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Core Xlite size recommendation for beginner foiler

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MattyM
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Re: Core Xlite size recommendation for beginner foiler

Postby MattyM » Mon May 17, 2021 2:13 pm

If you like Core kites, I'd recommend seriously considering the Nexus. It's fantastic for foiling and a great all-round kite, too. Hence no need to specialise. I use Nexus for foiling in all sizes now. It's unlikely in the early stages you would need a foil-specific kite anyway. And yes the XRs are lousy for foiling. Like any 5 strutt bow kite they are just too havy and grunty, and can over-fly as they sit so far forward in the window.

TT above 16 mph?! Wait and see!! Foiling gets easier more and more amazing in stronger winds, with small kites that drift effortlessly. I've gone from foiling with 12 and 15m when learning, to nothing over 10m now, and recently got a 5 as my 6 was too big! Enjoy :-)
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Re: Core Xlite size recommendation for beginner foiler

Postby bkkite » Tue May 18, 2021 7:46 pm

MattyM wrote:
Mon May 17, 2021 2:13 pm
If you like Core kites, I'd recommend seriously considering the Nexus. It's fantastic for foiling and a great all-round kite, too. Hence no need to specialise. I use Nexus for foiling in all sizes now. It's unlikely in the early stages you would need a foil-specific kite anyway. And yes the XRs are lousy for foiling. Like any 5 strutt bow kite they are just too havy and grunty, and can over-fly as they sit so far forward in the window.

TT above 16 mph?! Wait and see!! Foiling gets easier more and more amazing in stronger winds, with small kites that drift effortlessly. I've gone from foiling with 12 and 15m when learning, to nothing over 10m now, and recently got a 5 as my 6 was too big! Enjoy :-)
I'm definitely considering moving from the XR to the Nexus 2 for those reasons, totally agree. The XR has lead to some interesting wipe outs, and some long long swims home...

I guess one of the reasons that I was considering an Xlite was for the super low end, like 8-12mph. Would a nexus stay in the sky in those ranges?

I figured if I moved to Nexus 2's I'd use them more at the 9m or 7m range when the wind picks up? I'm using my XR 9m and 7m on occasion and they are definitely better than the bigger XRs for foiling, but require constant attention.

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Re: Core Xlite size recommendation for beginner foiler

Postby windybrit » Wed May 19, 2021 3:03 am

I moved away from XR’s as I wanted something more nimble and surfy...... brought another brand 3 strut (no comment). When the Nexus first came out here in Canada nobody seemed to recommend it for all round and surf wheras in the UK they seemed to sell like hotcakes.
Now 2 years later I want to foil and surf, I have again wondered about the Nexus (2) it’s obviously not going be as light as the Xlite but does anyone perchance have the weights of the two kites for comparison, I still am tempted.
bkkite wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 7:46 pm
MattyM wrote:
Mon May 17, 2021 2:13 pm
If you like Core kites, I'd recommend seriously considering the Nexus. It's fantastic for foiling and a great all-round kite, too. Hence no need to specialise. I use Nexus for foiling in all sizes now. It's unlikely in the early stages you would need a foil-specific kite anyway. And yes the XRs are lousy for foiling. Like any 5 strutt bow kite they are just too havy and grunty, and can over-fly as they sit so far forward in the window.

TT above 16 mph?! Wait and see!! Foiling gets easier more and more amazing in stronger winds, with small kites that drift effortlessly. I've gone from foiling with 12 and 15m when learning, to nothing over 10m now, and recently got a 5 as my 6 was too big! Enjoy :-)
I'm definitely considering moving from the XR to the Nexus 2 for those reasons, totally agree. The XR has lead to some interesting wipe outs, and some long long swims home...

I guess one of the reasons that I was considering an Xlite was for the super low end, like 8-12mph. Would a nexus stay in the sky in those ranges?

I figured if I moved to Nexus 2's I'd use them more at the 9m or 7m range when the wind picks up? I'm using my XR 9m and 7m on occasion and they are definitely better than the bigger XRs for foiling, but require constant attention.

