I booked myself for two monhs of kiting right on the spot with wind apparently non-stop - plan up to 3 sessions a day each sessions 2-3 hrs long.
Had no issues with kiting virtually every day for 2.5-3.5 hrs a day but I think the skin on my hands may struggle if I try to do it 2-3 times a day.
Would gloves help you think to kite longer every day? Any recommendations on type of gloves? It will be Sri Lanka, warm water.
hope to hear from those who tried and experienced it rather what you think about it 
Seen a couole guys at cable with gloves, eventually they stop wearing them. So can only assume they don't work.
I would of thought gloves would keep the hands wet and skin soft, ok for a quick ride but probably a bad idea for hours on end.
If I go for a trip and kite 4-5 hrs a day, 9-10 days in a row, I get some blisters by day 4, then use tape. By day 9 hands are getting tough, so need for protection reduced, But some guys are using fingerless sailing gloves. I'd think you could use them in beginning and then not need them
I always wear gloves ever since had the top of my finger sliced on a powered up line self rescuing back as a newb.
I use thin strong flexible full fingered cycle type gloves and wouldn't be without them.
I can kite 3-4 hour or longer stints without a problem.
No one else seems to wear them so I'm guessing I'm the only one with "girly hands" but too bad.
They also give you confidence walking up your lines self landing when its howling.
Select to expand quotesandblaster said..
I always wear gloves ever since had the top of my finger sliced on a powered up line self rescuing back as a newb.
I use thin strong flexible full fingered cycle type gloves and wouldn't be without them.
I can kite 3-4 hour or longer stints without a problem.
No one else seems to wear them so I'm guessing I'm the only one with "girly hands" but too bad.
They also give you confidence walking up your lines self landing when its howling.
Hi Sandblaster,
Do you have link for those gloves I can check online?
Select to expand quoteSwavek said..
I booked myself for two monhs of kiting right on the spot with wind apparently non-stop - plan up to 3 sessions a day each sessions 2-3 hrs long.
Had no issues with kiting virtually every day for 2.5-3.5 hrs a day but I think the skin on my hands may struggle if I try to do it 2-3 times a day.
Would gloves help you think to kite longer every day? Any recommendations on type of gloves? It will be Sri Lanka, warm water.
hope to hear from those who tried and experienced it rather what you think about it
Fingerless gloves are good for sun protection, keeping hands warm (obviously) and, if things go pear-shaped, ensuring lines don't cut into your fingers. In perfect conditions, I don't bother, but in winter, knarly conditions, and now I'm learning foiling, I wear them.
Those with small, stubby fingers that ride up and are useless, and the cheap Velcro that fastens them wears too quickly.
Go to Whitworths, or some other boat chandlers - and get a pair of grey Gills for $30. Blokes on $5m super yachts wear 'em, so they must be good.
Dunno how they'd go in the tropics - but if you go to one of the better fishing tackle shops, like Bluewater, they'll have a range of light, synthetic fingerless 'sungloves' with heavier-duty palms we use when fishing in microwave oven-like weather.
your not going to kite that much in sri lanka anyways chopper, maybe for day 1 and 2 but by the 3rd or 4th day of constant wind same direction your sessions will either be down to 2 hours max 1 before lunch and one after lunch and by day 5 your body will require a day off where youll sit under the hut eating rottis or pancakes talking ****.
Which is just fine. Just take it easy and enjoy yourself. The winds not going to run out.
As for gloves. Youll wear thru the pads on your lower fingers and then youll start holding the bar with our upper/mid fingers and itll be fine. By the end of my 6 months in sri lanka i had harder caloused hands then the 5 years of being a chippy formworker gave me. Mostly from the kiteing but also because they lock all the women up in the back shed and never let them out in public
Gloves? I reckon kiting doesn't give enough pressure on hands to worry but people are different. Windsurfing, wake boarding is another issue.
If you are concerned to not spoil your holiday and want to protect your hands look for advice on windsurfing or wakeboard forums. There are Watersport specific gloves as mentioned above.
Also, if you think your "girly" fingers are prone to delamination, it is a good idea to do something to prevent it or the first sign of soreness, protect or treat somehow because as soon as blistering starts, you're stuffed!!
have fun. Sounds good
Thank you guys for your thoughts - my conclusion is to take gloves in case I need them. I am not concerned to keep my hands pretty but understand that flat water and wind are one of the very few attractions in the area - there is not much else to do.
I am pretty keen on kiting after 3 years - still drive one hour to my kiting spot pretty much every day there is wind - and it is windy in Perth all summer!!! You might be right, two sessions a day might be plenty even if you live on the edge of the water but it is for me to find out
Never thought I would do this - I guess there are some perks of being out of work!!!
Yep, doing it more than three times a day and your'e going to get a sore hand.
There ya go.
Only take gloves if you have a slingshot Compstick bar (grip will definetely shred your soft girly hands).
Whitworth gloves are great if you are hauling on rope in a Sydney to Hobart race, fanging around on a flighty skiff or training for America's Cup. Overkill for kiting a bit at Club Med!
Bathe your hands in castenegetic acetone leading up to your trip, don't meddle with the blisters as they form and take anteceptic cream incase infection takes hold.
Kiting with infected weeping holes in your hands will only harden ya up so you have good tall stories to tell in your job interviews on your return!
Bon Voyage and we look forward to hearing about the epic times OS.
Rowers - like the olympic type use methalated spirits to harden and dry the skin and also use Lanolin (yes plummet you know of that product Im sure;-) ) to keep them supple/ not splitting
I guess the rest us just kite until we bleed - and then do it all again the next day!!
Seriously - best advice is to listen to your body and 'hands' in this case - who would try to run a marathon from sctratch (yeah you could bath in meths and rolll urself in sheep oil but its still going to hurt!!)
Go hard on the first few days but stop when you think you are doing damage (read blisters) then stop and look after your hands with the best possible NZ sheep oil (Lanolin) - and then just go a bit harder each day!!
I used to kite with gloves in zero degrees apparent temps in melb, tried all sorts of cycling type, fingerless gloves ... after a while I figured it doesn't do much so stopped using them, plus the hassle and less feel of the bar etc etc your hands will build up skin in all the right places after a few sessions, just as any guitar player would say.
I wear fingerless mesh type gloves with velcro fasteners.... but only when I'm getting a soy latte from the beachfront cafe.
When I'm on the water it's full flocked rubber gloves (dishwashing style) and a bumbag, and leg warmers. And nothing else.
Select to expand quoteChris_M said..
I wear fingerless mesh type gloves with velcro fasteners.... but only when I'm getting a soy latte from the beachfront cafe.
When I'm on the water it's full flocked rubber gloves (dishwashing style) and a bumbag, and leg warmers. And nothing else.
I like your style - fishnet stockings would complement it well
You can paint superglue or the medical equivalent nu-skin over the usual spots that rub to help. It stops blisters. Otherwise get sailing gloves that are longer in the fingers otherwise you'll still get sore spots.
