Second hand E-bay Kitesurf Kites - Worth Having???

[sibennett]

Hi All,

 

New to kitesurfing and just wondered what the general view was re: second hand kites?. Also, how old is too old when it comes to being able to learn on a kite with modern safety systems?

 

Buying new is going to really stretch me, but kite shops (obviously they are going to) suggest that buying new is the only way!... but is it?

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Si

[smudge837]

Hi Si,

 

I am by no means a guru.

 

The one bit of advice i can give is, if you can, buy from someone you trust. If a mate has a kite that is 3 years old and he knows his onions then it might be good for you.

 

i went down the flea-bay route and got burnt so bad. Might as well go outside and throw £300 down the road. yes there will be some good kit out there. just hard to buy it blind. I did a lot of research and checked the brand name and all that, but a turd is still a turd.

 

the other bit i was told is don't go older than 2009. Now being new to LEI and water stuff (foils and buggy is my background) i can't quantify this. but there does seem to be a great change/improvement in kit design the last couple of years.

 

also you might get a 2010 kite but if the bar is say a slingshot 2004 then you aint gonna feel the love of the newer kite.

 

(ps. i have and old slingshot bar for sale. lol)

 

hope my drivel helps in some way.

 

cheers

Smudge

Edited July 8, 2011 by smudge837
(i just found out not to use the Tab button)

[alexberry.pgt]

I think pre 2007 is where i would call it a day! Most of the kit after that date is safe as houses!

[Kite Kid]

most kite shops do part exchange so you can pick up some decent second hand kit off them. any problems with it you can go straight back, may cost you an extra 50 quid or so compared to ebay but well worth it.

list of stores i know that do 2nd hand

 

Hydr8 board-sports

s2as

hunstanton watersports

kite it right

boardworx

Braklesham

 

With the year of the kite try not to go anything before 07

[Maro]

With ebay you takes your chances, you might get a turd or you might find a bargain.

 

Buying from someone off the forum is not a bad way to buy 2nd hand kit.

[Trissy B]

im a bit of a specialist here!.. think ive had 15 kites now and everyone was from ebay! even a new one.

 

ebay has so much to offer and u can pickup a fantastic bargain....... or a load of crap.

 

Id like to think i can spot a goodun now, its all in the wording, but this is never sure fire.. recently i got a 12m off a guy who i contacted; said he owned it for 2 years and kites at a place in cornwal that i know and has monster waves. he sounded a nice guy and a bit of a wave pro who doesnt bin his kites in the waves every session..... but when i got it, it was tatty, was repaired etc so im not particularly happy.. but goes to show u never can tell!

 

Its a lottery! people use ebay now as a "free adds" and kites often dont go for 7 days as their snapped up by peoples offers. This is actually kinda good, find one you like thats near to you and go and have a look and pay in cash.. its the only way to be sure.

[Jay586]

I've bought kites from here, ebay and off a shop. I'm happiest with my latest purchase from here and the only one I regret is the first one from the shop. It really helps to have a dialogue with the seller and look carefully at the pics. I'd prefer someone who takes loads of pics and highlights any damage to a tatty ebay ad.

 

But for a first kite, I'd probably now go for a 2ndhand one from one of the shops that have a good rep on here and other places. Then you are covered by your statutory rights.

[sibennett]

Cheers for all the advice guys!! - Really appreciated.

 

I guess you have confirmed what I thought.... Although its not always obvious with e-bay, you can normally tell the genuine ones from the dodgy ads.

 

I think my only option is second hand, so if anyone has anything I may be interested in (12m), let me know!

 

Thanks again!

[Batz]

All kites before 2007 will kill you, shag your cat and slap your mum.

 

 

 

 

Well i thought someone ought to say it. I fly a 2004 16m Rhino on land, it's wicked. On water you would be better with something nice and newer. Or at least thats the word.

[kinny]

Yeah i used ebay when starting and bought a fair few dogs.

As said anything pre 2007/2008 is probably not worth even considering as is anything with a major repair.

That said i've also got a couple of bargains on there with a bit of patience!

[Jack1988]

My First LEI Kite was a 2006 North Rhino and i got it complete for 130 quid, its still my favourite kite to this day

[balugh]

With the year of the kite try not to go anything before 07

 

Agree with pretty much all of the advice but lots of people have a favourite 'earlyish' kite. Mine was a 2006 North Rhino... Had a wind range as wide as a gnat's hair but in the zone it was lovely... Newer kites have much better wind range which is why lots of people can ride a 12M pretty much every time they go out...

[Jack1988]

I think the Rhinos best year was 2006 just before they went gay in 2007. The 2005 rhino is crap, i try not to fly it, especially if its 12m weather it has shed load of grunt and lift but its one of those kites you have to know how to fly a kite well other wise its impossible. In 12m weather you need a super clean wind and low end or it will just fall out the sky. Id suggest a 2006 Rhino anyway you can get them dirt cheap so no worries about smashing them up, very durable kite also!

