Which kite is the easiest to re-lunch at low winds?

[Peter_Frank]

When I ride with a 10 or 12 m2 LEI on a lightwind foil @78kg, meaning 6 to 7 knots, there is no way I can relaunch, no matter how good the kite would be, so I always prepare for a swim/drift ashore, to reverse launch running backwards, only way in this wind.

My point is, some good kites relaunch better, and some are lighter than others too, and important in light winds.

But at some point it will be impossible no matter which kite it is, and you should avoid dropping the kite instead

Peter

[Skywalker7]

FLysurfer Boost 3 with the trailing edge bridles could do the relaunch 6-7 knots (on the water). 6-7 knots at 25 meter and 3 knots at the the water level it won't. Boost 2 and Boost 3 11meter kites built the way that you can install the trailing edge bridle parts. However a Soul 10 or 12 is much better in 6-8 knots than any LEI.

[Peert]

Easiest to relaunch?
Or
Has the lowest threshold it will relaunch in?

Those are not one and the same question.
People answer both in this topic.

My boxers are very easy and quick to relaunch...
My struttless trip can be a bigger hassle but has a lower absolute threshold it can relunch in...

[gigibianchi]

When a cloud gets water on the canopy or simply messed up in some other way, I pull in a couple meters of one rear line. When that tip becomes the most upwind part of the kite, wind will slowly begin to get under the canopy from that wingtip. Sometimes its pretty quick, sometimes its pretty slow, but it eventually will lift enough of the canopy off the water that you can let go of that line and let the kite drift to normal face down position. Sometimes you have to still be patient from here that the canopy fills properly and pushes the remaining water off the other tip, which will have a tendency to stick to the water. You can eventually relaunch normally by one rear line, rolling it up on a wingtip, or you can do a series of yanks on both rear lines to clear the last of the water and reverse relaunch. Even when the kite has flipped over and is completely flat on its back, I have found the one rear line move will get the kite to flip over face down and you go from there. In anything over 7 or 8 knots, I can usually get a cloud sorted from however it manages to end up.

Good luck. It takes a little practice. Pumping the kite pretty hard is helpful, but mostly patience and timing are the keys to reliable success rates.

Once you figure it out, its pretty easy to reproduce. I am using clouds to drift launch at certain spots and really like them for their easy slow drifting. With a little water intentionally put on the canopy and oriented right to the wind, they are very reliable drift launch kites, but it requires you know this key step of using one wing tip corner to begin catching wind and patiently clearing the canopy for launch.

I'm 100% with drift launching clouds over the last three years.

This sounds amazing! yesterday i tried to follow your instructions at about 8-10 knots in choppy sea waters, with a 10,4 cloud D and was far from succeeding. the kite was reversed and the canopy fully immersed in the water. I pulled one of the rear lines (about 2-3 meters) and nothing happened. It would be a huge contribution if you could film how you do it and upload it on youtube or something, or maybe write some more tips. Gonna keep trying anyway! thank you for the detailed response.

[hongchew]

I seriously doubt you can easily relaunch a Cloud after the canopy is filled with water, unless the wind is super strong.

When a cloud gets water on the canopy or simply messed up in some other way, I pull in a couple meters of one rear line. When that tip becomes the most upwind part of the kite, wind will slowly begin to get under the canopy from that wingtip. Sometimes its pretty quick, sometimes its pretty slow, but it eventually will lift enough of the canopy off the water that you can let go of that line and let the kite drift to normal face down position. Sometimes you have to still be patient from here that the canopy fills properly and pushes the remaining water off the other tip, which will have a tendency to stick to the water. You can eventually relaunch normally by one rear line, rolling it up on a wingtip, or you can do a series of yanks on both rear lines to clear the last of the water and reverse relaunch. Even when the kite has flipped over and is completely flat on its back, I have found the one rear line move will get the kite to flip over face down and you go from there. In anything over 7 or 8 knots, I can usually get a cloud sorted from however it manages to end up.

Good luck. It takes a little practice. Pumping the kite pretty hard is helpful, but mostly patience and timing are the keys to reliable success rates.

Once you figure it out, its pretty easy to reproduce. I am using clouds to drift launch at certain spots and really like them for their easy slow drifting. With a little water intentionally put on the canopy and oriented right to the wind, they are very reliable drift launch kites, but it requires you know this key step of using one wing tip corner to begin catching wind and patiently clearing the canopy for launch.

I'm 100% with drift launching clouds over the last three years.

This sounds amazing! yesterday i tried to follow your instructions at about 8-10 knots in choppy sea waters, with a 10,4 cloud D and was far from succeeding. the kite was reversed and the canopy fully immersed in the water. I pulled one of the rear lines (about 2-3 meters) and nothing happened. It would be a huge contribution if you could film how you do it and upload it on youtube or something, or maybe write some more tips. Gonna keep trying anyway! thank you for the detailed response.

[Peert]

I seriously doubt you can easily relaunch a Cloud after the canopy is filled with water, unless the wind is super strong.

When a cloud gets water on the canopy or simply messed up in some other way, I pull in a couple meters of one rear line. When that tip becomes the most upwind part of the kite, wind will slowly begin to get under the canopy from that wingtip. Sometimes its pretty quick, sometimes its pretty slow, but it eventually will lift enough of the canopy off the water that you can let go of that line and let the kite drift to normal face down position. Sometimes you have to still be patient from here that the canopy fills properly and pushes the remaining water off the other tip, which will have a tendency to stick to the water. You can eventually relaunch normally by one rear line, rolling it up on a wingtip, or you can do a series of yanks on both rear lines to clear the last of the water and reverse relaunch. Even when the kite has flipped over and is completely flat on its back, I have found the one rear line move will get the kite to flip over face down and you go from there. In anything over 7 or 8 knots, I can usually get a cloud sorted from however it manages to end up.

