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Hi guys

How important is to choose a smaller kite over your normal size for instance,.....

Normally would ride a 13m edge on a directional and would be planing in about 10 knts

Now on my foil would it be better to choose a 10m in the same wind conditions? I have been using the 13 but dealing with the gusts is difficult as it upsets the balance I have,ending the flying time.

Just throwing it out there for the experts,
Thanks
Steve

Yes, it will be much easier with the 10m2 in 10 knots (if you are average weight).

You can easily use the 10m2 even in the lulls too, and it works way better for everything, especially turning.

A 13m2 is for marginal conditions, and no fun if the wind is gusty, or above 10 knots.

So it is IMO really important to choose a smaller size - I assume you have seen this thread: viewtopic.php?f=196&t=2385198 which are my experiences

Maybe you can also find something here ? (or get more in doubt...): viewtopic.php?f=196&t=2385326

Hope this can help

PF

With a directional, which is normally one kite size smaller than a twintip, I find when I can no longer go upwind on a directional (hold my line), then that is the right size for a hydrofoil.

sflinux wrote:With a directional, which is normally one kite size smaller than a twintip, I find when I can no longer go upwind on a directional (hold my line), then that is the right size for a hydrofoil.

Ha haa, yes, you can ride with small kites on a hydrofoil even in this scenario - so really the most "desireable" area, namely where all other gear becomes on the limit or under, but for foiling it is simply prime time and fun, and you can turn and do everything with average sized kites, without being on the limit with big slow kites

So eventhough hydrofoiling with 5m2 kites is also fun, this very range juuuust under the "fun" and doable side of TT and waveboards, but not on the limit for hydrofoils, is by far the best range IMO

It is particulary good if you ARE out with a say 9 or 10m2 kite on a waveboard or TT, and the wind drops - then you just take the foilboard and it could'nt be more perfect

PF

This is an interesting topic to me also. I am relatively new to hydrofoiling, but I'm already finding that I need smaller kites. I start to feel a little overpowered on my 10 m^2 Speed 4 foil above 15 knots and am thinking of getting the 8 m^2. I think I will be able to handle more wind speed on my 10 m^2 as I progress, but probably not much. I am trying to figure out which kite I need next. It would be really good if someone could put some numbers out there, for higher winds, wind vs. kite size at body weight x. I'm about 80 kg. I think the wind range of each kite size is narrower and you can choose quite a bit of a smaller kite once you are skilled at getting up on the board/foil.

if the wind is about 10 m / s, my favorite kite size 5.5m. weight of about 70kg. learning to ride

I am the only person riding a foil in my area so I am confused when I hear that some persons (and many pros) sometimes use 18m kites. I weigh 65kg, my biggest kite is an 8m and if I can park it in the air (roughly 8 knots) I can ride my Taaroa sword well powered.

Last week an expert rider on a race board and 16m kite couldn't keep up with me in any direction of sail so really curious to find out whether a bigger kite is worth having for a non racer.

I feel that in light wind the most important is not the size of the kite but whether it stays in the air so weight to size ratio is crucial.

Johhnn. I would say you would start out with smaller kites and size up once you get comfortable with managing the power on the foil. It seemed like you were saying the opposite.

In marginal wind, yes a light kite is very helpful. And you will need a big kite to pull you up onto a plane unless you are a savvy flyer and can employ multiple loops to get you planing. As you get more comfortable on the foil you will learn how to manage power and the wind range will get bigger for a given kite, mostly on the top end.

I use something like this for hydrofoil freeride (not racing) with a high AR wing freeride or race.

Not the full windrange, but what size I most likely would choose if going out when this wind is on :

13m2 Dyno 7-10 knots (3.6 to 5 m/s)
11m2 Furia 10-12 knots (5 to 6 m/s)
9m2 Furia 12-15 knots ((6 to 7.5 m/s)
7m2 Furia 15-19 knots (7.5 to 10 m/s)
5m2 Log 19 and up (10 m/s and up)

Average weight 77kg.

The 4 smallest kites are those I have and use for waveriding too, so perfect - and then having a high AR light big (but not too big) kite on longer lines for marginal winds does it for me

PF

Thanks Randahl. Thanks Peter. Very helpful information.

I've been using my 10 m Flysurfer Speed 3 dlx for the past few sessions. It's great from about 10-15, but a little much, for me, at 15-20. It's the smallest I have. Otherwise, of course, I would start smaller and work my way up.