Used Kiteboard Gear
Used kitesurfing gear is a great way to save on an already expensive sport. But there are a few things to be aware of before you start gathering your kiteboarding equipment and quiver.
Kiteboards are generally safe to buy used. They are incredibly sturdy, and board technology hasn't changed too much. If its your first time kiteboarding, stick to 'twin tips', and go larger vs smaller. Larger board will help you during those lightwind days.
Kiteboard harnesses are a different story. Its important that the piece of equipment you attach to yourself and the kite fits to you and is comfortable in your body. You wouldn't want to run a marathon in a strangers shoes right? Same goes for harnesses. Its important that you go into a store and try these on. You don't want to have saved $100 on your harness but now after every kiteboarding session your back is killing you.
At Live2Kite we are outfitted with our "state of the art" kitesurfing harness try-on-thingy, called "Simulator 3000(TM)". After you find a harness that fits you, we hook you in to the Simulator 3000 and you can lean all your body weight into the harness and FEEL for any discomfort, move around and check your range of motion, etc. Then we have you try on another harness, and another. We want you to try on as many as you can so you know for sure which one fits to you best.
Buying kitesurfing kites online is also a different creature to deal with. Kites don't age as well as kiteboards, especially if they weren't taken well care of. (Stay tuned for our favorite tips and tricks to keep your kite in good flying health!) Its generally okay to assume kites that are less than 5 years old are still in okay condition to fly. But its important that the seller discloses to you any repairs it mightve had. Make sure there are plenty of pictures in any online ads, and that the kite is available to see in person. Leaks in your new used kite purchase might not be easy to detect, so if you can, at the time of purchase, ask the person to inflate it for you and leave it that way for about 15 min.
While we don't buy back kitesurfing gear, we do have a few kites and boards from our kiteboarding team that are for sale. We've vetted for their condition and we definitely take care of our kites. Email us if you have any questions.