Bye Soul, hi UFO or Alpha maybe?

[rnelias]

I recommend you give it (land the kite trailing edge into the water and try restarting) a go next time then - and film the results.

Not claiming that single strut kites can't be reverse launched. Just saying that if you do it poorly (and I've done it a few times where I haven't reversed the kite high enough before letting it spin) and they fall trailing edge down then there isn't the buoyancy you get with a multi strut kite to keep enough canopy above the water to hot launch. You just can't get enough line tension then to pull the kite out of the water so its swim time.

You can get the same problem with a regular style relaunch in light wind too. Pull to hard on a steering line and it can fall back on the trailing edge. Its a light wind problem more than a single strut problem - its just you get bitten in conditions that a regular kite wouldn't often be trying to fly in.

Unfortunately I don't have any reverse relaunch recorded but already did with my Boxer and my old Alpha a ton of times. Even other 3-struct kites reverse launch easily as Jake shows with a Reach and you can keep trying forever as the kite will not sink. The secret is that you must produce some line tension to give a hard back line pull, thus, for deep water, you must use the foil board against the kite or even paddle backwards a little bit.

I have both kites, Soul and Boxer. In fact, Soul is also very easy to relaunch, if it crashes untangled and there's some wind available, of course. My point is that LEI's are undoubtedly safer. With 2-skin kites, if the wind shuts off, you have a 15 minutes window to decide: "should I keep trying or start a self rescue?". With a LEI kite you can stay floating on water forever, waiting the wind come back Therefore, it'll depend a lot on your local spot conditions. In my case, I've decided that it would be safer (and more productive) keep using LEI's and leave the Souls for occasions that I judge is safer even for someone that is not so used with foil kites (my case).

By changing a Soul for an 1-struct (or a light 3-struct) kite you'd be changing efficiency for safety and peace of mind to focus on your progress with the board ( my 0.02 )

Regarding the other options 0-struct and Peaks, again, forget about them if you're not into foil surfing, they'll make things even worse in the learning stage...

[tkaraszewski]

You should keep the soul and get a second h kite for when the conditions don’t suit the soul.

[rnelias]

Hey I typed a reponse one page back, but it's gone.. anyways.

This tread keeps getting better and better, thanks for the engagement!

The Kauper XT looks very promising, and I will look into the PLKB too. Generally browsing the major European resellers, the offerings for these types of kites are quite poor! It's hard to even find an Alpha v2 for example. But I'm not hell bent on that anyways. I love that the Kauper site starts with posting weights, pretty hard to find data on other manufacturers (except Flysurfer maybe). I couldn't find the recommended wind range on them?

The thing on the Soul is, even when you swim back, and get it to launch again, it will not fly well enough to go out and foil again since it has become way too heavy. So the session is over immediately.

The debate on size is interesting too. I think a 9m 1-strut would definetely too big next to the Soul, I would like to use it from 12-13 into the 19-20 knot range on foil. So I gravitate towards a 6 or 7m.

Time to visit the candyshop and ask which kites they have to demo...

Talking about weight, I think Alphas are the lighest 1-struct kites on market using standard construction. Boxers are a little heavier (maybe 10%) but are built like tanks . My Alpha started to develop some pin holes all of a suden and it's clear that Ozone has paid close attention in removing reinforcements to make the kite lighter (compared to the Boxer as I had both)

Wind range I'd say you can also tune using a bar with a wide depower (if you have longer arms), combined with low anchoring point (change waist harness to seat or boardshort, for instance) or get a second foil wing for stronger/lighter winds but it would make your learning process more confusing since your brain would have to get used with a different foil behavior. I have two wings for my F-One foil (Mirage 650 and IC6 850). Now we're in the low season here in Brazil and I've been using the IC6 much more than the Mirage.

[elmarco]

why not check out the new Ultra team?
I can't speak much for it yet as I haven't ridden it, but I just go a 9m in today, looking forward to getting it out!

[Nelis]

Good suggestions rnelias; already have those in place. I make my own bars, so got the long throw and multiple line lenghts covered. Also the seat harness is great for more control when a gust hits and in choppy waters in general. Also have a smaller front wing, but kind of a hassle to change out on the beach with sticky anti seize and stuff.

