Is kite surfing becoming your new passion? Here are some suggestions on what kit to purchase if you are getting into kite surfing. The first piece of advice that should be given is that you should rent or hire the kit for as long as possible before launching into what can soon add up to significant expenditure.
Make sure that you are committed to the sport and that the initial enthusiasm does not wane. Further you will find that as your competency increases so does your appetite for newer and better equipment. It is therefore better to learn using someone else’s kit – until you have a proper understanding of the exact kite and board that will suit your level of skill.
If you have already got to that stage and feel it’s time to get your own gear, here are a few tips on what to look for!
Getting Your First Kitesurfing Equipment: What To Look For
Safety Gear
You have done a kite surfing course or two and understand the danger. You have been out on a few day trips by yourself and rented the equipment. Now it’s time to sort yourself out with your own gear but with the initial high cost you want to break it down into affordable chunks, so how should you buy your kite surfing gear?
Any purchase you make should first be selected on safety and quality. Failure of any kite surfing gear while racing across the sea at high speeds is never what you want. The order of gear listed here is only a suggestion in which you should purchase the stuff you need. Obviously getting the lot at one time could save you money, by asking for a discount in the store, but you should also consider looking at used gear. Sometimes you could save a large amount of cash on an item and the saving opens up your choice of another item.
The first item you should look for is a Wet suit. You can spend long periods of time in the water sorting out your lines or you may lose your kite and have to either swim to shore or to the kite both of which may be a long way off. A wetsuit not only provides added thermal protection it can also provide extra buoyancy. When looking for your wetsuit also look about for some water shoes for added comfort on cold days.
Most kite surfers now wear crash helmets when trying out new locations or stunts. If you are unsure of what is exactly below the water surface this piece of equipment could save your life. If you are surfing close to rocks, same thing, and if you are trying out something you have never done before there is always a possibility your board will attack you.
Depending on your level of skill or even the location you are kite surfing, you may want a life jacket to keep you afloat and help while swimming for your kite, or to the shore.
You will want a board-leash very early in your purchasing list as this is the only thing that keeps your board on your feet should you fall off it. This will save you from watching your board sail off into the sunset while you sit on the beach!
All kites should have a safety release system attached, never buy a kite without a working safety release system. This is a strap that’s attached around your wrist and to the control bar. A safety release can be 2 or 4 lines and will disable the kite when you stop holding the control bar. The systems have a safety leash attached to your left wrist (or harness) to allow you to retrieve the control bar.
Kite & Board
Once you have all the safety gear you can focus on the big stuff: a kite and board.
Your choice in what kite to buy will not be an easy one and you should research it well. You will want a kite that you can launch, or re-launch, from the water. A kite that can provide enough lift to allow you to perform jumps and stunts and also good power control.
Inflatable kites, single-skin framed kites, and ram air foil kites can all be launched from within the water, but offer different performance and power controls. There will be kites more suitable for the beginner and offer more safety and control features than others and there will be kites for the professional competition kite surfers that know how to get every last ounce of energy out of them. Your choice of kite is not one you should rush into.
Talk with your instructor and some other Kite surfers before choosing yours.
Your final piece of kite surfing gear is the board. Similar to the kite you should do some research about the best board for you, but unlike the kites most boards have similar features. They should be rigid and have a harness for your feet to keep the board under you! The board leash has been recommended above.
Last Thoughts
Kite surfing is an extreme sport that requires professional training and good equipment for your safety. Never rush into a purchase and always research the various makes and models available to you. The longer you leave buying kite surfing gear the more chance you may have of trying out different systems before you buy them.
Browsing this site can also greatly help you make the perfect decision on what kitesurfing gear to buy.
