Most favorite light wind LEI for foil board?

[SpaceRacer]

Really good info here. Seems like for LEI kites 7kts may be the cutoff? Also seems like this is where foil kites shine. I used to own a 12m Flysurfer Soul years ago and regret selling it. The only reason I was asking for LEI instead of foil is because of the heavy wet mess if you drop it. But sounds like with clean wind and a little proficiency foil kites are tough to drop?

[Tomlutz]

.. Seems like for LEI kites 7kts may be the cutoff? Also seems like this is where foil kites shine. I used to own a 12m Flysurfer Soul years ago and regret selling it. The only reason I was asking for LEI instead of foil is because of the heavy wet mess if you drop it. But sounds like with clean wind and a little proficiency foil kites are tough to drop?

1. With a Soul you will only gain one more knot and be able to start at 6 kts. 5 kts and below all Souls are falling into the water, and especially the 12 Soul is not agile enough to keep it in the air.

2. Heavy wet mess? only if you have to swimm because of a serious problem or the wind has died completely. But then it is not really fun with a LEI either. There are a number of foilkites that stay in the air down to 3 kts.

Cheers, Tom

[Peter_Frank]

Agree with Tom, Soul is a great allround kite, easy in every way.

But not pushing the low end much compared to a light LEI, there are other foil kites lighter and better at this.

So dont regret selling it, if you are after really light wind, and not an easy safe allround kite.

Or find a light LEI so even if wind drops, you can always sit on your board and drift comfortably (without the mess) to shore using the kite LE down on the water, and reverse relaunch/dry when coming to shore - thats what I like about LEI's

Eventhough I never use LEI's nomore, for kitefoiling

Peter

[rnelias]

Really good info here. Seems like for LEI kites 7kts may be the cutoff? Also seems like this is where foil kites shine. I used to own a 12m Flysurfer Soul years ago and regret selling it. The only reason I was asking for LEI instead of foil is because of the heavy wet mess if you drop it. But sounds like with clean wind and a little proficiency foil kites are tough to drop?

I have a Soul 12m but I only challenge to ride in such low winds on spots where it's easy to be rescued. I don't consider myself skilled enough to venture in deep sea water, if the wind is not steady enough, like in my local spot where wind drops to zero all of a sudden.

Here I was rinding this Soul on a lagoon (Lagoa de Araruama in Brazil). Wind was steady in the 6-7k range.



note that any issue would be solved by swiming <500 meters in warm water

[rnelias]

Agree with Tom, Soul is a great allround kite, easy in every way.

But not pushing the low end much compared to a light LEI, there are other foil kites lighter and better at this.

So dont regret selling it, if you are after really light wind, and not an easy safe allround kite.

Or find a light LEI so even if wind drops, you can always sit on your board and drift comfortably (without the mess) to shore using the kite LE down on the water, and reverse relaunch/dry when coming to shore - thats what I like about LEI's

Eventhough I never use LEI's nomore, for kitefoiling

Peter

Ocean Rodeo Hibrid-Light kites are astonishingly light for 3-structs and you don't need to break the bank account to get one. 2022 are on sale now.

< 2.7kg for a 12m^2 3-struct kite was out of mind 5 years ago. Super safe LEI kite that you can also use with twin-tip and directional boards.

Roam HL 12m is 2.54kg

Soul 12m is 2.34kg, has more range but is a completely different animal in the sky. Much slower and does not give you the confidence of a LEI kite if you get in trouble of wind vanishing...

Some folks might consider structless kites but I don't see the point. They're worse to get upwind, have less wind range, are harder to relaunch, thus, what's the point? Carve some waves since they're good drifters?!

[lightwind]

Just my experience'

75kg

10m Airush ultra V3

In the beach: stays Up in the Air at 5-6 Kn measured with my windmeasure Thing.

5-6 kn In the water the Drift of my Body is enough that the Kite wants to Fall down, I have to move IT.

At 6-7 kN in the water. Kite stays stable Up. But niot enough to get Up. Maybe with longer lines better

8 knots.... I get Up. And can go Riding.....

9 knots: kite creates massiv power through apparent Wind...
Full on kiting Experience.

This is Just my experience: I am looking for an 8m Ultra....
My Hope after some good advice from Here.
Loosing a little lowend, but gaining high end, spped, and fun,


Why Ultra?
Really do Not know.... Just soooooo many using them Here. And the the V3 Version ist pretty cheap.

(Never tried Other light Wind Foil Kites, so I do Not know)

Same weight and same experience but with different kite. Gong strutless 10m. When it's 6-8 knots I use 32 m lines and can ride with my 1100 cm2 foil. From 9 knots 22 m lines and lots of power. Top end around 13-14 knots for me.

[lightwind]

Today I have a superlight 11 m2 foilkite I can use from 6-8 knots, fully powered turns fast and feels great, almost impossible to drop the kite.

What kite is this?

[SpaceRacer]

So what are some of the best foil kites for light wind foilboarding lol? I’m with Peter in that my soul reason for posting this thread is that I think it’d be neat to foil in the lightest of sea breezes. PS, My FS Soul was for snowkiting.

[jyka]

Ocean Rodeo Hibrid-Light kites are astonishingly light for 3-structs and you don't need to break the bank account to get one. 2022 are on sale now.

< 2.7kg for a 12m^2 3-struct kite was out of mind 5 years ago. Super safe LEI kite that you can also use with twin-tip and directional boards.

Roam HL 12m is 2.54kg

Soul 12m is 2.34kg, has more range but is a completely different animal in the sky. Much slower and does not give you the confidence of a LEI kite if you get in trouble of wind vanishing...

Some folks might consider structless kites but I don't see the point. They're worse to get upwind, have less wind range, are harder to relaunch, thus, what's the point? Carve some waves since they're good drifters?!

Ocean rodeo aluula kites are super light - and super expensive. That's why I'm still using a strutless kite (and sometimes a foil kite). You can buy five gong strutless kites of the price of one aluula. Wind range is the biggest downside of strutless but upwind ability really doesn't matter as long as you're not racing (and if you race, you choose a foil kite anyway). Foil board will go upwind anyway well enough with any kite.

[Tomlutz]

So what are some of the best foil kites for light wind foilboarding lol? I’m with Peter in that my soul reason for posting this thread is that I think it’d be neat to foil in the lightest of sea breezes. PS, My FS Soul was for snowkiting.

I have a Kauper Falcon 13 that not only gets me on the foil from 5 knots, but also enabling me go upwind. With a Peak 13 I was not able to go upwind at 5 kts. Other good foilkites are of course Gin Spirit or Ozone Chrono or any other racekite (if ultralight). Others are foiling from 4 kts, but only with ultralight race kites, 13m or 15 m depending on weight, some even 18 m. I might buy myself also one of these, just don't know if this is really worth the high price for 5-6 additional foilkite sessions a year. Tom