[vinny]

@ sibennett, I agree with what peeps is saying pre 07 and ya treading thin ice with kites. How ever !!!!!!!!!!! if your lucky enough to find one, you would not go wrong with a 11m 2006+ Gk Sonic, in my opinion a very safe kite and defo a beginners to expert kite. Plus you can get the new quick relase kit upgrade for around 80 quid. i just sold an 06 14m sonic in near perfect condition was sad to see it go but i just wasnt using it, i hope it did go to a good home !!!!

[surfchick]

I have bought from company called Kite Hut and they sell a good range of second hand kites. Think website is www.kitehut.com, Kite Hut Limited worth checking them out!

[garc]

You can't even be sure if you buy an old kite from a 'real' shop. I bought a 2006 Rhino that was cheap. There was a reason. Looked OK on first inspection, so I put it back in the bag ready for a session. Pumped it up on the beach one fine day and after 10 mins the middle strut and the LE were flat - end of session. Figured the mid strut was just a valve, so I did the boiling water/coldwater trick on the valve and it was fine. I then had the LE bladder out and there must have been 4 or 5 repairs, some big (I mean fist sized holes). I couldn't find the leak and it could have been in any number of places, even after having the bladder out 3 times. In short it could have done with a new bladder - £40 and then swap the valves over from the old one or put new ones on for £60. I was so fed up I couldn't even be arsed, so I sold it as spares or repair on Ebay with a +50% loss. I don't want that sort of hassle and if I'd pumped it up from the beginning to test it I would have known and sent the thing back but it was too late. In short, wherever you buy from - make sure you pump it all up and leave it for a couple of hours minimum and give it a right good check over.

Edited July 10, 2011 by garc

[paulie_amoose]

I think the Rhinos best year was 2006 just before they went gay in 2007. The 2005 rhino is crap, i try not to fly it, especially if its 12m weather it has shed load of grunt and lift but its one of those kites you have to know how to fly a kite well other wise its impossible. In 12m weather you need a super clean wind and low end or it will just fall out the sky. Id suggest a 2006 Rhino anyway you can get them dirt cheap so no worries about smashing them up, very durable kite also!

 

It's interesting how people speak about old kites, I own an 10m 2006 Rhino but also 2011 10m Vegas. I have flown them both back to back and the comparsion is interesting. The 06 Rhino was a great kite in it's day and the last of the old Skool North C kites but it's simply no match for modern C kites. The Vegas turns better, feels better on the bar, more depower, more low end, loops better, jumps higher and unhooks much better. The biggest difference is in how tight the canopy is and how this feeds back to the bar. The rhino on the turn sort of lightly deforms and then turns, the response on the Vegas is instant. So yup old kites are good fun and cheap but simply no match for a modern one. Get as new as you can afford!

[sibennett]

Nice one.. thanks @surfchick!!! :-) Thats exactly what I was after.. looks like Kitehut have e-bay prices with a bit more comeback if anything was wrong. Ta!

[sibennett]

Cheers again for everyone's help!! Im blown away by how friendly kiters are :-) Right from my initial lessons its been cool to be part of a sport with so many decent people.. not like the majority of sports!!!

[plummet]

ok i haven't read all the replys so i am be repeating.

 

By all means bu second hand!! I do. i can by 2-3 1 year old kites for the price of 1 new kite. Also as a newbie to teh wateryou will most likley trash your first kite. Sop buying second hand is a solid idea.

 

Things to avoid. Old kites. As other guys state pre-2006 is a no no as the designed changed. But also inflatables wear pretty fast compared to your trustee fixed bridles. My expectation on a life of an inflatable is 1 year hard use, 2-3 years moderate use.

 

Look for a 1 year old kite for no more that half retail with no repairs. Repaired kites are like used undies. they ain't worth shit! Also if a kite has been repaired thats a good indication that the owner has given it a hard time or inversely if the kite has no repairs then its probably had little use or been treated well.

[mick]

I think pre 2007 is where i would call it a day! Most of the kit after that date is safe as houses!

 

Don't wholly agree with that statement. I have a 2006 Takoon Nova that is truly an excellent safe kite. Mind they were the leader in the SLE BoW revolution. Having said that both of my Nova's are equipped with the later NTS bar. I think most of the safety goes into the bar and depower systems; the canopies being largely the same albeit lighter and more aerodynamic.

 

On the original thread. Ebay is excellent and a great place to buy PROVIDED you know what want, know what you need, know what you're buying, and get you want thought you'de bought.

[br3n]

Ebay is safe to buy from as long as you read the descriptions, I bought a kite advertised as 1 repair - when it arrived it was a dog and had about 12 repairs and missing stuff but 2 weeks later it was all sorted (thanks to ebay, not the seller) and I got a full refund.