Doors instead of foil for summer days?

[Windigo1]

I have been using a Spleen Door and various 17M and a 22M Pansh and a few other kites for 10 years until I discovered foiling. I live in an area with very little wind and sub 10 knots wind is very variable and can go to almost nothing. It may sound stupid to go out in 8 knots but for us sometimes that's all we get for weeks.

The foil completely changed the game as soon as your moving with the foil you are going upwind like crazy. I used to do long walk of shame with the 17 because the wind drops low enough that you can't go upwind and then you have to walk back. With the foil you go upwind right away or you don't ride. You can ride for hours when the 17 are just messing around trying to get a few tacks. It's much more fun than a Door you can go much faster and you can jump in almost no wind. Our lake has a doming effect the wind is better when you get out a few hunded meters upwind with the foil you can reach the area with more wind and stay there for a long time.

[Regis-de-giens]

similarly feedback for myself : I was using a Door L with my 60 kg and foilkites 22m before foiling ; it works up to very light wind (say about 7 knot in my wind speed reference) but you need to keep concentrated on staying up-wind ; you have some reward to ride on flat seas (but not glassy in open seas) , but not a lot of possibility for fun; when I switched to HF, it was a game changer even compared to this Door+22m extrem light wind quiver : with a bit of experience, I was able to ride in similar wind with only a 10m foilkite, with far more room for fun ( carving, different upwind angles, ect ...).

Door can be a way to ride if you have shallow water or if you are too old to start a new discipline or if you can only very few times a year; but ... if you have the courage to sacrifice 2-3 sessions at the start, you need to jump on a HF, it is a completely new world for light wind : lighter winds (about 1 to 2 knots less with a 15m kite) , speed (last week I was foiling at 21-22 knots in only 6-7 knots wind), freeride all along your spot, extreme smoothness (no support information which is a game changer), relative wind feeling, pure silence, alone or almost on the spot, and flat flat flat water (glassy with a light foilkite). My opinion is that it it a real pity if you are in the situation to learn foiling and do not try it ... only learning the waterstart is 2 to 8 hours frustration (depending on your spot and skills); then when you can ride (even still foil down) it is more interesting than a door.

And the kite is far smaller, hence cheaper , funnier, and easier to handle on the beach or in the water.

Now with my feedback, and even if loving foilkites for years and years, if I had a crutial financial choice to do, I would prefer HF + my existing LEI (or strutless) rather than Door/surf + foilkite in the same 8-11 knot wind range.

[Mossy 757]

Foils can show you the world
Shining, shimmering splendid
Tell me, OP, now when did
You last let your quiver decide?
Foils will open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over sideways and under
On a magic hydrofoil ride

A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say we're only mowing the lawn

A whole new world
A dazzling place to boost and gybe,
But when I'm way up here (on my foil)
It's crystal clear
That now I'm in a whole new world with you...

[knyfe]

Oh a literal approach to posting. How much do I like that !!!

[plummet]

Cheaper? Most hydrofoils are more expensive than Pansh kites.

Compare apples with apples man. A shitty Chinese hydrofoil compared to a pansh and a light wind door.

Which is cheaper in retail terms?

For the hf you only need the hf. For the door, you the door and the monster kite.

[socommk23]

I have a large radical tt kiteboard for low wind in the flat shallow waters with my 18m diablo. 12kts is a lot of fun and able to jump around with a smile on your face.
Anything less then it's on the foil board. Today was 6-8kts and foiling was even more fun when the water was millpond

[jakemoore]

I've ridden a Chinese surf hydrofoil. It was alright and fun to ride, if a bit heavy.

I've also flown a few Pansh kites. My curiosity there is completely satisfied. Chinese foil is a much better value.

[deniska]

it looks like used foil market is pretty saturated and prices are coming down.
I have seen second hand alu foils on sale for $500 and carbon for $1000 (for complete rig)

[trickcoach]

it looks like used foil market is pretty saturated and prices are coming down.
I have seen second hand alu foils on sale for $500 and carbon for $1000 (for complete rig)

you can get new gear for even less than that : Gong foil €399 , Full Package €799 .... and it works , not like the chinese junk you find on chinese sites ...

[deniska]

it looks like used foil market is pretty saturated and prices are coming down.
I have seen second hand alu foils on sale for $500 and carbon for $1000 (for complete rig)

you can get new gear for even less than that : Gong foil €399 , Full Package €799 .... and it works , not like the chinese junk you find on chinese sites ...

No you can't..
You alu gong rig is ~$950USD at current conversion rate.
not to bad mouth gong (I don't know anything about it) but I have seen second hand GW/Moses carbon rigs with the board for a $1000 and LF used rockets for under $500 with a board..
All are ready to fly and not exactly non-name alibaba crap.