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Kite choices for foiling in high winds ?

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wingnut
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Re: Kite choices for foiling in high winds ?

Postby wingnut » Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:32 am

What about the stability of a small single strut vs a similar sized three strut. Would the single strut do a lot more flapping and be less stable? An Ozone Reo vs a Cloud (no strut), as complete opposites, for example in stormy conditions.

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Re: Kite choices for foiling in high winds ?

Postby bigtone667 » Fri Nov 17, 2017 6:14 am

wingnut wrote:
Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:32 am
What about the stability of a small single strut vs a similar sized three strut. Would the single strut do a lot more flapping and be less stable? An Ozone Reo vs a Cloud (no strut), as complete opposites, for example in stormy conditions.
A Cloud will flap if you de-power in high winds or de-power when it is moving fast through the wind window. Simple fact of a strutless kite. I just don't notice it over the wind noise generally.

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Re: Kite choices for foiling in high winds ?

Postby DukeSilver » Fri Nov 17, 2017 10:06 am

At 80kg, I use a Cloud C5 3.5m from 20kts and up. Great little kite and fantastic to go down wind with as well. I look forward to our strong sea breezes so I have an excuse to use it. My next size up is an Ozone Catalyst 6m which I use from 15 - 18kts. I think a Reo 5m will be my next purchase.

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Re: Kite choices for foiling in high winds ?

Postby plummet » Fri Nov 17, 2017 10:28 am

wingnut wrote:
Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:32 am
What about the stability of a small single strut vs a similar sized three strut. Would the single strut do a lot more flapping and be less stable? An Ozone Reo vs a Cloud (no strut), as complete opposites, for example in stormy conditions.
Its not really about stability. More about the top end capability V low end. Remove struts and you have a lighter kite that works better at the bottom end of its wind range. I have 6m reo and 4m uno. The uno is stable as hell and awesome at its low/ mid end. Its by no means worse than a reo for foiling at all!. But when you get to the very high end you can over load a kite with less struts and cause them to collapse sooner.

So 3 strut will hold its shape better that one strut when the wind is howling.

That said I only start to overload and deform my 4m uno when winds are approaching 40 knots. Even then its usually a ham fisted water start. I rode the 4m uno last week on the mutant when all other kiters had been blown off the water. That included guys on 5m reo's. The wind was 40+ and gusty as hell.

Do you need 3 struts for foiling? no. Not unless you want to boost big in ridiculous winds. If you want to hoon around sub 40 don't worry about whether you have 3 or 1 or no struts. Fly some kites and buy what you enjoy the most.

The other thought is that a majority of the time you will be flying a 4m to the mid to low end of its wind range, say 20-30 knots most of the time on the foil. So considering which kite performs best in mid to low range is most appropriate!

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Re: Kite choices for foiling in high winds ?

Postby Ramkiter » Fri Nov 17, 2017 10:50 am

Jyoder wrote:
Fri Nov 17, 2017 12:08 am
Anyone try the Liquid Force Solo 6.5m for foiling? New 2016 Solo v2 going for cheap right now.
I have the 9 & 6.5m Solo V2, the 6.5 is not a high wind kite for me at 70Kg I can get it going at 12/13 knots and I'll change down to a Cabo 5m at 16/17 knots. I find the Solo is a really good hydrofoil kite and well worth the money got both mine on clearance. Hope that helps.
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Re: Kite choices for foiling in high winds ?

Postby junebug » Fri Nov 17, 2017 2:40 pm

Jyoder wrote:
Fri Nov 17, 2017 12:08 am
Anyone try the Liquid Force Solo 6.5m for foiling? New 2016 Solo v2 going for cheap right now.
I have a Solo 4.5 that I use in 18kn+. I don't know the top end, but I've had it out in 25kn and it was manageable. I'm not in love with it. The flapping on every loop is really annoying, it collapses if I do a downloop to waterstart, and it generally has way more power coming out of loops than I am used to. It does drift really well. I got a good deal on it, but if I had to do it all over again I would go with a 3 strut wave kite.

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Re: Kite choices for foiling in high winds ?

Postby PD Gorby 67 » Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:36 pm

With any high wind situation, kite choice is critical. The kite you use needs to be a well designed kite, and the correct size for the conditions.

Struts can hide design flaws of a kite, by adding rigidity. Single and no strut kites need to be designed well to work at the high end of their wind range.

I have the BRM Cloud D's, and they perform well at the top of their range, and only flap in loops when they are not sheeted properly.

I feel that these kites work well because they are the 4th generation of strutless kites that BRM has produced.

Most kites will work well in the middle of their wind range and in 15 to 20 knots of wind. You start to separate the better ones from the worse ones in low winds and higher winds.

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Re: Kite choices for foiling in high winds ?

Postby Little Steve » Tue Dec 19, 2017 10:47 pm

Jyoder wrote:
Fri Nov 17, 2017 12:08 am
Anyone try the Liquid Force Solo 6.5m for foiling? New 2016 Solo v2 going for cheap right now.
I picked up a 1st gen 6.5 solo from a buddy but I have not used it yet. I figured it would be good for 15 mph and up with my LQ rocket foil. I also would be curious if anyone else has used it and what weight and wind speed they are using it in.

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Re: Kite choices for foiling in high winds ?

Postby jakemoore » Wed Dec 20, 2017 3:08 am

wingnut wrote:
Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:32 am
What about the stability of a small single strut vs a similar sized three strut. Would the single strut do a lot more flapping and be less stable? An Ozone Reo vs a Cloud (no strut), as complete opposites, for example in stormy conditions.
plummet wrote:
Fri Nov 17, 2017 10:28 am
I have 6m reo and 4m uno. The uno is stable as hell and awesome at its low/ mid end. Its by no means worse than a reo for foiling at all!. But when you get to the very high end you can over load a kite with less struts and cause them to collapse sooner.

So 3 strut will hold its shape better that one strut when the wind is howling.

That said I only start to overload and deform my 4m Uno when winds are approaching 40 knots.
I have Uno 4 and 6 and indeed the shoulders can collapse when line tension is high, e.g. looping the kite for a water start. The collapses become more frequent if air pressure is not very high. I suspect that is more a function of the bridling and thin leading edge especially considering the kite's design as a trainer.

Some other 5-strut kites I have loved sizes 7-9 have also had a weak shoulder problem especially if the air pressure not high. I suspect is probably because I like a thin profile kite that flies forward. Meanwhile I had a 4m Eclipse Nano that had rock solid shoulders. It flew terribly with any strut deflated, but its problems were more related to flogging of the luffing sail and strut and never collapsed shoulders.

The collapses don't really put me off and I like the Uno as a storm kite, but I don't think the weak shoulders problem can be generalized to one strut or strut-less kites.

A kite with more struts will have less luffing when depowered or in a turn. In high winds and small kite size, light weight construction offers less in performance. However It may be that luffing slows the kite down and results in more immediate depower and less power spike/penetration upwind by depowering?

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Re: Kite choices for foiling in high winds ?

Postby wingnut » Wed Dec 20, 2017 4:39 am

There are some light air foiling kites that come in very small sizes. Thinking that a light air kite is all about light winds, what is a 5m Mono or Ultra designed for? Kids, small women ? or is it ok to just use it in high winds?


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