Your kite is not a rental
You’re standing on the beach, fully rigged, feeling like a responsible adult with hobbies. Then your friend hits you with the classic, “Can I try your kite?” And suddenly you’re not a kitesurfer anymore, you’re a risk manager with sand in your ears.
Should you lend your kite to friends? Sometimes yes. Sometimes absolutely not. The real goal is avoiding the mess, the broken gear, and the awkward vibe where you pretend you’re fine but you’re mentally calculating replacement bladders.
When lending a kite is smart
Lending gear is not automatically bad. It can be generous, community-building, and sometimes it’s the reason someone sticks with the sport. But it’s only smart when the situation is controlled, the person is ready, and you are not about to become the unpaid gear insurance company. You don’t need to give them all your gear, a board or a hat can do the trick without too much of a risk.
A good lend situation usually looks like this:
You know the rider’s skill level because you’ve actually seen them ride, not because they told you “I’m basically intermediate now.”
Conditions are easy, steady wind, lots of space, no sketchy shorebreak, no weird gusts behind buildings.
The rider understands safety systems and can self rescue without turning it into a survival documentary.
There’s a clear plan for how long they ride and where they stay, so you are not scanning the horizon for an hour like a worried parent.
You’re not giving up your own session so they can try your kite/board/harness or whatever.
Your friend rides upwind confidently, can relaunch without panic, and wants one tack on your 9m because they’re curious how your kite feels compared to theirs. Wind is side shore, 18 to 22 knots, clean beach, no crowd, no drama. That is a reasonable lend. But only if you’re comfortable doing it.
When lending a kite is a bad idea
Most “bad lend” situations have one thing in common, the beach is not forgiving, and the rider is not consistent enough to handle surprises or being too confident. Which is basically kitesurfing’s whole personality.
Here are red flags that deserve a polite no:
They have never used that type of safety system, and they want to “figure it out.”
They are between lesson level and independent riding, meaning their kite control is fine until it suddenly isn’t.
They are tired, overconfident, or trying to impress someone. This combo is undefeated.
The wind is offshore, gusty, stormy, or anything that makes your gut feel weird.
The beach is crowded and launches are tight. One mistake and you are now famous, for the wrong reason.
They have a weird vibe that you don’t like
Your friend can waterstart but still drifts downwind a lot, and today the wind is gusty with some side-off moments. They ask to borrow your brand new kite “just for a bit.” That is how kites get tangled into umbrellas and friendships get tested.
Pick the right friend and moment
This is the part nobody wants to say out loud. Not all friends are “borrow my kite” or even “borrow my gear” friends.
There are different categories:
The Responsible Kiter Friend: They rig neatly, they check lines, they ask where your quick release is, and they do not send your kite through the power zone like it owes them money.
The Chaos Kiter Friend: They are fun, they are loud, they have the best stories, and they somehow always have a new ding on their board. You can love them deeply while still not handing them your main kite.
The Beginner Friend: They might be your favorite human, but unless they are supervised by an instructor, lending your kite is not helpful. It is a shortcut to stress for everyone.
The Non-kiting Friend: If they ask to try your kite, assume they do not understand the danger. This is a sport where a “quick try” can break bones. Give them a trainer kite, or give them snacks, not your 12m.
Quick decision filter: If saying yes makes you tense, that is your answer. Being generous is great, but being safe is better.
Gear checks that prevent drama
If you do lend your kite, you need a mini system. Not a full lecture, just the essentials that stop small mistakes from becoming expensive ones.
Better be safe then sorry:
Confirm kite size is appropriate for the wind and rider weight.
Check lines are equal, not twisted, not wrapped around anything.
Confirm leash attachment, correct point, correct orientation, not “whatever looks right.”
Test the quick release, then reassemble it properly.
Explain your trim setup, especially if you ride with different depower than most people.
Gear tip that saves friendships
Take a photo of your bar setup before they go out. Center line, trim, safety, anything unique. When they hand it back upside down with the depower pulled to the moon, you can reset it fast without guessing. This sounds maybe like overdoing it but it’s your gear and you paid a lot of money for it.
Common gear mistakes when friends borrow:
They rig the lines crossed, then “fix it” by swapping front and back.
They hook in with the donkey dick situation wrong, then panic unhook.
They do not know your kite’s relaunch behavior, so they oversteer and invert it.
They crash it leading edge down repeatedly, which is a fast track to bladder issues.
At this point it stops being about generosity and starts being about etiquette. Once someone else flies your kite, their decisions affect everyone around. That idea is exactly why How not to be a douche while kiting exists in the first place.
Set rules without being weird
Yes, it feels awkward to set rules with friends. But you know what feels more awkward? Asking them to pay for a ripped canopy while everyone pretends it’s no big deal.
Set the agreement before your gear leaves the sand:
How long they ride.
Where they ride.
What to do if they get in trouble.
What counts as “stop now” conditions.
If they break it, they buy it.
Also they want to try your gear, that doesn't mean you need to supervise them.
Money talk without the friendship funeral. Agree upfront who pays for what. That does not mean you are unfriendly, it means you live in reality. A fair approach is, if you lend gear, they cover damage that happens because of their mistake.
When you should just say no
Some days, the correct answer is no, and you do not need a big explanation. Even if you don’t have a clear reason why, a no is a no.
Say no when:
Wind is offshore or sketchy.
The spot is crowded.
You are riding your only kite in that wind range.
You do not trust their judgment today.
You are not in the mood to supervise.
You don’t like their vibe.
Before you hand it over
Lending your kite is not a moral test. It is a decision that mixes safety, gear care, conditions, and whether you want to spend your session relaxed or silently stressed.
If you say yes, make it a structured yes. Pick the right person, pick the right conditions, do the quick checks, set boundaries, and keep it short. If you say no, say it with confidence and a smile, because your kite is not a community bicycle.
If your friend says “Don’t worry, I’ve got it,” that’s adorable, and also exactly how your kite ends up in Bolivia.
xox Berito