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Hi all,

I was wondering if someone has some experience riding hybrid C kites (FX, Dice, Enduro, etc.) with a foil in light winds? Some of these are pretty light like the FX and Enduro and perhaps would work in 8-12 knots (12m).

Thanks

Anything works, its just a matter of how well. It also really matters how you want to ride and what you are used to.

I ride an alloy foil, am happy with it, and Im sure getting used to many of the nice carbon ones on the market would ruin my enjoyment of the one I have.

I've foiled with 5 strut, 3 strut, 2 strut, and no strut kites. The strutless kites have ruined me for using anything else in under 12 knots.

The wind range you mention is actually a pretty big range when it comes to foling. I'd say that you can fly any kite in 10 knots, so anything can work from 10-12, but you cant say the same for 8-10. Under 10 and yes, you can technically fly many kites, but the margin for error get really tight and it eats into their utility. Might not happen every session, but the risk of a swim is real every time out. Relaunch in 8-10 is not dependable with most 3 strut kites.

I use a 12m cloud for the 10 knot stuff. It has absolutely no scuff guards, or reinforcements whatsoever, and has got to be one of the very lightest tube kites out there. Flies easy enough down to about 7/8 knots, but not really any lower than that. That's what it takes to make it reliable enough for me to rig in 10 knots. I won't even try to foil with a normal 3 strut kite until its reliably up over 12 knots.

Opinions will vary depending on experience.

i ride moses onda 633.
i just go freeriding ,freestyling and waveriding.
my biggest kite is 9 airush wave and i think it performs very well.i can ride from 9 knots and something belowbut iknow under 11 knots if the kite drops, i swim.
over 13 knots i switch to 7 airush wave...over 17 to 6 or 5.
me too I'm trying to figure out a lei kite that can relaunch under 10 knots.
don't think actual monostruts give a massive relaunch advantage.
clouds could be the solution ,but impossible to try , unavailable for European countries and expensive

TARTAX wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 11, 2018 2:57 pm

i ride moses onda 633.
i just go freeriding ,freestyling and waveriding.
my biggest kite is 9 airush wave and i think it performs very well.i can ride from 9 knots and something belowbut iknow under 11 knots if the kite drops, i swim.
over 13 knots i switch to 7 airush wave...over 17 to 6 or 5.
me too I'm trying to figure out a lei kite that can relaunch under 10 knots.
don't think actual monostruts give a massive relaunch advantage.
clouds could be the solution ,but impossible to try , unavailable for European countries and expensive

I align with your thoughts as well,
although I do have a 10 and 12mtr kite for use mainly on my higher aspect Moses wing set, My 9mr is my go to kite in most light wind situations using the 633 Moses Onda wing set.
I have used monostrut kites and find little advantage if any over 3 strut, if you can get the mono strut to rise from the water into the C shape for launching then yes they will unstick and take off more easily than a 3 strut, but the 3 strut will more easily flip over and get into the C position ready for a gust to lift off, but you may have to wait longer and try to coax it to unstick and lift off,but its that first few yards of lift where you can notice the difference between a light one strut and a 3 strut, I prefer the 3 strut for this very reason as it will sit on its side without folding which translates to fewer swims back in.
What I have found like everyone else who is foil boarding is just how skilled you become at getting your kites to relaunch in very little wind, patience and a light touch being the main key to success, along with the guaranteed practice.

kishtsang wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 11, 2018 11:17 am

Hi all,

I was wondering if someone has some experience riding hybrid C kites (FX, Dice, Enduro, etc.) with a foil in light winds? Some of these are pretty light like the FX and Enduro and perhaps would work in 8-12 knots (12m).

Thanks

I've ridden the Naish Slash in light winds. It works really well. I think the important aspect is to get a kite that isn't too grunty. Another advantage of the slash would be that it drifts really well even in relatively light winds.

Edit: I probably wouldn't call it a hybrid c tho.

anyway i think that for a good and relaxing hydrofoil session the limit is 9 knots...under this limit you can go but is not so fun going with a lei.
even because the kite is too slow and is impossible to make turns or tricks..or surfing waves .
of course if your goal is to race or just cruising is different...

I ride an FX 8m about 90% of my sessions, from 12-19kts using a Moses 558 wing. It's very responsive, relaunches well. I have a friend that does the same thing with an FX and he likes it as well. In lighter winds there's not a lot of gain beyond 10m (at least for the FX), and I wouldn't get a 12m.

Thinking of kites as you go forward with foiling is becoming either a real dilemma or real simple.
I used to talk in terms of a kite being able to work on the foil in lighter winds then as it gets too strong switch to SB or TT.
And this sort of left you thinking of the kite having that crossover ability.
As things progress the wind point for crossing over goes up and the time not foiling diminishes.
Since the arrival of my first 8m Notus Air I have given up carrying any other kites as I realised they were coming along because of habit not need.
Lately even the spare bar with std length lines looks like wasted space.
After coming back from a WA holiday a month ago, the TT is still sitting waiting for the hardware to be screwed back on.
Around here wind under 12 knots is totally unreliable and a swim would be inevitable. I don’t like swimming.
12 knots is my bottom end with my 8m. No real need for bigger but down the track a 5 or 6 could be worth a look but at over 22 kts there is no advantage I see to the light kites so a 3 Strut like a Notus Rev would fit the bill quite nicely Santa.

I've got an 8m Enduro. It's reasonable as a foil kite. But not as good as my 2012 cat which was lighter. The Enduro is a bit heavier with a few little batton things and more reinforcement. But it is a better TT engine than my old kite. It has more lift!

I'm thinking lighter wave kite would be slightly better as a dedicated foil kite.

Any kite basically works fine if you don't drop it.

I used to ride an old 12m airush varial x down to 8knots foiling regularly. We have a super reliable wind meter and that was my cutoff (and still is), lulls over 8knots and I'm foiling!

The problem is that you have to be really careful flying regular kites below 10knots or it falls (often not even your fault) and you can't relaunch and are in for a long swim. Foiling you travel long distances too so the swims become terrible quite quickly. The single struts or strutless are much more reliable and that's one the big reasons people use them for lightwind foiling.