just wondering what you guys opinions are for a noob. 2nd hand set or go straight to new gear?

Hey

I am only still beginning as well, but the advice that I got from a few very helpful people, is to buy second hand as long as your kite is in good condition. Seeing that us learners are trying to get the hang of it, the kite is gonna be under a bit of stress. IMO it's probably a waste of money to trash a new kite, and something 2010+ should be safe if it is in good shape.

I mean, you don't want to buy some sort of old worn out kite that is gonna get you killed, so make sure you at least ask a lot of questions about the condition of the kite (e.g. I was advised to enquire about tears/pinholes/valves leaking/wear and tear/how much it has been used/ if the person selling is the first owner etc.)

I ended up buying second hand from a kite shop, that way you have a bit more guarantee that what they tell you is true as they can usually not sell under false pretences.

Hope that helps!
Elise

Try going around to all your local shops to see if they have any ex demo, old stock or good used gear.
my first kite was a current model kite that had been flown about 2 times and was in perfect cond, cost me half the price of the brand new one.
plus side to buying from a retailer is that most are very helpful with the after sales services and will look after you when you upgrage your gear.
as for thrashing your first kite... it probly depends on how fast you learn but my first kite was still in pretty good nik after 18months of solid use.
i think i crash it more now trying moves than when i was learning.

Just a differing opinion,

Second hand is good, some guys get some great stuff cheapish, other guys dont get what they expected. Have someone who knows what they are doing have a look for you before you buy.

I bought new as I had the budget to do it and all the stuff is in peak condition. Looked after well I want to get alot of use out of my stuff.. Works for me :)