Which Kites and lines lenght are most people using for 30 to 50 knots

[Peter_Frank]

In 30 knots average wind on a waveboard for average weights, a 5 m2 starts getting too big pretty fast, and 4 and 4½ m2 starts to fit very soon.

50 knots as said, is simply a very wrong interpretation of how much wind there really is, and I bet 99 % are wrong when they say they were out in 50 knots (average wind, only thing that counts...) with big kites 5-6-7 m2 on surfboards.

When windy, 25 knots and up, meaning 6 m2 kites and smaller for average weights, some uses 18 m lines as you get a much faster redirect, and can control it easier in gusts

Myself, I dont like the shorter lines, as I find them to be too much on/off and not give smooth power and control - but this is a thing only you yourself can learn, trying - listening to us will give you no clue whether you will like it or not, sorry to say or6.

I have no idea about TTs, but you only asked about surfboards/waveboards as I understood your question?

Peter

[early bird2]

5m SS Wave and surfboard in 30-35, gusting to 45. Best kite I’ve had in big, gusty wind.

Caps , quite interesting , what's your weight and what board do you use ?

[caps]

80 kg and 6' Jimmy Lewis Shack. Gorge and coastal rides. Or the same kite foiling in 20-25knts. The 5m Wave sits deeper in the window so you don't get the crazy surges as you do with other more-forward flying kites. Probably any wave kite is better with the gusty conditions that usually accompanies the 30-35 kt days.

[bragnouff]

I'm using my son's Airush DNA 4m on 20m lines.
Riding with small kites is all about riding fast otherwise it's too on/off. And to ride fast you need to be comfortable and not overpowered. If you have to keep your speed down because you're maxed out, and worried about a gust 2 kts stronger, it's much less enjoyable. Get a tiny kite, and ride full speed with a safety margin!
Photo is in about 30-35kts by the way

[plummet]

50 knots as said, is simply a very wrong interpretation of how much wind there really is, and I bet 99 % are wrong when they say they were out in 50 knots (average wind, only thing that counts...) with big kites 5-6-7 m2 on surfboards.

Peter

I'm not sure what your fascination with average wind is. But that is not what is being discussed here. The title clearly states 30-50 knots. That is a min of 30 knots and a max of 50. Average wind in 30+knots is an almost useless measurement as the wind is hardly ever clean. The safer way to consider wind is looking at the min max gust lull of the day. An average wind of 35 knots gusting from 30-40 knots is reasonably controllable. The same average wind on 35 knots with a gust/lull swing15-60 knots will kill you.

But i do agree that 50 knots is a shittonne of wind.

[early bird2]

I'm using my son's Airush DNA 4m on 20m lines.
Riding with small kites is all about riding fast otherwise it's too on/off. And to ride fast you need to be comfortable and not overpowered. If you have to keep your speed down because you're maxed out, and worried about a gust 2 kts stronger, it's much less enjoyable. Get a tiny kite, and ride full speed with a safety margin!
Photo is in about 30-35kts by the way
IMG_0795 (Large).jpg

bragnouff , This is exactly my feeling , you nailed it .
I'm going back to wave kites , probably 5 ,7 , 9 and stay 45knots gusts max .

[mikelet]

In the past : Ozone instinct Light 5m , been maxed out a couple of times with strapped surfboard ,really don't know the average or gust windspeed...i remember suffering ,making the walk back through the beach to the parking facing the wind carrying all the material...
Later : Ozone instinct Sport 2 5m , same but twitchier kite than the Light, feel unsafer the couple of sessions i get out
Now : Ozone Enduro 6m planing to upgrade to Cabrinha Drifter 6m.....
I realized 6m is the limit for me now ,as in side onshore winds waves become unrideable foam at these high winspeeds at my spots...
23m to 25m lines works best , slowering the kite and avoiding wind shadows and lulls....

[Faxie]

8m Legacy2 on 24m lines untill 40-45 kts I think. Haven't ridden it in more wind yet, but had to work pretty hard in 45kts gusts (I don't trim it btw). When it's nuking 50+ I'll get my 5m Element4 on 20m lines.

Strapless I ride my 5m above 30 kts untill 40 I think. 20m Lines.

Weigh 87kg.

[macgruber]

5m Ocean Rodeo Storm works well in the Gorge especially Rooster Rock when it hits 50 mph. Not sure I’ve hit 50 knots though (57.5mph). It is rock solid stable with 5 struts and 23m lines

[tilmann]

4m Rally with 30 m lines in a hurricane. Longer lines are way more controllable in strong gusts.
My opinion: the smaller the kite the longer the lines.