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Buying used gear

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 11:39 pm
by Kite1993
Hello eveybody,

Im gonna start kitesurfing this year and i would like to start straight away after my first lesson with kiting. Because im just a beginner i am thinking about buying a 2nd hand beginner set already. But I would like to know first what other kiters would think of this kiteset in relation with my lenght (185cm 72kg)

The set would be:

Slinghshot key 2010 (has not been used much, but maybe to old)?)
Brunotti onyx 2011 (136x38)
Mystic Sitting trapeze
Bag
Bar

Hope to see a reaction :)

Re: Buying used gear

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 11:59 pm
by FLandOBX
Slingshot is a good kite brand, but the Key was not a good kite, IMHO. And any 2010 kite is outdated. Try to find a medium aspect bow kite that is no more than 1-2 years old. It's also important to get a decent bar with current safety systems and lines that aren't worn, so try to find a "new" bar that may be last year's model on sale. There are lots of good deals to be had.

The Brunotti board may be okay (I'm not familiar with the onyx), but I think it's a bit small for a beginner, especially the width. A 140-142 x 42-44 would allow you to progress faster.

Most importantly, take your lessons BEFORE you buy equipment. Your instructor can help you decide what would be best to buy, may have some equipment for sale at a good price, or can steer you in the right direction. Too many people waste money on old (eBay) equipment before their lessons, only to learn later that they've bought something that is unsafe or unusable.

Good luck and welcome to the sport.

Re: Buying used gear

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2020 12:00 am
by HugoMC
Go to your local kite school. Meet the instructors and local kiters. Worry about gear after that 👍

Re: Buying used gear

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2020 12:13 am
by ScoopZ
If you fancy slingshot then a 10m Rally in good condition would suit you well. I would advice you look no further back than a 2014 model as the canopy condition will really tail off after 5 years on the secondhand market. Add a new sentinel 20" bar on a closeout deal.

The board looks a little small, get some advice on a size after you lessons.

Welcome to kiting!

Re: Buying used gear

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2020 2:15 am
by Matteo V
A slingshot key in perfect condition, is not worth more than $100. And you should get that for $100 with bar of newer vintage than the kite.

I see lots of people pay way too much money for older gear. Paying too much for old gear is often times a kiters first bad experience. And even at $100, for 200 you should be able to get a 4 to 5 year old kite with reasonable life left in the kite. And that is typically well worth it to spend just a bit more, and get a modern kite that doesn't have the quirks that we used to all have to deal with.

Re: Buying used gear

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2020 10:43 am
by Herman
Naturally most people want to get going on the water as soon as possible. An alternative approach is to buy a small cheap second hand sle, say 5m, and fly the crap out of it on land to learn all the kite handling skills, including self launching and landing before you hit the water. It may well teach you some kite repair skills as well.

You can learn kite handling with knackered old kites long after they are viable for riding. Obviously you can mix your approach to get the best out of time, money, space and instruction available. The space and time you have available to learn could have a significant influence on the viability of the above suggestions. Bear in mind that, in many ways, there is more to kite handling than board riding although it may not seem like it in the initial phase of learning.

(In the old days many of us did the above with non depower kites and then progressed through landboarding before tackling water which of course demanded more power, and so, my perceptions of the best approach are probably skewed by experience which is not necessarily relevant to your situation.)

Re: Buying used gear

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:28 pm
by Havre
Fully agree with FlandOBX - get a bigger board. Also there is a difference between boards. Naish Hero is the easiest I have ever tried as an example.

I hate seat harnesses, but that is a personal preference kind of thing. I would finish the course before deciding on what kind of harness to go for. Ideally you get to try a bit of both during the course. I know people that exclusively will use seat so... as I said a personal preference kind of thing.

I can't comment on the kite. Don't know it. Sounds like you are on a fairly strict budget. Old kites can certainly work as long as they are well taken care of and/or not used much.