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Hi

It could be nice to share which light kites we know, and what their characteristics are

Foil kites are a different thing, and I think many of us knows these very well - but what about LEI kites ?

For hydrofoiling particularly when freeride and waves, we want a light kite, as we ride in much less wind with the same sizes as racers or those wanting to go fast mostly.

Some of us uses the same kites for waveboards and/or TT's.

Current good allround and wave kites are most often "bombproof" strong and works awesome for that, or freestyle.

F.ex a Naish Pivot, or a Takoon Furia - both turns excellent, stable and drift well, and strong as hell, depower great - perfect for what they are aimed for
But for hydrofoiling they are heavy, and with a 7 or 9m2 they can be impossible to relaunch because of that, if out in the lower end of a specific size, thus the light LEI kites are interesting !

Two different types (at least), the higher AR ones that turns slower (meant for racing), but still has okay depower and could work in the smaller sizes as faster.
And the general ones lower AR, "allround" types.

Important that they are light in the smaller sizes too IMO - and as most use a foil kite for marginal wind, we are talking about 12m2 and more likely smaller sizes.


Boardriding Maui Cloud C2 and C5
Strutless and light, can depower on the spot by means of luffing all over, great.
It flutters loudly when turned sharp or looped, thats the downside - or you have to get used to it.

LF Solo
1 strut and light, depowers okay almost as the Cloud I imagine.
Same flutter sound of course.

Zeeko Notus Air
1 strut, not tested by us users yet I assume.

North Mono
is another, not tested yet.

Naish Ride
Two strut kite - characteristics ?

Naish Trip
Strutless - characteristics ?

Ocean Rodeo Flite Gen 4
Three strut, more stable when overpowered, and not much flutter sound. Most likely not as fast turning as some of the other lower AR ones.
Other characteristics ?

Best Roca
Three strut kite with lots of grunt/power, on cost of depower.
Other characteristics ?

Cabrinha
- could not find any light kites ? (except for the way too big Contra's, not really for hydrofoiling)

F-One
Not really any as only one LEI kite...

Takoon
Not really any either...

Please comment away, and add others - just remember, you can not get it all so when you have a positive feature, it will have a corresponding negative one too of course, and add that side too

PF

Reverse launching?

boardjockey wrote:Reverse launching?

Yes, but every bridled kite can do that, right ?

Still true, an important feature indeed

I have found most LEI dont reverse well if at all. Lack of a trailing edge bridle seems the main problem.

If kite makers started listing accurate sizes, projected areas and weights for kites it would help a lot when choosing gear, but maybe then that's why some/most don't?

I think it is well establish the Cloud is the lightest LEI and pretty close to the lightest foils. A new class of kite like the Monjet will be the only way to go in even lighter winds.

Well this is what Switch kites gives you, this is from their low AR Element V4, but for every kite in their range you have the technical info.
Cheers Dude

I like to foil with RPMs
2016 model go upwind very well! not a race kie but 100% covers my needs

Interesting topic.
Keen to see what's coming up.

I like to ride small kites, I like hydrofoiling with small responsive tubekites.
My current quiver contains a 9m Ozone Chrono V2 foilkite for the lightest winds.
As soon as possible I am switching to Ozone Enduro V1 now (Ozone Reo V3 before).
Got the Enduro in 8m, 7m, 6m and 4m.

I think so far the 7m Enduro will be my most used kite so far.
It has a massive 'sweet spot range' for my taste.
It would be my kite for hydrofoiling if I could choose just one kite. Most days it would work fine for me.
The Chrono I am not often using above around 12kts., then I prefer to switch to the 7m (or sometimes 8m).

Not sure about the weight of Enduros, may measure them when I find the time.

Before I used the Reo V3 in 5m quite a lot and tried to find and push the low wind limits of this size.
It impressed me, so I pushed it a bit further by removing one-pump clamps and its neoprene covers to save some weight around the leading edge. Then I also had the chance to get a set of lighter/thinner bladders and thinner race bridles from Ozone for it.
Saved 7,7% weight which results in 1786g.
My impression was that the kite was more responsive, had better drift when speeding downwind and less tendency to go down when lines slack.
Not a massive difference but noticeable.
Used it for a short while one day when I was on the 9m Chrono before and other people where out on 15m foilkites.
It is possible, but of course pushing it. Important to keep speed as it is getting really hard to get going, or mostly hard to get up on the board, as soon as that works foiling is possible, going upwind is possible.

Anyways, was fun to experiment.
But now feeling fine with the regular Ozone kites ex-factory.


Also got a Zeeko Notus Air 8m here, did not have the chance to test or weigh yet, but will report when done.

zloilyoha wrote:I like to foil with RPMs
2016 model go upwind very well! not a race kie but 100% covers my needs

I love my wave kites for hydrofoiling too - they are not light, but can take a heavy tumble in the waves.

Isnt the RPM also a normal "heavier" normal weight kite but tough so it can take some beating ?

My point is, I think we are many that like using our wavekites for hydrofoiling too, as they got a huge range and turns well - which is what we like, besides the fact that we know these inside out

BUT, they are not very good in their lower end on a hydrofoil - meaning they can not relaunch and does not hang well if not looped - here the lighter kites will work better, so experiences is what I think we should share, where we have (or have had) different kites to compare neck and neck almost, and not measured weights.

The downside is they wont hold in waves or heavily powered winds for TT jumping, very long - there is a price.

I still use my 5, 6, 7, 9 and even occasionally 11m2 Furias (fast wavekites) for hydrofoiling because I got these now (for waveboards/surfing) - but could be interesting to share which options there are particulary in the bigger sizes like 7-8-9-10m2 regarding lighter kites than what we use for waves and jumps


Am I missing some on my first list that are noticeably lighter and some can give a short ups and downs about ?

Peter

foilholio wrote:I have found most LEI dont reverse well if at all. Lack of a trailing edge bridle seems the main problem.

If kite makers started listing accurate sizes, projected areas and weights for kites it would help a lot when choosing gear, but maybe then that's why some/most don't?

I think it is well establish the Cloud is the lightest LEI and pretty close to the lightest foils. A new class of kite like the Monjet will be the only way to go in even lighter winds.

Hmmm, I have never flown a LEI that could not be reverse launched ?
Even my old 2011 Dyno 13m2 I had some years could do it quite well - as long as you were careful as the bridle could unfortunately wrap on the tip/LE on this very kite - not good...

The most often used way I launch when hydrofoiling is reverse, as usually too light to launch other ways - even with the smaller kites there is often no wind down at the beach/grass, and it will tip over so can not stand on the side - so pulling the rear lines somewhat (and not too much) has worked on every single LEI kite I have flown as said, since 2005 where the bridled kites came.
I havent tried that many, so you might be right, some kites can not do it (besides a few non bridled C kites but not used for hydrofoiling it seems ?)

On the water it is different though - as even the kites that flies up easy reverse on land, wont have a chance in their lower end on the water when you drift and they are wet, if "normal" weight
So weight is important for this - and for the ability to hang low to one side without dropping of course

IMO

PF

There is a large crevasse between leading edge and canopy, which is full of water when leading edge is down facing the water surface. I can imagine the weight of that water comparable to the weight of the whole kite. Therefore, the economy of having less vertical struts is false economy -- for reverse launch, at least.