tmcfarla wrote:pcloud wrote:Some very helpful responses. It seems at over 20 kts or so, many prefer planing to foiling. That is what I am trying to understand. People who foil seem to really love it, so why not at over 20 kts?
thanks
You probably need a new kite for anything much over 20 knots. I'm scared on my 6m at 25 knots, mostly because it gets difficult to keep speed under control. The way I deal with being way over powered on a twin tip, bearing straight down wind to lose speed, doesn't work very well on a foil, they are too efficient to lose speed. At a certain speed, the falls begin to hurt quite a bit- you are moving faster and falling from higher up than with another board. Maybe I could move that range up a little bit with a smaller kite, but at some point the chop alone seems to give the foil a mind of its own.
I think it is definitely worth getting into, 10-20 knots is great on a foil, and I imagine nearly every place has a good number of days in that range.
Agree with you and Opie
I ride my 5m2 to 20 knots but not over, dont work for anything but race or going back and fourth, and most hydrofoilers needs (but havent got) a smaller kite to be powered spot on.
I've just gotten a 3.5m2 (Takoon LOG) to ride in more than this.
Not having a small kite is the only reason I take (took) a waveboard when +20, except when perfect sideshore and good wave conditions of course, but very often NOT the case, it is often choppy surfaces or not sideshore and then a hydrofoil is WAY more fun IMO, also in waves
Mixing things up are great, sometimes on a waveboard, other times on a hydrofoil (wavetype) when close to 20 knots - and having a small kite makes you able to choose whatever you like on a given day, a win win
PF