...for choosing a foil for your weight and style. Thinking out loud.
So for surfing around, catching swell and using small kites, I think a big wing is great and love my 820. Peter Frank thinks it's way too big, and I think I know why he thinks that and why others use such smaller kites than me.
Me on a 820 = 88kg/m2
120kg guy on a 750 = 83kg/m2
75kg on a 680 = 68kg/m2 (Axis foils)
Peter Frank from KF on his Moses = 65kg/m2 (IIRC PF said he was 65 on a 1000cm2 wing...?)
So PF actually gets the most lift out of his foil, but they're all within a range. It seems to me that 60 to 90kg/m2 is a good range for “surfing” with a kite and foil, allowing for small kites and maximum/good glide and surf.
Now, for the much smaller Axis kite foil, area 630cm2, it’s something like:
Me = 352kg/m2
120kg = 302kg/m2
75kg = 188kg/m2
That seems quite an extreme difference, even though I obviously was able to ride the K-series foil. IIRC I needed the Speed3 21 to match the 10m LEI/820 low end (was a whole lot less fun) and could use the 10m when I got 15 knots or so. Actual low end of the foil was still good, I think to the design of the foil, but the glide was very much less compared to the 820 = constant kite power needed.
Maybe wing loading doesn’t matter, but it seems like wing loading could provide a guide for wing size selection...or maybe I'm overthinking things again