Best hydrofoil wave kite: ConceptAir Firefly vs. Flysurfer Peak 4

[foilholio]

Finally a pic of someone riding proper waves...

What foils and mast size is Marc riding?

[stefFZ]

As far as I remember, Marc uses surf/Sup hydrofoils around 1400 cm2 combined with Fireflies 1.5; 2.5, 4 and 6. As for the mast I don't know as I not really interested in hydrofoiling ... this sort of waves are for strapless surfing for me to be able to stay in the pocket This said, Marc is really impressive on his hydrofoil in waves (underneath this is a reef, not a smooth sandbank).

[Jzh_perth]

I am a Peak 4 owner and a bit out of touch with the latest developments of the hybrids like the FF. This may not be the appropriate thread either - apologies. I have seen pictures of the Gin Marabou, smallest is a 4.0 I believe. Is anyone able to comments on the FF v Marabou ? If Marc Blanc is riding Concept Air that’s a pretty big endorsement for me.

Exciting times in the wave foiling space. Everyone will benefit I think.

[Horst Sergio]

Thanks Stef,
nice pic, looks like fun. Asked Ben and also 1,5 m² is ready, but haven't made final decision yet.

Do you know if Marc also goes unhooked in waves as I have seen in his lightwind video in a small bay and does he uses normal chickenloop setups?

Will try his landing procedure, very nice , should be manageable with those small single skins ridden with super low power for wave foiling,
even if I would not recommend to try it with trees or roads within the wind window.

@Jzh_perth
Sorry, we (kitejunkie and me) have given up to contact GIN for the Marabou so wont add another test about it.
As for the named use "hydrofoil wave kiting" the joy especially for my weight (63 kg) starts below 4 m², it has never been to much in the focus anyway.

But have no doupt that we will see further hybrids. Would be nice to have a Marabou II in a small size as GIN have been the first with the concept.

When after many years the interest for the 199X shape Nasawing dropped, FS presented in 2013 what I would call the first modern Singleskin and while for a few more years still nobody was interested to much, in 2018/19 many brands as Ozone, GIN, Bornkite, Aeros, ConceptAir, etc. started to build serious single and now also Hybrid kites. Development is at its beginning, but I would expect a lot, hopefully also new features here, as for example this one since 199X well known and well working feature (zipper), unfortunately not combinded with hybrid or tip chamber yet, but just lets wait another year.

[stefFZ]

Do you know if Marc also goes unhooked in waves as I have seen in his lightwind video in a small bay and does he uses normal chickenloop setups?

He has his leash on the CL, he unhooks, lets the kite go and surfs the wave. He doesn't use the bar while surfing with his FFs. When he goes out of the wave, he pulls back the kite using his leash, hooks again and catches the bar.

[stefFZ]

As for me and strapless surfing with a surfboard (not a freestyle surfboard)... I have tried 4 and 6m in the waves. The drift is impressive, it is just about surfing, you don't need to pilot the kite .. it's almost as you have no kite. Right now, however I am not sure I am ready to let go all the other dimensions in which a double skin like a Wave is better (I have tried back to back FFs and Waves).

For hydrofoil, this is another story as the hydrofoil compensates for poorer performances on other aspects of riding. If one's focus is wave riding on an hydrofoil, this is an option that one HAS to try. But single skins should improve for strapless surfboard riding (or another option would be too learn from single skins and find a way to get them do the same thing as single skins when they are cheated out--I am pretty sure now that it is not the reduced weight alone that does this).

[lebast]

@stefFZ

are there more images or videos or Marc's recent wave riding style (with and without bar holding) than the ones you already posted?
Thanks for these nice teaser.

merci

[tomtom]

As for me and strapless surfing with a surfboard (not a freestyle surfboard)... I have tried 4 and 6m in the waves. The drift is impressive, it is just about surfing, you don't need to pilot the kite .. it's almost as you have no kite. Right now, however I am not sure I am ready to let go all the other dimensions in which a double skin like a Wave is better (I have tried back to back FFs and Waves).

same on Peak4 - it work with SB but excels with HF. Im actually not sure if on SB is this kite following you drift. It is almost like weak downwind pull. HF have such low resistance that kite cannot pull you because it have no resistance to pull you agaist. So forces are then at non disturbing virtualy kite less level.

Dont know if this have any sense to you.

[stefFZ]

@stefFZ

are there more images or videos or Marc's recent wave riding style (with and without bar holding) than the ones you already posted?
Thanks for these nice teaser.

merci

The only one I have was at the end of a session from the car ... a crappy video in crappy waves (which is certainly not representative of his talent) ... Marc on a Pulsion 369 two years ago. Difficult to see but he is letting the bar go in the video.



Sorry ... nothing better ... I prefer to be on the water or in the mountains + working + family etc... than filming someone else or myself.

[Horst Sergio]

... Marc on a Pulsion 369 two years ago. Difficult to see but he is letting the bar go in the video.
...Sorry ... nothing better ...

Thanks anyway.

Tried it myself these days in the flat, interesting for sure. But the problem in my eyes is that you just have not enough time till the kite drifts to one side, to enjoy the ride, at least with the Peak4 3 m² I tried and I think the Firefly is even a bit faster in flydown. But maybe it is significant better with Wave or Pulsion. In theory you could keep the kite always stable in the zenith by under riding it, as people do with paragliders during groundhandling. But this would mean you have to concentrate and ride for the kite and not just follow the wave and forget about kite...

Maybe you get more info about it from Marc, but even with an autozenith kite I wouldn't be sure. As having the kite hanging on leash depowered the main profit is that you don't have the bar in front of you, but your basicly "hooked in" again. But riding unhooked with all those wave kites, to me is an much increased freedom of movement, as you can hold up on the bar and creat momentum much easier than hooked. But can be this all is more relevant on a foil, especially monofoil.

Still start to be more and more enthusiastic about riding unhooked, in some sessions I have been already more than 70% unhooked of the time, there is nearly nothing you can't do unhooked (maybe apart from jumping high with boardoffs for sure ) ... don't give nothing about all high depower kite development over the last 20 years, ... got to find an old wipika kite