When to buy kiteboarding gear

my first kite purchase

Yesterday one of my students asked me a question that comes up every once and a while.

student: "When should I buy kiteboarding gear"

me: "When you are independent and no longer need more lessons"

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The answer I gave him was simple, but there is a lot to consider when buying gear.

At a bare minimum when starting out you will need

• 1 kite
• bar and lines
• board

There can be a large cost initially with this sport. But just remember the wind is free. If you are on a budget then this initial setup can work for you. If you have more financial freedom the set up below will work.
Check with your local kite shop or pull up some NOAA stats to see what the most common wind speed where you will be kiting. Then purchase the kite that will work for your body weight in that wind range.

For example, in the summer time in North Carolina, the most common wind speed on windy days historically is 15-20 mph (13-17 knots). Using the chart below which is for a 175lb rider, the person would select an 11m kite. Each kite manufacturer has a wind speed chart for their kite.

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As time goes on, and as you wish to maximize your days on the water you will want to have

• 2-3 kites
• 1 adjustable bar, or 2 fixed bars
• 2 boards

Having a 3 kite quiver and 2 board option allows for you to ride 90% of the time. There are days where the wind will be too light, or two much for this set up, but those days are not common.
Select your kites based on your body weight and the highest and lowest wind speeds in your region. Most people build their quiver around their first purchased kite (see above).
In the instance of starting with the 11m kite. Your 3 kite quiver would be 8m, 11m, 14m.
Then I would suggest having a small board for high wind days, and a larger board for light wind days.

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When you find yourself obsessed with the sport you may end up with a gear set like mine

• 4 kites
• 1 adjustable bar, or 2 fixed bars
• 1 board
• 2 surf boards
• 1 foil board

that is my setup and I can ride on 100% of the days when the wind is suitable for kiteboarding.