first foil board - multi purpose kiting - surfing ?

[UsualSuspect]

New kiter here just finished going nuts on line ordering up a rack of kites.

I've been given by a friend a carbon foil (only) and need a board for it. I know nothing about foiling boards (I do have a foiling Moth sailboat) and I'm wondering if I can accomplish several goals or if i'm nuts

- something to kite on, when my kite handling skills are good enough (thats not today)
- something I can bring to the BVI next month and play with behind our sailboat @ 9 knots (or I guess the dinghy)
- something we can use at home behind the wakeboard boat, for training purposes

is there a board that can do all this? Can it be a board that will - eventuially- be my go-to kite foiling board ? I really dont want a compromise "SUP-ffriendly" setup I prefer a proper kitefoil board but wondering if this is a sensible scenario to consider. Smaller size board is appealing as well, but obviously a beginner to kite foiling so there are limitations.

for kites, I have cabrinha apollo, SB and contra's in 7-9-12-17 so I assume the smaller of these (only) for foiling purposes - eventually.

[StellaBlu]

Since you are going to get "towed" up onto the foil (whether by a boat or a kite), all of those purposes can be accomplished on a kite foiling board. Volume won't really play into the equation. The only issue you might have is that you might want a bigger or smaller foil wing depending on what you are doing and how fast you are going.

Your title says surfing, which is a bit misleading since a surf foiling board generally wouldn't overlap with a kite foiling board since you need enough volume on the surfboard to paddle into a wave.

All that being said, thats a lot of kites and gear for a beginner! Just get out and play and don't get overly bogged down in gear. The more gear you have the more you wonder whether you made the right gear choices -- keep it simple particularly as you are starting out.

[MartinO]

I have a Liquid Force Foil Fish board that is very broad in its possible use. Not sure it fits all your needs, but I use it as a foil board, light wind wave board, skimboard-like light wind fool around board, and a board just to practice directional technique on. It´s kind of heavy, but it´s not really noticeable on the water. No problem getting towed behind a boat either, with or without the hydrofoil mounted. Not sure it is made anymore, but you can probably find it cheap used.

[UsualSuspect]

All that being said, thats a lot of kites and gear for a beginner! Just get out and play and don't get overly bogged down in gear.

fair comment, but 4 kites is due to the fact i want to cover snow kiting, BVI trip next month, general purpose AND light air summer (great lakes) prevailing light-and-shitties. ALSO my kids (all 3 of 'em) are super avid sailors and all 3 want to start kiting so---- it's probably only a starting point sadly !

[Peter_Frank]

As said, any kitefoil board will work for your purposes when towed.

If also for surfing, as the title suggests, you have to be a really good surfer as the board will be quite small when you have learned kitefoiling.

But the board needed for learning could be used as a surfboard too, even as a foil surfboard, as here size is not as important - again, if you are a skilled surfer.

Peter

[UsualSuspect]

As said, any kitefoil board will work for your purposes when towed.

If also for surfing, as the title suggests, you have to be a really good surfer as the board will be quite small when you have learned kitefoiling.

But the board needed for learning could be used as a surfboard too, even as a foil surfboard, as here size is not as important - again, if you are a skilled surfer.

Peter

OK thanks peter, when I said 'surfing' I meant behind the master craft... wondering is there such a thing as a normal surf style fin / skeg that mounts to the conventional 90mm x 165mm rails (?) so that I can use the board in non-foil mode to town behind the boat with kids and stuff ?

[Peter_Frank]

Dont know if a fin/skeg could fit, but wouldnt make sense.

Indeed you can get boards for both surf and kitewavesurf and kitefoil or tow foil - just one example here:

http://zeeko-kites.com/fr/boards/474-po ... rf-v3.html

Then you can tow your kids with the surf fins mounted, and no risk for them hitting the foil.

Peter