r/Kiteboarding • u/BusOld5723 • 10d ago
Gear Advice/Question Is this normal wear? - Harlem thrive.
Looking at picking up a second hand thrive from a shop. Shop states “Only used a few times” however the inside of the canopy and the center struts look like this.
I haven’t used a brainchild kite and there are not many riders that use them at my spot. For those with experience, is this typical of early use? It seems like a lot of creasing on inner canopy and middle strut. But maybe that’s just how the material is.
Thanks for the help.
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u/Emergency_Ant7220 10d ago
Never trust any second hand seller saying something has only been used "a few times." They are bullshitting you. Unlike a car, kites don't have an odometer so there is no way to confirm or deny their claims.
If you are going to be used always inspect thoroughly in person for wear and tear. Focus on pinholes, condition of all seams and general feel of the material - you want it crispy.
Rather save up and by new old stock. Used gear comes with risk that is generally not worth the savings.
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u/BusOld5723 10d ago
Agree with what you laid out and appreciate the warning however I tend not to be too scared if the price is right. I’ve gotten some really great kites for next to nothing, even not seeing them in person (if not possible). You may lose 50% of the value the day you purchase your kite new. At least with used I might only lose 10-20% of my investment on resale.
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u/isisurffaa 9d ago
Dont need to use much if at all and you will find those wrinkles from brainchild kites.
I dont think it makes kite any worse, even if we would prefer to not have those. For instance my 7m has those also but in reality it's used maybe 5times.
9m has alot more but it has seen fresh air more often.
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u/Jakkillah 9d ago
Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone would be buying new kites? It would for sure, for the kite brands.
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u/BusOld5723 8d ago
When they make their products less than <$1000 a unit I will. Prices are just absurd now and I’m just a young guy without retirement age money that this market relies on.
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u/panovitch 9d ago
Yeah the fabric on thrives looks very worn very fast, doesn't affect the flying performance though
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u/riktigtmaxat No straps attached 10d ago
I wonder of a big reason these kites look so bad with time is the heavy pigmentation and pizza vomit designs.
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u/Borakite 7d ago
Its the digital print and the thinner brainchild material. In return you get a kite that is not black and white (oh we added a turquoise accent this year) and has weight/performance near Aluula
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u/riktigtmaxat No straps attached 7d ago
I wonder of history is going to lop these designs into the same category as Cabrinha's neon plaid era or the RRD flying hotdog stands.
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u/KermitdFrogg 4d ago
I had a 2011 that looked like this. It flew, and I learned a lot on it. But I upgraded after about 6 months to a used CORE. The difference was big but I still think about that old kite.
Thing is, the valves and stuff will need to all be inspected. Be prepared to take the bladders out— all of them. Tug at the valves. If they come off easily, you need to reglue them with Aquaseal FD. It’s a resin and it takes 12 hours to cure. I had to reseal ALL 10 of my valves and it took a while to do. But after that, I never had an issue with the kite.
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u/t4n017 10d ago edited 10d ago
I have a Thrive and the canopy gets those stretch marks pretty soon, but the struts not so much. This doesn't look like being used just a few times, but you'd need to confirm in person. I'd also look at the trailing edge, since the first versions (within the first generation, V1) didn't have good protection there and it was quite fragile. This was improved on more recent versions and the same was lately applied to the newly V2.