{"id":712,"date":"2019-11-29T23:06:45","date_gmt":"2019-11-30T04:06:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kitesurfingacademy.com\/staging\/2899\/?p=712"},"modified":"2021-02-13T11:42:55","modified_gmt":"2021-02-13T16:42:55","slug":"why-is-kitesurfing-so-expensive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kitesurfingacademy.com\/staging\/2899\/why-is-kitesurfing-so-expensive\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is Kitesurfing so Expensive?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Small Community<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The main reason why kitesurfing is so expensive is the popularity of this sport. Or the lack of it to be exact. Kitesurfing is NOT that popular. There are about two million kiteboarders in the world, a relatively small market if you think about it. Given the small number of manufacturing companies and the frequency at which we are buying new gear, production quantities are very small, so you can call kitesurfing a unique, boutique, specialty, elite, custom, exclusive and limited edition type of business. None of those words sound cheap. There is no wholesale, it’s mostly a drop-ship situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One solid fact about kitesurfing gear is that you need more than one piece of equipment to start riding. The saying goes that you need three things: the kite, the board, and the harness, put simply, but in reality, you need TEN (plus) items, and we explain this HERE<\/a>. And as you may guess each piece of gear comes with its own price tag. Sometimes a few items come in a package, some retailers offer “all-inclusive” packages for beginners, which is a sure way to save money, especially if you are just starting out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Materials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

About the materials used to make kites. These are neither linens nor handkerchiefs. And those long-long kite-lines are no shoelace either. Both are made of very strong yet lightweight materials and this combination gets only more and more expensive when the materials get stronger and lighter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Labor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Now about the craftsmanship. It’s flawless! Well, it should be, at least. And to achieve this high level of quality the kites are not stitched in a sweatshop but are crafted by skilled professionals who are very passionate about kitesurfing and it is done on the equipment that is not designed in China. Many kites are made by the same companies that produce parachutes and paragliders as an additional product line, yet with the quality that is on par with parachutes and paragliders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n