Runboard.com
Слава Україні!
Community logo


runboard.com       Sign up (learn about it) | Sign in (lost password?)

 
JohnRVoss Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Registered user

Registered: 04-2015
Posts: 5
Karma: 0 (+0/-0)
Reply | Quote
General Questions - New Rider 2015


Hey All,

I have some questions about getting up and going for the 2015 season and I was hoping to receive some help/ guidance by an experienced kite-boarder in the Kingston area.

I will be investing in my first set of kite-boarding equipment soon and I would like speak with a few people about their experiences with kite-boarding in Kingston, and what I should be taking into account before my purchase.

I have been using a trainer kite regularly for the past couple years and I am very comfortable flying this kite in all conditions.

I am looking for general information on where Kingstonians are generally purchasing their kite-boarding gear, how i should plan to get started this season.

Any responses would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

J
4/5/2015, 5:55 pm Link to this post Send Email to JohnRVoss   Send PM to JohnRVoss Blog
 
mikeb6 Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Moderator

Registered: 09-2007
Posts: 253
Karma: 0 (+0/-0)
Reply | Quote
Re: General Questions - New Rider 2015


Hi John,

Welcome to kiteboarding in Kingston ! There's way more experienced riders than me, but i can offer some advice.
First off, lessons are highly recommended. There's a lot of ways to to get hurt/killed with a kite, so lessons are always a good investment. Unfortunately, it might be hard to find them around Kingston. You can find places in Ottawa or Toronto, or ideally, head down to Cape Hatteras for a week in the spring, and get lessons there. Someone advised me to go to Hatteras to learn when I was starting. I didn't, but looking back it would have cut the learning curve in half. Your instructor can be a great help in deciding what gear makes sense for Kingston conditions.

There's a lot of potential gear out there, so it's hard to narrow down. Kingston is classic lake chop, so a board that handles chop well is a must. A lot of people like the Ocean Rodeo Mako here, but there's lots of other options too.

Kites come in different styles, from beginner friendly to aggressive and twitchy, so finding one that suites you is important. If you're buying new, the store should be able to help. If you're buying used, you could post here asking if a specific model is a good idea, and get lots of opinions.

Some sites where people are listing used gear in KTown are:
http://bkiteboardingkingston.runboard.com/f5
https://www.facebook.com/groups/KingstonKiteboarding/ (might be a closed group, let me know if you want me to add you)
I think Dave and Brian have a site where they are selling stuff, but I can't find it right now, I'll send them a message.

Closest physical shop is Silent Sports in Toronto.
There's lots of online places for new gear, and used, searching will give lots of options. If buying used, definitely get feedback from riders with some experience, there's a lot of junk out there that people are trying to sell.
Again, the most important thing is probably to talk to locals once you have a couple models in mind to make sure it works for Kingston conditions.

hope that helps ...
...mike
4/6/2015, 9:12 am Link to this post Send Email to mikeb6   Send PM to mikeb6
 
Brian Watson2 Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Registered user

Registered: 07-2010
Posts: 109
Karma: 0 (+0/-0)
Reply | Quote
Re: General Questions - New Rider 2015


Hi John, there is another site where you can post and ask for guidance.
Facebook: Kingston - Kiteboarding Kids
https://www.facebook.com/KingstonKiteboarding?fref=ts&ref=br_tf
Also, my friend Dave Mody sells a lot of gear both new and used here in Kingston. Maybe you bought your trainer kite from him?
You can email me at kiteman57 at yahoo.com and I can get you in touch with him. Dave and myself are down at the PUC docks pretty much every windy day during the season. We have be kitesurfing in town since the beginning (around 1999) so we can give you lots of tips. Also, there are newbies we helped and sold equipment to over that last couple years who can share their experiences with you.
Dave specializes in selling one or two year old slingshot gear at really good prices (ie clearouts) and also usually has some used/demo gear around that he can sell.
Glad to hear that you have already mastered the trainer! cheers, Brian
4/6/2015, 11:28 am Link to this post Send Email to Brian Watson2   Send PM to Brian Watson2 Blog
 
JohnRVoss Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Registered user

Registered: 04-2015
Posts: 5
Karma: 0 (+0/-0)
Reply | Quote
Re: General Questions - New Rider 2015


Hi All,

Thank you for the quick replies, its great to see that this forum has such as active community.

Mike, Thanks for the advice on getting lessons. That will be my plan for getting started. Ideally, I would like to try to find someone in Kingston who could give me a few quick sessions (whomever would be interested in making a couple bucks) as I don't really want to travel out of town. Hopefully I can find someone!

Brian, Thanks for the info on used gear and the invite to the Kingston Kite-boarding Facebook group. I will take you up on that offer to join for sure!

