Was there a few years ago and there were a few places out of town towards the lagoons that were into kites etc. Underground had their R&D and factory there and nearby there were other operators - schools and retailers and it looked like you could hire stuff there?

fuelled said...

I'll be cruising around NZ for a couple of weeks at the end of Feb and won't be taking my gear due for mobility reasons. I'd also love to know if there is anywhere (Christchurch or otherwise) where it's possible to hire gear. I hear the kiting can be pretty decent down there.

I was thinking the same - though the cruising around part was too awesome.... and the kiting part was shelved..... check out the mountains, walks (and beaches) on the south island ..... amazing.....

Hi Guys,

The town you are looking for is Ferrymead, it's where Underground are and where the school and retail for kiting/windsurfing/surfing is.

The biggest and in fact the only kiteboarding shop in Sumner to my rcollection is East Coast boardriding Co. They are at the bottom of the estuary on the western shore, pretty much right across the road from Underground.

I don't know if they do hire, but they did have a school and some retail. It was mainly a windsurfing shop last time I was there (many years ago) but also had a decent amount of kiting gear and a cafe adjoined to the shop which was good for a feed and a coffee! From memory the shop owners name was James.

It's a great place to kite but is subject to tide. Super flat water!

Here is a link I found for you yellow.co.nz/new-zealand/eastcoast-boardriding-co?what=Eastcoast+Boardriding+Co&where=new-zealand

Here's the web links to both and only shops in Chch:

kitesurf.co.nz/

kitesports.co.nz/

Here's the kiting locations minus the Estuary


I was just there and I also took my kite gear which just turned out to be excess baggage because the conditions were sh1t.
I also had to buy a better wetsuit yep you need a wetsuit there all year round if you live in Aussie you won't handle the 14C water temp which the the temp NOW !
Bloody cold miserable and I didn't rate it at all.
I got out 3 in 3 weeks in crap cold conditions.
There is a good surf break though about 30 mins out of the city at a place called Waikuku Beach www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/WaikukuBeach.shtml that has some decent size wave riding I went there mostly for the waves, feet felt like ice blocks after about an hour kiting.
Coming from Perth I can tell you I didn't enjoy it at all due to the weather conditions.
The locals are used to it and they are pretty hardened to the cold it seemed but man I wasn't and couldn't do much more than an hour in the water at a time.
3mm wettie minumin.
Let me just say I was glad to arrive home in Perth for a kite.
I'm sure they have there good days but I never struck any.
The wind didn't blow much when it did it seemed to be mildly stormy conditions.
I suppose if you lived there you'd put up and aclimatize to the conditions but it makes you feel blessed living here thats for sure.

Flux said...


I was just there and I also took my kite gear which just turned out to be excess baggage because the conditions were sh1t.
I also had to buy a better wetsuit yep you need a wetsuit there all year round if you live in Aussie you won't handle the 14C water temp which the the temp NOW !
Bloody cold miserable and I didn't rate it at all.
I got out 3 in 3 weeks in crap cold conditions.
There is a good surf break though about 30 mins out of the city at a place called Waikuku Beach www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Waikuku-Beach that has some decent size wave riding I went there mostly for the waves, feet felt like ice blocks after about an hour kiting.
Coming from Perth I can tell you I didn't enjoy it at all due to the weather conditions.
The locals are used to it and they are pretty hardened to the cold it seemed but man I wasn't and couldn't do much more than an hour in the water at a time.
3mm wettie minumin.
Let me just say I was glad to arrive home in Perth for a kite.
I'm sure they have there good days but I never struck any.
The wind didn't blow much when it did it seemed to be mildly stormy conditions.
I suppose if you lived there you'd put up and aclimatize to the conditions but it makes you feel blessed living here thats for sure.

i agree i lived there for a year or so and its where i learned to kite. It is pretty cold.. but you do get used to it i owned a 3-2 and only really got frozen to death once :)

also the only breeze you can go in is an easterly and NE the best.. what ever you do DO NOT go in the NW.. man that thing is narly comes from the mountains and wil gust from 5 to 30knots no exageration :0) sotherly no good either comes of the hills... sigh it was frustrating when your ultra keen for a kite and wind just never seems to play ball.. we really are blessed in WA

Ah yes, but as the Chch people will tell you, it's not as cold as Dunedin. Or, the south coast. Or some of those sub-antarctic islands that belong to NZ. They'd say: jerseys on kids! Get your hair wet bro!