foil in San Diego

[eabmoto]

I grew up surfing in San Diego but started kiting after moving away. Just started with a foil. I'm wondering if a foil and a 12m could get me on the water with the average winds that blow out the surf most days. I have an idea about what kind of wind I need, but can't relate that to my experience living in San Diego because I hadn't started kiting yet. Hope that makes since. What's the foil scene like in San Diego?

[Randahl]

I'm wondering if a foil and a 12m could get me on the water with the average winds that blow out the surf most days. I have an idea about what kind of wind I need, but can't relate that to my experience living in San Diego because I hadn't started kiting yet. Hope that makes since. What's the foil scene like in San Diego?

If you're good with the kite you can probably use the 12 down to 10-12 mph. Once you're foiling and making apparent wind a 12 is plenty for messing around. Getting up to foiling speed from a stop is where the 12 might be too small in light winds.

Foiling is taking off in SD. It is becoming a must have if you want to get any real kite time here.

[davesails7]

Getting up to foiling speed from a stop is where the 12 might be too small in light winds.

Line extensions can help with that

[rhorton1]

What are typical kite sizes one uses in San Diego? I assume 17m or larger for a displacement board, but what about kite sizes with a hydrofoil?

[Peter_Frank]

What are typical kite sizes one uses in San Diego? I assume 17m or larger for a displacement board, but what about kite sizes with a hydrofoil?

A 17m2 does not make much sense on a hydrofoil for the average weight, no matter where and what the conditions.

A ligthwind LEI 13 or 15m2 on longer lines, if marginal conditions - will give you more IMO.

Even heavier guys than average, often have a 13 or 14m2 as their max kite size when hydrofoiling.

BUT, of course you can ride WAY way better at a typical marginal wind spot (in less wind and more power and performance and less risk of dropping the kite) if you get a good lightwind kite instead, which would be a foil kite like the Elf Joker or Ozone Chrono or maybe the coming Flysurfer Sonic.

Then you could even go up in size, and start at 5-6-7-8 knots maybe, even if really warm weather ?

PF

[borist]

What are typical kite sizes one uses in San Diego? I assume 17m or larger for a displacement board, but what about kite sizes with a hydrofoil?

Less than 10 mph in San Diego these days = foils + 15 to 19m kites. Usually Chronos or Elfs, couple tube race kites. Smaller kite on long lines is not the best solution here as we are quite often squeezed close to shore due to wind direction or size of the spot. In these conditions it is not easy to body drag far enough from the shore to get a chance to loop smaller kite enough to get going. Big kite is just easier. Wind tends not to build up suddenly, so getting overpowered is typically not a problem.
There are several racers here who ride bigger kites than needed to get maximum performance.

(me: 8-10mph = 19m race tube kite, 10-12mph = 14, 12 and up = 12 or smaller)

[rhorton1]

Thanks for the info. I'm working on a homebuilt hydrofoil in anticipation of an extended trip to San Diego this summer and was wondering what kites to bring. Looks like I'll be OK with my 12m and 15m. I appreciate the info!

[K3rM1t]

I lived and kited in SD for many years and still travel back and kite as often as possible. Boris speaks true. Most guys are in the bay on foil kites now and fast foils, but I have been pretty successful with a 12m or 14m tube kite and foil. The really light days pretty much require a foil kite as it's the lulls that kill you. Keeping a 14m tube up in a lull if you aren't actively foiling (say on a blown jibe/tack) is pretty tough and I swam home a few times. There have been days where I can't even keep a 12m tube in the air and these guys are ripping around on the foil kites. It's pretty impressive after fighting the light winds in SD for so many years before foil boards.
As for the ocean, in north county the guys are foiling on tube kites 12-14m in size. This last week while I was there, the wind was almost directly onshore which would have made fighting lulls, waves, current and an upsidedown foil board just to get to deep water pretty difficult. Typical NW winds would be better.

Those Chronos and Elfs are expensive (as are the boards) but it's getting some of my friends out 5 days a week, almost every week in lightwind SD. That makes up for the price for them.

[eabmoto]

Good info, thanks. I'm not used to what light wind really means. I think I'm going to get lucky this weekend though.

[Randahl]

The 18m Elf and Chrono has seen a lot of use lately in SD. But those are mainly the serious race guys and they are using all of the power. All you need is a steady hand and a steady 8 mph. Ha ha. But you better be pretty good in those conditions. My sessions usually end with a wet kite.

SD wind sounds pitiful, and it is usually. I laugh when people talk about their 13m "light wind" kite. On the bright side it's good for the surf, many great glassy days. The wind usually comes up into that range where it's windy enough to junk up the waves but not windy enough to have a thrilling kite. Now with foiling and foil kites the kiting range and surfing range overlaps and sometimes you have to make the surf or kite decision.