Help - Best LEI kite size to start HF?

[PurdyKiter]

But for the range 5-8 knots you need a special kite.
Peter

Last year I got on the expensive band wagon to explore a life in 5-8 knots. Flysurfer Soul 12m and a huge wing.
Now I've decided to simply keep my favorite IPA handy instead. I think I dropped $2K US for that experiment.
Love my 10m LEI

[cglazier]

My most used kite is my Flysurfer Soul 12m.. a great kite for lighter winds. You don't need anything bigger than a 12m with a hydrofoil and actually some of my friends get by with 10m LEI kites.. but they don't get the lift that really helps in moves like foiling tacks.

And let me add one other tip (along with the good ones already in this thread): when learning to hydrofoil use a bigger kite to be well powered, it makes learning easier.

CG

[PurdyKiter]

Not to wander off-topic, but depending on where you live the foil kites don't work as well as LEI in my thoughts. Here in Puget Sound, Washington State and the Columbia River Gorge a foil kite only works at less than half the launches due to tight launches, trees, barnacles, shifty gusty conditions. Seems like more people are happy with foil kites when they liv ein the tropics, the plains states, or a location with daily steady sea breezes.
Of the hundreds of NW kiters around here my guess is %5 have foil kites.

[Archer77]

But for the range 5-8 knots you need a special kite.
Peter

Last year I got on the expensive band wagon to explore a life in 5-8 knots. Flysurfer Soul 12m and a huge wing.
Now I've decided to simply keep my favorite IPA handy instead. I think I dropped $2K US for that experiment.
Love my 10m LEI

Purdy what you mean for "IPA"?

[nixmatters]

But for the range 5-8 knots you need a special kite.
Peter

Last year I got on the expensive band wagon to explore a life in 5-8 knots. Flysurfer Soul 12m and a huge wing.
Now I've decided to simply keep my favorite IPA handy instead. I think I dropped $2K US for that experiment.
Love my 10m LEI

Purdy what you mean for "IPA"?

A bit heavy, but boosts well and normally comes in a mid to high aspect ratio shape.
Cheers

[jakemoore]

Purdy what you mean for "IPA"?

[Archer77]

Last year I got on the expensive band wagon to explore a life in 5-8 knots. Flysurfer Soul 12m and a huge wing.
Now I've decided to simply keep my favorite IPA handy instead. I think I dropped $2K US for that experiment.
Love my 10m LEI

Purdy what you mean for "IPA"?

A bit heavy, but boosts well and normally comes in a mid to high aspect ratio shape.
Cheers

Purdy what you mean for "IPA"?

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Thank you! I sensed was something like, but not sure!

[SolarSet]

IPA are usually have quite bitter taste not my fav beer.

There seems to be a hype around foil kites recently until many ‘average expecting’ riders like myself tried them and have ‘Expectation vs Reality’ moment that their race like features are not worth hassle of dealing with foil kites.
Probably ‘Our Kite Life’ YouTube channel fueled this hype as well.
I had some revelation moment myself when I realize that chasing every knots it not worth it and it better to stay home If it is less than 16kts unless I’m set for foiling that day

[Peter_Frank]

My most used kite is my Flysurfer Soul 12m.. a great kite for lighter winds. You don't need anything bigger than a 12m with a hydrofoil and actually some of my friends get by with 10m LEI kites.. but they don't get the lift that really helps in moves like foiling tacks.

And let me add one other tip (along with the good ones already in this thread): when learning to hydrofoil use a bigger kite to be well powered, it makes learning easier.

CG

Disagree...

I know you often ride in a tad more wind than some of us, so then it makes sense.

But IMO for marginal winds, the Soul is too heavy and not sufficient power.
An amazing kite yes, but not for marginal winds.

Peter

[cglazier]

Peter, the Soul 12m kite weighs 2.27 kg and the lightest full featured LEI kite (12m Aluula Ocean Rodeo Roam) is 2.3kg. I don't think it's fair to use the words " ..too heavy and not sufficient power" when talking about a foil kite. Racers use foil kites exclusively for performance in races where the wind is as little as 6 knots. And I believe that a foil kite generally has more power than any LEI kite of the same size (not positive of this but I suspect it's true).

There are also one or no strut kites which are quite light but they have other issues like limited range. (I have a 12m LEI one strut kite and a 12m Soul foil kite ..and I generally prefer my foil kite in light wind.)

I am not suggesting anyone buy a foil kite to learn to hydrofoil. Use whatever kites you already have. Just be well powered and you will find learning easier.

It comes down to preference. Foil kites are a small share of the kite market because they handle differently and perhaps need more attention. But for light wind every racer knows the advantages of a foil kite.

CG