Will Kite Foiling ever be relaxing?

[1234567Simon]

OK.... I am a bit exaggerating.... So please do Not Take IT too serious....



But will it ever be relaxing to Kite Foil?


For sure with constant 12 knots, and flat water,

But what about gusty 18-28knots, 100cm ocean swell and 50cm chop.....

- Just looking at your watch for 2 Seconds is a Dangerous Task
- Just pulling the depowerline could end up in a serious breach....
- Just a little piece of 50cm chop can lead to a massive breach and nosedive...
- every footswitch completed successfully, I am cheering Like a crazy Wrestlemania-Star (8 from 10)
- trying to get Out of the way of the kitelooping beginner upwind of you, almost leads to a Heart Attack.


But serious: 4m Kite in gusty offshore Winds 18-28knots, with chop and swell -> for me IT IS Super super Demanding! After 45 minutes, the conzentration ist gone.... I start to fall more than I Foil.
There seems to be NOT a single second for the Body and brain to relax....

will footswitches ever get a easy relaxing Thing?
Will it ever be relaxing to Ride in a straight Line?
Will it ever be possible to look at the Dolphins behind you without a massive face-slam?

(Disclaimer: as it was Side offshore, I did Not dare to go Out far..... So the the longest way out I did was aprox. 60 Meter . That means gybing every 50meter...this alone is Not very relaxing.)

[thatwildtype]

Haha I feel you. Maybe after a few hundred hours in….

[jkrug]

asking foiling to be relaxing is like asking sleep to be invigorating.

[Jyoder]

Yes, with enough practice, it becomes relaxing in the sense that you don’t crash anymore and you can start to really play with the wind and swell. All the worries wash away and after an hour or two your body is tired but your soul is full.

[Lamilu]

I just dont like to get out in low tide beach brakes…
In deep water all the rest is manageble…consequently can be relaxing

[jumptheshark]

Yeah man, look at me. I’m super chill. Wasn’t always tho. Had more than a couple dramas on this board but now I’m too mellow for that! I’m way more relaxed to plan with too. Have ridden so many days so far this summer….been like 8 straight this last bit. A day off or even a week’s not enough to stress me. Anyone still counting sessions? Get a foil! Best cure for that kinda OCD. I’m so relaxed I can barely key these words on my phone! No man foiling can be super chill. Dry hair session today just cause I’ve been charging hard lately and felt like a few soul turns would “rest” the legs. No airs, no slides, no new stuff, no effort, just easy carving in gusty 15-25 knots. ie conditions that jerk the fillings out of most kiters but easy peasy on foil and I had a lot of fun. Just the fact it was slightly offshore today kept everyone else on shore. Foiling tho? Direct shot to the best swell and back without a worry.

For real, nothing tames big windy conditions like a foil with a tiny kite on short lines.

Keep at it, you’ll see.

[consumer]

Have you considered Wing foiling? It being so much more chill than kitesurfing is one of the main reasons why I switched sports. No longer have to worry about:

1) flukey wind conditions
2) launch having enough space and being clear of beach goers /dogs
3) where I'll end up downwind
4) running my foil through the lines during a yardsale
5) foil hitting me (95% reduction).
6) longevity of gear

Also winging you add a dimension of wave riding that is unparalleled to any other form of wave riding.

[OzBungy]

Kite foiling is very relaxing in almost all conditions. In strong winds it is really nice to be out cruising around with a tiny kite that just sucks up the gusts. You can relax and play with the swells. Kite boarders are usually struggling with being overpowered every time a squall comes through.

Winging removes the possibility of having an out of control kite at the end of lines and adds the fun on riding the waves without the wing. It adds the problems of being underpowered in a lull, bigger boards and foils, and being more vulnerable to shore breaks and the like.

[Peter_Frank]

What OzBungy said

[rnelias]

Have you considered Wing foiling? It being so much more chill than kitesurfing is one of the main reasons why I switched sports. No longer have to worry about:

1) flukey wind conditions
2) launch having enough space and being clear of beach goers /dogs
3) where I'll end up downwind
4) running my foil through the lines during a yardsale
5) foil hitting me (95% reduction).
6) longevity of gear

Also winging you add a dimension of wave riding that is unparalleled to any other form of wave riding.

how many days/year on your local spot wind is above 14k?

I've already thought about trying winging but 1) gear is huge and heavy to carry and 2) it's not a foil discipline for winds sub 14 knots. You may argue that there are huge wings and foils for light wind but I don't think it would be relaxing to pump two huge wings to mown the law at 15kph at most

Btw, today I had a very relaxing kite foiling session in 9-11k