If you want to try kitesurfing, you’ll not only need to consider these recommendations but also learn how to use the relevant equipment, such as the kite.
How to Fly a Kitesurfing Kite?
Valencian Raúl Arellano, an expert kitesurfer, explains via the Valencian Community’s kitesurfing blog how to better control the kite. Many of you riders practice this sport, but could you explain exactly how a kite works?
Watching a kitesurfer perform endless tricks at sea, powered by the wind, is truly mesmerising—enough to leave anyone speechless. At first glance, it looks effortless, but it’s not just about technique; there’s also a scientific theory behind why the kite must move in certain directions or perform specific manoeuvres to take flight.
The kite doesn’t fly by trapping wind but instead generates a force related to wind speed and varying pressures. This interplay splits the force into two components: parallel and perpendicular to the wind, creating drag and lift.
Let’s add a dash of science and break down Bernoulli’s Theorem, the foundation of lift theory. Below is the formula, but in essence, it states that total pressure is the sum of static and dynamic pressure, always remaining constant.
Total pressure should stay constant for a steady flight altitude, assuming sea level:
P= po+1/2 ρ V2 = Constant
P= Total pressure
p2= Static pressure
1/2 ρ V2= Dynamic pressure
ρ= Air density
V= Relative air velocity
As shown in the diagram below, in an airflow, wind 1 (V1) passing over the top of the profile travels a longer path than wind 2 (V2), which flows beneath it. To reach the endpoint simultaneously, V1 must move faster than V2—but this only holds true at low speeds.
If we uphold the first premise of the theorem (pressure must remain constant) and account for V1’s higher speed compared to V2, equality is only possible if pressure p1 decreases. This creates low pressure on the kite’s upper surface, the primary cause of lift and drag as mentioned earlier:
p1+1/2 ρ V12 = p2+1/2 ρ V22 = Constant
Here’s a demo video to better understand lift force:
