Litewave 2015 Tour

Litewave KiteboardsCome meet Litewave Dave Turner and check out the all new boards for 2015 from Litewave Designs on the Board Try-Out tour. Dave will have the latest 2015 designs on many Florida beaches between December 3-17.     Give a call for exact location/times  916.872.4887


 

Check our Facebook page for daily tour updates HERE!

 

 

 

 

 

Litewave Kiteboards Rider Feedback

Litewave Kiteboards has been honored to have been making boards for over 23 years for kiteboarders all around the world. We pride ourselves on creating happy customers, one at a time and nothing gets us more stoked than positive customer feedback, so here's a few thank you letters we have gotten over the years.
If you would like to leave feedback on our products, please email us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Wanted to send a quick note to say how amazing the Wing has been this season.  I got the 155 carbon, and it has made 12 kts feel as fun as 20.   It goes upwind so well, It feels like a foilboard—just point it where you want to go (almost).   Maybe the best (and most surprising) thing though is how well it performs in waves… other “door” boards I’ve tried are unpleasant in anything bigger than light chop—the Wing just carves on through 2-3’ breakers.

Cheers, Robin


Hi Dave,

 I just wanted to say thanks for your time and advice. I picked up a carbon 165 Wing today from Brett at Prokite, per your suggestion.I got to ride it at Holly beach and it was excellent- everything you said it would be. Much livelier, making it easier to pop and jump.

Great board- Thank you!...Regards, Steve


Why Litewave Kiteboards?  Experience counts, Quality & Performance MATTERS.

 First off I’ve been kitesurfing for 16 years.  From 2002 to 2006 I was owner/operator of Just-Add-Wind (JAW) Kiteboards.  In just a few years I sold custom boards from Key West, Florida to Anchorage, Alaska.  My claim to fame was “Wider is clearly better” and “An advanced design with affordability”.  So today after retiring the business I still make kiteboards for my own personal use.  But when I buy a kiteboard, who earns my business.  That’s right, ONLY Litewave Dave.  Dave you have a great product!  I love the Twin Tip Kick-S.  It is the second best kiteboard I’ve ever ridden.  Sorry, my custom boards are still number one J  Yes, I’m just a little biased.  But seriously folks, the Litewave Kick-S is the best production Twin Tip on the market and I’ve ridden virtually all of them.  I can’t comment on Litewave Surf and Wing boards.  However, I imagine they are of equal performance and quality.  The Litewave Kick-S does everything GREAT!  I love it!

Warm Regards,

Bill M.

JAW Kiteboards

Melbourne, Florida

Rider Profile: 6 ft. 190 lbs


 First off, let me inform you there was a little communication error when I purchased this board. I thought I was buying a 139x44 Kick-S. Now, it seemed a little large when handling it, but I thought that could be because of the wider than average width. When I got it back to the house and compared it to my wing the light caught the board just right and revealed the actual size of 144x146. Fuck, I said to myself. How did I not see that. Then the light shifted and the size numbers disappeared again. So I only feel half stupid for bringing this board home. This board is waaaaayyyyy bigger than what I wanted. I was looking for a mid range board closing the gap of my custom 140 and my wing.Then I remembered, I live in Florida and with the shit winds we get, another big board isn't such a bad idea.

The board shape reminds me of a skateboard. High rocker on the tails and a nice flat mid section. There are (2) 1 3/4" carbon stringers running the length of the board. The straps and pads are comfy and have a very nice toe grip, but the laces are a pain in the ass during the break-in sessions due to the stretching.

First session- 11-14mph choppy conditions- Normally, In these conditions I would pair my 17 flite with my custom 140. I decided to pump up my new 12m vegas (one previous session) and try out my new Kick-S. The first thing I noticed was how light this board felt on my feet. It did not feel like a big solid door type board. It was very maneuverable and playful. The next thing I was really caught off guard by was the pop. I was only popping off a small piece chop and it felt like a springboard. My single back roll turned into an almost double from the unexpected height. Maybe, this carbon hype isn't really bullshit after all????
The upwind ability was great. The combination of high rocker ends and flat mid section performed well together. This board eats chop like AirBunny spews bullshit. It is the smoothest board I have ridden to date.

