A women's kiteboard is tailored in several ways to the lower average weight and build of female riders. One important difference lies in the flex: a women's kiteboard usually has a slightly softer flex, which provides more comfort in chop. The sizes are also smaller, women's kiteboards are typically available in a range of around 130 to 138 cm, while unisex boards come in larger sizes too.

In addition, a women's twintip often has a slightly narrower stance: the inserts are placed closer together, so the foot spacing better suits a smaller-than-average rider and gives you a more natural stance on the board. Finally, women's kiteboards often have their own design, but the real difference is in the technology underneath, not in the visuals.

The right size mainly depends on your weight, your level and the type of wind in which you kitesurf most often. A rough guideline for women: the lighter you are, the smaller the board can be. Lighter riders are usually around 130–134 cm, average weights around 134–138 cm, and heavier riders go for slightly bigger. Each brand uses its own size chart, so always check the advice for the specific board you have in mind. For lighter wind or as a beginner, you can comfortably size up, that helps you plane up sooner. These are guidelines, not strict rules. Your personal preference and riding style ultimately determine what feels best on the water.

Are you advanced and do you often kitesurf in strong wind? Then you can choose a slightly more compact board for more agility. If you're hesitating between two sizes, go for the larger one if you kitesurf in light wind, and the smaller one if you mainly hit the water in stronger conditions. For those who often ride in light wind, a lightwind board is also worth considering.

As a beginner rider, you want a board that is forgiving and helps you to stand comfortably on the water quickly. A girls kiteboard with a flatter rocker works best for most starters, this type of board planes up faster and keeps gliding better in light wind.

In terms of size, as a beginner woman you can comfortably go slightly larger than the standard guideline. A larger surface area means more buoyancy and earlier planing, which significantly speeds up the learning process. On our page with beginner twintips you'll find models that are specifically suitable for the first seasons.

When you're ready to start jumping, gaining height or learning your first tricks, choose a female kiteboard with a stiffer flex and a slightly more aggressive rocker. A solid board provides more pop on the take-off, better grip on the water and more stable landings. For freestyle, you also want good release from the edge of the board, so you can move freely through the air without the board getting stuck.

For pure big air, you can also look at boards that are sold as unisex, in a smaller size. Models such as the Duotone Select or North Focus are widely used by female big air riders, in sizes 134 or 136. Also check out our page with specific big air twintips if you want to ride for height. When you're ready to start jumping, gaining height or learning your first tricks, choose a women's kiteboard with a stiffer flex. A stiffer board provides more pop on the take-off, allowing you to jump higher and more explosively. For freestyle, you also want good release from the edge of the board, so you can move freely through the air without the board getting stuck.

For pure big air, you can also look at boards that are sold as unisex, in a smaller size. Check out our page with specific big air twintips if you want to ride for height.

Absolutely, and it happens more often than you'd think. Many female riders kitesurf perfectly fine on a unisex board in a smaller size. The difference between a women's kitesurf board and a unisex board in the same length is mainly in the flex, stance and design. Not in the grip or the behaviour on the water.

What you do want to avoid is ending up on a unisex board that's too large or too stiff for you. A board tuned for an 80 kg rider quickly feels clunky and sluggish for a lighter kiter. So always pick a size that suits your weight, and when in doubt, choose a softer flex. Want to browse the full twintip range? Have a look at our twintip overview page.

At Kitemana you'll find women's kiteboards and twintips from virtually all major kite brands. Each brand has its own signature, ranging from soft and comfortable to aggressive and high-performance for freestyle.

Duotone Kiteboarding kiteboard
North kiteboard
Naish kiteboard
Brunotti kiteboard
Juniqua kiteboard