Just wondering whats more expencive to get into kitesurfn or windsurfing?

Warning: kitesurfing may cause you to compulsively masturbate to pictures of men

Whats more expencive

Maybe it's just me... but school is more expensive and important before one begins to deal with money.

Otherwise, from what I am aware, windsurfing is much more expensive if you get top quality gear and two sails with one board.
However, if you intend on learning to kite, you need lessons which in itself is $200 for 2 hours with gear on top; one board and a 12m will suit for a long while.

It comes down to personal preference.

Jimmyz said...

For kiting the average new quiver would be:

2 new Kites - $3000 - $4000
2 boards - $1400 - $1800

^VERY ROUGH numbers....

I've been kite surfing for the last three years with only one 12m kite and one board and I've been out like 85% of windy days.

only 10 to 15% of the windy days here in WA are above 25 knots which is above my kite range.

You need to think about cost of traveling too, you can pickup your kite surfing gear and jump in the train to the beach

Note: Please if you want to start either of them take couple of lessons and if you don't have money for it come to the beach and tell some one about it. we will do the best we can to make it as safe as possible for you and every one else.

Good Winds
Alex

im currently in the same boat, how ever, in yeppoon i can't find any where that gives lessons for either, so i have chosen wind surfing for a few reasons.

i can always change if i want.
The local sailing club has beginners wind surfing gear.
and i have spoken to a few of the locals on here about it, and most are nice enough to offer help while you start out. [probably true with kite surfers aswell.]

kiteboy dave said...

Get some engrish lesons then by a cite.

A year ago I sold 2 ancient kites, bar & lines to match, an old harness and an old board to a mate for $600. Threw in some lessons even, & now he's up and riding.

I'm sure there's plenty of guys with this sort of kit sitting round in the back of the garage.. maybe make an appeal on the other forum?

and ancient kites aren't known for being suicidally dangerous for beginners?

Instinctively I'd have said windsurfing was more expensive, but I bought a full set up of quality gear for approx $3k when I first got here (that was probably the best deal I've ever done though, and not seen anything like it since), so maybe it's all comparable.

However, the killer bit for some (inc. a couple of my student mates in Melbourne) is that for windsurfing eventually you need a car / van... whereas I know kiters who ride their bikes or the tram to the beach...

Go to the beach when its windy. What do you see... yes, kiters.
thats because you need like 40+kns for windsurfing.
doesnt happen much at the best of times.

PS. if you enjoy sipping tea and eating fruitcake after a session, sounds like your a poley deep down.

Couple of things to consider:

Do you have a car with roofracks or a ute?
Do you have to carry your gear for long distances?

Kiting gear is compact, light weight and will fit in some of the smallest cars out there.

What are you looking to get into? Waves? Big Airs? Wakeboarding? Speed? Each sport has its own advantages so have a think.

Kiting in my opinion is more versitile with the mix of boards available (surfboards, kiteboards, skim boards, mountain boards, buggies)


Cost wise, well I've gotten my mates into it kiting for about $900. Thats 1 kite, 1 board and harness. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU BUY, PLENTY OF LEMONS OUT THERE.

Just remeber tho, either sport is very addictive, expensive and you will probably be broke for the rest of your life to feed that addiction with new kites, sails or boards.



Good luck with the final decision and the english exam!

DL said...

FlickySpinny said...

Instinctively I'd have said windsurfing was more expensive, but I bought a full set up of quality gear for approx $3k when I first got here (that was probably the best deal I've ever done though, and not seen anything like it since), so maybe it's all comparable.

However, the killer bit for some (inc. a couple of my student mates in Melbourne) is that for windsurfing eventually you need a car / van... whereas I know kiters who ride their bikes or the tram to the beach...

Surfing is more expensive than boogie boarding.

One $200 boogie board and one pair of fins will handle all conditions from 1' mush to 10' barrels, whereas you would need at least 4 surfboards.

Also, you can fit a boogie board in the boot of a hatchback, or even carry it in a backpack on your pushbike.

Oh, and boogie boarding is heaps easier to learn than surfing. Why go through a year of being a kook just to learn to stand up? Hop on a boogie board and you're an instant pro!

Sound familiar?

And why bother learning to paddle when you just laze about holding a sail and catch waves all day from way out the back and still kid yourself that you're actually surfing.


yes, DL i get your point and the joke

colinwill78 said...

DL said...

FlickySpinny said...

Instinctively I'd have said windsurfing was more expensive, but I bought a full set up of quality gear for approx $3k when I first got here (that was probably the best deal I've ever done though, and not seen anything like it since), so maybe it's all comparable.

However, the killer bit for some (inc. a couple of my student mates in Melbourne) is that for windsurfing eventually you need a car / van... whereas I know kiters who ride their bikes or the tram to the beach...

Surfing is more expensive than boogie boarding.

One $200 boogie board and one pair of fins will handle all conditions from 1' mush to 10' barrels, whereas you would need at least 4 surfboards.

Also, you can fit a boogie board in the boot of a hatchback, or even carry it in a backpack on your pushbike.

Oh, and boogie boarding is heaps easier to learn than surfing. Why go through a year of being a kook just to learn to stand up? Hop on a boogie board and you're an instant pro!

Sound familiar?

And why bother learning to paddle when you just laze about holding a sail and catch waves all day from way out the back and still kid yourself that you're actually surfing.


yes, DL i get your point and the joke

the difference is boogie boarding is the safe option and then you progress into real surfing which we all agree is better and purer.

with our sports windsurfing is the safer option (when you really think about it with kids etc.) but to say you progress inbto kiting would be inflamatory

kite surfing is more dangerous, and yet easier?

more dangerous because you have to learn to control potential power that is sufficient to kill you (or those near you), whereas windsurfing, although lamer actually takes massive amounts of practice and skill to get anywhere near enough power to kill yourself.

for the record i believe windsurfing to be more expensive.

I base that on take the top riders gear and compare it on any given day.

Many kook kiters use the same gear as the pros whereas i imagine even the keenest windsurfers have to compromise their gear budget a little.

fair enough?

Gestalt said...

if you think windsurfing is expensive,

try taking up golf.

or motor racing

Jimmyz said...

For kiting the average new quiver would be:

2 new Kites - $3000 - $4000
2 boards - $1400 - $1800

^VERY ROUGH numbers.

Seems like windsurfing and kites need similar amounts of kit at a normal standard. So breaking it down on average non-comp kit:
Kiting
Kite: $1500-2000
Board: $700-1000
Bar/Lines/straps/pads/fins etc: $700-1000

Windsurfing
Board: $1800-2500
Sail: $700-1000
Mast: $500-800
Boom: $250
Fin/ext/base/lines etc $400

Not a great difference when you are forking out $3000+ on gear to begin with. The other thing I see with windsurfing more than kiting is people buy more into differing diciplines of gear which will involve an extra board/sail/mast. Take wello as example most kiters seem to have at most 3 kites, 2 boards. Guys I sail with on average have 3 sails for going fast, 2 boards for going fast, 1 bump & jump sail and board. Oh and did I mention our addiction to fins- normal is up to 2 fins for each sail.

Though geez kites seem like have gone up alot since they first came out, and kiters get ripped on their boards... $1000 for some laminated hard foam, next to no labor and pretty vinyl graphics