Postby Foil » Sun Mar 08, 2020 7:01 am
In my experience it takes a long time to get really dialed in to the features of a good freeride foil kite,
I have been using them exclusively now for 14 months, and would say i am just about there with most of the nuances that foil kites offer,
as i progressed with them I sold off my 2 larger ones, the 15mtr and then my 13mtr just last week, however the bigger ones were very useful during my early months on foil kites, but as you get used to them you get the best out of them which is hard to do in the first 6 months, being around other good foil kite users certainly helps.
All the scare stories you hear about foil kites are mostly out of date, but there is a warning here, if you buy one of the older type ones you will regret it, and it may turn you off foil kites for ever(I had one of them, in fact 3 of them, all different brands of the older design ones that were at times a right nightmare)
in my book the truly stand out designs out today are just 3 main players.
The soul, the smaller sizes seem more in tune with foil boards,12mtr maximum maybe on shorter lines, or the very good smaller sizes, there is a 9 out now.
ozone hyperlink mk 1, of sizes 9mtr and below, but definitely in the ultralight cloth, 12mtr is dog slow and standard cloth is disappointing compared to ultralight
ozone hyperlink mk2, comes in only one cloth and weighs the same as the ultralights.
Ozone Chrono mk3 only, ultra light cloth, all great for foiling, 15mtr sizes down to 7mtr
my choice is now the chrono v3 ul in 11/and 9mtr, hyperlink mk2 in 7mtr and hyperlink mk1 u'light in the 5mtr.
yes its possible to go to a one kite quiver as the range of the mid size ones is staggering, you will still get out in the best winds for foil boards,
my choice of kite for that would be the 9mtr chrono mk3 in ultralight of course.
Swim in on these kites above are rare, and the more time spent learning them then the less time dropping the kite, and more easily and quickly you can relaunch.
I am just back from 5 weeks of near every day on the water at flag beach, i dropped my kite 3 times in that 5 weeks, kite relaunch was easy each time, most used kite was my 9mtr chrono, one local there who weighs 105kg only owns a 7mtr hyperlink mk1 U'light, he hardly misses a session using his 633wing on a 120 skate.
don't listen to the naysayers
but be careful when choosing, the 2nd hand market is full of rubbish, buy one of these and you will become one of the naysayers.