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Re: Core Xlite size recommendation for beginner foiler

Postby MattyM » Thu May 20, 2021 4:48 pm

bkkite wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 7:46 pm
I guess one of the reasons that I was considering an Xlite was for the super low end, like 8-12mph. Would a nexus stay in the sky in those ranges?
It's probably more a case of how good you are at keeping a kite up in very light wind for it's range. Obviously a one-strut foiling-specific kite is going to trump the Nexus in the very lightest of winds, but is that where your foiling is at the moment? Like with regular kiting, riding at upper and lower wind limits is very technical. More usual to start in the middle and see where your interest takes you. (You never know, if light wind turns out to be your thing, you might even end up getting a foil kite!) If you're only going to use a kite for foiling, yeah get the X-lite, but if you also use it on a TT/surfboard, it's going to be a more unstable at the top end of it its range, so it is horses for courses whichever kite you choose!

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Re: Core Xlite size recommendation for beginner foiler

Postby bkkite » Thu May 20, 2021 6:42 pm

MattyM wrote:
Thu May 20, 2021 4:48 pm
bkkite wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 7:46 pm
I guess one of the reasons that I was considering an Xlite was for the super low end, like 8-12mph. Would a nexus stay in the sky in those ranges?
It's probably more a case of how good you are at keeping a kite up in very light wind for it's range. Obviously a one-strut foiling-specific kite is going to trump the Nexus in the very lightest of winds, but is that where your foiling is at the moment? Like with regular kiting, riding at upper and lower wind limits is very technical. More usual to start in the middle and see where your interest takes you. (You never know, if light wind turns out to be your thing, you might even end up getting a foil kite!) If you're only going to use a kite for foiling, yeah get the X-lite, but if you also use it on a TT/surfboard, it's going to be a more unstable at the top end of it its range, so it is horses for courses whichever kite you choose!
I've been kiting for 6+ years, mostly twin tip and some surfing. I started foiling about a year ago using my XRs, and I've been getting quite comfortable with quite control under powered on the 15m and the 12m. On the foiling side I'm able to do carving transitions and not foot changes. My water starts are decent, but will need some work for the lighter days.

My main issue is the days where it drops to 10-12mph... those XRs just fall out of the sky at some point, or won't turn fast at all. I'll move to Nexus 2s for my whole quiver over time, but I guess I'm considering adding the xlite if it really helps me get out in low wind that my other kites won't fly in.

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Re: Core Xlite size recommendation for beginner foiler

Postby Windigo1 » Thu May 20, 2021 6:53 pm

bkkite wrote:
Thu May 20, 2021 6:42 pm
MattyM wrote:
Thu May 20, 2021 4:48 pm
bkkite wrote:
Tue May 18, 2021 7:46 pm
I guess one of the reasons that I was considering an Xlite was for the super low end, like 8-12mph. Would a nexus stay in the sky in those ranges?
It's probably more a case of how good you are at keeping a kite up in very light wind for it's range. Obviously a one-strut foiling-specific kite is going to trump the Nexus in the very lightest of winds, but is that where your foiling is at the moment? Like with regular kiting, riding at upper and lower wind limits is very technical. More usual to start in the middle and see where your interest takes you. (You never know, if light wind turns out to be your thing, you might even end up getting a foil kite!) If you're only going to use a kite for foiling, yeah get the X-lite, but if you also use it on a TT/surfboard, it's going to be a more unstable at the top end of it its range, so it is horses for courses whichever kite you choose!
I've been kiting for 6+ years, mostly twin tip and some surfing. I started foiling about a year ago using my XRs, and I've been getting quite comfortable with quite control under powered on the 15m and the 12m. On the foiling side I'm able to do carving transitions and not foot changes. My water starts are decent, but will need some work for the lighter days.

