How much should I spend on my first kitesurfing equipment after my kitesurfing lessons?
One of the most common questions I get after giving someone kitesurfing lessons is “how much will it cost me to start kitesurfing?” Most people don’t want to spend hundreds of pounds on new equipment in a sport they haven’t mastered yet. This is a fair concern and one to take seriously as kitesurfing can be quite expensive. So, in this article, we will take a look at how much you should spend and some tricks to reduce the cost of entry.
The first thing I would say on this topic is that if you don’t want to be one of those people who takes kitesurfing lessons and then never kitesurfs again, make sure you buy your own kit when you have completed your kitesurfing lessons. The number of people I teach who I see a year later and tell me they haven’t been kiting since, when I ask why not the answer is always the same…no kit. Buying a kit doesn’t just mean that you have the kit ready and available in your house, staring you in the face saying “Use me…Use me”, it also means that you have made an investment in the sport and are therefore much more Es you will probably force yourself to get up and throw yourself into the water. Now, the costs of buying a course and buying a kit can push your budget to the limit, so let’s look at a couple of options to make the whole process a little cheaper.
Learning with a friend is a great way to cut your costs, that way once you’ve done your kitesurfing lessons you can buy a kit between you and practice together, this not only cuts your costs in half but means that you have someone to care for. you on the beach when you’re learning (and someone who laughs at you when you’re wrong!).
Ask the school you are learning with if they have any old school kit they want to get rid of, at Tantrum Kitesurf we constantly try to recycle school kit as it offers a great and inexpensive way for beginners to get into the sport at great kit and also means we are constantly teaching on the new kit so everyone wins. Many other schools adopt this policy and it provides a great route for you to get into the sport on the cheap.
Rental of the kit is generally not something I would recommend, due to the high probability of damage to the kit, rental costs are often very high and after a few sessions you may find that you have spent more than it would have cost to simply purchase the kit. kit in the first place. Buying second hand is a great way to cut your costs and the second hand kitesurfing market is booming right now.
Actual kit costs will vary but generally for your first kite you are looking at something around the £350-£600 mark, this should ensure the kite is in good condition so it doesn’t fall apart the first time you set it down. fall. the beach and that is modern enough to fly well and safely. There are also many cheaper brands appearing on the market these days, many with the express aim of attracting more people to kitesurfing by offering cheap beginner kites, brands like Griffin, Faith and Kangaroo being a few examples. These kites tend to be very well made and simply lack the magazine coverage and marketing power of the bigger brands as these companies obviously spend much less on marketing as they are trying to keep their overhead low. The kites fly as well as any other major brand and are a great beginner’s choice as a first kite leading up to becoming an intermediate. For a detailed discussion of kites, see my article on the C vs Bow kite debate.
The board is a fairly simple piece of kit (as far as the beginner is concerned) and it is indeed possible to kite surf on a tea tray…not recommended though! For a beginner size is most important, aim for something between 135cm and 150cm depending on your size and weight, as you get bigger/heavier so does the board. But other than that, just go for the cheapest you can find until you’re sure you can buy yourself a nice, new, shiny, expensive one. With a board I’d look to spend £150-300 on the first one, but you may be able to get some real bargains for £50 or less. As long as it has foot straps and at least side heel fins it will get you going! Again, please take a look at my other articles as I will be posting quite a few specifically on kitesurfing boards.
Harnesses can be picked up very cheaply from £25 many schools will have old harnesses they want to get rid of so just ask during your kitesurfing lessons as with all other gear this is a great place to start . I would recommend that you spend a little more on your harness, as a comfortable harness can make a world of difference to your enjoyment of the sport. Plastic molded harnesses are often the most comfortable and will make your day on the water that much more enjoyable by not having it under your armpits all the time!
Well I hope some issues have been cleared up, as always if you have any feedback on this article please leave a comment, I love hearing from you and your opinion is the most important thing to me.