Hello,
I have never flown a foil kite before. I kite regularly but have very little session time given children/job, typically 60-90 minute TOTAL session length including setup/commute - "babe I'll be back in an hour and a half"
I can walk onto the beach and be riding with my Airush ultra in 5 minutes (I have timed it).
How long does it take to setup the HL or Soul from walking on the beach to riding? I'm moving to florida and may want something for superlight conditions...
OK from what we can see you are experienced (2001)
The kite that takes you 5 minutes in a 9 sqm correct ?
Were you keeping your lines on to get that time ?
If you have your technique down & tall pump you can have a size 17 sqm (with 5 struts) lines already on....up & launched also in 5 minutes....and a bit faster..if 3 struts
Ram air kites in medium & large size do take less time...let's say if you are good at it...about 2 minutes less...about 40% faster
Ram airs are definitely better & faster with their own bar & lines always attached to kite
Owned many ram airs ... setting them up around 150 times a year...during 6 years using them
Gave up on ram airs in the end....... but kept one of their best quality ...."Lines on ".... for set-up speed
Last edited by PullStrings on Fri Mar 15, 2019 9:34 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Hej,
I'm in same situation. But can add that I often kite alone or there's no one to help launch.
Foil set up is basically the same time as LEI. But then I just hook in back up and go. No hunting for help( if there is any), or doing a teather set-up that I'd have to set up. So I save time.
Landing and rolling up is faster.
Part of it is that lines are already attached to the bar.
I've been flying foil kites 1 year now after 17 years on lei. My launches are either grass or sand.
Overall it's less hassle
I'd say it really depends on experience, some methods of packing, bridle lines thickness and mixer structure.
With my old kite the setup was quite easy and fast, untangling the lines was not a problem, so about 5 minutes and I was ready. Soul on the other hand ain't that fast. I have to check bridles and mixer for waaay longer, just to ensure that everything's fine. Sometimes it takes 10 minutes, sometimes 20. People with inflatables who went with me on the spot at the same time are long gone riding.
Maybe there are ways to prevent this, I don't know them just yet, but I saw people set up their FS Speeds in less than 5 minutes, just made sure that bar lines ain't twisted.
Once you understand the bridle, setup time is certainly no worse. If you pack the kite correctly its as simple as unrolling the lines and putting the kite in the air. But I think you have to spend as much time packing as you would save in setup.
If you can roll the kite quickly and then pack it nicely at home you will save beach time but not over all time.
One option is parapacking the lines so you stake the bar and then just pull the kite downwind and unfurl the kite.
Another is to pack the kite so the wind unrolls the kite: Put the bridle on the bottom skin and fold the kite lengthwise so the bridle is inside the fold, kite lines coming out at the center of the kite. Roll both tips to the center. On the beach you just open a little bit and the wind unrolls and inflates the kite as soon as you tense the lines a little.
Now I'm changing bars on my foil kites and so no setup time advantage. Also I can't be bothered with putting the kite up so carefully.
How long does it take to setup the HL or Soul from walking on the beach to riding? I'm moving to florida and may want something for superlight conditions...
Depends on spot and wind condition for sure, but if you have no spot, but just shallow water:
it is 90 sec, to get it up. If you have a spot, maybe down to 60 sec + grabing your board...
Somewhere here I have writen another long explanation about packing... try to find it.
Most important secret is not to wind up slowly and precise but especially to wind most of the bridle lines till the tipps, than you can never have any relevant tangles when unpacking.
But kites as HL or Soul will be a good choice and even easier than the freerace kites you see in the videos. Just take your time to learn it well right from the start.
With bar attached i definitely can launch kite under minute. I have custom carbon bar that i can just go from kite and lines are unwinding themselves so its very quick affair.
But you need to understand bridles and have system. I dont untwist lines at all. I trust myself and any twist there is in lines im dealing with in the air.
But one kite one bar was always my policy - also with leis - so i has always quickest setup.
Don’t have any foil kites any more,found them too much hassle. But, on a sandy beach, if you leave the lines attached, foil kites can set up faster than any Lei. Take down might be a bit longer, so maybe a wash in the end. But total time between set up and take down- a foil kite can at least match an Lei, and likely beat it.
If your beach isn’t wide and sandy, or if you have to dry your kite, just use and inflatable.
All that said, an extra minute in setup doesn’t count for much for me, i would be more worried about the one-in-twenty swims, or the semi-regular line checks. You may get on the water faster for most sessions, but I don’t think you spend less total time fussing with your kite on the beach. That was my experience at least, but I gave up in foils pretty quickly, and others have probably had different experiences.
These users thanked the author tmcfarla for the post:
For the question: 9m Ultra, lines not attached. I just pump it up, run the lines and attach them, attach a U.go Gopro setup, and then self launch by pulling the rear line to rotate it and launch. 5 minutes total.
I have big sandy beaches and will have them in Florida also.
I just want to know if it's 15+ minutes, which seems like it might be for awhile...