In order to compare more objectively the performance of kite/hydrofoil/rider combo than test reviews, may I suggest you guys to show your day's polar and VMG. You obviously need a waterproof GPS device in order to achive that.
The program I use on PC under Windows is the excellent GPS Action Replay. I don't know of any other ones; if you are aware of any, please let me/us know. BTW, the program does a lot more than just show the polar graph. Check it out there:
http://gpsactionreplay.com/
For those who are not familiar with the use of the polar diagram, VMG, and their meaning... I've described the procedure in one of my blogs, "On the use of GPS watches to analyse tracks":
http://www.nautikites.net/blog/index.ph ... 905-145635
My session yesterday as an example:
- Wind averaging 10 knots, ranging 7 to 11
- Hydrofoil: Cabrinha Double Agent 2016
- Kite: Flysurfer Sonic2 13
- Distance covered 32 km in 2 hours, practising jibes
- Top speed: 13 knots over 100 meters (you don't need to laugh, the Cab IS slow, but so much fun - like a Piper Cub in another realm)
- Rider HF experience: still consider myself a beginner with 90 hours and 1200 km, having started nearly a year ago
Polar (speed units are knots):
And the track (which you can also visualise in Google Earth or whatever app that comes with the GPS watch):
Beware: the polar is accurate only if the wind direction isn't shifting. If it is, what is shows can be very optimistic. In that case, cut your track in smaller ones in which you consider the wind steady in direction.