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Light LEI kites c",)

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Peter_Frank
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Re: Light LEI kites c",)

Postby Peter_Frank » Tue Aug 02, 2016 9:05 pm

The 15m2 Storm Voyager II (no strut kite) only weighs 3.2 kg, just measured it.

Have tried it last week with my smallest racewing on my smallest 118 Ketos board, and awesome jumps :thumb:

Apparently not quite as light as the Clouds, but sufficient light and same "grunt" and power it seems.

Today I tried it in two different scenarios:

1. Well powered 7-9 knots, no problem to ride.
It turned quite well for its size, really good.
Loads of power, in the gusts almost too much for easy "light" handling when toeside.

2. At extreme low wind 5-6 knots, where the 15 and 18m2 foil kites could not really hang anymore - really amazing as eventhough I had to fly it slightly in small figure 8s it was easy to keep in the air, but not sufficient power to get up and ride when looped on 32m lines :naughty:

So it hangs in the air in less wind than possible to ride !!!
The same will be the case with the Cloud I am certain...

So easy to handle and fly :D


Really interesting, as with a foil kite you might have difficulties keeping it flying, but you get more peak power so "just" possible to ride.

And with the Cloud and Voyagers you can keep the kite in the air easy, and much better to drift it to shore in super light wind, but not ride in just as low wind...

Ups and downs - just some facts I have found, being average weight 77kg and comparing neck and neck today, and interesting if others have done the same testing and experiences ?

8) PF

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Re: Light LEI kites c",)

Postby Starsky » Tue Aug 02, 2016 9:18 pm

my 12m Cloud will fly in less than I can ride. Flies is 6-8 no problem, well some flying required, but not difficult.

I cant get up and going until 9/10 knots.

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Re: Light LEI kites c",)

Postby pierre.d » Tue Aug 02, 2016 9:20 pm

yes the 15 storm is an amazing kite, it saves me a lot of sessions this summer

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Re: Light LEI kites c",)

Postby airsurfer » Tue Aug 02, 2016 9:44 pm

Peter

I had similar experience to yours. I find that while the Chrono V2 18m clearly has more power the Cloud V2 17m is lighter more stable at the edge and overhead yet agile and drifts well especially down wind in swell. And if you should drop the kite the Chrono can be a mess with lots of lines downwind of your foilboard and can be a real pain if you can't relaunch. With the cloud it's more easy going you can take your time and if you can't relaunch not a big deal you can float or swim in with it with little consequences. I do think the foil can relaunch in lighter winds depending on how it crashes and sea state. I love the Chrono but since I mostly ride in the ocean the cloud is my go to kite especially in light and variable winds.

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Re: Light LEI kites c",)

Postby Peter_Frank » Mon May 22, 2017 11:28 pm

How many one strut kites available now, and should we try to fit their basic properties ?
I prefer these over strutless, but that is just me, true.


I know of:

Zeeko Notus Air
Airush Ultra
North Mono
LF Solo V3
Naish Boxer
F-One Breeze V.1

My "standard" 2 questions are, which are light which are heavier/stronger, and which has good lowend and which has more range (less lowend) ?

Notus is lighter than normal strutted kites, but not superlight, has good range (on cost of low end)
Mono weight ? And it has good low end it seems, my buddy got one (on cost of range)
Solo is not particularly light (V1 and 2) but has good low end (on cost of range)
Ultra and Boxer and Breeze, anyone who knows or have input ?

Of course there are also the more strutted but still light good kites like the new NP CRX and the OR Flite, but if we just keep it to the 1 strut ones for now.

8) PF

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Re: Light LEI kites c",)

Postby jespin4845 » Tue May 23, 2017 1:47 am

solo v3 is an animal, super grunty, more so than the v2, I can almost get away with the 9m as my biggest kite down to about 10 knots, it makes perpetual apparent wind, its power is only limited by your foils speed

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Re: Light LEI kites c",)

Postby Bletti » Tue May 23, 2017 11:43 am

Switch is working on a ~7-9-12m mono-strut too, which should be out in the next few months hopefully. Unlike some of the mono-strut kites out there (north, airush, LF, naish) that are marketed as all round light wind strapless, twintip, foiling, Switch is focusing the development of their mono-strut solely for foiling (although I'm hoping they drift well to also strapless wave ride with). I've asked on their forum for the weight a while back but haven't heard back, but the prototype looks like it should be pretty light!
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Re: Light LEI kites c",)

Postby tegirinenashi » Tue May 23, 2017 4:45 pm

I wonder why Switch didn't expand Helium product line to smaller sizes. Helium is higher AR kite compared to Nitro (and presumably lighter too), so there is no product lineage overlap. (Speaking of overlap, some manufacturers have as many as 7 supposedly different LEI models!)

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Re: Light LEI kites c",)

Postby hshim007 » Tue May 23, 2017 7:03 pm

Having Kited for 10 years and being in a typically low wind area (most of the time 10-12kts on thermals, best times in winter up to 25kt and gusty) I have tried all types of light wind kites and boards; Door boards, race boards with their massive fins, Foil kites, LEI's up to 17 (cloud C1). My conclusion is I don't like kiting in REALLY LOW winds. I thought I was the shit getting out in sub 10kt winds when no one else did only to find myself swimming more times than I would like to admit. When the winds are very low and you're just getting out there is no leeway when the winds drop. The only saving grace if you're not in a tidal area is that the swim back won't be that bad! I am a dedicated Foilboard Rider now. I only ride BRM clouds as they continue to fly in winds that I can't even foil in so I'm always somewhat assured that I can body drag my way back if the winds do drop quickly. Knock on wood, it hasn't happened yet since foiling. If you want to kite in lowish winds accept that you WILL swim home; it's inevitable. We all want to hit the water whenever we sniff a puff of wind but I prefer not to "mow the lawn" any more. I will wait until the winds are decent enough that I can play in the wind without the worries of it dropping on me! Learn to foil...it extends your riding days

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Re: Light LEI kites c",)

Postby abel » Tue May 23, 2017 9:33 pm

jespin4845 wrote:
Tue May 23, 2017 1:47 am
solo v3 is an animal, super grunty, more so than the v2, I can almost get away with the 9m as my biggest kite down to about 10 knots, it makes perpetual apparent wind, its power is only limited by your foils speed
I can second jespin.
I weigted the Solo 12 V3 and it's also 3.4 kg like it's predecessor the v2. Personally a bit dissapointed. I expected for a lower weight.
Now I'm sure LF definitely trade off weight for toughness.
An instructor friend used the V1 for two years by now for teaching and it looks new despite the abuse of the students.
When the wind reaches >13 knots and the break raises to 4 foot (tough for Hfoiling), I use the Solo with a twin tip.
It's force enables me to run very fast and like hoovering above the water. I trust its at the expence of higher end.
Another advantage of the v3 vs the v2 is that it lifts the canopy better above water after a crash, giving better odds for relaunching.
I'm still trying to put my hands on a no-struts kite for testing performance on the 8-10 knots range. Wonder if it will be significantlt better?


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