Choosing Kiteboarding Bindings: Wake style

Mark Moore    Kite Gear, kiteboardingholidays, Our Experts     kiteboarding, kiteboarding holidays, Wake style bindings, Wakeboard, Wakeboarding

You must be stoked on this sport if you’re reading an article about wake style and choosing kiteboarding bindings – you’re onto something though, as it’s a great way to go.

Kiteboarding in Cozumel. Image: Flickr/ BlackburnPhoto

The pads/straps are the only thing connecting yourself to the board so it stands to reason that they’re of critical importance.

Are you into the boot binding rage, or are you looking for a traditional deck pad/ strap setup? Whichever your pleasure, let me break it down for you, explaining a little more about what to look out for.

Traditional deck pads and foot straps

By far the most common method of connection to a twin tip kiteboard. A set of this type of bindings typically includes a deck pad that lays on the deck of a board and a strap that is bolted through the deck pad and into the board itself.

Look for something with lots of cushion as you’re going to be standing on it for extended periods of time. Think about the mats that retailer cashiers stand on to support their backs. Also think grip. I rode a certain unnamed high-end board last year and the pads were slick when they got wet. Awful.

Liquid Force Union Kite Binding

Straps are not quite as important as deck pad selection. Find something soft that doesn’t feel like it will rub against the top of your foot.

Remember this: Look for something that has a wide range of size adjustments. Most often deck pads and straps come in a set but it is possible to mix and match.

If you are fitting bindings to a non-matching board be sure to test the location of the mounts on the deck of the board and the size of the screw/bolt threads.

Nothing would be worse than spending lots of green on a custom board and buying bindings that won’t mount.

Heel straps

A few manufacturers, such as Dakine, market heel straps for increased connection to the board, but they’re not widely used.

Boot bindings

Glamorized by the slider and wakeboard cross-over movement. With typical deck pads and foot straps, a rider is able to easily release himself / herself from the board as needed. Boot bindings are far more secure.

The benefit is for better connection through powered tricks and they allow for more stable hot landings. Boots are certainly far more advanced than deck pads and foot straps.

For more kiteboarding holidays guides and blogs, check out: HD cameras for kitesurfing reviewed / Buying kitesurfing equipment: Best Twin Tip boards 2012 /5 pro kitesurfing tips to get you started / Kiteboarding: Top 10 Destinations in the United States

About the author

Mark Moore wrote 39 articles on this blog.

A pro kitesurfer on the KSP Tour 2012, I actually grew up in an igloo on the frozen tundra of Canada. After college, I became inflicted with the terrible disease of worldwide exploration. Ever since, I've been roaming around the world looking for waves and windy places. My passport is tattered - I've been to 36 countries. I'm in my 20's and already retired from 9-5 jobs!

• Blog
• Facebook

Related posts:

1. Kiteboarding magazines: Great reads for off-line times
2. Kiteboarding Tips: How to stay stoked through the years
3. Choosing snowboard bindings: new innovations for 2012/2013

If you enjoyed this article please consider sharing it!