Should you buy or rent kitesurfing equipment?

So you just finished your kitesurfing lesson and can´t wait to get in the water by yourself to keep practising. But you are not sure which equipment to buy or if you should put off buying material in the first place and stick to renting for a while. There are many kite brands out there and there is not the one right brand that fits all, so it is vital to find the brand and kite model you feel happy with.
Here are some things to consider and help you make the right choice for you:

1. Benefits of Renting Equipment

The first benefit of renting gear instead of buying straight away is that you can test different brands and different models and find the one that you feel most comfortable with. Most schools and kite centers work with a variety of sizes, which gives you a range of options and you can ask for advice on certain kite models and brands from the instructors.
Most schools also work with the latest models of a kite brand and the equipment is in good conditions and gets checked regularly. Especially at the beginning of your kitesurfing life, you want to make sure the equipment is in good conditions and not too old to make your learning easier and improving fast.

2. Benefits of buying your own equipment

Owning your own sets of kites, harness and board comes with some great benefits as well: You ideally found a kite brand and model you love and are confident in riding. You know your kite, you know its setups and there are not going to be any surprises in changed setups or twisted lines the next time you use your kites. Always riding the same kites and boards will also help you improve faster as you and your body are used to the equipment. You will never be depending on a school and availability of equipment rental wherever you go.

3. Choosing between renting or buying

Deciding between keeping to rent equipment or buying your own depends on certain factors. Ask yourself:

How often do you go kitesurfing?
Do the places you go to have a school or center that rents equipment?
Have you found a kite brand already that you feel happy with?

If you only go kitesurfing once or twice a year on your holiday, you might find it easier to rent equipment instead of committing to buy your own. By renting you avoid extra luggage fees while travelling, can travel lighter and always have the latest or quite new equipment available. Consider buying your own harness that fits you perfectly, if you feel some of the rental harnesses are not comfortable when riding.

If you kite more often or go to places where it is not easy to rent material, you will benefit more from having your own gear. Also, some people just prefer to have their own equipment due to the benefits mentioned above. Especially if you get a good deal on fairly new material and take good care of it, you will have a good kite for years and can most often sell it on second-hand markets after some years if you feel you want to upgrade for a still good price. Consider renting in the beginning until you found a brand and model you feel is the right one for you. If you decide its time for your own set of kites and equipment, read our detailed guide on how to choose the right kitesurfing equipment as beginner and avoid common mistakes when buying your first kites.