After many more sessions I am still really really liking this board. I've had it out in20-25mph winds and to my surprise not been over powered. I thought the extra width would limit my top end but I was wrong. The flex and width also make for some very soft and controlled landings.

Waves- Now I don't have much experience kiting in the waves, but I did grow up surfing. I could easily boost off the waves on my way out and actually ride them on the way back in.( I had trouble in this area with my custom and my wing.) It was nice being able to carve up and down the waves while also catching some floaters. The over the top bright ass rasta colors come in handy while trying to locate your board in the the surf.


Hey Dave,

Wanted to let you know that I am loving my new Carbon Wing 165. I mostly kite at Belmont Shores in Southern California, so there's a lot of small chop, and the carbon layup definitely has a dampening effect on the chop.  Staying upwind is obviously a breeze, but I like the pop I get when launching jumps, and even if I botch the landing the board is forgiving enough to absorb it. It's one of those boards that is just super fun to ride.  I even rode the Wing on "Big Wednesday"  a few months ago when we had 10-15 foot waves inside the breakwall, and it handled them like a champ!!   Anyway, I know this board is geared for light wind sessions, but for a big guy like me it's my everyday board. Perfect for me and where I ride. 

Drew S


 

The Litewave Carbon Wing Review on LAKAWA Forum

Ok, first I would like to thank Dave for providing a demo of boards at our local riding spot in Minnesota.  I have to say I wasn’t in the market for a light wind board as I had the Spleene Door 164 for light winds along with a Cabrinha Plasma wide 146x46 that I used instead of the Door when I wanted to throw jumps and tricks in light wind without having such a big door on my feet. When the wind picks up I switch to my primary board which is a 136 Cabrinha Caliber. My point is,  I really wasn’t looking for a light wind board option. I took Dave up on the demo of his Carbon Wing as the winds were very light and it saved me a hike back to the van to pick up the Door.  It only took one ride out to understand this was a completely different ride, very flexible,  nice pop, and light underfoot.  This board easily replaced both my light wind boards and provided a big upgrade in the fun factor.

Rider Profile: 6 ft. 210 pounds

Light wind performance:  The Carbon Wing provided about the same light wind performance as the 164 door in terms of being able to ride in the light winds, riding through the lulls and pointing upwind. That is where the similarities stop, add the wings unique shape, lightweight, thin profile and the lively flex that makes this ride so much more fun.  The Door may be able to ride in a notch less wind due to the size, however the wing shape on the litewave does make up for most of the size difference so its very close.

Chop:  The board flexes and rebound with the chop and the tip of the board with the wings easily ride above the water without overweighting the back foot. I did not expect this to be such a nice ride in heavy chop and so different from a stiff board driving through the chop. One of the lakes I ride is very shallow with allot of big boat traffic and cement seawalls, the combination results in what is referred to as washing machine chop.  The board would flex with the chop and the wings rode over the top of most of the chop coming my way, if the wings did not ride over the top the thin profile drove through effortlessly. This by far was the most enjoyable light wind board I have been on in chop.

Overpowered:  I wanted to know what this board would do in a overpowered situation, so on a day where everyone was on 12m kites and small twin tips, I put up a 14m kite and the 161 Carbon wing.  My intention was to see how the board handled when letting the speed ramp a bit to see how difficult it would be to gain control again.  I found the flex of the board made overpowered riding much more controllable than the stiff board attributes of the spleen door.  Since I often ride out of a beach that has a large wind shadow, I need a board big enough to get me out to where the wind is blowing. Before having the wing I was never happy with riding the big Door out to the wind zone and then wishing I had my small twin tip. The Wing changed this completely as now I can still enjoy being overpowered on the wing just as on a small twin tip since the board has so much flex and overall feels much smaller.

