Postby Mossy 757 » Mon May 22, 2017 7:19 pm
I think 18's and larger really serve 3 purposes in a quiver:
1) Raw power for course racing so that your buddies who are all on 18's or 19's don't beat you downwind.
2) Fat guys who need the grunt because they'd rather buy a bigger kite than stay/get in shape.
3) Groveling at the absolute lowest end of the wind spectrum in totally marginal conditions.
I don't think an 18m/19m is going to take off in less wind than a 15m, I just think they make more power. In most situations you can probably have a session riding a 15m with longer lines in the same conditions as a guy on an 18m, you just won't beat him in a race. The 18m will get overpowered in a gust a LOT sooner than the 15m as well, which in my mind is a drawback. Essentially, 18's and 15's have the same low end but the 18m has a narrower top end.
If you exclude those very rare times when I'm trying to ride in not enough wind or when I'm at a regatta, I almost never wish I had an 18. My quiver is a 9m LEI (Cabrinha Velocity), an 11m Sonic2 and a 15m Joker7. I won't say the 11/15 combo is enough for a 2 kite quiver, but with a small inflatable to cover anything north of 22kts where the 11 maxes out, it's all you'd really ever need. My conditions are very different than yours, so take this advice for what it's worth, I almost never deal with wind shadows or total shut downs due to geography.
If I were advising a foiler on how to build a brand new quiver, I'd say start with an 11 and 15, that'll be your "85%" quiver.
Depending on prevailing conditions at your local spot and your body weight, your 3rd kite could be either an 8m inflatable or an 18/19m foil kite.
Knowing your variables, I think you'll be happiest with your decision if your largest kite is a 15m.