Latest News, Blog & Videos
How to Remove a Deck Pad from Your Surfboard | A Step-by-Step Guide by Appletree Surfboards
The Deck Pad Dilemma
Deck pads are a great addition to your surfboard, providing extra grip and comfort. However, over time, you might find the need to remove or replace them. Whether it's because they're worn out, you're upgrading to a new design, or you simply don't like the fit, taking off a deck pad can be challenging. This guide will show you a few easy tricks to remove your deck pad in one piece without damaging your board.
Tools You’ll Need
A broomstick Thinners (be cautious with
…
24th Jun 2024
How To Size Your Ride Engine Harness | A Quick Guide
With the amount of harness and spreader bar combinations, getting the right size Ride Engine can feel daunting. The good news is when you nail it, you get a precise, comfortable fit that translates to more time on the water. As a general rule, the size chart below gets you 80% of the way there. Here are a few sizing tips from the hundreds of Ride Engine harnesses we've sold over the years.What's Your Body Type?
Consider your body shape. Leaner bodies are best represented by the above char
…
5th Feb 2024
The Aluula Kites Breakthrough | Who Should Make the Switch?
Dustin and Pat take a look at some kites made with Aluula. What is it, and is it worth the hype? Is it right for you?What is Aluula?Dustin: Aluula is a step up from your normal kites. It's like the carbon bike of the kite world.Pat: Absolutely. It's that carbon fiber frame mountain bike in the kite industry. Is aluminum or steel good for most people out there? Yes. Do you need carbon? Probably not, but is it a nice upgrade and do you get some performance benefits from it? Absolutely.What a
…
29th Nov 2023
Kite Basics: How to Assemble Your New Kiteboard
Tools RequiredThe only tool you should need to assemble your board is a #3 Phillips screwdriver.FinsAt each end of the board are two sets of holes for your fins. Drop the screws in from the top of the board and attach them to your fins on the bottom. The narrower, tapered end of each fin should point toward the middle of the board.HandleYour handle attaches to the top of the board, right in the center. Line the handle up with the holes, then drop in the screws from the top.FootstrapsAttach
…
10th May 2023
Light Wind Kiteboarding | Should You Choose a 15m or 17m Kite?
Welcome back! This is Jake from MACkiteboarding, and today we are going to talk about whether you should go with a 15 or a 17m for your light wind kite. Don't get too hung up on the numbers; essentially think of it as whether you should go with something smaller in the 14/15m range, or something 17/18m plus, but we're going to say 15 or 17m for the sake of this discussion.Advantages of a 17m KiteThis is a tough one, and honestly, my thoughts on it have changed over time. Early on, I was alw
…
8th Feb 2023
Load Testing Aluula and Dacron Kite and Wing Materials | Reece's Shred Lab
"And so I'm here at the Ocean Rodeo headquarters where Aluula is being tested, and I am going to be doing some load-testing on some Aluula that I have here, and I'm going to compare it to some standard Dacron that is normally used on the leading edge of kites.
Alright, so the Aluula weighed in at 78 GSM, and the Dimension Polyne Dacron weighed in at 157 GSM. And so when we go into this tear test, which is going to happen next, keep in mind that the Aluula is basically half the weigh
…
8th Nov 2022
Latest Lightweight Kite and Wing Canopy Materials
This is Pat and Aaron with MACkiteboarding.com talking today about some kite and wing materials. We've got five different materials that have become the industry standard, and a bunch of different companies are using them. They are Dacron, Penta TX or SLS, Aluula, Ho'okipa, and N-Weave.DacronDacron's been the industry standard. It's a polyester weave with a melamine resin to cure it and give it strength and rigidity. It comes in around 160-170 grams per square meter. I found this info onli
…
1st Nov 2022
Duotone Presents: How Our Kiteboards Are Made - Capita Mothership
Down into the Austrian countryside, the Capita Mothership factor produces our Duotone Kiteboards. Let’s go through the whole production line and see what goes into making some of the world’s best kiteboards.
