Kiting Accessories

Apart from the kite, the kiteboard and the harness, there are a several other accessories that are used to make kitesurfing one of the most exhilarating sports around. Below you can find a list of just a few of the accessories you'll need, or perhaps may just want!

Kite Pump - a must for any inflatable kite, as you don't want to try and blow up one of these big boys just using your lungs, and you don't want to over-inflate and pop your kite's bladders by using a compressed air system.

Kite Lines - the lines connecting you to your kite are slender and supple, yet strong enough to not only drive you across the top of the water, but also high up into the air.

Wind Meters - licking your finger and holding it up is one way of checking the strength and direction of the wind, throwing some grass up in the air and seeing how far they fall is another. But if you want a more accurate reading to give you an idea on what size kite you should be using, then a digital wind-meter is the only way to go.

Board Bags - keep your board safe and protected when it's not out on the water, and you can just throw it over your shoulder when you're walking from your car down to the shore.

Foot Straps & Footbeds - in the right wind, your kite is powerful enough to sweep you off your feet, so sweeping you off your board would pose no problem for it. That's why you need some straps to keep your board with you when you're harnessing the winds, and footpads offer the twin advantages of traction and shock absorption.

Kite Leashes - very necessary for all but the most advanced kiteboarders who never come off and wind up in the drink. Your leash will keep your kite with you when you make a splash, but will tether your kite in such a way that you can regain control, grab your board back and get going again.

Helmets - well advised for both beginners and hard-core kiters who are pushing themselves and their equipment to the limits.

Kite Bar - this is as important to a kitesurfer as a steering wheel is to a motorist. Not only is it used to connect you to the kite lines and therefore the kite itself, but is also used to steer the kite into the arc of sky that will provide you with more or less power and direction.

Harness Lines - most people like having their shoulders in their respective sockets, so when the wind is pulling you along your harness lines will enable to attach yourself to your kite bar so you don't have to use all your strength just hanging on.

Sheet Cleat - pulling on the centre lines will affect the angle of attack your kite flies at, and will therefore affect the power it provides. Sheet Cleats allow you to 'sheet in' or 'sheet out' to give you more or less power respectively.