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Has Anyone Tried A Big Board For Kite Foiling In Super Low Wind

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Kitedougiefresh
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Re: Has Anyone Tried A Big Board For Kite Foiling In Super Low Wind

Postby Kitedougiefresh » Tue Apr 27, 2021 12:56 am

Slappysan wrote:
Mon Apr 26, 2021 6:43 pm
You will have a much better chance at success if you were to use a Peak 4 instead, but I still think you'll need the 110L board.
I have several Peaks, why do you feel they would be better than the Pulsion?

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Re: Has Anyone Tried A Big Board For Kite Foiling In Super Low Wind

Postby bigtone667 » Tue Apr 27, 2021 1:01 am

I tried using a wing board with a kite and it is really hard to get on top of the board. They simply have too much float to easily lay them on their side for a normal launch. (I was fine on my knees).

Naish created a wide skim board with a foil attachment (Naish Hover 155), and this is my go to light wind foil board because it planes so well in light wind and gives you time to pop onto the foil.
I also run an either an AXIS 1020 or 1300 foil with either a old 17m Cloud or 13.4m Cloud ...... I am down around the 7/8 knot range.
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Slappysan
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Re: Has Anyone Tried A Big Board For Kite Foiling In Super Low Wind

Postby Slappysan » Tue Apr 27, 2021 1:41 am

Kitedougiefresh wrote:
Tue Apr 27, 2021 12:56 am
I have several Peaks, why do you feel they would be better than the Pulsion?
I've never flown a Pulsion, but with the Peak 4 it's pretty easy to keep the kite up in 4 knots of wind without the need for downloops.
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Re: Has Anyone Tried A Big Board For Kite Foiling In Super Low Wind

Postby evan » Tue Apr 27, 2021 6:34 am

With a kite you don't need volume. You need surface area to plane early and grip for the waterstart.

A long and wide skim style board would enable you to plane super early and keep the board submerged on it's edge for maximum grip on takeoff. Also makes keeping the kite in the air easier as you won't be drifting Downwind with the board on its side.
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Kitedougiefresh (Tue Apr 27, 2021 1:47 pm)
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Re: Has Anyone Tried A Big Board For Kite Foiling In Super Low Wind

Postby jatem » Tue Apr 27, 2021 7:38 am

gl wrote:
Mon Apr 26, 2021 11:47 pm
I went a slightly different direction. I bought a 52 litre 5'10" board. The idea being that if I dive the kite to get up on the board but do not get up on the foil I have time for a second dive before the board sinks. I am 80 kg. and it works well for me and I do not have to climb up on a small tippy board while flying a kite. Maybe look at some prone foil boards.
I'm using a 5' prone foil board on light days, approx 40L, with a high aspect axis (1400cm2) wing. As soon as I'm over the board after a dive of the kite, I can pump the foil up off the water. If I'm on my sinker pocket board, it is much more difficult to get enough speed for the board to get to the surface of the water due to lack of buoyancy and length. The pump and glide foil gets me through the lulls much better than a small kite foil.

I've tried small foil sups with a kite, but they feel heavy and unresponsive when kiting, and starting on top of the board is awkward.
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Re: Has Anyone Tried A Big Board For Kite Foiling In Super Low Wind

Postby Foil » Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:46 am

I recently had a 120 cm board made twice as thick for extra volume to aid light wind performance, 6cm thick with 17ltr of volume 45cm wide, it sort of helped, but not much, it did stabilize the board far more in high winds, but then it dulled the fun as it was less responsive due to the extra bulk and tended to drop down more easily in super light airs, which was sort of strange, must have just been the extra kilo maybe, what was noticeable was the ability to sail on the water surface without diving much, so it would be good for gusty lake sailing where dead air patches are found.
its now been sold as the fun for me was watered down too much, body dragging out in bigger onshore slop and waves was much more of a task as holding the board down to dive under the waves was hard to do.
anyways! the light came on for me as how to get up and going more easily in super light winds, easy!! just borrow your mates 15mtr ozone R1 V3 race kite, now that thing just lifts your arse clear and then your up on your tip toes before the kite is even half way through the kites dive down the wind window, you need to be strapped down or you would get lifted clear off the board,now that was a shock and a lesson in what to use if you really want to get out in the lowest airs out there, and keep up and going round the corners, crazy lift from that kite.
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Re: Has Anyone Tried A Big Board For Kite Foiling In Super Low Wind

Postby elguapo » Tue Apr 27, 2021 12:19 pm

Slappysan wrote:
Tue Apr 27, 2021 12:15 am
gl wrote:
Mon Apr 26, 2021 11:47 pm
I went a slightly different direction. I bought a 52 litre 5'10" board.
Yeah, I went a completely different direction and use a small board and big foil (1600 cm). Once I'm out in to deep water I can loop the kite to push the board down underwater while under my feet. Then it takes 2-4 more loops to get the foil to lift me up out of the water. It's far from easy, but not crazy hard either. I can get started in 8 knots of wind with my Peak 4 5m kite and 26L board.
same.

my ride of choice is a surf foil on the tiny paipo.
imo size and volume on a foilboard isnt desirable (just start directly on foil..and stay there)

to start..
i do the figure 8s ..constantly when riding the min wind on peak4
.. once there is some momentum just pumping the foil is usually enough to get flying

Image
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Kitedougiefresh
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Re: Has Anyone Tried A Big Board For Kite Foiling In Super Low Wind

Postby Kitedougiefresh » Tue Apr 27, 2021 6:23 pm

So a huge volume board is off the table. My Alien Air Is 4'8". I was considering something like a large board (5' 10") or larger that is not thick that I might be able to turn on its side. Can anyone comment on that?

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Re: Has Anyone Tried A Big Board For Kite Foiling In Super Low Wind

Postby jkrug » Tue Apr 27, 2021 9:35 pm

here's what i recommend when it goes below 10 mph:
chair.jpg
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bigtone667
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Re: Has Anyone Tried A Big Board For Kite Foiling In Super Low Wind

Postby bigtone667 » Tue Apr 27, 2021 10:10 pm

Kitedougiefresh wrote:
Tue Apr 27, 2021 6:23 pm
So a huge volume board is off the table. My Alien Air Is 4'8". I was considering something like a large board (5' 10") or larger that is not thick that I might be able to turn on its side. Can anyone comment on that?
If you can find a surfboard with a foil mount (2015 Liquid Force Fish was a good example) it will work. Ultimately you want something flat and wide to start planing on the water.

I took an old 50x150 CrazyFly Cruiser TT and bolted my foil onto it and it worked a treat in low winds because it was flat and wide. I also took an old Victoria skim board bolted my foil onto it and it worked a treat in low winds because it was flat and wide.

If you are lucky enough to be at a cross wind location and not on shore wind, then you can generate power through looping and use a smaller board, but my primary location is onshore on a small lake and a low volume fat skim board works a treat when you cannot generate power through looping.

I know that there are heaps of Peak 4 fans, but once you get over 100kg and 5m Peak 4 is not going to get you up onto a foil in sub 10 knots. I have 4m, 5m, 8m Peak 4's and I need a bigger kite for sub 10 knots.
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