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Looking for a good kite for Foiling, any tips?

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Pedro Marcos
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Looking for a good kite for Foiling, any tips?

Postby Pedro Marcos » Thu Apr 27, 2017 11:59 pm

Im 77kg, so size should be 8m i guess,

Preference for the "big" brands:

North Rebel
Cabrinha Switchblade


more?

Help is welcome :)

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Re: Looking for a good kite for Foiling, any tips?

Postby ElbowRoom » Fri Apr 28, 2017 12:08 am

Go with something that's light on the bar, light weight, and generates some good apparent wind. Also, you want it to relaunch easily in light air.

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Re: Looking for a good kite for Foiling, any tips?

Postby Starsky » Fri Apr 28, 2017 12:36 am

I wouldn't get either of those. They are both 5 strut kites, and the rebel is 5 line.

You push the low end far more than the top end, so think 3 struts or less. Your also far more likely to slack line by pure board speed so a 5 line kite that could roll through its lines is not a great idea.

If you wanna stick with North and Cab, look at the mono, or neo, and maybe the apollo or even radar.

Any three strut kite will do once you get down to 9m and under, but I would personally be shopping in the wave/freeride segment. Depower and drift are attributes that really suit foiling.

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Re: Looking for a good kite for Foiling, any tips?

Postby tmcfarla » Fri Apr 28, 2017 1:47 am

8m sounds about right at your weight for maybe 10-20 knots. Any 3-strut wave kite with good relaunch should work well. I have best Cabo in 6m and 8m, and really like them for foiling. Never tried single strut, but I have a couple clouds, and they are also really nice for foiling.

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Re: Looking for a good kite for Foiling, any tips?

Postby borist » Fri Apr 28, 2017 1:54 am

Depends what kind of foil riding do you want to do. The kites you named will work, but as others mentioned they are not ideal
If mainly going fast and jumping high, then higher AR will work better - Cab Velocity or Apollo, North Dyno, Ozone Edge, Flysurfer Boost... These models are built lighter which is great for foiling. Typically harder to relaunch and slower turning.
For carving turns kind of fun, 3 strut kite (or similar) Starsky mentioned should be the choice. Depower (range) and good turning, preferably lighter build. I prefer light bar pressure - heavy bar messes with my ballance.
One characteristic that is very useful with foil is a good power spike (during loop or big sine) that will get you going in marginal wind. High AR kites are better at this.
Not a big brand kite, but OR Flite would make a good 8m kite

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Re: Looking for a good kite for Foiling, any tips?

Postby Nem0 » Fri Apr 28, 2017 7:18 am

borist wrote:
Fri Apr 28, 2017 1:54 am
Flysurfer Boost ...... Typically harder to relaunch and slower turning.
For size 5m, 7m and 9m that's not true in my point of view. They turn very well!
Especially the relaunch. I think the Boost is one of the best relaunching kites!

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Pedro Marcos
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Re: Looking for a good kite for Foiling, any tips?

Postby Pedro Marcos » Fri Apr 28, 2017 9:11 am

Thanks for the answer,

Im looking for a kite from 12 knots to ---- all the wind i can get with that kite, for under 12 knots ill probably get another kite which probably wont be a LEI, this said, i dont think the weight of the kite matters that much in 12+ knots, im not looking for a lightwind machine, im looking for a kite with good depower, fast flying, good jumping and hangtime, which normaly a wave kite its not.

Anyway if i would choose the Mono, which size would i go? 7m2 ou 9m2 ? Thanks

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Re: Looking for a good kite for Foiling, any tips?

Postby Peter_Frank » Fri Apr 28, 2017 10:47 am

Pedro Marcos wrote:
Fri Apr 28, 2017 9:11 am
Thanks for the answer,

Im looking for a kite from 12 knots to ---- all the wind i can get with that kite, for under 12 knots ill probably get another kite which probably wont be a LEI, this said, i dont think the weight of the kite matters that much in 12+ knots, im not looking for a lightwind machine, im looking for a kite with good depower, fast flying, good jumping and hangtime, which normaly a wave kite its not.

Anyway if i would choose the Mono, which size would i go? 7m2 ou 9m2 ? Thanks

Spot on - you dont need a "light" foil specific kite in 12 knots, so get a kite you can use for freestyle or waveriding.

As I recall you got C kites now, awesome for freestyle and fun, but not good with a foil, too narrow range and it will "run away" with you easy.

So if you get a Rebel or Switchblade in 8 or 9 m2 you can do "everything" :thumb:

I use my normal 5 strut wavekites, from 9 m2 and down (also 77 kg like you) - and only foil specific kites in the bigger sizes, that are not useable for waveriding anyways.

If my 9 m2 goes in the drink when low powered and on the hydrofoil, there is no chance of relaunching anyways - sometimes not even with the lighter kites either, so I would not worry about that, as long as you know you have to drift ashore when it happens.

But, it should be said, that really heavy duty tough kites (like the Naish Park and similar) are not fun in 9 m2 for hydrofoil - simply too heavy to keep in the air "easy" when only 9-12 knots.

With the Mono you should go for a 9 m2 I think, eventhough I go down to an 8 m2 when 12 knots, but a 7 will need 14-15 knots to start working "pleasantly" IMO.
So depends on what windrange you want to target :D

8) PF

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Re: Looking for a good kite for Foiling, any tips?

Postby Starsky » Fri Apr 28, 2017 1:37 pm

I spent a lot of time on a 5 strut 9m last season, but using a strutless 12m in it's sweet spot was enough to convince me to get a strutless 8.5m and strip a 6m down to a two strut. Looking forward to foiling this season with a foil specific quiver. I bet anyone who gets used to even a 5.5 or 3.5m strutless kite will tell you going back to a 5 strut kite would feel like a brick. Foiling affords a freedom that suits dexterity in a kite and I'm pretty sure anyone who starts foiling with single to no strut kites will have a viewpoint different from those that say any old kite will do.

Would a rebel work.... of course. Could you have loads of fun on one. Yup. Would I buy one as a kite for foiling... nope.

4 line simplicity please, ultra light if your buying it to foil. Luffable center canopy for drift and instant shut off are a nice feature. 3 strut max wave kite if your looking to crossover, but I would recomend looking at two strut kites like the Naish Ride (they are for sale everywhere). One and no strut kites are around and then there are foil kites, if that's your ambition.

Peter, I'm surprised your still using 5 strut for 9m and down. Again, they work "fine", but you have multiple wings, boards and masts to tweak your set up to perfection. Sounds like there is room for improvement in your kite quiver. I bet once you grow accustomed to small ultra light kites and how they spin, drift, luff, reverse, and relaunch compared to 5 strut kites, you would value the difference.

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Re: Looking for a good kite for Foiling, any tips?

Postby ElbowRoom » Fri Apr 28, 2017 2:53 pm

that new single strut airush kite looks nice


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