Who here is Kite Foiling?

[txtph]

Aloha All,

Been kiting since 2000. Started with a 2 line Naish 9M and a 6' Sky Pirate board. Used a wrist leash.

Moved to twin tips shortly thereafter, the Best Waroo in the mid aughts was a game changer for kites.

Over the last 5 years have gone back to surfboards and using mostly Naish kites, Parks and just this year, Boxers.

Started trying to foil last May with some success in Maui. Back home here in TX using a foil behind the boat.

My set up is a Liquid Force Happy Pill 4'10" board and a Liquid Force Thruster foil with a short mast (60 cm).

Anyone else making the transition? If so what has been your set up? Board? Foil? Straps? Mast Length?

[jumptheshark]

What is this “foiling” you speak of?

[Adolfo]

Sure.
Lots of foilers here.
My evolution was similar to yours. Started kiting in 2001 with directionals. Used 2 line kites and wrist leashes. Had a couple of Waroos.
Now I mostly surf or foil. For foiling I use the same board that you have. It’s a LF Happy Foil with the standard mast (100 cm?) and the 4’10’’ board. For kites I use North Neos, but almost any kite will do for foiling.

Never used a short mast, so I can’t give you any advice there. As for straps, everything works. It`s personal preference. Just try different configurations a find the one that suits you.
For me, the only thing that doesn’t work with this board is strapless, because the fuselage is so heavy that it straightens the board very fast, making it very difficult to water start.

Just go for it, and enjoy.

[grigorib]

Many are in transitional period and soon the question would be "who's not foiling". I heard a sarcastic and dismissive slur about TT calling it a "wakeboard". Nothing wrong with ramps and booties, or surfboards they're still guys in love with those - probably for many since they came from wakeboarding or surfing to start with

Personally, I started with stunt/revolution kites, T-ARC130 was my first quad kite back in 2003, rode landbord on handles on 3-5m kites for a while, kited with TT later on, got a kitesurboard, understood that for LW I need a door, along the journey my LW kite sizes went from 19m to 16m to 15m, my TT kite size went from 13m to 12m to 10m and back to 11m+9m to cover more of boosting range, added 7m and 5m later and sold the 15m LW kite because of foiling.

3 years ago I started with 2013 MHL Lift foil (long mast - aggressive learning), loved it, went to smaller board (DC 54"), went to faster wings (GW545 and that sucked but I wanted the 42" mast and smoother ride bad), went back to MHL, went to even smaller board (DC 42" and loved it), went to use hook and later when hook broke I went strapless, went to larger/thicker wing for GW (Moses 548), got a short mast for shallow waters of SPI/OBX, went to even larger/thicker wings for GW (Moses 590), added a huge wing (Moses 633) to cover LW wind range

Foiling is my form and shape of sailing and I love it. Still take my TT to boost on a 9m Turbine in 25-30 knots, but sold my LW kite this spring, and sold one of two door boards and selling all kitesurfboards. Foiling 70% of time and not taking TT to our local lake with gusty inland winds for last two years.

[TomW]

Trying to sell my TT. Surfboard not used last 30 sessions.
Mostly 40+, 50+ age dudes foiling here. We were 3 guys out in super light wind today after work.
Afterwards I was packing up and overheard 2 guys and a gal in under 30 age talking about it and speculating what it's like compared to TT, and talking about trying it...
Now that there's people out doing it, others are getting interested, especially when we are on the water and they are stranded on the beach.

[Toby]

This is the correct forum viewforum.php?f=196

[Mossy 757]

Sold my TT a few weeks ago, it's slow, bouncy, and boosts terrible compared to my foil.

[cwood]

Sold my TT a few weeks ago, it's slow, bouncy, and boosts terrible compared to my foil.

"slow, bouncy and boosts terrible" made me laugh out loud

[grigorib]

I'm not selling my TT and not even the door because when it comes to riding 3" depth of flooded beach or riding/jumping around in knee deep water and kicking fun transition by shore in ankle deep - there's no foil which can do that for me.

Also, screw foiling in 35+ winds - my shorts are adding up as a sail to the kite size. I'd have a nice TT flying session instead.

Last, not least - foiling in seaweed infested waters is a torture. Not many wings/stabilizers come in arrowhead shape yet and one or another tends to collect all that mess.

But out of two kitesurfboard one is getting good use as a shade - strategically positioned to block direct light from first floor ceiling lamp from reaching couch on the loft.

[Pemba]

Still trying/starting. I bought a clearwater foil kit and stuck it on an old 2,1 m (yes old) directional kiteboard. I think there's something wrong with my setup but I'm sure there's also still lots wrong with me so I continue to struggle, about once a month or so.