“Light” wind tubes

[tomtom]

deleted post

[Peter_Frank]

re-reading your post, I think riding 10m for 9-10kts is a little ambitious..
Yes it works as foils are pretty efficient, but on certain directions, you just don't have enough juice from the kite, imho..
In below 12kts I prefer my 17 Zephyr.. It's not particularly light, but I swear to God I can keep it flying in 5-6kts.. If I can side launch it - it's a session! Around 9-10kts I get good speed and lofty jumps...

Disagree here!

Happy it works for you with the Zephyr in 12 knots, and it is a good lightwind TT kite, but thats it...

In 9-10 knots a 10 m2 LEI is a good size for most experienced average weight foilers, and in 12 knots it is lit really well maybe often too much now.

The light new LEI kites turns and hangs so much better than the Zephyr 17 m2 ever will, and you dont get overpowered as most everyone will pretty fast even with a 15 m2 LEI kite on a foil.

If you got a fast wing, racelike maybe, and use short or normal lines, or like jumping, it is very different of course, but for the freeride/freestyle/wave wings a 10 m2 is spot on in 9-10 knots

Junebug has experience and know this is the case thus seeking this "golden" size, as it is the kite that can be used in quite low wind, but also got maybe the biggest windrange on a foil so can be used in almost "everything" as a "one for most conditions" kite.

The 17 m2 Zephyr, eventhough a really good kite, would be useless for many of us when foiling, I think most of us in fact.

Actually, my point is not how powered you want to ride, as this is individual - my point is a 17 m2 LEI makes no sense for most foilers, compared to so many much better alternatives in either a smaller or bigger foilkite, or the light newer LEI kites many prefer for obvious reasons

PF

[jumptheshark]

Light wind kites are light. That is probably their most important aspect.

You can use normal kiteboarding kites for foiling down below 10 knots, but they are no where near as nice to foil with as really light built kites. One or no strut.

Its not just the ability to stay in the air when it really dips.... thought this is an absolutely key feature, but its just as much their quick and nimble behaviour in normal light wind foiling conditions.

From 10 to somewhere over 16 knots a cloud (and Im sure many other similarly purpose built light kites) are just so much nicer to foil with. They turn super fast, they drift like nothing else and they bring a pace to your riding that is noticeably slowed in the same conditions with a three or worse, 5 strut kite.

These purpose built light kites are low end biased and just dont cope with being overpowered very well. I can forgive them that and rig appropriately. As they get smaller they deal with the top end better as the minimal structure is enough when your dealing with less than 5m of cloth.

Clouds are not jumpers, nor are the TT kites, nor do they suit trim systems. They are what they are. Simply awesome in light winds.

[clydesdale]

I recently got a LF WOW 10m V3, but it drops out of the sky at 9kn, backstalls like hell at 10kn, and won’t water relaunch consistently until at least 11kn. I really don’t want to make that mistake again.

all kites I have flown would stay up at 9kts (I think the threshold for tubes is 6-7kts, with some specific ones being able to survive 5 kts)
Most of the kites will deep water relaunch at 9-10kts with good technique
I know nothing about LF WOW but I don't see how it would be different...if it backstalls, maybe it's the bar?
Very often, you can mitigate that by looping the kite that is losing tension to keep it in motion and flying..
Again in 9kts most recent kites will fly solid...

i have had liquid force wow v1 and v2’s for foiling and they worked great. lightweight zippy kites and the thin leading edge allowed them to cut up wind nicely. i rode the lf wow v3 10m as well and they changed it and seems much heavier and backstalls in light wind- very disappointed. probably made it stronger for big surf but in 10m size at least they ruined it for foiling. imo.

[butterfish]

i fly my wow v3's in 7/9/12 for foiling with a light carbon bar and very thin sk90 lines in 19m. further i deinstalled the clips from the one pump system to save as much wheigt as possible. super fast and stable kite, no drag of the lines because the are very thin and light. on the real low end side of the windrange i pull the adjuster about 2cm - no backstalling! everything works well - i really like my kites on the foil and strapless waveboard. best compromise. with one strut kite i would not be able to kite in high winds with waveboard...

[junebug]

all kites I have flown would stay up at 9kts (I think the threshold for tubes is 6-7kts, with some specific ones being able to survive 5 kts)
Most of the kites will deep water relaunch at 9-10kts with good technique
I know nothing about LF WOW but I don't see how it would be different...if it backstalls, maybe it's the bar?
Very often, you can mitigate that by looping the kite that is losing tension to keep it in motion and flying..
Again in 9kts most recent kites will fly solid...

Like Clydesdale, I have tried the V1 and V2 WOW and they were great for foiling. My 12m V2 would stay in the air at 7kn and I could foil at 8kn on 29m lines. (I live in the SE USA and our summer winds are HOT.). I got overpowered at 12kn on 23m lines and would switch to my 9m.

I didn’t really like flying the 12m because it turned so slow, so I decided to get a 10m and make it my biggest kite and just find another hobby for days below its range. No retailer has the V1/V2 anymore, so I went with the V3. I don’t know what LF did, but it just isn’t the same kite. It’s great above 11kn, but at 10kn and below it wants to backstall with even the smallest bit of powering up and by 9kn it’s coming down without constant looping.

It’s a real shame, because the WOW was awesome for foiling. It still is at the middle/high end of the range, but I’m not gonna sacrifice the low end.

[deniska]

If you got a fast wing, racelike maybe, and use short or normal lines, or like jumping, it is very different of course, but for the freeride/freestyle/wave wings a 10 m2 is spot on in 9-10 knots


The 17 m2 Zephyr, eventhough a really good kite, would be useless for many of us when foiling, I think most of us in fact.

Actually, my point is not how powered you want to ride, as this is individual - my point is a 17 m2 LEI makes no sense for most foilers, compared to so many much better alternatives in either a smaller or bigger foilkite, or the light newer LEI kites many prefer for obvious reasons

I don't think you can do this with 10m kites in 9kts? (actually, it's probably less than 9 )

or that:

I mean I was on 17 today and another guy was on his 9 (cloud).. we both foiled.. but I was going much faster than he did and could jump.. he could not.. 7-9kts day.. very sketchy..
Mind you, I'd be much happier with 15-18m R1 in the same conditions, but given my finances, have to enjoy the 3y/old zephyr, which works great for TT riding too..
Besides this thread about LEI, so I thought I'd chime in.

[marekmk]

the ozone Reo! amazing kite if your not into foil kites. I get going on 30m lines in 8knts. it needs reasonable kite flying skills as at that wind speed its easy to back stall. (75 kg)

[Rolavi2]

I really like my Naish Boxers. 10m, 8m and 6m. My 10m gets me going really good in 10 mph winds. I have a kitetech 12m foil kite that was a little disappointing. Maybe my skills but didn’t seem to get me going much more than my 10m boxer. Should I consider a 12m hyperlink?

[marekmk]

don't know how heavy you are so can,t suggest the HL size. I'm 73 kg and find the 9 HL in the ultralight material gets me going at around 8 knots.