Drying kitesurfing equipment is a must because storing it wet is out of the question. For example, kitesurfing again with an unrinsed (wet) wetsuit is uncomfortable and unhygienic in the long term. Storing a wet kite causes mold. The 'weather' comes in. You can extend the life of your kite and kitesurfing equipment if you rinse and dry it. In this blog we give you some tips on how to deal with this. For example, how to dry your kite if you lack space.
Safe out, safe home
Of course you have to take a few things into account when preparing for your kitesurfing session in the rain. For example, you don't want to kitesurf during a thunderstorm. Read the tips in the blog: Can I kite surf today?
Tips on the waterfront
Keep the storm going?
Sometimes it is a matter of 5 minutes after which it dries again. Then it is useful not to pack during the downpour but to wait. When preparing for your session, you know approximately how long a shower will last. Are you in the tail end of a storm and it's time to go home? Then it makes sense to continue kitesurfing so that your kite is dry when you lower it. Nothing is as nice as putting a dry kite in the bag. You don't have to let it dry at home anymore.
Cleaning kitesurf equipment
Are you going home with a wet kite? In any case, make sure it is as clean as possible. As you can see in the video, knock the sand off your kite and rinse your bar with lines, board, trapeze, pump and yourself before you walk to the car. Do not completely submerge the pump in order to keep the interior as dry as possible.
Boardbag and storage bag
Once at the car, you store your kitesurfing equipment as watertight as possible. This prevents a lot of residual moisture and sand in the car or even salt crystals in the upholstery. I have a simple and cheap Decathlon board bag and well-known Frakta bag from IKEA, but there are of course much more charming solutions via the kitesurf shops to obtain.
Dry your kite once at home
To rinse with fresh water or not?
Perhaps a bit too economical, but I prefer to rinse a kite that has crashed in the sea at home with fresh water. This prevents salt crystals on the leading edge in the long term and ensures a longer lifespan of the kite. I always rinse the kiteboard, the bar with lines, wetsuit, etc. with fresh water. At the bar I always pay extra attention to cleaning the safety system.
Drain first
Drying without a garage or large empty space is a thing in itself. Wet items must first drain, otherwise the moisture will penetrate everywhere. If you hang your wetsuit along the wall, for example, you can be sure that the stucco or wallpaper will become damp and the plinth below will quickly fill up with water. Shame. So I hang the stuff outside or in the shed to drip dry, after which I hang it inside overnight with a towel underneath.
Wet kite drying
The kite is almost never so soaked that it drips out. So I just put it on the laminate. If necessary, I first dry it a bit with a cloth and put an old bath towel under it. As you can see, the kite can be folded quite a bit so that family members can easily pass it. You can put the kite back after an hour or so so that the parts that are still wet can also dry. My experience is that a kite dries quickly indoors.
Conclusion drying kitesurf material
Are rainy days a reason not to go kitesurfing? A vote shows that 70% don't care much about it and this also applies to us. We don't let rain and the consequences of wet kitesurfing equipment stop us. In this blog you have received a number of tips on how to deal with this. Last but also important to mention is the attention for the home front. The home front wants to keep you happy. Of course you also make sure that you vacuum when your kitesurfing equipment is dry and packed. That way it will be fun for everyone.
I always rinse everything after every session, bar, shoes, pump, board, wetsuits, etc. But if you really don't have room for the (a wet) kite, for example, then that is often a lot of hassle. What also works is to roll up the kite as dry as possible after a session (see above) and let it breathe/dry open in the bag at home. After a day, take the kite out and dry it and roll it back up in the room. There isn't a vacuum cleaner or broom that can't solve that. Or you have to move to the south 🌞
Tip from Theo, I always do it, but especially when it rains, fold the kite in half, so the inside stays dry and free of sand. When I go to the sea, I take a jerry can (5 liters) filled with (rain) water, so I can put on my wetsuit and rinse my stuff. Then everything goes into the car quite clean and at home everything goes into the rain barrel again.