Hi all,

I've just finished lessons and am really keen to keep kiteboarding.
I'm looking at buying my own gear but don't know whether to buy now or wait until September/October when all the stores are trying to get rid of their '2013' kites?
If I wait, I'm looking at buying an Airush Lithium.

What do you guys reckon? It's really a question of if I'll actually be able to get out though winter enough to make it worth buying now.

Thanks

Buy now as per your budget depicts.

Ive been surfing for 30 plus years, lived in perth for 12 and never kited.
Moved back to the sunny coast 8 years ago and surfed and rode dirt bikes.

Crashed pretty heavily a year ago and sold my bikes and surfed only and moped around the house.

My missus bought me 3 lessons for xmas I did 1 in Jan, 1 in Feb. Ummmed and arred about buying a kite. A mate was going to lend me one ect.

I ended buying a kite on Monday.

did 3 hours Monday, 3 hours tuesday and 4 hours wednesday. The wind died yesterday and surf was ok and I just surfed but all I want to do is go kiting. Watch the weather and buy a kite the day before it picks up.

Im kicking myself for not getting into this 10 years ago, this is my new thing.

Good points billy,

i was told to get 2nd hand but had a mate who had bought 3 kites off his mates. They always let him down when he went to kite, so on his advice/ bad luck i bought new.

It had a small leak in a strut from new and I had it fixed when the wind had died through the dealer.

I was told lines are $125 each, so for me I could afford it and new I would stick with it I bought new. I've crashed the ****e out of that kite on the 1st day but getting better everyday. For me new was the right decision. I didnt even know what to look for in a 2nd hand kite, maybe in the future i will and i might get a 2nd hand one but for now i want it to work hen i need it to and it has 18 months warranty.

All fixed now.

I bought a used 2012 10m off the BWS used gear site and am very happy with the deal. Just $600 for kite, bar(and lines), pump and compression bag. Kite is in great condition, certainly plenty good for my ability. I was so happy with this deal that I've bought a 8m (for my wife and stronger wind) too, similar deal $700. Haven't flown the 8 yet but condition looks good. So for just $1300 I have 2 kites with shorter and longer BWS bar options (latest design bar).

I don't know if BWS are the best kites, but they seem strong and well made, plenty of good kiters are using them and I aspire to their philosophy of strapless SB wave riding, so I am very happy so far. And they also sell kite-only new kites at reasonable prices so if I want a new one it won't cost me too much. I have no vested interest in BWS, just a happy customer giving credit where due.

savagebee said...
I bought a used 2012 10m off the BWS used gear site and am very happy with the deal. Just $600 for kite, bar(and lines), pump and compression bag. Kite is in great condition, certainly plenty good for my ability. I was so happy with this deal that I've bought a 8m (for my wife and stronger wind) too, similar deal $700. Haven't flown the 8 yet but condition looks good. So for just $1300 I have 2 kites with shorter and longer BWS bar options (latest design bar).

I don't know if BWS are the best kites, but they seem strong and well made, plenty of good kiters are using them and I aspire to their philosophy of strapless SB wave riding, so I am very happy so far. And they also sell kite-only new kites at reasonable prices so if I want a new one it won't cost me too much. I have no vested interest in BWS, just a happy customer giving credit where due.

to keep the kite flying sweet, check the P Line lengths after a few months. They shrink from heat and need extensions on them to keep the kite flying like new. also check the front and rear line lengths are all equal with the bar on full power. this is the same with most kites.

savagebee said...

Poida said...
to keep the kite flying sweet, check the P Line lengths after a few months. They shrink from heat and need extensions on them to keep the kite flying like new. also check the front and rear line lengths are all equal with the bar on full power. this is the same with most kites.

Thanks for the tip Poida, I will check that. Any idea what that P line length should be? The kites came with a repair kit that has a spare line that looks like it could be a replacement P line.

Its probably the replacement centre line but check it against the existing p lines as the size varies with kite size.
Handy to check the existing lines for symmetry by folding the kite over in half and comparing all the lines as sometimes Mr Woo Flung Dung at the factory has a bender and mixes them up on assembly
You can go to the local boat chandlery and buy replacement line yourself if necessary although you have to check the pline ring attachment for wear as well..after 3 or 4 sets of plines the rings were wearing out the line due to the fact they had notches in them and were quite abrasive. You can still fly the kite if a pline snaps mid-session well enough to get you back to shore.

sums up winter kiting:

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Newbies-Tips-Tricks/Warning-for-today-2632013/

Hi all,
Aside from trade-in promotions, do shops easily take trade-ins when buying run-out kites or only on full priced kites?
Thanks

savagebee said...

Prawnhead said...

savagebee said...

Poida said...
to keep the kite flying sweet, check the P Line lengths after a few months. They shrink from heat and need extensions on them to keep the kite flying like new. also check the front and rear line lengths are all equal with the bar on full power. this is the same with most kites.

Thanks for the tip Poida, I will check that. Any idea what that P line length should be? The kites came with a repair kit that has a spare line that looks like it could be a replacement P line.

Its probably the replacement centre line but check it against the existing p lines as the size varies with kite size.
Handy to check the existing lines for symmetry by folding the kite over in half and comparing all the lines as sometimes Mr Woo Flung Dung at the factory has a bender and mixes them up on assembly
You can go to the local boat chandlery and buy replacement line yourself if necessary although you have to check the pline ring attachment for wear as well..after 3 or 4 sets of plines the rings were wearing out the line due to the fact they had notches in them and were quite abrasive. You can still fly the kite if a pline snaps mid-session well enough to get you back to shore.

Sangas, sorry to have hijacked your thread a bit here.

Prawn, Poida
I checked the repair kit lines against the Lines on my 10m and the new lines are about 200mm longer than the old ones. Does that sound like the right kind of ballpark for what you would expect?

no it doesn't but hold onto them anyway ....the front bridle lines (A and B lines ?) were different lengths on the first BWS kites ..i would just check them against the other lines to see if there is a match