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I’m thinking of building a high-volume pocket board for foiling in light wind, when I risk long swims. Anyone have experience with how much volume is needed to be able to easily prone paddle a board? My current foiling board is 42x105x2.5, or about 12 liters. It is great for kiting, but not much fun swimming with when the wind dies. What do I lose in terms of riding quality if I go with something similar outline, but thicker for two or three times more volume?

Why not use the kite for swimming? When I drop the kite and have to swim in I sit on my dwarf craft micro, aim the upside down kite where I want to go, then let it pull me slowly.

As someone who has swam in a lot, I find even a paddleboard is a total pain to swim/paddle.

More board weight sucks. I'd do all I could to avoid it.

Barring that, even with a foil kite, anything can be wrapped up super tight. Even with a board with essentially no floatation, if you wrap everything up tight and secure to the board you can just swim and tow the rig behind.

Trying to be helpful with ideas.

I’ve been playing with the idea of wearing a mesh backpack with a pair of snorkeling flippers for long swims. Could put rolled foil kite in bag too if sized right and I was out long enough to have it deflate.

If you expect longer swim - Wing wing is much better option than kite. Simply as that!
I know that this is not answer you want but this all is compromise game.

tomtom wrote: ↑

Thu May 07, 2020 9:02 am

If you expect longer swim - Wing wing is much better option than kite. Simply as that!
I know that this is not answer you want but this all is compromise game.

But you need a kite for very light wind.

Life jacket? For a board to hold you up it has to displace a LOT of water. That means it would be hilariously fat, if you're going to stick with a "pocket" length...

Thanks for replies everyone, sounds like giant board isn’t the way to go. Lots of other good options though.

From the surfer perspective, the number is 0.4-0.5 L per kg of body weight. This is subject to length though - a 6’4” 32L step up will paddle better than a 5’ minisimmons.
Since you are length constrained with a pocket board, the paddling will never be great (esp with foil and kite along).
There is a benefit for higher vol foilboards, though.
If the board floats well, it will stay on or close to the surface when you waterstart, so less extra power is needed to drag it up from the “abyssal plain”. Low volume boards tend to sink a lot in low power waterstarts, leading to catching the stab or a wingtip on the bottom if water is <1.2m depth.
From experience, low/no volume <10L is bad for low end starting. 12-15L noticeably better. 25L+ much easier (but harder to fit in a pocket board length). My current board is about 140cm long and 12L i think. Next will probably be more like 130 and 18-20L. I like to keep some length/surface area so not planning any 100-120cm boards currently. The 140 works as a surface directional too. I just wish it had 5L more volume for light wind and some “more than minimal” paddle ability.

I use my surf foil board for kiting sometimes, it's an F-One Rocket surf 4'1'' (130cm) 28l and it feels really good but is harder to waterstart than my kitefoil board when strapless because of the high volume. I weigh 66kg.

You looking at 35L for average weight of 75kg. Your pocket board will be 5 inches thick.
And you feet will be now 5 inches above the mast plate, this will effect the feeling.
And it's still going to paddle terrible.
If you g up to 135-140 length then there's some chance it might be an ok tradeoff.
Personally, if theres a risk for swimmers, I go cycling or spend time with my family.