jatem wrote: ↑Fri Apr 23, 2021 9:48 pm
If you're swimming long distances, why would you want to drag a LEI? At least you can roll up a peak4 and put it on your board or in a backpack for the paddle back, and I presume you wear a pfd.
It makes total sense.
Apparently he can not ride close to shore, like most of us, maybe too low water or no free wind.
And I assume it is not offshore wind.
In these conditions I also, no doubt at all, will choose a light LEI.
In fact I sometimes do it if winter, where even being quite close to shore can be a challenge if below the freezing point and the wind suddenly drops.
With a LEI, you just sit on your board, and let the LEI drag you even if ever so slowly, ashore.
Also, the very fact that you GOT some buoancy from the kite, is nice, with the smaller boards we use today.
Least but not last, EVERYONE can see you are down, if it goes really wrong, having a LEI with strut(s) - not possible with a downed foil kite.
Many ups for the LEI.
Agree though, that foil kites can hang quite extreme, when wind goes down - but if TOO light, they are horrible to self rescue, compared to a LEI as these are simply a bliss to either have them drag you ashore, or swim on your board with no drag really, if wind almost zero.
Peter