I do have some concerns about purchasing used gear and was hoping you could help me out. I have been saving for quite a long time and my budget will be around $3500.00 for kite/board/gear/wet-suit. I do not mind ordering online as long as its within Canada, and I also don't mind traveling to Toronto to purchase/ pick up gear.

Would it be smarter for me to purchase a new kite over a used kite? I am weary with used gear as I want to be 100% sure that anything I purchase will be in perfect working order. I would rather spend an extra 1500 and get something I can trust than get something used and have it get me hurt, or only last 1 season.

Any thoughts?
4/6/2015, 12:05 pm Link to this post Send Email to JohnRVoss   Send PM to JohnRVoss Blog
 
JohnRVoss Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Registered user

Registered: 04-2015
Posts: 5
Karma: 0 (+0/-0)
Reply | Quote
Re: General Questions - New Rider 2015


Mike,

I have requested to join the Facebook group you posted in your previous comment. Would love to join!

"John Relyea-Voss"
4/6/2015, 12:09 pm Link to this post Send Email to JohnRVoss   Send PM to JohnRVoss Blog
 
mikeb6 Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Moderator

Registered: 09-2007
Posts: 253
Karma: 0 (+0/-0)
Reply | Quote
Re: General Questions - New Rider 2015


You can count on spending $300-500 on misc stuff like wetsuit, harness, helmet, etc. , depending on what you get. That just leaves kite(s) and board. If you're serious, you'll want at least 2 kites. Many people will have 3 or 4 to cover a large wind range. The size depends on your weight. If you're average (say 175lbs) then a 12/9 combo or 13/10 might be a good start. Most windy days in Kingston are thermals up to 16-20 knots.

A brand new kite will cost you ~ $1400, give or take. Plus bar and lines $400. A board will be $600+. So you can easily exceed your budget if you get 2 kites, bar and board. But sometimes you can find good deals if you're buying a whole kit, especially if there's last year's models still in stock. Some places will have a "buy kite and get 2nd one 1/2 price", that kind of thing.

Gear that is used and one or two years old will be significantly less $, and will often be completely fine. it's kind of like buying a car, it loses a lot of value once you drive it off the lot. The key with used is to make sure it hasn't been abused and is a good fit for your rising style and conditions. Again, posting here with questions about specific brands/models can be helpful.

The last thing to keep in mind is that your first kite will get more abuse, as you'll be crashing it a lot. There's some argument to save the "cadillac" for year 2 or 3 emoticon

...mike
4/6/2015, 1:20 pm Link to this post Send Email to mikeb6   Send PM to mikeb6
 
JohnRVoss Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Registered user

Registered: 04-2015
Posts: 5
Karma: 0 (+0/-0)
Reply | Quote
Re: General Questions - New Rider 2015


Hey Guys,

Can I get some insight on these packages:

Silent Sport:

http://www.silentsports.com/Kiteboarding-Kitesurfing/Kites/2015-Airush-DNA-Package-10m/KA15DP1/

Airtime Boardsports:

http://www.airtimeboardsports.com/ZenCart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=73_110&products_id=541

I would indeed like to get a second kite right off the bat, and was wondering what direction I should take for this. I am assuming I will also need to purchase a good harness, helmet, wet-suit, and PFD.

Do these packages look good? Or should I try to build something myself?
4/7/2015, 9:16 am Link to this post Send Email to JohnRVoss   Send PM to JohnRVoss Blog
 
mikeb6 Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Moderator

Registered: 09-2007
Posts: 253
Karma: 0 (+0/-0)
Reply | Quote
Re: General Questions - New Rider 2015


Both those packages seem pretty good. Hard to beat the price of the Airush package.

I don't know Airush very well, but the reviews of that gear as entry level / intermediate stuff seem good. Naish is good stuff too. Maybe someone else can comment on those specific models ??

Yes, you'll need stuff:
harness: definitely. There are seat harnesses that go around the butt, and waist harnesses that don't. Pros and cons of each. I have both, they suit different scenarios.

wetsuit: I have three kiting suits, a shorty, a full 2mm for chooler days, and a 5/3 for early spring/late fall. probably a cheap, full length 2mm is a good start.

helmet: some people wear them, some don't. I do. Those shoreline rocks aren't very forgiving.

PFD: again, some do, some don't. Depends how comfortable you are swimming in from 1500m out. The Police will ticket you if they catch you on the water without one.

I would recommend a brick and mortar store for all that stuff to try it on. Unless someone has some stuff listed locally used.



4/7/2015, 11:37 am Link to this post Send Email to mikeb6   Send PM to mikeb6
 


Add a reply





You are not logged in (login)