Have you ever bought a piece of used gear, have it arrive and found that it was unreliable, broken or priced unfairly? At REAL we believe that when you buy a piece of used gear, you should know exactly what you’re buying and be confident that it is ready to ride. That is why we created the REAL 15 Point Inspection for all the used gear we sell.
Just like mechanics who know how to inspect your car, we know how to inspect kiteboarding equipment. We complete a detailed evaluation of each kite, bar, board and harness we list online. We spot wear and tear, fix breakage and rate the gear accurately using the REAL 5 Star Rating System before we place it for sale – so you know exactly what you are buying.
In this article:
- The REAL 15 Point Inspection
- The REAL 5-Star Rating System
- Used Kites Rating Breakdown
- Used Kiteboard Rating Breakdown
- Used Control Bar Rating Breakdown
- Used Harness Rating Breakdown
- Used Inflatable Wings Rating Breakdown
- Used Foil Rating Breakdown
- Used Foilboard Rating Breakdown
The REAL 15 Point Inspection
During each 15 Point Inspection we complete:
Kites
- 5 Hour pressure test
- Canopy inspection
- Leading edge inspection
- All seams are inspected
- Bridles inspection
- Pigtail inspection
- Pulley inspection
- Inflate valve inspection
Kiteboards
- Top and bottom inspection for dents & scratches
- Fin inspection
- Footstraps / Footpads inspection
- Complete hardware inspection
Control Bars
- Bar Tune- So all lines are equal
- Safety system test
- Kite Lines and Pigtail inspection for cuts/abrasion
- Hardware/Swivels/Jam Cleat inspection and cleaning
Inflatable Wings
- 5 Hour pressure test
- Canopy inspection
- Leading edge inspection
- All seams are inspected
- Handles inspection
Foils
- Leading edge inspection
- Trailing edge inspection
- Wingtip inspection
- Screw inserts inspection
- Front wing condition
- Rear wing condition
- Fuselage condition
- Mast condition
- Hardware condition
Foilboards
- Traction Pad inspection
- Top and bottom inspection for dents & scratches
- Track Box inspection
- Footstrap screw inserts inspection
The REAL 5 Star Rating System
After we inspect and evaluate REAL used gear using the REAL 15 Point Inspection, we document any damage and give it a star rating from 1-5 stars:
- 5 Stars – Gear is in Excellent Condition – This piece of used equipment is like new. It has very little wear and tear on all parts.
- 4 Stars – Gear is in Good Condition – This piece of equipment shows some evidence of some use and will have slight wear and tear but is in good condition.
- 3 Stars – Gear is in OK Condition – This piece of equipment shows evidence of use and has wear and tear on it but still has a lot of life.
- 2 Stars – Gear is in Worn but Ready to Ride Condition – This piece of equipment shows evidence of heavy use and has wear and tear on it but can still be used to ride today.
- 1 Star – Gear is in Unusable Condition. (1 Star, unusable gear is not available on REALwatersports.com.)
Kites
- 5 Stars – Kite holds air and the canopy is crispy and not discolored. The leading edge, bridles & other components don’t show wear and tear.
- 4 Stars – Kite holds air and the canopy is softer and could have slight discoloration. The leading edge, bridles & other components could show slight wear and tear and there could be minor repairs to the item.
- 3 Stars – Kite holds air and the canopy is softer and could have discoloration. The leading edge, bridles & other components show evidence of use and there could be repairs to the item.
- 2 Stars – Kite holds air and the canopy is soft from use and likely has discoloration. The leading edge, bridles & other components show evidence of use and there could be minor or major repairs that have been done on the item.
- 1 Star – Kite needs to be repaired before it could be used.
KiteBoards
- 5 Stars – Board has no cosmetic or structural damage, fins are intact and footstraps don’t show wear and tear.
- 4 Stars – Board could have slight cosmetic or structural damage that does not require repair and fins and footstraps could show minor wear and tear.
- 3 Stars – Board has some cosmetic or structural damage that has been repaired and fins and footstraps show some wear and tear.
- 2 Stars – Boards is banged up but still functional and safe for riding.
- 1 Star – Board needs some work before it is ready to hit the water.
Control Bars
- 5 Stars – Kite lines are in-tune and are not discolored. Safety system works. Pigtails, kite lines, depower line/assemblies and the bar itself do not show any fraying or wear and tear.
- 4 Stars – Kite lines are in-tune but might have some discoloration. Safety system works. Pigtails, kite lines, depower line/assemblies and the bar itself show could show minor fraying or wear and tear.
- 3 Stars – Kite lines are in-tune but has discoloration. Safety system works. Pigtails, kite lines, depower line/assemblies and the bar itself could show corrosion, fraying or wear and tear.
- 2 Stars – Kite lines are in-tune. Safety system works. Bar shows heavy wear, but it still has life in it.
- 1 Star – Bar needs repair before you can ride it.
Harnesses
- 5 Stars – Harness shows very little or no wear and tear. Buckles, fittings and straps do not show abrasion or corrosion and the item does not appear to be used.
- 4 Stars – Harness shows minor wear and tear. Buckles, fittings and straps might show slight abrasion or corrosion and the item could be slightly faded from use.
- 3 Stars – Harness shows wear and tear. Buckles, fittings and straps could show abrasion or corrosion and the item could be faded from use.
- 2 Stars – Harness shows significant wear and tear. Buckles, fittings and straps show abrasion or corrosion and the item is faded from use but can still be used to go on the water.
- 1 Star – Harness is not in usable condition.
Inflatable Wings
- 5 Stars – Wing holds air and the canopy is crispy and not discolored. The leading edge, handles & other components don’t show wear and tear.
- 4 Stars – Wing holds air and the canopy is softer and could have slight discoloration. The leading edge, handles & other components could show slight wear and tear and there could be minor repairs to the item.
- 3 Stars – Wing holds air and the canopy is softer and could have discoloration. The leading edge, handles & other components show evidence of use and there could be repairs to the item.
- 2 Stars – Wing holds air and the canopy is soft from use and likely has discoloration. The leading edge, handles & other components show evidence of use and there could be minor or major repairs that have been done on the item.
- 1 Star – Wing needs to be repaired before it could be used.
Foils
- 5 Stars – Foil component has no cosmetic or structural damage, wingtips, leading & trailing edge don’t show wear and tear.
- 4 Stars – Foil component could have slight cosmetic or structural damage that does not require repair and wingtips, leading & trailing edge could show minor wear and tear.
- 3 Stars – Foil component has some cosmetic or structural damage that has been repaired and wingtips, leading & trailing edge show some wear and tear.
- 2 Stars – Foil component is banged up but still functional and safe for riding.
- 1 Star – Foil component needs some work before it is ready to hit the water.
Foilboards
- 5 Stars – Board has no cosmetic or structural damage, track boxes and traction pad don’t show wear and tear.
- 4 Stars – Board could have slight cosmetic or structural damage that does not require repair and track boxes and traction pad could show minor wear and tear.
- 3 Stars – Board has some cosmetic or structural damage that has been repaired and track boxes and traction pad show some wear and tear.
- 2 Stars – Boards is banged up but still functional and safe for riding.
- 1 Star – Board needs some work before it is ready to hit the water.
Browse our huge selection of used gear or Contact Us for more information.