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Hi I've read all the posts and there seems to be several opinions on using LEI's in light wind. ie the big ones. some say foils are better some say inflatable for light wind are ok. I've seen the old arx 23.5 in light wind and it seems that it was out when even foils couldn't stay upwind. any opinions??? I guess the problems include relaunch and falling out of the sky in lulls?

bigger tubes are heaveier than bigger foils.
So in really light winds the tubes tend to stall much faster than the foils.
And the foils are easier to restart, since big tubes are alomost not possible to restart, better with a fith line.
Also big foils are faster in steering, or at least used to be. The new 20 sqm kite are pretty fast these days, but I can't comared at thius moment ot the foils, since I didn't try it.

I had a day earlier on this month when I wished I had a Flysurfer kite....

However Once going even in these light winds you can still rip with a big LEI kite......

Just don't use an X2 .... In this day i was the only person in the water... everyone else with their 20m X2's and wakeboards were flying their kites on the beach.... and they were dropping from the sky..... my big red (20m AERO) only fell when overflying it when doing forward spins... in sub 10 knots..... and it relaunched both times!!!

LEI's DO work in light winds..... but only certain types!!!

BLOWN AWAY

I have the 18.1 mach 1 which is in a lot of opinions the best light wind lei of the moment for very low end. It gets me up in 7-8 knots and jumping in ten and i weigh 87kg with a 142 wave tray. I canont comment on foils but i think 8 knots is a minimum for kiting with any kite - less than this go mountain boarding or surfing or whatever.