Are you wondering how much does it cost to start kitesurfing? In this article you will find out how much does it cost to start kitesurfing, own your own equipment and to continue practising on the kite beach without an instructor. When countless colorful kites fly near the beach in summer with warm temperatures and a fine breeze, then one or the other on the beach thinks about trying kitesurfing. But what is necessary, how much does kitesurfing cost and can anyone do it at all, these are usually the first questions that come up. First of all: kitesurfing is a sport that every average person with more or less talent and sportiness can do with a little practice. What kitesurfing costs depends on many different factors and we will analyze that in more detail below. As with any sport, not all are created equal, so here we will have a look at what kitesurfing equipment is brand new and what is on the used market. In addition, you will also find tips here on when is the best time to buy your kitesurfing equipment.
When considering how much it coast to learn to kitesurf here is the equation:
cost of learning kitesurf = cost of a kitesurfing course + cost of kitesurfing equipment
The average cost of a 9h private kitesurfing course is 400 eur
+
The average cost of kitesurfing equipment is 2.000 eur
So the minimum amount of money you should consider if you plan to come seriously into kitesurfing is around 2500 eur. However, if you require more lessons in order to become an independent rider, this sum could rise up to 3.000 eur. As you see, kitesurfing is not a cheap sport to learn
How much a kite course cost?
Are you wondering what is the price of kiteboarding lessons? The prices for a kite course are about the same worldwide. As a beginner you should plan at least a 3-day course – most kite instructors will try to convince you to do a 4-day course. The aim of a beginner kite course is to train the beginner so that after the course he has the necessary knowledge and skills to continue practicing alone on the water. There are two different systems around the world that classify the skills of kite surfers and according to which kite schools hold their training. Seen worldwide, most kite schools have an IKO certification or a VDWS certification, both systems are very similar and therefore it makes no difference which system the school you choose works with.
IMPORTANT: There are always dubious providers who do not have either of the two certifications. You should keep your hands off such schools, as there is no evidence that these schools employ trained kite instructors. In addition, you can prove your skills with the kite license from IKO or VDWS and rent equipment at kite stations around the world.
Unfortunately, there is no potential for savings on the kitesurfing course, the prices for kitesurfing lessons are pretty uniform worldwide, that’s why we assume an average of € 400 for a kitesurfing course! When choosing a kite school, make sure that it is certified that the kite instructor speaks your language and, to be on the safe side, ask how old the kite material is that is being used for the training. The training material should not be older than 0-3 years.
There are kitesurf destinations where the cost of learning to kitesurf is more expensive, such as in Northern Europe. In other destinations such as Southern Europe or Asia, the cost of learning kitesurfing is cheaper.
The cost of kitesurfing lessons also varies depending on whether the lessons are private or in a group. The cost of group kite lessons is cheaper but less efficient, so in the end, group lessons can end up being more expensive. That´s why we always recommend to take private lessons rather than group lessons
On the other hand, and something to take into account when calculating how much it costs to learn kitesurfing is the student’s progression. Each person has different abilities and progresses to a certain level. Therefore, a person who has never done balance sports will need to do more hours to learn. But as we have remarked before a 9h of lessons (around 400 eur is a fair price) is the average to start riding on the board.
Kitesurfing course done! You have already ridden the kiteboard and have received your kite license, you can now practice yourself. But to practice, you need kitesurf equipment. In the beginning, you should only kitesurf in moderate conditions and we also base the costs of the initial equipment on this. If you plan to buy a new kitesurfing equipment don´t think for a sum less than 1600-2000 eur. If you want to learn by yourself with a second hand equipment you can find quite solid used kite gear for 1.000 eur. IF you want more info about how much it cost kitesurfing equipment, check out our post bout the cost of kitbarding gear >>
We believe that there are much more expensive hobbies than kitesurfing. However, the initial investment in kitesurfing is probably a bit higher than in other sports. If you want to learn kitesurfing, you need 2-4 kites to cover a wide wind range. But once you have all the kitesurfing equipment, you have a few years to digest the expense. If you look at the expenses for kitesurfing spread over several years, the sum of expenses appears to be average to low compared to other hobbies. If you break down the sum of the costs from our example for used material down to the year, the total amount is less than € 1,000 per year.
When it comes to how much does it cost to start kitesurfing we need to take into account the number of hours we require to start being independent. The cost of kitesurfing lessons will also depend on whether we talk about private lessons or group lessons. Furthermore, after your kite course, you will need to buy your kitesurfing equipment. Hence, new equipment or used equipment is also an important point to consider when we calculate the cost to start kiteboarding.
We hope to have clarify you how much money you will have to spend to learn kite!
