences and Progression
It’s worth highlighting the different skill pathways:
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With a twin tip, after you get the basics (riding upwind, transitions), you might progress into jumping (small jumps, then bigger air), maybe unhooked tricks or spins. You’ll work on edging technique (to load power for jumps), maybe riding with boots if you go hardcore freestyle. The twin tip progression can go all the way to megaloops and freestyle competitions if you desire. Or you can keep it mellow and just cruise and do the occasional jump, totally fine!
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With a directional, once you get the basics (which include being able to gybe or confidently ride toe-side to change direction), you’ll likely focus on wave reading, carving techniques, maybe riding without straps. Progression can be catching larger waves, doing sharper turns (top turns, bottom turns), maybe aerials off waves or strapless tricks. There’s a whole world of strapless freestyle too, guys and gals doing kickflips (yes, making the board flip under their feet), 360 spins etc. all without straps. It’s mind-blowing and fun to try if you’re brave. Directional riding also shares a bit with traditional surfing in terms of style, you’ll learn to use your back foot over the fins to pivot, and front foot to drive speed, etc.
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One isn’t inherently harder than the other; they’re just different. But to be honest, starting out on a directional is harder than starting on a twin tip for most, which is why almost everyone starts twin tip. There are some riders who start on surfboards (especially if they only care about waves), but they accept a steeper learning curve initially. A common journey is: learn on twin tip -> get decent -> try a directional as a new challenge. In fact, that’s exactly what many NK instructors and students have done over time. It keeps things fresh and lets you kite in a wider range of conditions.
Final Thoughts
There’s no right or wrong board, just the right one for how and where you like to ride. Twin tips are versatile, beginner-friendly and built for playful freestyle. Directionals shine when you're chasing waves or craving that smooth, surfy glide.
Still unsure? Pop into Northern Watersports or give us a call or WhatsApp, we’ll help you figure out what suits your riding style, goals and local conditions. The right board can make all the difference.
See you on the water!
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