best foil kite for gusty conditions

[Windigo1]

Check out the Pansh Genesis it's a low aspect kite similar to an Ozone Access but closed cell. It's the most stable foil kite I have ever seen in gusty wind it's rock solid. At 200$ for the 12M it's a steal.

[edt]

It's a sin not to try that Pansh Genesis for $200, lol. I'll give it a shot and if it doesn't work well, I'll have a nice blanket!

[Pump me up]

The QUESTION is the problem
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirma ... prov=sfti1

There is NO “best foil kite for gusty conditions!” Foil kites, aka “ram airs,” are aerodynamically INFERIOR compared to inflatables, particularly in gusts. Please let me know if you’d like details.

Cheers,

[andylc]

You took your time! Where HAVE you been recently??

[kitexpert]

Pansh Genesis is a stable kite, but it is not a performance kite. It turns slow and jumping with it is quite lame. There is also some tuning work to be done in that kite.

Ozone Access is better kite and it has some performance too, but of course not very much. Peaks are very stable kites but their power output in high winds is not so nice (I don''t know how it is in latest version though) and it is very difficult to jump with a Peak.

I've made some lowish aspect foil kites which have never collapsed or front stalled. It can be achieved by using stable enough airfoil (and some other things), drawback is kite looses some power. In high and gusty winds it is not a problem though.

[kitejumping]

I think flying technique matters way more than a specific kite, for foils some generic tips for gusty conditions (the norm where I live in the mountains).

If it's gusty, look upwind for snownadoes and dodge them, they will collapse your canopy.

If it's real gusty and frequently cutting out between gusts, it's better to keep the kite slightly further back in the power zone so it doesnt overfly, collapse, then power up in the middle of the window or bowtie.

If your kite does start to collapse while riding fast (snownado blew it towards you) cut upwind as fast as possible to try to get it back to its normal shape as soon as possible before it bowties or gets tangled in itself, I find closed cell foils handle this better as they keep their shape more than an open cell.

If it really picks up, when you move the kite from one side of the window to the other, don't park it above you, if a gust comes you could get lifted and dropped... on ice... usually every year where I live people that learned on water do this and one of them gets seriously injured when they get lifted then dropped onto ice. Instead ride straight downwind to reduce the pull of the kite and keep it low as you move it across the window, if really overpowered when doing this I'll pull the bar in and stall it as I move it from one side to the other, when you move the bar back out on the other end of the window it will rocket you off. This way if you get way overpowered on a gust you'll get dragged downwind and not up. It might be intimidating to do at first but it's way safer.

If you want to play it safe, always rig up a size that you can handle for the max gust you expect to encounter that day.

All kites are different, and it will likely take a bunch of sessions riding in bad conditions to really get to know how your kite handles and tricks to handling it better.

[kitejumping]

Also, once you learn how to fly a foil in light wind (they like to keep moving) you'll be able to keep a small 6m or 7m foil in the air when a 15m LEI won't stay up, as far as specific kites, the lower end of any ultralight kite is pretty amazing.

[Bille]

I kite inland lakes in the winter on my iceboard and some of the nicest conditions are when the wind blows between 5 knots and 30 knots the sun is shining and the ice perfect, but most of the time right around 10 knots, so an inflatable is a problem.
...

Find a 8 or 10M PL Venum-1 or 2 ; the 10 flies easy in 4-6 mph, and the top end
for me is over 40mph, (proven).

The TE of each cell is kinda round ; so when a gust hits it, the cell walls
flatten out, making the airfoil twist , to unload the pull , (its automatic).

I'd be glad to lend Ya mine ; but i'm sure Ya wouldn't give it back , (so NO)
because it's still my go-to kite , in gusty wind at Ivanpah, on my buggy

Bille

[edt]

tks Bille! I've heard of venoms but never demoed them.

[Bille]

tks Bille! I've heard of venoms but never demoed them.

Check this out edt ; here is a topic from less 3 months ago, and
the guy was actively looking for one :
http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php? ... om#p996620

I thought NO-Way would i give up the one i got ; but i think For-Sure
your an honorable guy , and i will lend it to Ya , for a 6-pk of Good beer !

Bille