Good luck. It takes a little practice. Pumping the kite pretty hard is helpful, but mostly patience and timing are the keys to reliable success rates.

Once you figure it out, its pretty easy to reproduce. I am using clouds to drift launch at certain spots and really like them for their easy slow drifting. With a little water intentionally put on the canopy and oriented right to the wind, they are very reliable drift launch kites, but it requires you know this key step of using one wing tip corner to begin catching wind and patiently clearing the canopy for launch.

I'm 100% with drift launching clouds over the last three years.

This sounds amazing! yesterday i tried to follow your instructions at about 8-10 knots in choppy sea waters, with a 10,4 cloud D and was far from succeeding. the kite was reversed and the canopy fully immersed in the water. I pulled one of the rear lines (about 2-3 meters) and nothing happened. It would be a huge contribution if you could film how you do it and upload it on youtube or something, or maybe write some more tips. Gonna keep trying anyway! thank you for the detailed response.

In some cases there is water between LE and canopy. In such case it is very hard to get rid of that water and excess weight. I have been wondering if it would be a good idea to make some (mesh reinforced) drainage holes in the canopy very near the LE. Maybe in the middle of the LE and midway between tips and centre. I have seen this type of drainage near the tips on some kites. Did anyone try closer to the centre? Would it significantly reduce performance in flight?

[IWB2]

Had a great session recently on the Ozone 10m alpha in light winds and foiling on the NP Glide L. Dropped kite several times when botching transitions and kite fell out of sky. Being able to relaunch in such light winds was confidence inspiring.

[jumptheshark]

I seriously doubt you can easily relaunch a Cloud after the canopy is filled with water, unless the wind is super strong.

Oh ye of little faith! Decent wind makes it a no brainer, light wind and your going to need a soft touch and patience, but kites are kites, and clouds are among the very easiest to get back up from the water. I find that funny because its precisely what scares so many away from the idea of strutless kites. Many of us have been jigging kites off the water from various states of disaster for well over a decade now. In the end, once you get over the look of a downed cloud, you can most definitely learn to deal with it. It's one step to clear the canopy, and from there they are lighter and more flexible than any of my other kites which makes them the best at relaunch.

I don't film much of anything. It's just not my interest, but can confirm, the worst situation is a load of water between the LE and canopy. Simply on top of canopy is no big deal. Patience is probably the biggest factor. Try holding the one rear line elevated to encourage that corner to act as a wind sock funneling air under the canopy. In light wind it will be slow, but the entire canopy with inflate much like a ram air and eventually it will catch the wind enough to open the trailing edge off the water. There is almost always still water on the canopy at the other end of the kite. If there is enough wind for the clear side to lift, you just have to be light with that rear line as not to flop the kite onto its back (have done plenty of times) and it will also slowly clear. If there is not enough for the clear side to lift, you are better off to jig the other rear line to get that tip to start catching wind. The goal is to get both tips up and the kite canopy clear with only the bit of water on the canopy more or less in the central part at the LE. If both tips open, you can yank both rear lines hard to clear the last bit of water from the centre of the kite. Again, this is not a 6 knot procedure, but doable in 8.

The double back line yank can also be used to clear water that gets between the LE and canopy. Wont get all of it, but most. That scenario generally only happens in waves/chop which means wind around here, so its not a low wind scenario for me.

To correct something form an early post. If you mess up and oversheet one rear line in light wind relaunch so the kite ends up flat on its back, pull in on front line, not one rear. This will expose more of the LE, elevate the line to get wind under it and the kite will flip itself back over and you get to start all over again!

Since working out these tricks to clearing water off the canopy, my cloud relaunch threshold is a good bit lower than it is for my 3 strut wave kites. Again, I'm not into chasing sessions below 10 knots, so once it dies down below 8, your chances are getting pretty slim.

[hongchew]

My next LEI for hydrofoiling will be a 1 strut. Strutless is just not my cup of tea.

I seriously doubt you can easily relaunch a Cloud after the canopy is filled with water, unless the wind is super strong.

This sounds amazing! yesterday i tried to follow your instructions at about 8-10 knots in choppy sea waters, with a 10,4 cloud D and was far from succeeding. the kite was reversed and the canopy fully immersed in the water. I pulled one of the rear lines (about 2-3 meters) and nothing happened. It would be a huge contribution if you could film how you do it and upload it on youtube or something, or maybe write some more tips. Gonna keep trying anyway! thank you for the detailed response.

In some cases there is water between LE and canopy. In such case it is very hard to get rid of that water and excess weight. I have been wondering if it would be a good idea to make some (mesh reinforced) drainage holes in the canopy very near the LE. Maybe in the middle of the LE and midway between tips and centre. I have seen this type of drainage near the tips on some kites. Did anyone try closer to the centre? Would it significantly reduce performance in flight?

[SWO_kite]

don't forget to sit on your hydrofoil when you relaunch. It's the only way to get enough resistance against the wind.

^^^^ This! Never thought to do this!

I'm eager to try next opportunity.