The Warehouse.
This is where the whole process begins. All the wood planks are stored here. The wood planks form the base of the Duotone kiteboards.
2. The Milling Department
Once the wood planks have been carefully selected, they are moved to the milling department. Here, each
…
10th Oct 2022
Kiteboarding Without Fins
Kiteboarding without fins is an easy way to spice up your otherwise bland freeriding routine. Oh, yeah—we all do it. We get out there on the water and slowly glaze over into our almost preset mode of jumps and tricks that we always default to.
By taking your fins off (twin tips—not kite surfboards), you'll find the ride to be super loose and skatey, giving your existing board a breath of fresh air should you choose.
Have a go at it, and be sure to let us know what you think.
Good winds!
…
13th Jun 2022
How to Choose a Kiteboard Size for the Ladies
Hey guys, Kristen here with MACkite. I'm currently in Arizona picking up a new-to-us RV. I'm really enjoying it here, enjoying the desert scenery, the mountains, getting some good hiking in, and we're about to head to Florida. We want to get some videos out, and a good one that we wanted to touch base on is how to choose a board for the ladies or for your girlfriend. Let's get to it!
Oftentimes I see ladies put on really, really small boards, and I think that we could benefit from riding the
…
29th Mar 2022
Is Your Kiteboard and Wing Foil Gear Ready for Springtime Sessions?
Marc Hoeksema on Ice
For those of us who may be coming off of a long, hard winter, it's time to lay out and inspect your kiteboard and wing foil gear for your first springtime sessions. There's nothing worse than waiting until you get to the beach to find out that you've got a hole in your kite or wing canopy.
Let's be smart and take care of it now!
Lay Out Your Gear and Check It Over
I like to lay out my kites and wings, and pump them all up to make sure I don't have any bladder leaks. Ta
…
23rd Mar 2022
Why I Ride a Dakine Renegade Kiteboarding Harness
How did you size your harness?
I am 6’2 175 lbs with a 32-33” waist. I wear a medium harness as it provides the perfect amount of adjustment to securely fit with a 1mm wetsuit top to 5mm wetsuit. I find the 25cm spreader bar is perfect as it extends just before my hip bones so the harness wraps properly around my hips.Why do I ride the Dakine Renegade?
Its simple minimalist design provides the perfect balance of support, stability, and comfort. My lower back never hurts or gets sore after h
…
22nd Mar 2022
Kiteboarding Trends and Random Predictions for 2022
It’s a question we get quite often: what’s new for this model year? Well, color, obviously. Maybe some new canopy material, and there’s probably a bridle tweak somewhere in there. What else? Well, you see… errr…We look forward to 2022 to the trends we expect to see in the kiteboarding industry.
1) Lighter Canopy Materials for Kites and WingsThe biggest innovations in recent years have come in lighter materials – first with the Ocean Rodeo Aluula and then the Duotone SLS. We expect this to conti
…
18th Mar 2022
How Does a Waist Harness Differ from a Seat or Boardshorts Harness?
If it's your first time picking out a harness (or your fifth), the age-old question always comes to light. “Do I go with a seat or waist harness?” Usually, the best answer is to come in and try it on and feel it out, but if you’re like most of our awesome customers and don't have a kite shop locally accessible, this article should point you in the right direction: upwind.
Beginner Kiteboarders Will Appreciate a Seat HarnessSeat harnesses draw a lot of attention to a wide range of riders
…
15th Feb 2022
What Are the Differences Between Hard Shell and Soft Shell Harnesses?
Picking a harness might be one of the most important decisions of kiteboarding that many people often overlook. It’s not a cut-and-dry decision, especially with so many different brands, fits, and features. Looking at all the harnesses on the market, you’ll see two major separating factors—soft shell or hard shell. Adding to the options we now have on the market, we have hook and slider spreader bar options as well seat and shorts harness. For this blog, we’re going to focus on soft and ha
…
14th Feb 2022