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Kite Surfing Gear

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Kite Surfing Gear

Kitesurfing is one of the hottest new ways of riding water and waves. One of the major reasons for its rapidly gaining popularity is its relative affordability and long riding times. Kitesurfing gear may not seem cheap, but compare that with the purchase or rental of a wakeboarding boat and the fuel costs involved with those monsters. No lift ticket is required, waves are not even required. The only things needed are the proper equipment and wind. Any coastal town knows there is an abundance of the latter, but finding proper kitesurfing gear can be tough.

Before anyone should even consider purchasing their own gear for kitesurfing they should be comfortable kiteboarding in a number of conditions. To get to this point requires a good amount of instruction and practice. This instruction often begins on land with a self-inflating foil kite that resembles the shape of a sky divers parachute, only on much longer lines and significantly smaller.

These beginner kites are often less than three meters square of area, but they can still pull a person dangerously high into the air. These smaller kites are perfect for learning how to control the kite without having to worry about riding the board, turning it right and left, launching it and depowering it when necessary, all on land. Some people even ride wheeled boards or snowboards with these kites, avoiding the water completely. Although these kites are the best to start with, you would likely never want to purchase one because after a certain amount of practice you will have moved to larger inflatable kites which are better suited for kitesurfing. A foil kite does not stay inflated with air when it strikes the water, which makes it nearly impossible to re-launch it from the water.

Inflatable bow, C, hybrid, or delta shaped kite are the kites that more experienced riders use. The differences in shapes vary the performance of the kite, and many riders have multiple kites for different conditions. With three different kites a kitesurfer can ride nine times out of ten while the rider with only one kite would only be able to ride about half the time. Compare this to any other board sport and you will quickly realize one of the appeals of this sport. Long ride times. A snowboarder spends three quarters of their time on the lift, a surfer spends ninety percent of their time swimming and waiting, wakeboarders can only ride when the water is smooth, and a skateboarder spends way more time posing and smoking than riding. If there is wind, a kitesurfer can ride it.

Although kitesurfing gear cost a good chunk of change, each kite is often $1000 not including the board, harness or lines, but it is nothing when compared with the cost of wakeboarding which requires a $30,000 boat and tons of fuel. Even snowboarding is more expensive than kitesurfing in the long run, lift tickets add up quickly. Once quality kiteboarding gear has been purchased it can last for tens of thousands of riding hours when properly maintained, and allow a rider to pursue their sport much more often.