Best places to buy last year(s) model gear on the internet?

[bna858]

I'm looking to get some gear top to bottom (board, harness, bar & kite). I'm in the Tampa area, am about 180lbs and 6'1".

I looked at new gear (North Dice, etc) but per the recommendations of ppl here, its a good idea to get gear I can afford to abuse until I'm decent.

For those of you who have recently bought an entire setup, what was your experience? What did you learn? Any tips? Where'd you buy?

[Tiago1973]

as u are new u may not know about switch kite, look for it, they sell direct and got slightly less expensive gear than usually

apart from switch these guys are in this side of the ocean - www.kitesurfwarehouse.com/‎ - and no idea if they ship overseas, but use to have some gear on a discount worth looking for

in any case if you are starting into the sport i would go 2nd hand

[noel]

I'm looking to get some gear top to bottom (board, harness, bar & kite). I'm in the Tampa area, am about 180lbs and 6'1".

I looked at new gear (North Dice, etc) but per the recommendations of ppl here, its a good idea to get gear I can afford to abuse until I'm decent.

For those of you who have recently bought an entire setup, what was your experience? What did you learn? Any tips? Where'd you buy?

Why not deal with a local business? If you have a warrantee problem, keeping it local makes it alot easier for you.

www.watersportswest.com or www.othersideboardsports.com

Both have left over gear from last year and if you need advise or have a problem, it just makes sense.

[bna858]

I'm looking to get some gear top to bottom (board, harness, bar & kite). I'm in the Tampa area, am about 180lbs and 6'1".

I looked at new gear (North Dice, etc) but per the recommendations of ppl here, its a good idea to get gear I can afford to abuse until I'm decent.

For those of you who have recently bought an entire setup, what was your experience? What did you learn? Any tips? Where'd you buy?

Why not deal with a local business? If you have a warrantee problem, keeping it local makes it alot easier for you.

www.watersportswest.com or www.othersideboardsports.com

Both have left over gear from last year and if you need advise or have a problem, it just makes sense.

I'm not opposed to it if the prices are right. I'm not sure how it is with kite gear but I usually find the best deals on the internet.

[MACTNKA]

I found that its best to start out with new gear so that you'll avoid dealing with gear malfunction while learning and the learning curve will be much steeper! The other reason you should buy new is that the startup kit usually comes with a long and wide board that you can use for light wind kiteboarding for years to come and the old kite will probably have a much better resale value than the old beat up kite you used to learn on, that probably wont have any value. Get a BIG Kite. You'll need more wind when learning and a bigger kite will not only improve your chances for getting enough windy days but also responds slower so that you wont get in as much trouble as quickly! Get a 10 or11 2013(they have a great low end and are on sale). As a harness you should get a hybrid or a seat harness since they are more comfortable and help you with your stance and helps avoid injuries. About where to get it....greenhat .Adventure kiteboarding had some deals, Real, mackkiteboarding..... You have to browse the web!!! And you can always call any of those online retailers or local shops and ask for a deal. Just about all will work with you and give you a deal! Last but not least try some foreign online stores since they can have what you need and the shipping may not be a detterant. Kingofwatersports ships free, You-Love-it.eu will work with you too. And always use paypal so in case you don't get your products you will get your money back, no matter how shady the business you're buying from. Good luck shopping and lots of wind!

[MACTNKA]

I found that its best to start out with new gear so that you'll avoid dealing with gear malfunction while learning and the learning curve will be much steeper! The other reason you should buy new is that the startup kit usually comes with a long and wide board that you can use for light wind kiteboarding for years to come and the old kite will probably have a much better resale value than the old beat up kite you used to learn on, that probably wont have any value. Get a BIG Kite. You'll need more wind when learning and a bigger kite will not only improve your chances for getting enough windy days but also responds slower so that you wont get in as much trouble as quickly! Get a 10 or11 2013(they have a great low end and are on sale). As a harness you should get a hybrid or a seat harness since they are more comfortable and help you with your stance and helps avoid injuries. About where to get it....greenhat .Adventure kiteboarding had some deals, Real, mackkiteboarding..... You have to browse the web!!! And you can always call any of those online retailers or local shops and ask for a deal. Just about all will work with you and give you a deal! Last but not least try some foreign online stores since they can have what you need and the shipping may not be a detterant. Kingofwatersports ships free, You-Love-it.eu will work with you too. And always use paypal so in case you don't get your products you will get your money back, no matter how shady the business you're buying from. Good luck shopping and lots of wind!

[knot_moving]

I will second using your local shop. They know the internet prices and if you make them an offer they will work with you. Plus as you buy gear from them will help you progress & will help you sell your used gear when you are ready to buy new.

[knot_moving]

I will second using your local shop. They know the internet prices and if you make them an offer they will work with you. Plus as you buy gear from them will help you progress & will help you sell your used gear when you are ready to buy new.

[kitewise]

I will second using your local shop. They know the internet prices and if you make them an offer they will work with you. Plus as you buy gear from them will help you progress & will help you sell your used gear when you are ready to buy new.

I say buy from your locals. The Internet is full of those who have bought crap, on the Internet.
Once they realize that they are not kiting because of repairs necessary on old stuff, it's time to get better gear. Don't make the same mistake.. Buy from someone you know. Nobody sells their old gear because it's awesome.
Be smart. Support yr local guy!
Phil

[alexeyga]

The only reason to justify paying your local guy's rent is the ease of dealing with warranty issues, for the rest you have all the reasons to shop elsewhere.

A few points to note:
-Most kiteboarding stores (including your local guy) offer some kind of packages for beginners that do include everything. Yes - boards and harnesses offered in these packages are never of the "best of the best" level, which is still perfectly adequate for somebody who's just starting - so it's worth looking into.
-Rare are sellers who'd advice you basing them-selves not on what they are interested to sell, but on what you really need, so your best advisers - are your local, more experienced kite buddies.
-Don't make a mistake of buying "performance" gear when you need "beginner's" gear - it will slow your progression since a)you don't know what you're doing and b)you don't know where you're heading with your progression
-Switch is a viable option, but you might want to wait until they will release a new bar - supposedly it will be a single front-line safety.

Cheers!