Jumping: Overall the board feels smaller than its size while still being a great light wind solution, the connection to the board with the pads and straps is about as good as it gets.  The flex allows for nice edging and carving action when initiating a jump, that combined with a board that feels smaller and is light made it a much more fun board to jump than my big door or my Plasma at 146x46. Solid landings were also a breeze with this big board.

Toe side:  Amazingly well for a board that does not have fins on the topside edge, this is a similar configuration on the Door.  While Toe side on the Spleen Door feels slippery, Toe side on the Carbon Wing felt locked in with a solid edge.

Carbon Wing vs. Wing:  I can’t respond here as I haven’t been on the regular wing, Carbon tells me it’s going to be lighter, stronger and quicker rebound.

Summary:  I would  highly recommend the wing as the first board purchase for any new kite boarder’s  in our area.  From my experience,  riding this board in all conditions it can easily serve and be enjoyed as a one board quiver until the draw comes for a smaller twin tip.  The other big value add is anyone that plans a riding a wind shadowed lake where they need a big board to get out to the wind zone. This board will keep you happy in both light and heavy wind conditions. For the majority of the experienced kiters, the wing will offer a more fun, lively ride while providing a shorter feel making jumping and throwing tricks much more enjoyable. The price point is also much more attractive than the Spleen Door.

Rob H.


Wow!!!!!   Dave!!!!!

Rode it for the first time today.....(first session of the year actually)My meter read 9-11mph and I was up and planing with one downstroke.  I'm so stoked on this board.  I was going upwind toeside (first for me) and going WAY up wind regular.  I was the only one out for about 20 min until it picked up for everyone else.Best purchase in a long time!!!!!!

Thanks,

Mike- Redondo Beach, CA


I had a chance to ride the DV8. I liked it a lot. Very user friendly, comfortable decking, had a responsive feel underfoot. Now I am by no means a expert at surfboard riding, but of the boards I've ridden, it was easy and immediately comfortable to ride.

-Vince


 

Dave,

I just got back from Bodega using my new 155 cm LW Wing for the first time. I love it! Best session ever, by far.

Thanks again!

Dave B.


Hi Dave,

Had a short sesh on the KICK-S this AM. Call off the dog's n piss on the fire "The hunts over"!!!!
I've found my board!  Soon I got going I knew this board was the bomb. Love EVERY aspect of it. You did a really great job with this design.  Iknow this board is going to catch on. 

Best of all, my wife thanks you because she won't see new boards showing up each month with me trying to find the right fit then flushing them out. Look forward to catch up there in Nor Cal at some point.

Steve C.
North Sails PRG

I got the perfect day to try out my new Wing today.  The wind was blowing about 13-15 knots down on the beach.  I was the first to arrive and couldn't wait for anyone else so I self launched and hung close to the shore to see how things were going to pan out. 

Wow, right away I was amazed that I was able to point the board up wind so easily.  I popped up and started planing incredibly quickly.  I immediately was taken with how smooth the ride was.  Kinda reminded me of riding a snowboard in shallow powder.  Sweet!
Harold S.

Dave,
 
I had the Wing out in the surf today at Dillon Beach. Nice wind today. I wanted to let your know that this board is huge improvement over the Spleene. I don't know what the new doors are like, but the rocker and concave make all the difference in the wing. The added character in the board make it way more lively,fun and much easier in the surf over the Spleene. I was carving this bad boy on the waves and going huge off the lip. Even though  the size is about the same jumping and doing backroll kiteloops is much easier. I think it is the release off the water and the rocker sending you into the spin better. Anyway, I stayed on it all day and never used my freestyle board. I wanted to get dialed in on it and that I did. 
 
Thanks for selling it to me. I don't think people realize how versatle a board like this can be and make up for marginal winds at the same time. I am very pleased with it.
Thanks,
-Josh