How to buy second hand kitesurfing kite?
What to check when buying a second hand kite
1. Check the material of the kite.
A near new kite will have a crispy feeling and sound to the material. A well used kite will have softer and less crispy sounding material.
2. Check the sail for any tears or faulty stitching
If there are any tears, they should either be professionally stitched or had a quality sail tape patch placed over them. If you leave a small tear in the canopy you risk it becoming much bigger when under strain. If you spot stitching coming undone this is not a good sign of the kites health.
3. Check all wearables like the rope bridle, pigtails, pulleys etc.
Over time these become worn, and eventually brittle. If part of the bridle looks old and worn best off looking at getting it replaced. If your bridal, a connection rope (pigtail) or a kite line breaks when your riding it can be very dangerous.
4. Test fly it!
Some kites get stretched from big wipeouts or just over general time. Like any expensive item try before you buy!
If you're buying online and cannot test it: As a general rule, if the kite is only a year old and is a well known brand you should be ok.
We generally recommend to buy new gear for secure peace of mind of your gear lasting when you need it (nothing worse than an old flat kite when your 2km offshore!). But if you're on a tight budget then second hand is the way to go.
Make sure you talk to us to ensure the gear you are looking at is right for you.