Flyboy wrote: ↑Fri Oct 23, 2020 4:19 am
Bottom line: I just ordered a (used) Boxer 3.5m. It will be interesting to see how low I can go with such a small kite.
Yesterday I was out with a 6m wave kite on my foil when the peeps went out on SBs with 8 & 9m kites. Was probably around 20 knots. I was fine on the 6m, although would probably have been better on my 5m. The wind eventually dropped to around 12 - 14 knots. The SBs all went in. I was fine still riding the 6m. I'm hoping the 3.5 will start to work in 18 knots, be ideal in 20 - 25 knots & hang in to 30 knots.
I think you are spot on regarding the windranges.
One thing, I would advice you to use a tad longer lines for the 3.5 m2, say 26-27 meter.
You will get a kite that is extremely on/off, because of its sheer small size, so you have to adjust to fly it - but this is the very same with the Peaks 3 and 4 m2.
Having a tad longer lines, you dont lose upper end, unless when getting at the very upper end - if that makes sense to say?
Meaning, you dont get more power with longer lines, just a more smooth ride - but if on the verge to getting teabagged, of course turning and handling is easier with the short ones.
But the advantage is, you get a kite which reacts a lot smoother in terms of power delivery, you can fly it around more, and get power on demand in a much more pleasant way.
Apart from being able to go down to 18 knots, not possible with shorter lines.
With foil kites it is a bit different, they have the same feel and power, with a tad shorter lines in my experience (I have a 3.5 LEI and 3 and 4 m2 Peaks)
I dont know if off topic or not, but yesterday I was out and could compare to waveboards and wingfoil and kitefoil with a 3 m2 Peak4.
Rode with an 8 m2 on a light wind waveboard first, quite okay wind maybe 18 knots.
Sometimes down to 14, didnt work with the waveboard, but wind came up again for moments.
Then I went out with a 3 m2 Peak4 on a 1200 cm2 Ketos surf wing, eventhough I knew a 4 m2 would fit better (but lines/bars were on the 3 and 5 m2, so lazy and took the 3).
Amazingly I could ride okay even in these 14-18 knots, of course having to fly it fast to get going, but these small kites, both LEI and foils, gives sooooo much peak power, that you can ride even when "underpowered" as such.
Then I went out wingfoiling with 5 m2, and a 4 m2 wing.
Later the wind dropped even more and got on/off, and I took the 3 m2 again; it was still possible to ride in this, on the verge "not to", but you could, when you flew it aggressively (only std 21 m lines).
The same was my experience with my 3.5 m2 LEI kite, one can ride it down to ridiculously low winds sometimes, IF having sufficient line length.
It is a high AR kite though, so has a huge powerspike compared to most other small LEI's.
Not sweetspot and difficult as still sensitive, and to be honest not very good fun, but found it fun these few time "just doing it" - while others were on 12 m2 kites on non-foil boards
Looking forward to hear your experiences Flyboy, in the long run
Peter