Kite for 6-10 knots

[irwe]

I (72 kg) had the same dilemma as you. My 14.5 OR Flite is fine in 8 - 10 but if it drops in deep water at 6 - 8 kts. It's over for me. My solution was to go to a Concept Air Pulsion Light with 30 m lines. 8 - 10 kts is my sweet spot for foiling and it stays in the air at 6 kts. At 12 kts I want a less powerful kite.

[flying grandpa]

It may look unbelievable, but for me Pulsion 18m has a range from 4 to 15 knots, and is the kite I can trust that it will deliver me to my starting point without swimming.

see more here: viewtopic.php?f=197&t=2393978&p=978468#p978468

Tadeusz

[Pedro Marcos]

I dont think the number 560 on the silente is the area, its the span i believe. You can have foils that start much earlier then that yes, even from moses, the 550 or the 548 will start earlier.

[Regis-de-giens]

I (72 kg) had the dilemma as you. My 14.5 OR Flite is fine in 8 - 10 but if it drops in deep water at 6 - 8 kts. It's over for me. My solution was to go to a Concept Air Pulsion Light with 30 m lines. 8 - 10 kts is my sweet spot for foiling and it stays in the air at 6 kts. At 12 kts I want a less powerful kite.

As some of you know , the Pulsion 15m is also my hyper light wind kite for months. Could not dream of any better or more fun kite. In France it is now a wide success . It would be great that someone like Petter could test one to share its feeling vs LEI because this foilkite is the closest to the behaviour of a LEI that I have tested.
If you do not have the money or the wish to jump to foilkite, strutless can be an option but clearly less effective and fun ; relaunch requires far less wind as well . But indeed in the winds drops to zero, its is more difficult to bring it back by swimming and require more drying and reset duration on the beach. Jumps ans speed are far far above strutless as well.

[dr511]

6kts is where the tubes stop ande the foils begin

[Peter_Frank]

I dont think the number 560 on the silente is the area, its the span i believe. You can have foils that start much earlier then that yes, even from moses, the 550 or the 548 will start earlier.

Yes it is the span (noone answered about the area viewtopic.php?f=196&t=2395822)

Area means nothing without knowing the profile too, but often they can be pretty similar though so it can be comparable.

I use a 595 cm2 high AR wing for 6-10 knots, I find it works the best.

Got bigger wings that can start earlier yes, but only used in the utmost marginal winds as they are more boring, and you dont get the same power once you are up as a faster wing.

Meaning, if you just CAN get up foiling on a faster wing (pumping/wavehelp/gust/peakpowerkite), you will have loads of excess power when riding, so lulls not a problem - where a really "big" wing will let you get up foiling easier yes, but you dont get the same surplus of power once up because your speed is limited.
It means a lot in my experience, so there is a fine balance.

I use the bigger wing when 6 knots average, but not when more than 6 knots, because of this

PF

[diogovilla]

I use a 595 cm2 high AR wing for 6-10 knots, I find it works the best.

Got bigger wings that can start earlier yes, but only used in the utmost marginal winds as they are more boring, and you dont get the same power once you are up as a faster wing.

Meaning, if you just CAN get up foiling on a faster wing (pumping/wavehelp/gust/peakpowerkite), you will have loads of excess power when riding, so lulls not a problem - where a really "big" wing will let you get up foiling easier yes, but you dont get the same surplus of power once up because your speed is limited.
It means a lot in my experience, so there is a fine balance.

I use the bigger wing when 6 knots average, but not when more than 6 knots, because of this

PF

What about a 682 cm2 area and 67cm wingspan wing wich is supposed to go from 4 to 28 knots? Doesn't it seems awesome?

http://www.alpinefoil.com/en/kitefoil-h ... ogram.html

[pikovsg]

Not a big fan of foil kites, much prefer LEI's for foiling:

Airush Ultra 15m - working on figuring out the range, but around 6-7 it works.
Cloud D - 13.4m - getting one soon and will test. Guessing around 7-8 and up.

The super important part of all this is a board with lots of volume and low weight. You can have a kite as big as you want, but if you have a low volume board, you won't leave the water.

[Kitemanmuc]

I don't know if its the weather change or what, but what I expected to be an 8-11 knots season its rather a 6-10 knots. Quite a difference
It seems that the 12 m2 single strut kite that I specifically bought for hyrdrofoiling in light winds, is not enough because of the lulls. Lately I had to swim in too many times.

To go for a 15m foil kite or 15m single strut or a lighter 12m single strut (the one I have is 3.4 kg an there are similar weighting 2.8 );

or not to hydrofoil in such conditions, that is the question!?

Get a Kitech 12m kite. Trust me. We are a group of foilers at the beach and everyone tried everything. Cloud kites, Storm Voyager, Race Foil kites, but the only guy who kites and actually has a blast in 6 knots is the guy with the Kitech 12m. Now we all are getting one. Check out the video. Thats 6 knots and 12m



and here check the deep water relaunch in 5-7 knots.

http://youtu.be/16Egy1-gWrQ (For some reasons this one wouldn't embed, just click the link)



The Kitech is a foil kite, but flies like a LEI kite. It is extremely stable. Yes you can fly a 12m race foil kite, but it will be very unstable and the wingtips will collapse quickly so you better be perfect on your tacks and gybes every time. You can go for a 15/17m race foil kite which will be more stable, but you will be over powered in anything over 8 knots.

The Pulsion 15m is nice, but 15m is too big and its way too expensive. $2200 kite only.

Storm Voyager or BRM Cloud are nice, but they wont relaunch in 6 knots.

The 12m Kitech relaunched so easy you barely have to do anything. It just wants to pop right back up. Even in 6 knots. Its turns fast enough so you can loop it and get up on foil and once you are riding in 6 knots the 12 provides plenty of power. Its mind blowing. The best part is the kite is quite affordable too.
https://kitehydrofoilmiami.com/ sells them. Something like $1500 for kite and bar.

You will thank me. I promise. Kitech is about to release their V5 of the kite in 2 weeks. Ask Laszlo from Kite Hydrofoil Miami about it. Best kite and you can use it all the way up to 18-20 knots easy. The 15m Kitech works too but, we all have found the 12m to be the better option. Its faster allowing for easier flying and more nimble maneuvering.

And no i'm not a brand ambassador or anything like that. Just a guy who has been in your shoes and finally found the magic solution and wants to share the secret!

[Regis-de-giens]

Kitech pursued the kind of kites that Flysurfer has abandonned and they are right. A light wind kite is not necessarily a high Aspect ratio kite for cruising. IMO they should just propose options for lighter cloths for more comfort and efficiency in hyper light wind.