[dropcap]P[/dropcap]eople who are contemplating getting into kiteboarding usually also start to wonder what they would need to buy if they end up liking it. Although the gear can be pricey, once bought, you will have years of free entertainment courtesy of Mother Nature. This is especially true if you buy good quality gear.
A fully equipped kiteboarder will need the following: a kite, a control bar, a harness, a safety leash, and a board. That’s it! One of the many great things about kiteboarding is that the gear is light and compact when compared with other watersports and can fit inside virtually any car. (Unless you have a tiny sports car, in which case some Tetris skills may be required.) A helmet and life jacket are needed for lessons, but as an independent kiter, these are generally not necessary. Also, some people buy watersport sunglasses for comfort during those long, sunny days. Going into a bit of detail we have:
The Kite.
This is the whole reason this sport is possible. It is a high-tech traction kite, which is commonly inflatable. You pump up the kite at the beach when you are ready to ride and once done riding, you pack it down neatly into its storage bag. There’s a wide variety of sizes available in order to match the correct size of kite to the rider’s weight and wind strength. The lighter the rider, the smaller the kite you need. Likewise, the stronger the wind, the smaller the kite you need. So generally, kiters end up getting two or three kites to cover a wide range of wind conditions. Nowadays, kite safety and range have increased dramatically, which allows kiters to have less kites in their quiver. Beginners usually buy one kite, which is the size that will work best for the prevailing local winds, and then get an additional kite later on to cover more conditions.
The Control Bar.
It looks sort of like a ski or wakeboard handle with four or five lines attached to it. These lines connect to the kite in order to steer and control its power. The control bar also has a loop that connects to the harness in order to relieve all the pull from the kite.
The Harness.
Similar to a windsurf harness, this piece of gear goes around your waist and has a hook on the front where the bar loop attaches to. The harness makes kiteboarding really enjoyable since it transfers all the pull of the kite to your waist, allowing you to ride for hours without straining your back or arms. Experienced riders will briefly unhook the bar loop from the harness in order to perform freestyle or wakestyle tricks.
The Safety Leash.
This may be the most important piece of gear of all despite being inexpensive and usually overlooked. It connects the harness to the control bar and allows the rider to depower the kite completely when the safety release is engaged. The safety leash also allows riders to recover a dropped kite.
The Board.
There are countless types of boards on the market. The correct size and model should be chosen with the rider’s weight and riding style in mind.
If you haven’t taken any lessons yet or are still learning, don’t worry; every kite school should have all the gear needed for you to get started. Once you are ready to embark on your own kite adventures, an instructor can help you choose which gear will be best suited to you and the style of riding you would like to specialize in.
Enjoy!
Iker Tursi
KPB Head Coach
Email: info@kiteboardingpalmbeach.com
Telephone: (561) 502.8623
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