My main issue is the days where it drops to 10-12mph... those XRs just fall out of the sky at some point, or won't turn fast at all. I'll move to Nexus 2s for my whole quiver over time, but I guess I'm considering adding the xlite if it really helps me get out in low wind that my other kites won't fly in.
Do it! Will make a huge difference in very light wind. I ride often with my friend who is a Core rep he's about 210 lbs and he rides a 12m XLlite when I'm on my 12m Airush Ultra. Most of the time I'm on 9M or smaller while foiling we just use the 12m when the wind is consistently below 10 knots. When you go downwind on a foil the speed at which you go downwind is subtracted from the wind speed. A heavy kite that doesn't drift will fall from the sky. if it's 10 knots and you go downwind at 5 knots there is only 5 knots left in your kite a heavy kite just doesn't work. I have been out many many sessions riding for hours where only the people on single struts or strutless are riding and the other 3 struts are in the water unable to relaunch half the time.

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Re: Core Xlite size recommendation for beginner foiler

Postby bkkite » Fri May 21, 2021 2:33 am

Windigo1 wrote:
Thu May 20, 2021 6:53 pm
bkkite wrote:
Thu May 20, 2021 6:42 pm
MattyM wrote:
Thu May 20, 2021 4:48 pm


It's probably more a case of how good you are at keeping a kite up in very light wind for it's range. Obviously a one-strut foiling-specific kite is going to trump the Nexus in the very lightest of winds, but is that where your foiling is at the moment? Like with regular kiting, riding at upper and lower wind limits is very technical. More usual to start in the middle and see where your interest takes you. (You never know, if light wind turns out to be your thing, you might even end up getting a foil kite!) If you're only going to use a kite for foiling, yeah get the X-lite, but if you also use it on a TT/surfboard, it's going to be a more unstable at the top end of it its range, so it is horses for courses whichever kite you choose!
I've been kiting for 6+ years, mostly twin tip and some surfing. I started foiling about a year ago using my XRs, and I've been getting quite comfortable with quite control under powered on the 15m and the 12m. On the foiling side I'm able to do carving transitions and not foot changes. My water starts are decent, but will need some work for the lighter days.

My main issue is the days where it drops to 10-12mph... those XRs just fall out of the sky at some point, or won't turn fast at all. I'll move to Nexus 2s for my whole quiver over time, but I guess I'm considering adding the xlite if it really helps me get out in low wind that my other kites won't fly in.
Do it! Will make a huge difference in very light wind. I ride often with my friend who is a Core rep he's about 210 lbs and he rides a 12m XLlite when I'm on my 12m Airush Ultra. Most of the time I'm on 9M or smaller while foiling we just use the 12m when the wind is consistently below 10 knots. When you go downwind on a foil the speed at which you go downwind is subtracted from the wind speed. A heavy kite that doesn't drift will fall from the sky. if it's 10 knots and you go downwind at 5 knots there is only 5 knots left in your kite a heavy kite just doesn't work. I have been out many many sessions riding for hours where only the people on single struts or strutless are riding and the other 3 struts are in the water unable to relaunch half the time.
Thanks for the context, makes a ton of sense. Do you have any feel for how the xlite compares to the Ultra? I’ve heard great things about the Ultra, but I’ve got all Core bars and don’t really want to mix it up. Can’t find great info on how the xlite performs on the low end. Thanks!

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Re: Core Xlite size recommendation for beginner foiler

Postby Windigo1 » Fri May 21, 2021 12:44 pm

bkkite wrote:
Fri May 21, 2021 2:33 am
Windigo1 wrote:
Thu May 20, 2021 6:53 pm
bkkite wrote:
Thu May 20, 2021 6:42 pm


I've been kiting for 6+ years, mostly twin tip and some surfing. I started foiling about a year ago using my XRs, and I've been getting quite comfortable with quite control under powered on the 15m and the 12m. On the foiling side I'm able to do carving transitions and not foot changes. My water starts are decent, but will need some work for the lighter days.