For more comfort and control on the foil I think these all help.

[downunder]

Ok,

I ride both, Ultra 9 and Soul. Soul10 does bow tie, than its the end.

But, Soul can also float for 20-40mins no problem at all. And can relounch when the wind picks up. Reverse launch or hot one.

I did that a good few times. And did swim in too, after a bow tie.
I like the S10 because any LEI I would rip in many times over last few years. Soul just wraps around the tree. Once it was 2hrs ON the tree. 10m high. Not a tiny rip.

Ultra9 I call a jumping machine in 25-30kn. This is out of S10 window, and/or I have no guts. Im 60kg so...

But U9 and S10 I can use in exactly the same light wind. Tested this a number of times. If I drop U9 in that wind, game over. Same with S10, but It is HARDER to drop it. Because it is slower than Ultra.

So, develop the way to let go the bar with Soul and it wont crash. When I crash, I let go, the kite flies even if the lines are slack, than kite colapses a bit but it opens as well. Sometimes I just grab the bar fast and pull. That helps too.

I stay clear from Ozone Leis after 5 years riding Edge. They are fragile kites.

Ultra is great quality. What I dont like is one pump. The pressure should be high but that is a risk blowing the LE. I think solo valve for 1 strut is fine. THAT would make a relaunch much better.

D.

[rnelias]

This is how "hard" is to self launch Boxer 9m in about 12k of wind (not so light wind...)



I can't remember the last time I've left this kite drop on water that I had to reverse launch but I'll force a reverse launch next time and will record... we're in the low season now

and here is Soul 12m in 8 knots

[edt]

Definitely tube kites are safer. If you are five miles out and the wind dies you can climb inside your tube kite and just float around. The foil, no questions you are swimming. If you kite solo tube kites make sense. If you kite with other people no reason not to take the foil kite out, you can always get a rescue if you get stuck and it's always an easier swim back when you know you can holler to for help. Around here the wind can go to 0 even if the forecast is 20 knots. I don't mean 1 or 2 knots I mean zero. Then you're swimming no matter how good your kite skills are. The aluula kites are some pretty nice kites, if you haven't demo-ed them give it a try. So expensive but so light. The duotone sls line is also pretty light. Whenever I bow tie I just swim to the kite, undo the bow tie in the water, then swim back and relaunch. If there are waves, though you are swimming to shore that's only if it's pretty flat. The other tube kite suggestions seem good to. there are a lot of good choices for light wind hydrofoil tube kites. The soul holds resale value so well no reason not to sell it if you think you aren't using it very much. You can always buy it again later if you miss it.

[Aspiremr]

I haven’t read the entire thread. If this has already been said, please forgive me.

I have a quiver of souls. Had the same challenges when learning to gybe. It seemed every time I tried my kite was behind me, slack lines, and dropped out of the sky. I think for 6 months every session i swam more than I kited.

No-one seemed to be able to tell me why it was happening, and waht I would have given for that input.

Just crash less. LOL. Yes - how.

My two cents worth. Even now, if i am not balanced enough, or don’t have enough lift, and I pull on the bar too hard, it causes the kite to be behind me. Likewise, I tend to lean on my back hand when trying new things, again, overlying the kite behind me.

I woudl try to slow the movements down a lot when doing anything new. And really work on never letting the kite get too far overhead or behind. As i said, fo me that meant do not sheet the bar in too far, and don’t lean on my back hand which flys the kite behind me.

When I do crash the kite but it stays in front of me, re-launch is always easy. When i crash t behind me, it is a nightmare. it can be bowtied, i can have it fall directly on top of me and be in the lines. So I think the secret is if you are going to crash, don’t crash the kite behind you.

Hope it helps.

[Turbaani]

Don't know if same works with soul, but with 12m tube kite if I make a mistake during tack and crash and go underwater not quite sure whats going on in the sky, I just yank the kite even more to the direction it was already turning, and make a quick loop. Always flies back to wind window and never drop on me