- An impact or floatation vest<\/strong><\/li>
- A helmet<\/strong><\/li>
- A hook knife<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Impact vest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Impact vests are padded vests that protect your upper body in case of strong impact. As a beginner kitesurfer you should be wearing one at all times since during that phase you typically don’t have perfect control of your kite and board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you make a bad maneuver on your control bar and suddenly overpower your kite, you may unexpectedly find yourself shooting up in the air and then hitting the water hard. Likewise, if you wear a board leash, your board may recoil and hit you hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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An impact vest comes in very handy in these situations. I wore the Dakine surface vest<\/a> (Amazon link) for a long time, as a newbie and later as I was learning to jump. The vest gave me good protection and confidence to try jumping without worrying about hurting myself on rough landings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I find the Dakine vest to be lightweight and stretchy enough for comfort<\/strong>. It’s a little bulky but not so much as to hinder my movements. I for one prefer to have serious padding around my torso<\/strong> and particularly all around my rib cage <\/strong>– which not all vests cover well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The floatation vest is designed to fit tightly<\/strong> for freedom of movement and to stay in place during impacts. It has a flat waist area for wearing a seat or waist harness on top <\/strong>of it<\/strong>. The harness on top helps keep the vest low in place, and conversely, the vest prevents the harness from riding up the torso.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The quality zipper in the front<\/strong> is very convenient – zipperless vests are a hassle to put on and remove, especially over a wetsuit. The neoprene is stretchy and durable<\/strong>. I wore my vest every session for over a year (until I stopped doing jumps) and it still looks good as new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Floatation vest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
An impact vest is not a floatation vest, it’s designed for impact protection. It does offer a bit of floatation, but not enough to really keep you afloat if you get hurt. Impact vests are not certified as floatation devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Standard floatation vests, on the other hand, are usually bulky and uncomfortable, they will slide up your torso all the way up to your ears! You know, the kind of devices you may have been wearing during your kitesurfing lessons. Good luck doing jump tricks or wave riding with one of these things on!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are, however, conditions that really grant wearing a floatation vest. I wear mine every time I go out in offshore winds<\/strong> or when sea conditions are rough <\/strong> – e.g. the tide is going out creating strong rips, the waves are big, or I’m doing a downwinder requiring me to ride out far around a cape or a rocky zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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As far as I’m concerned, I’ve found the perfect device for these situations, the NP High Hook flotation vest<\/a> (Amazon). This vest is just amazing really. It’s no thicker than an impact vest, it’s tiny<\/strong>, super lightweight<\/strong> – you just forget you have it on – and snug fitting<\/strong>. It looks like a small bulletproof vest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most importantly, this vest is designed for wearing with a harness: it has a big cutout opening<\/strong> at the bottom front with a small adjustable strap to hook it up<\/strong> around your harness hook. The elastic shoulder straps<\/strong> let you pull the vest down over the harness hook. Once you do, the vest is tighly secured in position. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I really like the thick and short side zipper<\/strong> for easy wearing and removal, and the small velcro strap on top of it for added safety. The front and back panels are very well padded<\/strong> and can actually work as an impact vest – although there’s no padding on the sides for rib protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It has a large torso pocket<\/strong>, big enough to stash a mobile, with a secure cord for attaching a key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Overall, I find the quality and design of this vest truly outstanding. If you purchase it, make sure to get a smaller size than usual so that it will fit nice and snug. I initially got an XL sizebut then switched down to a M-L for a more adjusted fit. Here is the size chart printed on the interior of the vest itself :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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I don’t usually wear a helmet, but a lot of people feel more comfortable riding with one, particularly for doing big jumps and flip tricks. It does sort of make sense, why would you protect your upper body from rough landings wearing an impact vest but not your head?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Something I keep telling myself…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you kitesurf in rocky places, or with buildings really close to the beach, a helmet may be a good idea. Also, if you’re wearing a board leash, you should definitely wear a helmet. Your board may whip back and hit you in the head at any moment, particularly in strong wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- A helmet<\/strong><\/li>
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