Second-hand is a brilliant way into wing foiling and kitesurfing — if you buy the right second-hand. The gap between "proven ex-demo setup from a shop that serviced it" and "mystery bundle off Marketplace" is where most of the horror stories live. Here's an honest Irish buyer's guide from a shop and school that sells both new and used every week: what to look for, what to avoid, what fair prices look like right now, and how our ex-demo, trade-in and cash-offer routes work.
Why second-hand makes sense in this sport
Good gear outlives its first owner's ambitions. Kites, wings, boards and foils from the brands we stock are built for years of Atlantic abuse, and a two-season-old setup often rides 95% as well as new for 50–60% of the price. For learners it's even more sensible: your first board is a stepping stone you'll outgrow in a season or two, so paying full price for it is paying for depreciation you don't need. The maths is laid out in our cost of wing foiling guide — the second-hand route gets you on the water for roughly €1,200–1,700 all-in.
What to check before you buy (anywhere)
Kites and wings: pump it up and leave it 20 minutes — a soft strut is a €150+ bladder job. Check the trailing edge for flutter wear and the canopy against sunlight for pinholes and repairs. Boards: press around the footstrap inserts and rails for soft spots; a ding repaired properly is fine, a board that's drunk water is not. Foils: look for impact damage on the leading edge of the front wing, corrosion around stainless hardware, and play in the mast-to-fuselage connection — a wobbly foil is an unfixable foil. Bars and lines: even line lengths, clean depower throw, no fraying at the connection points. If a seller won't let you check any of this, that's your answer.
The ex-demo route: proven gear with a shop behind it
Our school and demo fleet turns over constantly, and everything lands in Packages, Deals & Ex-Demo — checked, serviced, and honestly described, with a human on the end of the WhatsApp if anything's wrong. Right now that includes the North Seek 138L wing board (ex-demo, €699) — a superb first board — and the complete North Sonar foil package from €650, which is the cheapest reliable way onto foil in Ireland full stop. On the kite side, clearance deals like the North Orbit 2025 8m at €950 and the brand-new Vantage Vulture 8m at €899 sit in the same second-hand price bracket — with warranties. Stock moves fast; if something above is gone by the time you read this, ask us what's just landed.
Make us a cash offer
Here's the bit most people don't know: the big-ticket items on our homepage Cash Offers section are open to bids. See a quiver or package you want, WhatsApp us your number, and we'll accept it or come back to you — no awkwardness, no time-wasters, just a straight deal. It's the Done Deal experience with a shop's honesty attached.
Try before any of it
The smartest second-hand purchase is the one you've already ridden. Our Foiling Hub demo programme takes the demo cost off whatever you buy — new or ex-demo — and our demo days run through the season. Combine a lesson on Rusheen Bay with an ex-demo setup and you've built the cheapest sensible route into the sport that exists in Ireland.
The short version
Buy second-hand with your eyes open, or buy ex-demo with ours. Either way, don't buy blind: WhatsApp us on 087 144 8888 with your weight, level and budget — we'll tell you straight whether the Marketplace bundle you're looking at is a bargain or a bullet dodged, even if you don't buy from us. That's the long game, and we're happy to play it.
Read next: How much does wing foiling cost in Ireland? · Best beginner wing foil packages in Ireland · Foiling Ireland — gear for every level
