As kiters, we are very closely connected with nature. It offers us water and waves, wind and weather, beaches and meadows. Without nature, kiting would not be possible. Therefore, it is even more important that we take care to protect our natural environment during our sport, not to harm it, or even better: to give something back to it. We can achieve this by kiting sustainably. But how does this actually work? Where do we cause damage to nature through our sport? What should we pay attention to when buying kite equipment? And what else is there to consider? I want to answer these questions now.
Am I destroying nature by kiting?
I think we all know the feeling: You walk through the water and crunch under your feet. Oh dear, that was probably a shell or a small crab… Well, off on the board – a jump – and fell softly: In the middle of a sea grass meadow.
When we kite, plants, animals, and benthic habitats (i.e., seafloor habitat) can suffer from our sport. Especially small shells, animals or plants are probably not happy about our presence. But are we really causing much harm?
The International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) describes the impact of kiteboarding as follows:
As an action, kiteboarding has no negative impact on the environment because the hull causes no physical damage in the water, produces no waste products or pollutants, and consumes no resources from the natural environment. Nevertheless, the process of manufacturing the equipment, the presence of the population and even more the organization and execution of events can have a significant impact on the environment.
International Kiteboarding Association (IKA)
Overall, we don’t really cause any more harm by kiting than other beachgoers. But as the IKA has pointed out, our sport is not only about the action itself, but also everything that happens around it. So it’s worth taking a closer look here!
Can I pay attention to sustainability with my kiteboard?
On the subject of kiteboards, the good news is that there are already initial attempts to produce sustainable boards. There are two different approaches – one is to use more recycled material (e.g. recycled carbon), the other is to use CO2-reduced materials. In the latter case, for example, glass fiber can be replaced by flax fiber. Flax fiber is a natural material that has similar properties to glass fiber in terms of flexibility or strength. Another option is to use resin, which is not based on petroleum and is therefore less CO2-emitting and more sustainable.
However, there are not yet many boards that have these properties. So what can you generally look for when buying a kiteboard?
- Second hand platforms (e.g. Ebay or Facebook Marketplace) are great possibilities to get used kiteboards (and other material). This way, no new material has to be „made for you“ and the old stuff doesn’t end up in the trash – so the board stays in the cycle longer.
- Buy a board that really suits you, because that way you will be happy with it for a longer time and won’t need a new one so quickly. Test different boards extensively before you decide for one!
In order for your board to last a long time, care is also very important. For example, protect your bindings from strong UV rays and rinse your board with tap water or clean fresh water after your session (especially if you come from salt water!). When traveling, you should also protect your board from damage in transit – This is where a kitebag can come in handy.
And what about clothing?
Probably the most important piece of clothing for most kiters and surfers is the wetsuit (neoprene is actually just the brand name of the DuPont company). If you’re lucky, you can even go out on the water in Europe in just board shorts or a bathing suit, but unfortunately that happens rather rarely in a lot of countries. But what is a wetsuit actually made of?
The wetsuits, which were invented by DuPont, are made of a synthetic rubber that is produced on a petroleum basis – that is, on the basis of a non-renewable resource. In recent years, other wetsuits have increasingly been made from limestone, which is also non-renewable. In addition, the mining of limestone is complicated and requires a great deal of energy. As a result, many wetsuits are unfortunately anything but ecological.
Fortunately, there are now some more sustainable alternatives: Neoprene made from natural rubber, from recycled plastic bottles, with bamboo or carbon fibers… (Coming soon, another detailed post on this. Stay tuned!).
So here you can definitely pay attention to the ecological footprint 🙂
What role does my sunscreen play in this?
Without it, I (and also many others) could not even step outside the door in the summer with my fair skin, let alone go kiting: The sunscreen – our friend and helper. Precisely because it is so important for us, we should realize that it can also wreak havoc on nature. But why is that actually the case?
It is mainly due to the ingredients of sun creams. For example, chemical UV filters or plastics can be found in many creams, so corals, small fish and other marine life can suffer and even be killed.
But the good news is that we can still protect ourselves from the sun without being a burden to nature: through sustainable sunscreens. You can recognize these by the fact that they are biodegradable and do not contain the harmful ingredients mentioned above. Creams with mineral UV filters are particularly environmentally friendly.
It is still difficult to find these sun creams, because many are not tested for biodegradability. Often, however, you are already on the right track with certified natural cosmetics.
All in all, it is also possible to pay attention to sustainability when it comes to sunscreen. Would you like to learn more about the effects of ingredients and possible alternatives? Then you might be interested in my next post!
What else is important?
The keyword here is: Trash! Probably one of the easiest ways to take care of the environment is to pick up your trash and dispose of it properly OR simply avoid creating trash in the first place. Reusable bottles, glass containers or bamboo straws already make a big difference.
However, the many charities that deal with the issue, often founded by surfers, show that it’s probably not so simple after all. Also through the internet we see more and more often littered beaches and waters. And I think many of us have already experienced it ourselves: you’ve found a really nice spot and the only thing that bothers you is what other people have left behind.
Especially plastic is a big problem, because it is almost impossible to decompose in the sea – it rather decomposes into thousands of small parts and this also takes many, many years (for a PET bottle e.g. up to 450 years). And the bad thing: Microplastics are also dangerous, because they are often eaten by marine life and thus reach our plates through detours (Want to learn more about this? Another post coming soon!).
„The remnants of our throwaway society cost the lives of up to 135,000 marine mammals and one million seabirds every year“- NABU
So getting rid of trash is one of the most sensible measures to protect our environment and at the same time also a measure that each of us can easily implement. What more could you want?
Another tip: If you want to do even more, you can get socially involved with marine conservation organizations, for example. They are happy about any help 🙂
– Lotta Lilena