My main issue is the days where it drops to 10-12mph... those XRs just fall out of the sky at some point, or won't turn fast at all. I'll move to Nexus 2s for my whole quiver over time, but I guess I'm considering adding the xlite if it really helps me get out in low wind that my other kites won't fly in.
Do it! Will make a huge difference in very light wind. I ride often with my friend who is a Core rep he's about 210 lbs and he rides a 12m XLlite when I'm on my 12m Airush Ultra. Most of the time I'm on 9M or smaller while foiling we just use the 12m when the wind is consistently below 10 knots. When you go downwind on a foil the speed at which you go downwind is subtracted from the wind speed. A heavy kite that doesn't drift will fall from the sky. if it's 10 knots and you go downwind at 5 knots there is only 5 knots left in your kite a heavy kite just doesn't work. I have been out many many sessions riding for hours where only the people on single struts or strutless are riding and the other 3 struts are in the water unable to relaunch half the time.
Thanks for the context, makes a ton of sense. Do you have any feel for how the xlite compares to the Ultra? I’ve heard great things about the Ultra, but I’ve got all Core bars and don’t really want to mix it up. Can’t find great info on how the xlite performs on the low end. Thanks!
We were both out a few days ago in wind maybe 4 to 10 knots our skills are similar. I was able to ride in a little bit less wind but I was on a bigger foil wing and I'm lighter. I haven't tried the XLlite but it looks very good to me it looks like it relaunches better then the Ultra it does flap a lot like the Ultra much more than the Boxer. I got the ULtra a few years ago because it was the first single struts with a good range but now there's a lot of good options the XLlite is one of the them Boxer is great too and the Ozone Alpha looks really good too.

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Re: Core Xlite size recommendation for beginner foiler

Postby JSom » Fri May 21, 2021 3:03 pm

Windigo1 wrote:
Fri May 21, 2021 12:44 pm
bkkite wrote:
Fri May 21, 2021 2:33 am
Windigo1 wrote:
Thu May 20, 2021 6:53 pm


Do it! Will make a huge difference in very light wind. I ride often with my friend who is a Core rep he's about 210 lbs and he rides a 12m XLlite when I'm on my 12m Airush Ultra. Most of the time I'm on 9M or smaller while foiling we just use the 12m when the wind is consistently below 10 knots. When you go downwind on a foil the speed at which you go downwind is subtracted from the wind speed. A heavy kite that doesn't drift will fall from the sky. if it's 10 knots and you go downwind at 5 knots there is only 5 knots left in your kite a heavy kite just doesn't work. I have been out many many sessions riding for hours where only the people on single struts or strutless are riding and the other 3 struts are in the water unable to relaunch half the time.
Thanks for the context, makes a ton of sense. Do you have any feel for how the xlite compares to the Ultra? I’ve heard great things about the Ultra, but I’ve got all Core bars and don’t really want to mix it up. Can’t find great info on how the xlite performs on the low end. Thanks!
We were both out a few days ago in wind maybe 4 to 10 knots our skills are similar. I was able to ride in a little bit less wind but I was on a bigger foil wing and I'm lighter. I haven't tried the XLlite but it looks very good to me it looks like it relaunches better then the Ultra it does flap a lot like the Ultra much more than the Boxer. I got the ULtra a few years ago because it was the first single struts with a good range but now there's a lot of good options the XLlite is one of the them Boxer is great too and the Ozone Alpha looks really good too.
As I understand it (and I'm not an expert) these are two equally good brands, the products of which are preferable to purchase.

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Re: Core Xlite size recommendation for beginner foiler

Postby Texaskiter » Sat May 22, 2021 2:52 pm

I ride and prefer Xlites in the surf for light wind foiling. Love them. Have ridden many 1 strut and no strut kites. I would say the Xlites are maybe less grungy than some other brands but they have a much greater range. Particularly the top end. They are also more reactive in my opinion to bar movements. In the surf I do a lot of one hand riding so that bar sensitivity is important to me. They also drift incredibly well. I am 200 lbs. the 9m is my money kite with an 800-1200cm2 front wing. Full disclosure- I do loop start the kite in low wind. You need to master that technique. I also have XRs, and while fine to foil with, they are heavy so drop out of the sky in super light wind. I ride a 7M Section in the surf when the wind is 17mph+. To the points everyone has made, I think you need to start with the 12m. I expect you will add a 9 or 10 down the road. Stick with the Xlite. Happy kiting!1
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