Why rent beginner gear?

In a few words, it’s cheaper than buying. Here’s the gig. When you’re starting out, you need massive boards and big wings for a short period of time, less than 10 sessions, and once you get to a point where you can start comfortably and stand up, you’re probably able to move to a board that’s a better fit for a longer period of time. 

Beginner boards are typically over 115 - 150ltrs. These rapidly become cumbersome when foiling in higher winds and are difficult to jibe. An intermediate setup will be 85 to 110 ltrs. 

Additionally the beginner foils are much larger and slower to facilitate getting “on foil”. Again, this is necessary for the initial phase, but stepping down to a smaller foil happens rapidly after just a few sessions. This makes buying a beginner foil a bit of a burden because they are are expensive and the used market is rife with garbage. 

The average cost of a new beginner set up (wings, boards, foils) is close $3000 or more and even a used beginner rig is going to be in the range of $1800 - $2200. Many rush out to buy these rigs soon after they complete a lesson or two, and quickly find that they need to move to smaller gear once they have mastered getting on foil. It makes sense to spend a couple weeks on rental gear getting over the “hump” and avoid unnecessary purchases. 

Additionally, the learning process is hard on the wings. New modern wings are costly and it’s highly likely that you will destroy one or two during your initial sessions. Used wings are the best. One, they’re not worth much and two folks aren’t going to lose a lot of sleep if they get punctured. They are easy to fix and generally oversized to compensate for beginner inefficiencies. If you totally wreck one, you won’t be out a lot of money and no tears will be shed. 

Beginner used gear is in high demand and finding a solid set up that’s a good value is hard to identify because beginners have little understanding of what’s a good fit or not. What’s found on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist many times is overpriced or it’s “too good to be true” If you find a real deal, you have to know enough about the sport to identify it and buy rapidly, because  it won’t last. It’s buyer beware, it’s likely someone will sell you a race foil thats 3 years old and totally inappropriate to learn on because they are looking to dump it. Also, most of the gear available is for intermediate to advanced riders. The beginner gear I’ve seen is not cheap. Occasionally, a solid foil or board comes up for sale that’s got a great price, but never lasts for long. Trying to piece together a solid rig will take time and effort in the used market. 

Finally, if you do decide to buy new gear, you’re going to spend days, maybe weeks acquiring it. Who wants to wait while the wind’s blowing and you’ve just finished your lessons. 

That said, some foil manufacturers are modular and have an ability to swap out larger front wings, stabilizers etc. for smaller versions. When considering a foil set up, go with one that is modular. 

Here’s and example of a solid beginner rigs new: 

https://www.mackiteboarding.com/wing-foil-packages/

120ltr board

5m Wing

2100cm Foil 

With pump

Total $1700~$2000 out the door with shipping and tax and a couple of weeks

Similar Used Pricing

145Ltr board - $550

 5m wing - $300

~2000cm Foil complete - $500

Pump $50 

Total: $1400

(note the foil is not compatible with more modern gear and can’t be upgraded. The used market for modular foils is more around the $1000 range. 

Now compare this against the cost of renting a beginner rig

115ltr - 150ltr board 

5.0 and 6.0 Wing

2100 cm foil set

Pump

$175/week 

The advantage is that renting is at a fraction of the cost of buying. Two weeks and you’re ready to invest in some better gear that you will use long term. Also, you waste no time waiting for gear to arrive or piecing an appropriate rig together. You don’t have to sell the gear when your ready to move on and waste hours meeting people that may or may not buy your old beginner crap. 

The advantages are clear. Renting is a cost effective way to get and stay on the water and leverage your dollars towards gear you’ll use for an extended period of time.