Strut length - your preferences

[Kamikuza]

Rode a 600mm mast on flat water. Great for the shallow bits but you had to pay attention to how far off the water you were. And you couldn't edge the board much or it touched down and/or vented. Too much compromise for my tastes.

I think 800mm would be my lower limit for general riding, maybe 700 if I had to ride the estuary all the time.

Whatever the longest SS mast is, is fine for me...

[TomW]

I knew this would happen, somewhere in my hypothalamus. Last year : " I'll get a foil and learn to do it, sh_t it's expensive, but you only live once, and you only need one foil set up"

Now I'm just learning and stoked, but see I'm going to need 2 - 3 wings, struts and several boards. ( don't tell the wife)

[borist]

Now I'm just learning and stoked, but see I'm going to need 2 - 3 wings, struts and several boards. ( don't tell the wife)

"the need" for more gear is benefit not drawback

[revhed]

With 30" and smaller masts you CAN STAND while looping. Thus, your loops are more powerful and give you that extra bump of power to waterstart and get on the foil when barely blowing.
The 24" mast is even better when the winds are that low. .

I also remember a lowind day when I could let the big slow looping kite pull me up out of the H20 to vertical MUCH easier on a 75 cm STRUT as opposed to a 90 cm testing one right after the other.
Seems to make sense as ones center of gravity would be closer to the wings providing less distance to overcome therefore less leverage, MAYBE?
And, as we all know in most places when the wind is ultralow the water is flat so no need for longer strut to avoid ventilation.
Also much less Strut, less drag, to have to pull through H20 to gain enough speed to lift off....the down side being less vertical tolerance when trying to maintain flight when turning keeping boards drag off the water.
Would be very interesting to have a set of different lengths say 60cm, 70, 80, 90, 100 cm to test one right after the other, if only rich...
R H

[Horst Sergio]

...Unless you are racing, I don't see the advantages of going longer than 85cm. ...

Interesting, for me nearly the opposite, but I think it is a lot about preferences and spots.
95% of the time I don't have waves or shallow spots. I don't participate in races, but I use race kites and like to freerace around going distance, but also freestyle, boosting ...

Since I have my 110 cm, I nearly don't use my 96 cm anymore.

I still see the advantages of a 96 or 90 cm strut for light wind and or shallows and maybe waves. But I prefer the height for the freedom, when doing freestyle and to be able to edge hard. As I learned these days, riding real race style with a big powered kite on short lines, also the 110 cm can be "short" as the tips of a 60 cm wing can ventilate when edging very hard when there are some small wind waves. But I don't expect that we will see 120 cm struts or more in the future.

For me everything under 90 cm, which I also tried a lot, is very much another riding style:
going slow, just edging carefully a little bit ... also when doing maneuvers as 360 and other stuff, ... very limiting for me

but doesn't mean that it can't be fun, it is just another style.

[dylan*]

I think shorter masts are more fun, you can really throw them around without the consequence of the longer lever of a big mast. But there is usually enough chop that anything smaller than 90cm sucks for going upwind, i wouldnt even mind riding 100cm or maybe a little longer if I cared about optimal performance.

I wish something like a 60cm was possible to ride without ventilating so much.

[plummet]

I wish something like a 60cm was possible to ride without ventilating so much.

maybe a canard delta design with stupid low aspect?