What exactly makes a watch " suitable for kitesurfing " ? If you want one for racing it needs a countdown timer.

Depends on your budget. I'm sure a rolex would be wonderful to kite with, but you may get your arm chopped off on your next african holiday. I find the majority of digital watches difficult to read in bright sunlight, and the watch faces scratch quickly. They do have the advantage of being lightweight. Try the one on your after in the sun. Size and bezel/face colour are important for clarity. I prefer analogue. Years ago I was looked after with nixon watches. All still going. Times have changed for them since Billabong took them over, and sold them. Having said that, I have a casio that I wore to school and would still go; if I replaced the batteries.

Rip curl now make the best of the surf brands. They have their own factory. (battery replacement requires watch to be sent back to rip curl and you get a 1 yr warranty) A lot of other companies simply contract watches to be made with their logo on. So from model to model their will be different quality issues. I would just buy a cheap no name instead. Airsail's link above looks good value.

I use this one, it has a lot of useful functions I have forgot how to use!
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mens-Rip-Curl-Shipstern-Tidemaster-2-Tide-Watch-A1029-SIL-/140920763843?pt=Wristwatches&hash=item20cf8835c3

vader said...
www.fitshop.com.au/Suunto%20AMBIT%20GPS%20without%20heart%20rate?keyword=ambit

Do you have one vader. I was always wondering, surely the battery would go flat after 1 session running a GPS. Is it rechargeable, or do you have to replace it and at what cost?

^^^ + 1

harry potter said...
What exactly makes a watch " suitable for kitesurfing " ? If you want one for racing it needs a countdown timer.

I guess one that is going to stay on my husaband's wrist when he stacks it, and that he can easily read so he knows when it is time to come home!!

I had a casio digital watch that I put a velcro surf band on. I got it in 1988 and lost it in the surf about 3 years back. Needless to say I was gutted.

Anyway I paid $15 for a water resistant velcro strapped watch from kmart and 3 seasons later its still going strong.

cauncy said...

Mcness said...

cauncy said...
When the sun rises it time to kite when its getting low It's time to go

Cauncy, LOVE IT!!! this watch is for my husband, he would LOVE your kind of "kiteboarding watch..!! "

i was gonna say kiters that wear watches have bad ass wives,

Too funny. I just spat my coffee out reading that. Although seriously, he would love your idea of a watch..! Me, on the other hand, not so much!

I hear a lot of the north riders are loving the colours from swatch

A tip I heard was don't hot shower with your watch on. The heat can expand the casing and cause water damage (hence why they call it water resistant to 100m not waterproof).

I got the cheapest 100m water resistant watch I could find and so far its lasted 3 years no probs.

bought seven in bali for f**k all, waterproof no, keep good time no, perfect excuse to show the missus why your 4 hrs late you get what you pay for, f*****g great value if you ask me

I got a Nixon watch, it looks cool and is water resistant.. chicks dig em too..

I flash it on those close to shore transition tricks all the chicks love to watch

ive gone through a lot a watches, and the ripcurl oceansearch titanium's doing the job at present
serviced in ripcurl victoria. I purchased it overseas, had a warranty issue when it was new and they fixed it no worries.

Mark _australia said...
I had a Nixon a few years back and it was a really nice watch but when the battery was flat the jewellers told me it was a real non standard thing and it was hard to find, had to order one O/seas or something
Same thing with something else, maybe the seal...?

anyone else had that drama? I always wondered if the shop was full of it/just could not be bothered

It's kind of right what jeweller said. A decent watchmaker would do it though. Kind of like modern service station if you asked a mechanical question. Nixon has their own factory and their product is unique. That chunky look and case is NOT made in some generic Chinese factory, hence you'll rarely see a Bali/ cheap copy. Some of the watches have 3 separate batteries and they are smaller than standard. If you rang Nixon customer service direct 075 5899 899 (i think) they would help you. Like rip curl, they will want to do a pressure test and replace seal if needed. It's probably going to cost $50-100. If you go into a billabong store you can avoid postage costs. They're a great timepiece, worth hanging onto. I feel your pain, I have a few and try and conserve battery by storing with crown unscrewed.

BTW as stated in other posts...the weakest point for the rip curls and Nixon are the pins in the bands (especially the stainless bands) in heavy watches. Check your pins, & link spacings if you value them.

Thanks for the tip Pearl, I may get it done cos I like the watch.

Default I am with you on pressure tests, never had it done but I tell them it does go swimming so they make sure the seal is right and it gets a swab of rubbergrease anyway I think. Not that I dive but now and then it does to 5m, and it gets dunked 30x a session windsurfing. No dramas with the last 3 or so watches.

Mcness said...

Can anyone recommend a good waterproof men's watch suitable for kiteboarding? And does anyone have any thoughts on garmin watches? Thanks.

I bought a $110 Lorus on special for $49 which was advertised 'waterproof to 100m' more 18 months ago. It allowed me to check how long I'd been out and come in for water and an energy bar during long sessions (you loose track of time on good days), I could time the end of a session to the last minute on cold, winter's evenings, so didn't have to pack up in the dark, and leave the beach in time for my work shifts. About 2 months ago it got water inside the glass but it still works. It adds to conversation at the bar when people say 'Do you know you've got water in your watch?, to which I reply "I kite".