Nigel no mates

[cwood]

There is about 10 of us now and 2 women in the group. We get double the ride time of the TT guys and I am now amazed by how primitive it looks to watch them mowing the lawn and trying to stay up wind....always in the same area while we blast all over the place and have a blast boosting large in 15 kts. I could never go back.

[Kykeon]

My home spot (summer vacation destination)
2015 no foil
2016 1 foil on light wind days
2017 5 foils regularly
(on average 50 60 tt out at the same time)

It is growing exponentially but I'm sure it will never become more popular than the tt (in the locations you can mainly tt with a kite smaller than 12m)

It's an effort to learn and to carry and does not fit the shallows.

[Peter_Frank]

cwood and Kykeon, is this because you got lots of wind regularly ?

Asking, as we got winds from zero to 40 knots and everything in between quite often.
This is the typical low pressure weather systems in northern europe all year - occasionally in high presssure (= low or no wind) spring and early summer we got seabreezes also with good wind.

BUT, still I ride 4 out of 5 sessions on a hydrofoil, and all the mates too, meaning TT riders are only out 20 % of the time we are, or less if no specific lightwind gear (which is the case for most kitesurfers).

Of course, we dont go out when the wind is LAME for surfboards or TTs anymore, where it is just perfect for waveriding on hydrofoils, so that might change the percentage a bit, and other TT riders are maybe out struggling on huge boring kites, trying to stay upwind, like we did years ago

But I know what you mean, most havent found the holy grail yet, so the majority stick to TT's almost never getting out, and we dont notice this of course, as we can ride, in most spots, EVERY single day of the year somewhere, if we wanted to...

PF

[Kykeon]

cwood and Kykeon, is this because you got lots of wind regularly ?

PF

Partly yes.

We do have very regular wind. (And very steady as well - gusts very rare)
Especially in the summer, almost every day.
Most people just have a 10m and a bigger quiver would not bring much benefit.

But there is also a super strong freestyle scene.
There is a big flat area and a lot of world class pros regularly visit the place. Local level also very high.
A common aspiration is boots & C kite (for the youth )
or Toby-style wannabe for the dads

Also, there was limited exposure to Hydro-foil.
Now that more and more people are seeing it more and more will want to try.

I do not believe HF/TT will ever be more than 30/70 also for cultural reasons:
a) You have to be already relatively good at the TT and then decide to give up and be a total noob again...
b) TT offers unlimited opportunities to show off to the beach by standers, which seems like a pathological need to many...

[Peter_Frank]

Very true Kykeon

PF

[cwood]

cwood and Kykeon, is this because you got lots of wind regularly ?

b) TT offers unlimited opportunities to show off to the beach by standers, which seems like a pathological need to many...

so funny...but I am guilty of hydro showing off of a similar sort .....you just have to stay a much larger distance away

Our winds during the warmer seasons are in the 8 to 18 range but most often sub 15. We like to ride jacked so carry larger foil kites in general. Spring and fall and winter we see days of 20 knots plus but they are unusual. If we didn't have hydrofoils we would literally kite half the days. That said, we all foil pretty much exclusively no matter the winds....the right size kite makes it irrelevant and safe at all times. I don't miss the days of TT sized kites for a given wind range, especially foil kites which were always a bit hairy to launch.

I also agree with the inherent drawbacks of foiling (water depth, portability, pain of learning) limiting it somewhat but that is fine. Makes it a bit more unique and special.

[Foil]

Today, down on the water at 9am, 3hrs before hi tide, sunny and the most horrible gusty onshore winds I have been in, 15 - 30 mph,
I rigged for the lulls, 8 Mtr Reo, perfect at times, too big sometimes but needed, as getting out was ruddy hard but the 8 pulled me hard in the gusts.
When I first started 10 months ago a session would last maybe 1-2 hours or untill I was getting dizzy from continually falling in,
Today was challenging, getting out was hard, waves were not friendly but I was determined to get out and practice my turns, and I did , by myself with only 2 guys from Switzerland watching and waiting for better conditions after hi tide, they were on Ttips,
My sessions have been increasing since my turns have been working, not as much swimming!
As I carry a GPS watch to track my sessions I know I was out for just under 5 hours, 4 of which I was all by myself, In one way that was good as I never once had to look behind me to check if anybody was in the way before I set up for a turn, It is amazing just how much room you need on a foil when learning your turns, early toeside sailing is uncontrolled mayhem, especially today as the gusts pushed me into crazy downwind speed sailing on toeside which when your up at the top of a 101cm mast with waves pushing behind you is a little exciting and makes you shout all the words you hope no on else can hear, in my case the water was all mine so no body to tut tut at me.
The gusts made me invent a new way of dismounting, or crashing as many would call it, many times the wind ripped me clear of the board with one leg shooting out to the side to stop me falling, it never worked once, but it must have looked funny.
So being on a empty bit of water can help, I do prefer another 3-4 other foilers out at the same time for company, but I do make a big gap between me and any other guys out on Ttips or windsurfers as they don't appreciate the fact you need lots of room when on the edge of control.
Guys on foils already know this and never cause a problem.

[TomW]

It's going to grow here in S Sweden. I know personally of 3 beginning this year.
I'm sure there is more. It will grow.
Seeing the foilers is what gets people convinced to start.
But I agree that if you are proficient at TT, that is still very challenging and fun to learn tricks.
I also guess it might peak at 30% foilers-70. %TT and surfboards.

[Dave K]

I’ve been living on the Outer Banks for the last 10 years and playing around with this stuff since the prehistoric days of wood boom windsurfers. We’re still pretty much the epicenter of all things kiting on the US east coast. Guys like Dimitri have made this place a part time home for many years. Trip and Matt pioneered the kiteboarding resort concept with Real Watersports and endless stretches of windy shallow water to teach tt kiting. Also the unique combo of waves on one side and flat water on the other.

Ironic that what makes this location idea for traditional tt learning/riding (wind, shallow water) makes it less ideal for novice kite foiling. Regardless people who come here to tt and/or wave kite often bring their foil gear as well. The shops/resorts/instructors generally sell and teach foiling. Places like Real encourage all their instructors to get out and foil on the light wind days. AND mid mast length (60-80 cm) flat water foiling is really evolving into its own here. There’s a lot to be said for skill progression while foiling in 4 ft of flat water with a sandy bottom. Same as tt learning, just a wee bit deeper.

No one wants to admit it but foiling is the most popular with us ole timers who’ve been around these sports for awhile. As the kiteboarding population ages we will get more refugees from the unhooked/big wave strapless/mega loop crowd and their aging joints . Definitely not exponential growth due to the learning curve, but a steady supply of newcomers nonetheless.

[Peter_Frank]

Well said Dave K, and it really puts things into perspective, that at a spot not "dialed in" for hydrofoiling, it still evolves because it is soooo addictive, besides us "old" ones loving it for many reasons

Peter