How high is high? (Foils vs LEIs)

[urbanr]

Big hello to everyone,

I was in Berlin this weekend buying a new board to go with my Flysurfer.de SpeedAir12 and soon to arrive Warrior9.3.

I chose the new Takoon Curver 164 which, I will happily submit a review of as soon as I get the chance.

What I would like to ask however, and get your opinion(s) on, is what the sales person at the store told me when asked about the FS kites.

In his opinion, foil kites do not have the same lifting capacity as LEIs. He went on to describe the aerodynamics of both types of kites, making hand gestures as to how the wind turbulance is created under both designs, etc... Basically saying, you can't jump high with a foil (BUT, can go long.)

So my question is how high is high...?

To those of you who own Flysurfer.de Warriors, or have seen them in action on the beach, I would love to hear about your highest, longest, loftiest jumps.

And for those of you who use LEIs, throw in your responses as well...

Let's see who as the most deserved bragging rights!

urbanr



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: urbanr on 2002-05-19 15:24 ]</font>

[Guest]

it is correct, that tubes jumphigher than foils, at least what I saw and experienced so far. I remember one day last year, when I went out with my ARX 7.5 and Armin Harich from Flysurfer with his 9.3 Warrior Prototype. My highest jumps were about 5 m and his about 3-4 m.
But I never saw a foil jumping higher than me.
If the foils carries you longer in the air, I don't know, but after flying the X2 I don't think so.

Toby

[murdoc]

foils are more difficult to jump right - you mustn't kick them back as hard as a tubekite.

you can jump 'high enough' with a flysurfer kite

i've used both 12 and 9m speedairs.
in low winds, you won't get high with the 12m, but you'll get some airtime, while a 15m tubekite is not really worth jumping ...

important for the flysurfers is that you don't jump depowered - if the profile's not there, there's not much lift ...

[Guest]

Also check out the thread on the
following website: http//:www.kite-surf.com

It is in the forum section.

I think you can go just as high. (maybe
higher with a foil) but not as long.
(slightly less hang-time).

This is just my experience.

[Toby]

maybe you can.
but as I mentioned before: I never saw one jumping higher than a tube.
And if it is possible, you must be very experienced! So with a tube you jump higher and easier.

[Guest]

Hi,
if you want to jump high with a tube, try a small arc.
The height you reach is amazing, at least same as a tube!
But the flight wont last longtime, it is difficult to land soft.
Thisl

[murdoc]

well - the wedged version of the arc 840 gets some nice height.

the other arc's are IMO about 2/3 the power of a tubekite.

@toby: just watch the guy with the directional board (the yellow big one) in powerzone II.
you can't see it there, but he's riding a blade.

and jumping very high / high enough.

[Guest]

Yes Murdoc, but did you ever try a unwedged 4m Arc in 8Bft? This gets you high! Agree that you could even jump high with a towel in this wind...
Thisl

[murdoc]

well, then try a 5.5m ARX in the same conditions

i've never tried the 460 - the 630 is already too fast.

840 and 1120 are nice kites, also the stack of 630 and 840 has a nice speed. all smaller models are too fast and the bigger sizes are too slow for me.

[Guest]

Elliot Leboe uses LEI's for technical wakeboard tricks, Handle passes etc, but for his really big jumps he uses blades on 40m lines. I think he talks about this in the Boost instructional video.