Kite foiling is dying sooo fast

[airsail]

Winging is fun above 15 knots, yes you can go out in less but it is fairly boring compared to kitefoil in those lighter conditions.
I do both but only wing when there is wind swell about, eg above 15 knots or when the conditions make it unsuitable for kitefoil.

[Peter_Frank]

i have friends who don't kite anymore due to winging. they're that hooked on it. but as they sit on the beach waiting for the wind to be enough to wing,..

What's the bottom end for winging?

i suspect that depends on multiple factors (skill level, wing size, foil size, winger size, etc), but my experience is in the 12-15 mph range i'm out kite foiling, and not one winger is out. around 16 mph and up they seem to start around here.

True.

Eventhough mph is hard to reflect on, extremely rare used as a unit for wind speed.

12-15 mph is 5.4 to 6.7 m/s or 10.4 to 13 knots.
And 16 mph is 7.2 m/s or 13.9 knots.

Agree, unless you have dedicated big wings and foilwings, the majority ride from 7 m/s and up, but 6-7 m/s (12-14 knots approx) are many riding in too now, and works great in this wind when waves.

The gap is not that big in numbers, but in real life it is...
You dont wanna be stuck in a tad too low wind, where you could go kitefoiling.

So no, it is by no means a replacement for kitefoiling, where you can ride in 9 knots with a 6 m2 kite if you like, and excellent fun in waves.

Peter

[PullStrings]

That thread is dying sooo slow

[plummet]

I have gone full circle and now primarily back to mutant riding. Its just suits my style better. Plus locally the good waves are right where there are boulders sub surface. So you need to foil further out. On the mutant I jump the boulders that jut out of the water.....

I still foil. But only when conditions are shithouse for mutant riding.
I do enjoy an good adventure ride.
I once tacked upwind 22km (as the crow flies) past the port around some islands and to another town then blazed back to where I started. That was the session to behold.

When there is 20 knots and a decent swell then I'm in the waves jump and wave ride.

[michaelb1]

kite foiling in waves is NOT surfing, not even close.

Thanks for that little nugget. I was very curious about that as a wave kitesurfer.

[martrench]

I just started kite foiling - I'm amazed how little power is needed once up on foil!

Maybe a dumb question: Are some here able to kite and wing foil with same board/hydrofoil setup?

[bragnouff]

Maybe a dumb question: Are some here able to kite and wing foil with same board/hydrofoil setup?

With enough wind and the right technique, it's possible to use a ~35L board for wingfoiling. (typically a prone surf foil board between 4 and 5ft), which works also well for kitefoiling. A unique foil around 1200cm2 for both practices would feel slightly too big for kiting. Going down in size would improve the kitefoiling side, but would require even more wind and technique for winging. So yes, you could have one board/foil setup usable for both, BUT you would make some heavy tradeoffs (crippling the bottom end of the wingfoil, and affecting the top end of the kitefoiling ).

The opposite scenario of using a 95L wing board for kitefoiling is obviously doable, for novelty purposes, but it would very quickly be horrible to ride.

It's probably best to have a dedicated wingfoil board of the correct size, and a cheap skim/wakeskate/chopped board for kitefoiling. Pair this with a hydrofoil setup with 2 front wings. (ex: GoFoil GL180 and GL140 or GL120). Bit of overlap between the 2. Small one could also be used for very powered wing sessions, and large one could be used for marginal kitefoiling conditions. The mast/fuselage/stab are same.

[Lamilu]

The only advantage I see in winging is in a condition where you can go out slowly to reach a windy spot…or on/off situation where a normal kite would fall from the sky.
A kite on very short lines must be similar to a wing…but with most of the “work” done by swinging your weight instead of your arms.
As for kite hydrofoiling…going only back and forth gets dull…you need to “travel and explore”

[windmaker]

The only advantage I see in winging is in a condition where you can go out slowly to reach a windy spot…or on/off situation where a normal kite would fall from the sky.
A kite on very short lines must be similar to a wing…but with most of the “work” done by swinging your weight instead of your arms.
As for kite hydrofoiling…going only back and forth gets dull…you need to “travel and explore”

You obviously never winged...

[Peter_Frank]

The only advantage I see in winging is in a condition where you can go out slowly to reach a windy spot…or on/off situation where a normal kite would fall from the sky.
A kite on very short lines must be similar to a wing…but with most of the “work” done by swinging your weight instead of your arms.
As for kite hydrofoiling…going only back and forth gets dull…you need to “travel and explore”

You obviously never winged...

Ha haa, agree.

It is like comparing apples and bananas.

Two different sports, and they do not feel alike at all.

Extremely different.
One can compare advantages and disadvantages yes, but it is still just as different as windsurfing versus kitesurfing and so on

Using the same board and wing is possible yes, but makes no sense as you will be far away from the joyfull ride, in terms of sizing, in both sports

Peter