How long does kitesurf gear last? Now, that obviously depends on how often you use it, how well you look after it and a bunch of other factors, like quality and the conditions in which you use it. But let’s generalise for a bit to make this post at all possible to write.
As always I base my tidbits on personal experience. If you’re about to start out on your kitesurf adventure (an adventure that might last a lifetime mind you) and you’re moving from renting gear into buying your own equipment, then maybe you wonder how often you have to update various parts of your set-up, and how much money this sport is actually going to cost you.
Ok, so here’s a list of the gear we use in kiteboarding and roughly how long you can expect it to last. Let’s talk seasons, although my personal season is 12 months as I ride all year long and cram in roughly 50 sessions in a year.
Kites
You probably have two or three kites. Expect the most used one to last about two, three seasons and you probably had it repaired at least once during that time.
Bar
A control bar should last a long time. Three seasons at least. What tends to break first is the the center sheet line, or the depower line, so having spares should add a season or two to the bar.
Board
A board should also last until you’re pretty much fed up with it. Unless you ride it into a rock it should last a lifetime (having said that I did break one of my boards somehow simply by crashing it into a sand bar. But rather my board than my knees).
Straps/pads/boots
My boots which’ve taken a lot of beating over the years lasted three years before they gave in, which is pretty decent I think.
Harness
Really comes down to quality on this one. My first harness lasted one season. My 2nd harness lasted five seasons. Thank you Dakine. I’m sticking with you.
Wetsuit
Sooner or later we all rip our suits one way or the other. They can still be fixed though, glued and stitched together so a good wetsuit should last many years. I’m still using my O’Neill from 2009 although it’s probably not many seasons left before it vaporises into nothingness.
Boardshorts
You buy new board shorts because you’re either a) all about the looks, or b) put on too much weight to wear your old ones.
So if you get out most weekends of the year you can expect most of your gear to last at least three seasons, often longer. Above mentioned gear in total sets you back ballpark figure £1800 / €2300. Sounds like a lot of money, but take care of your gear and it can last for a long time. And don’t believe the hype – this year’s latest model will not take your riding to the next level. Water time and perseverance will.