buying kites

would you buy something from overseas without knowing what the kite handles like ?


You are prepared to put $1000's on the table and risk it on buying a dodgy kite and then not being able to return it ?


I think you can answer your own question

but i no what kite i want and have flown it just wanna no whether its cheaper or better to buy from overseas or from a local shop?

if there is a fault with the kite are you going to send it back over sea's for a claim or a part replaced...
It's just common sense mate, if you think you can save $50 or $100 bucks then you are taking that risk....

Buy everything from overseas - that way you won't have to worry about what's at the local shop because there won't be one.

If your local shop goes out of business what happens to demo days, warrantee claims, spare bits of gear, free advice, repairs, choices in boards and kites to inspect and try.

And, no, I don't work for a kite shop.

I buy from my local store because:
- I get to try out everything I want to buy before I make my final choice.
- There are a couple of guys who are better kiters than me and they can give some decent advice.
- When I have decided I choose my colours, walk out the door and go kiting. No waiting.
- I have had several minor problems. Some warranty, some not. All were fixed immediately for no charge.
- Another guy had a major problem and was loaned a kite for the rest of the season and given the new model when it came out. No charge.
- By asking nicely I can usually get a discount.

This is not true of all stores.

I have found that frequently you can go to a store and speak to someone who is an excellent rider but they know stuff all about the kites and how they work and what they do.

They need one intelligent kite nerd who knows stuff. Not too nerdy that they can't put sentences together.

People who own shops band together and totally dominate this subject. Fair enough they could loose a sale to another shop with a different post code.

I figure if you have the skills with computers to navigate a forum and brave enough to take advice from forum punters. What is the difference between talking here and talking in a shop.
There are way more experts HERE than the intermediate guy working behind the counter. If the shop rider was truly "elite" he wouldn't be working in a shop making $12.50 an hour after school.

Shops only specialize in what they make the biggest margins on or what they have sitting on the floor.

You can get demo kites through Internet shops, I have done it many times. It true you do get far better prices online, shops just cant compete with online prices especially if you know how to search the net.

Online is safe. I have bought stuff online for almost 10 years with zero hick ups.
Its safer to manage your money online than it is to have cash or swiping random credit card machines.
Buying from a shop is for cashed up dummies with no computer skills.

Support your local shop. Buying one new kite means they don't have to work the streets at night to pay the rent.
Buy a new board and they can eat for a week.
Buy a new harness and they can buy some grog.

terrible to think you can have an informed intellegent relationship with your local kiteshop, without being a muppet and paying to much for a product.
Lovely, not so.
Your attitude is going kill localised trade. Most good shops,also run online shops with discount. Most good shops employ(sponsor kiters), yeah they might not speak your lingo cos they dont type and click on yo arse.
Next time i go to my online pub, buy virtual beer, pay by non existent money, shag my plastic bertrand, sod off lovely. Real life as is the experience of kiting is easier to judge the truth face to face.
Wow what was the question, tangent oops

support your local for so many reasons !
you will get discount for being local
you will get service,demos of latest kites boards
Lend of kites if yours is out of action
hook up with other kiters for downwinders get togethers bbq's
warranty issues and repairs delt with quickly
etc etc
I am all for ebay an seabreeze but your local kite shop is invaluable for
kiting community strength in numbers and education for neubys to stay
onside with council and surf life saving regs,if it wasn't for our local an the work done behind the scenes with negotiations with council etc I am sure bans could well be in place in fav spots.
So how much is that worth ? More than your savings on a one off bargain thats for sure.
Well thats how our local stacks up anyway,thanks to the owners for being passionate kiters themselves.

Honestly I would love to walk into a local shop and buy the brand new kite that I want. For the past three years I just couldn`t afford it. And I just don`t like buying second hand gear. So for me, my only choice was to buy on line. Last year I bought a new kite that was going cheaper than some of the second hand models from the year before. Yes I could face problems receiving faulty gear, but I`ve saved so much $$ over the last 3yrs that I think for me it`s worth the risk. In no way am I trying to discrcedit local shops, because I have bought from them. And just like in rest of life there are good ones and the not so good ones. I just hate being made to feel guilty because I`ve decided to buy my gear on line. If local was so important why do I see so many Naish, Cabs, liquid force, etc kites on the water, as well as in the local shops?

maybe you should change were you shop lovely, sounds like someone there kicked your dog.......not all kite shops are as you discribe. I for 1 would always support a shop where i can go back to if i have a problem or need assistance ...weather it be kites , bikes, boats, tech gear, musical instruments, anything really. If i am i going to spend good money i want to be able to try before I buy and i want some kind of backup. I do my research on line. So I have some computer skills, as the GM of a large manufcturing business I don't think I am a dummy either. The guys behind the counter where I shop are expert kiters and well known. They have a wide knowledge of all types of kiting. I tend to think of internet shopping as internet roulette, particularly if you are not shopping from a shop internet site that you have some knowledge of. There are a lot of horror stories out there about people experiences that do not rival your 10 years of perfection. I hope that chip heals soon.

^^^True, SA has excellent shops for this.

New or second hand comes down to how much cash you got. if you can afford new, get it. If you've got a local shop, use it.

If your getting a 2nd hand kite on the net, double check what year it is. I've bought 3 kites off seabreeze two a year older than advertised and one was actually a year younger.

I kited for years with the closest shop 1000km away.
Never got to demo kites so bought kites without even seeing them
If something broke it was off to the hardware store for yet another attempt
A warranty issue meant sending the kite away for weeks with no kite
Over the years Others have started kiting and they have also been through this.

So we opened a shop
Kiters can now see and try the different kites in real life
Exmouth now has the expo to demo all the gear together and learn so much more about different kite designs or board shapes
We stock heaps of repair gear and help to keep everyone on the water ( including travellers)
You can actually try different harness's on and get the right size.
DEC now have someone to complain to instead of just banning kite boarding
Exmouth kiters have joined the Exmouth Yacht Club so we now have a club, Bar, lawn area on the beach showers, toilet etc.
AND
As yacht club members we are covered by their third party insurance and have our own $75,000 personal accident insurance.

None of this would be possible if I Just kept earning better money at work.
Most kiters would probably be riding the wrong equipment with everyone buying gear from what they read on here.
Some may think less kiters the better but up here its great to have others getting into the sport, one day locals may out number tourists.
Do what you want, but I believe the local shop is worth having and we will only survive with your support.
Your ever helpful shop owner
Scott

no argument there Funky ....but maybe calling every one who does buy from a shop "computer iliterate dummies" might solicite a few replies.

Buy wherever you want, online or instore, but buy in Australia, please.
Most Australian retailers will try to match anything from overseas anyway, but sometimes we just can't match price dumped product.

The internet will not stop or greatly affect a good retailer from making a living, heard all that for a few decades now , strangely though shopping centres and bricks and mortar retailers continue to expand, probably at a similar rate to online stores. Online is just another way to buy, but buying online does not make anyone a smarter buyer, and buying instore does not make someone dumber.
People say these things to justify to themselves how they purchase, is the better way for them.
If you live in a remote area online purchasing is almost a necessity.
Support the Australian industry and economy though FFS!!!