Advice on foil kite

[TomW]

There's a 2017 Ozone Chronos 2, 9m2 with race bar , 2 hours of use time for sale in my country for 1500€ .

I've been thinking about getting a foil for hydrofoiling , and wondering what wind range I can get out of this kite. I'm 78 kg riding a Moses fluente with 550 wing.
I'd like to replace my single strut 12m and 9m kite with one kite.

I've never flown a foil. But have been kiting 16 years

[cwood]

warning it is addictive and soon 1 won't be enough. What style of foiling do you enjoy? What are your launch sites like?
These are kind of like owning a high end sports car....there are practicality considerations and some trade offs. Its all I fly so I'm a bit biased.
Buying lightly used is a good way to go .....but lightly is key because the R1V2 bridles have a life span to consider.

[TomW]

Hi cwood,

I'm into Freeriding. I'll never race.

My budget is limited and if I buy a foil kite, I'll stay with my Fluente and 550 wing. If I keep my Mono 12-9 then I could get a Vorace mast ( longer) and another wing instead.

I'm attracted to the idea of bringing one kite to Cabarete on holiday where it's 12-17knots.
Also was eyeing a Hyperlink 9.

My local spots have plenty of beach or grass to launch. I'm only on the ocean.

Note this is not an R1V2 but a Chrono V2.
What kinda range can I expect from a 9 Chrono V2??

[Ulrik]

How about the new Kitech Free RS ?

A brand new 9m² complete with Bar is only 1449 Euro.

It is similar to the Hyperlink, but lighter and faster turning.

I have ordered a 12 m² for light wind foiling ( and boosting on my TT)

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[grigorib]

Why not trying to get a 590 wing instead? It might actually replace your 12m kite and you’ll stick to the 9m mono for the 10-20knots range. That’s for 1/6 price of used foil.

I encourage you to demo a foil too and as a freerider/non-racer you would love it for lightwind 6 knots and up, especially on 590 wing.

But keeping the memory muscle and riding style of a light and quick LEI feels great for freeride foiling.

[TomW]

Grigorib,

That's what I was thinking. A Vorace with 590 wing. I could also just get the 590 wing and use it on the Fluente mast, which is probably smartest.

Information I was after is realistic range of a Chrono V2 9m.

[sedluk]

I fly both foil kites and LEI. I prefer foil kites and prefer to fly them when the launch is reasonable.

Several times I have heard from people who have never flown a foil kite that the range is a lot different than a LEI. Interesting that I have never heard this from someone who flies foil kites.

My point is that a 9m foil kite will not replace the range of a 12m LEI. There are some subtle differences in wind range and power. The foil kite might benifit more from apparent wind, might possibly turn slower and fly a little faster through the power zone. They might have a little more range but it is subtle.

I have lots of foil kites, my guess is that a 9m foil could replace your 9m LEI. It just seems a little weird to me that a 9m foil would replace 2 kites and if you want a first foil, I would recommend a 12m, replace your 12m with a foil kite and you might get some benifit. I have plenty of 6-9m foil kites and while I like them, hard to make a convincing case that they are far superior than a LEI.

A 12-15m foil kites can be a lot more fun to fly than a LEI if you enjoy flying a foil kite.

[grigorib]

A Vorace with 590 wing. I could also just get the 590 wing and use it on the Fluente mast, which is probably smartest.

Information I was after is realistic range of a Chrono V2 9m.

I think it’s pretty cool to own a long mast and/or a short 71 mast. You can always buy one. Mast is not the key though.
The larger 590 wing would add great deal of lowend foiling, earlier take-off and will keep you on foil in light winds.

Foil kites tend to stay up in the air in less wind but you can work a LEI and squeeze good power stroke or loop power from the LEi too. Pros and cons but I wouldn’t reduce my quiver and travel with one kite only.

[Slyde]

for 12-17 knots a decent 9m LEI will be fine and is a lot less hassle. Unless you are racing or after max speed a foil kite is of little point. I have a 9m chrono v2. Its nice, but for freeriding no better than a 9m edge to be honest, although does hang a bit better in transitions. Its a notch down ie. 6-14 knots when foil kites come into their own for freeriding. I'd look for a 9m edge or similar IMHO -best foiling kite ever
But to answer your question realistic chrono v2 freeride range with 20m lines is about 12-20 +/- a couple of uncomfortable knots at either end

[jakemoore]

Hyperlink will fly when Mono will not. Might need long lines to get power out of it the marginal winds.

Today I was flying static in 6-8 mph and not enough to bother going in the water and not enough to keep the kite stable overhead. If the Hyperlink 9 if its stable overhead I can foil on 30 m lines. I would guess for me it turns on between 8-10 mph. I don't have the skill to take that kite on a hydrofoil in 20 knots. With the efficiency of a hydrofoil, size for size a foil kite has better low end.

Hassle is conditions dependent and subjective as well. Untangling bridles, pumping, patching bladders, tuning bridles, self launch and land, water launch; all potential hassles.

The advice to replace a 12 LEI with a 12 foil kite is not bad advise. But I know a few who have 9 as their biggest kite for free ride. Maybe it depends on how power hungry you are and how much wind you have.