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What kite should I get?

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papasmerf
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Re: What kite should I get?

Postby papasmerf » Thu Sep 24, 2020 4:17 pm

oregonkiter wrote:
Wed Sep 23, 2020 2:02 am
If possible try out a no strutter: SS UFO and/or Cloud

Amazing foiling kites imo
Gong from france makes a no strutter, pretty inexpensive as well. a friend has one and is very impressed with them

i have recently gone thru the initial stages of the foiling flowchart and i used my old 2012 rally's,,10m and 12m,, which supposedly are very similiar to the slingshot sst,,,

anyway,, my opinion at this point is i am defintely going away from 3 strut kites, they seem too heavy and slow and i need too much bar pressure to make them turn.

they were ok for a while and I thought I could live with them for a while but as i progress,,, they are losing their appeal.

to the OP: if i were in your shoes and looking for new kites (which i am btw) ,,, a 3 strut kite would not be on the list,,,but a single strut would be
YMMV

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Flyboy
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Re: What kite should I get?

Postby Flyboy » Thu Sep 24, 2020 4:57 pm

papasmerf wrote:
Thu Sep 24, 2020 4:17 pm
oregonkiter wrote:
Wed Sep 23, 2020 2:02 am
If possible try out a no strutter: SS UFO and/or Cloud

Amazing foiling kites imo
Gong from france makes a no strutter, pretty inexpensive as well. a friend has one and is very impressed with them

i have recently gone thru the initial stages of the foiling flowchart and i used my old 2012 rally's,,10m and 12m,, which supposedly are very similiar to the slingshot sst,,,

anyway,, my opinion at this point is i am defintely going away from 3 strut kites, they seem too heavy and slow and i need too much bar pressure to make them turn.

they were ok for a while and I thought I could live with them for a while but as i progress,,, they are losing their appeal.

to the OP: if i were in your shoes and looking for new kites (which i am btw) ,,, a 3 strut kite would not be on the list,,,but a single strut would be
YMMV
Yeah - but the reality is (as has already been pointed out) that it's not realistic to expect a single kite to cover the wind range 10 - 20 knots on a foil. A single strut kite is helpful in 10 knots (or even lower depending on size), less important once you get over 12 - 13 knots. So, if I were the OP I would get a foil-specific kite for 10 knots & continue to use existing kites for 14 knots plus. ... unless he's up for buying two or more foil-specific kites.

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Re: What kite should I get?

Postby Dirk » Thu Sep 24, 2020 4:58 pm

So far I only go foiling when the wind is low which usually means around 8 knots sometimes gusting into around 12 knots. (73 kg weight, 1000cm surf wing).
For this I bought an 11m Naish Boxer (one strut, which I am really happy with). Good thing is, it is very nice on the twintip as well, so if the wind picks up beyond 12 knots I just switch boards.

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Re: What kite should I get?

Postby or6 » Tue Sep 29, 2020 3:29 pm

Have a look at kauper xt. The maverick kite is lightweight, specifically made for foiling and waveriding. I bought one to teach my 12 year old son.

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Re: What kite should I get?

Postby rquintella » Wed Sep 30, 2020 12:43 am

I bought a Mono 13 for light wind days and I’m loving it. But I get over powered really quick with anything above 15knt

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Re: What kite should I get?

Postby cor » Thu Oct 01, 2020 1:52 pm

TomW wrote:
Sun Sep 20, 2020 8:43 pm
So really for 10-20 you need 2 kites.
What? 10 knots is quite a small windrange with today´s kites. I cover 8 to over 20 knots with a 10m Soul. You can also cover the same with a 10M Neo for example. Other high aspect wings have even bigger windranges (e.g. Sonic). In general, if you know what you are doing, you can hold a kite much longer, so I am always a bit baffled of what is suggested here, like this post:
jkrug wrote:
Sun Sep 20, 2020 10:02 pm
especially for foiling. for me, 10-13=16M, 13-16=12M,16-18=8 or 9M, 18+=6M.
Are you saying that you cover only 3 knots of windrange with one kite? :o :o

Maybe we have to clearly say what we ACTUALLY mean, because some of you are talking apparently about sweet spots, others about actual windranges. Also, the style of riding matters a LOT. It makes a huge difference if you are going strapless freeriding or boosting big air style with your foil.

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Re: What kite should I get?

Postby Breze » Thu Oct 01, 2020 4:34 pm

So true cor. Above 9.34751 to whateverknots everything btw 9-23qm works on a foil. It all depends on motivation, skill,weight and preference.

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Re: What kite should I get?

Postby PurdyKiter » Thu Oct 01, 2020 4:42 pm

jumptheshark wrote:
Mon Sep 21, 2020 1:38 am
Drop the three strut kites from your list.

Leaves the RRD, North/Doutone and Ozone. Naish, Peter Lynn, Slingshot, Liquid Force and several others also have single strut kites. Go 9m.

My advice? Commit and get one strutless kite. 8 or 9m.


Takes a while before your good enough to get down to 10-11 knots with an 8/9m but you have the right size foil. If you like wave foiling you’ll soon be sick of being overpowered and want something smaller for over 15 knots.
You left out the Naish Boxer? But in a side-track.... why in gawd's name after 14 years of kiting am I suddenly having issues with how to water re-launch a single strut Boxer? Is the Boxer a problem for others? Swam home 4 times so far.

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Re: What kite should I get?

Postby PurdyKiter » Thu Oct 01, 2020 4:48 pm

cor wrote:
Thu Oct 01, 2020 1:52 pm
jkrug wrote:
Sun Sep 20, 2020 10:02 pm
especially for foiling. for me, 10-13=16M, 13-16=12M,16-18=8 or 9M, 18+=6M.
Are you saying that you cover only 3 knots of windrange with one kite? :o :o
Huh? 10 to 13 knots needing a 16 meter kite? I haven't had anything bigger than a 12m since taking up foiling.

I currently milk an 8m Cloud in 10 to 20 knots but at the bottom end it requires a lot of action, and at the top end it's flutter city.
9m Flysurfer Soul is the winner.

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Re: What kite should I get?

Postby TomW » Thu Oct 01, 2020 7:04 pm

cor wrote:
Thu Oct 01, 2020 1:52 pm
TomW wrote:
Sun Sep 20, 2020 8:43 pm
So really for 10-20 you need 2 kites.
What? 10 knots is quite a small windrange with today´s kites. I cover 8 to over 20 knots with a 10m Soul. You can also cover the same with a 10M Neo for example. Other high aspect wings have even bigger windranges (e.g. Sonic). In general, if you know what you are doing, you can hold a kite much longer, so I am always a bit baffled of what is suggested here, like this post:
jkrug wrote:
Sun Sep 20, 2020 10:02 pm
especially for foiling. for me, 10-13=16M, 13-16=12M,16-18=8 or 9M, 18+=6M.
Are you saying that you cover only 3 knots of windrange with one kite? :o :o

Maybe we have to clearly say what we ACTUALLY mean, because some of you are talking apparently about sweet spots, others about actual windranges. Also, the style of riding matters a LOT. It makes a huge difference if you are going strapless freeriding or boosting big air style with your foil.
All the OPs kite ideas are LEI. 10-20 knots on one Hydrofoil wing will be poor experience with one lei. Better to get 2 lei kites.
A foil kite is different. My ozone hyperlink 9 covers that range, but having a 13m hyperlink, at 10-12 thats more fun, and at 18-20 the 7m is more fun. Yes, i could get away with the 9m hyperlink 10-20 if i had to.


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