20m LEI Kites - Its Time

[Peter_Frank]

bragnouff is correct, really big LEI kites have less windrange, period.

Some of you can master such sizes to the extreme, amazing
But for the majority of riders no matter what level, the windrange is significantly smaller.

Which is why they are a very small niche, and why brands have discontinued these.

Yes they will work better now with lighter materials, but the windrange wont increase.

Not good for you loving these, I know.

There are other types of gear which is a niche I would like, but not sold/fabricated.
But so be it and it makes sense as sales are not "up for it" so to speak.

Peter

[Greenturtle]

Everyone knows bigger kites have narrower wind range than smaller ones.

The point is that the windrange for big kites happens to be the MOST COMMON WIND RANGE IN THE WORLD on average, period.

Include this fact that the wind is usually in the light range in most locations on most days, into the calculation of how useful the 20m will be.

I want a 20m because it would open a lot more days to a little more power, many sessions that could definitely use it. Not because there is an off-chance that I might need it for such and such exact narrow conditions. But because those conditions are actually super common: 8-15 knots represents so many days, this we all know.

Lei kites are not big enough. In fact they are way too small.

[Kiteski]

Lei kites are not big enough. In fact they are way too small.

Hahah I love it.

With a good design (higher aspect maybe etc.) a 20m should have a decent wind range, like 9-14kts… Then the beast boosters can hold it down past that and go nuts.

Let the man live!

But, there would certainly be some associated carnage. Like, kooky kevin gets a hold of one and sails into the parking lot…

I shouldn’t talk, just wrapped my 9m around the top of a poplar today. Doh! Idiot

So GT, 15kts with hypothetical 20m OR Flite: maybe too much? Like, 17m in 15kts is pretty lit right?

[knotwindy]

Too much? Nah
C. Shelby (built race cars) “There’s no such thing as too much horsepower, just not enough traction”.

[Kiteski]

Ha! Nice.

So, 18m foil kite in 15kts is lit right?

So, 20m LEI about the same perhaps?

So, about the same wind range (10-15ish)?

[Greenturtle]

Of course the exact knots will vary depending on who, where, weight, etc - the main takeaway here is that it is smack dab on the most frequent wind condition seen on beaches worldwide.

Light wind equipment gets the most use….Even though its range of use is narrower, there are simply more days when it is usable. It is the bread and butter for many locations.

Sure maybe some of you live in windy-ass places, or travel to windy-ass places, and wouldn’t ever use it. But on the world’s average beach, on an average day - the wind is light.

If someone said I will be placed on a random beach on a random day with a twintip board and just one lei kite size available to me… I would pick 20m… chances are better for that than any other kite size, even though its range is narrow. The only problem with this scenario is the kite doesn’t exist yet.

So we have the most common wind speed in the world pegged at around 8 knots, and every kite brand is too busy making 6m kites in six different models (that will inevitably go on closeout for 50% off because nobody buys them) to have any time left on the factory floor to produce even a single 20+m lei?

[Toby]

NE Brazil has many days in off season with around 15 knots.

My 18 isn’t big enough, so I miss all those days.
Didn’t kite in April for about 6 weeks because of that.

Would have been kiting min every second day with the big kite in that period…

Potential of 100 days per year that would make my kiting more fun.

A 6? Would NEVER ride it.

[BOEMIX]

In my experience, the 13m Ozone Edge is the perfect blend of maximum kite power with the minium tolerable turning speed. Bigger than that (I have a 15 Flysurfer Soul, for instance) make that downloop landings are no lenger fun anymore.

So I think kite materials should be pushed forward to see further improvements in that regard.

[Greenturtle]

A large ramair is very slow turning compared to lei of equivalent power. If you find the turning of a 15m foilkite unsatisfactory then you should try a 19m Edge, it turns great for its size, loops easily in fact, on a backroll kiteloop or transition, landings with a heli, I found it to be quite agreeable, within expectations of usability for its size, certainly. Don’t skimp on bar size though, use a minimum of 58cm (23”) bar with kites this size before complaining about turning them. I see people flying their big kites with a medium size bar and I just have to shake my head in disbelief that for all the light wind days someone wouldn’t have a big bar.

Anyway in these big sizes an lei of equal power, even though bigger, will beat ramair at turning, especially as these new materials bring lei weight down significantly to equal with foilkites.

[Greenturtle]

Case in point, here is Regis riding a 17m, on a hydrofoil, looping the kite every which way.




Anybody still think a 20+m aluula lei is not going to work great? No place for it? Eh?

Should it be an option for light wind tt?
Should it be available for those of us who would want one?
There are some nay-sayers, but.. just because I wouldn’t personally even imagine using a 5m big air kite, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be produced for those who want it.
Shouldn’t bigger kites be available also?
Quite a few people have chimed in here saying yes, they would be interested.

Im here to discuss.