First Foil Kite - What size Flysurfer Soul?

[magbre]

I'm considering buying my first foil kite to increase the low end of my quiver. I currently have 7m, 9m and 12m LEIs. The 12m is a Naish Pivot. I ride a regular sized twintip and don't have any near term plans to buy a foil board.

I'm thinking the Flysurfer Soul looks like a good beginner foil kite. What size would people suggest I go for; 12m or 15m? I'd like to be able to get out in 10 knots +.

Also, would my current Naish bar work well with it?

Thanks

Edit: I weigh 87kg / 192lb

[SolarSet]

Im 92kg and had Soul 15m which was fun to ride from steady 12kts on TT. I would go for 15m for sure, size 12m is more for foiling or for light rider.

If you never had foil kite be aware they come with few drawbacks comparing to LEI

[leeuwen]

A foil is a bit more efficient then a LEI at the same size but they will still have a big overlap.
Probably better to get a 15m since you already have 12m LEI anyway.

Technically your Naish bar will work but you might want to size up:
Foil kites are really slow steering and having some extra leverage can help there.
Nothing is preventing you from testing with your own bar first though.

Probably still need a pretty big board as well to ride. Would buy that before going big on kites.

[magbre]

Thanks for the advise Sounds like I should be going for a 15m.

If you never had foil kite be aware they come with few drawbacks comparing to LEI

I'm aware of the trickier relaunches. Is there anything else of note apart from that?

Technically your Naish bar will work but you might want to size up

So any 4 line bar should be fine but I might want a longer bar at some stage?

Probably still need a pretty big board as well to ride. Would buy that before going big on kites.

Ah, I wasn't aware of this. My hope was to avoid buying a door as I've heard they're not much fun (not as manoeuvrable, etc.). Also I was hoping the bigger kite would still allow me to jump in light wind conditions.

[Regis-de-giens]

Probably still need a pretty big board as well to ride. Would buy that before going big on kites.

Ah, I wasn't aware of this. My hope was to avoid buying a door as I've heard they're not much fun (not as manoeuvrable, etc.). Also I was hoping the bigger kite would still allow me to jump in light wind conditions.

Foilkites like speed and thus a bigger board will ease the accelerating phase in light wind ; foilkite have generally a bit less grunt power, so with a small board you may never reach this threshold speed ... and have the kite glued in the extrem wind window, with no real power here and a bad reaction to over sheet-in = loosing of your planning.

For light wind (before hydrofoil, 5 years ago) I loved my door with foilkites; because since your planning and upwind is better, you can "play" more between each transition, while with a small curved TT, you need to go straight "only" and stay focuss to stay upwind ; so, indeed , door is less agile , less pop, but overall more fun in my experience , even light weight rider (say in 7-10 knots with a 15m to 22 m foilkite)

[SolarSet]

Thanks for the advise Sounds like I should be going for a 15m.

If you never had foil kite be aware they come with few drawbacks comparing to LEI

I'm aware of the trickier relaunches. Is there anything else of note apart from that?

"fishnets" bridles will be causing you a lot of hassle to check every time you unfold kite for lunch even if you leave bar connected and there still can be tangles that needs sorting out. It took me like 30min to lunch Soul in first 10 sessions and later once I got more proficient checking them and folding kite right this time was drastically reduced to the point when lunching Soul was quicker than LEI most of the time.

Foil kites don't have rigid frame like LEI hence they can fold do candy wrap while riding making them unrelunchable from water, they can start to take water through air intakes if you have them leading edge on water and lines tensioned, it happened to me like 3 times in 60 sessions when I had to fold kite in water and get it to shore to get it sorted.

You need nice beach to lunch foil kite, especially free of small sticks and branches that can get tangles in kite bridles, you can get kite deadlooping easily if there is some tangle in lines. If you ride with onshore wind there has to be at least length of your kite +50% to lunch it. Foil kite during self lunch can and often do travel a little downwind before it lunches.

Bought my Soul when I was kiting for only 2 years hence it was step learning curve, now after 3 year got rid of it because hydrofoiling seems more fun than riding large LEI or foil kite on TT.

If you can afford foil kite I would say it's interesting experience worth trying but be prepare for love-hate relationship, when foil kite work and you can ride and jump in 10-12kts while other people are waiting or barely going upwind on their LEI it feels magical!
Going abroad with foil kite is brilliant as well, it packs 50% size of less of LEI kite and it gives you this confidence that you always going to be last on water riding TT.
Depending where you going but set of 10 & 15m Soul would get you covered like no other LEI kites.

Steady winds are a foil kite friend, if you have gusty wind for wind range you are interested I would no bother with foil kite

[Adventure Logs]

If you are going to just TT, I recommend the 15m. I'm right around your weight and still to this day, my highest jump was on my Soul 15m(over 40ft). Any bar with equal lines(or up to 4cm shorter steering lines), low V, and front line safety(set correctly) should work. You CAN use a 55m bar with the 15m(I did for the first month or two when I first bought mine) but I would recommend a 60-65cm bar with it. If you do get the 15m, I'm predicting you'll be getting rid of your Naish 12m within the year.

=Jason-

[Adventure Logs]

"fishnets" bridles will be causing you a lot of hassle to check every time you unfold kite for lunch even if you leave bar connected and there still can be tangles that needs sorting out. It took me like 30min to lunch Soul in first 10 sessions and later once I got more proficient checking them and folding kite right this time was drastically reduced to the point when lunching Soul was quicker than LEI most of the time.

Foil kites don't have rigid frame like LEI hence they can fold do candy wrap while riding making them unrelunchable from water, they can start to take water through air intakes if you have them leading edge on water and lines tensioned, it happened to me like 3 times in 60 sessions when I had to fold kite in water and get it to shore to get it sorted.

You need nice beach to lunch foil kite, especially free of small sticks and branches that can get tangles in kite bridles, you can get kite deadlooping easily if there is some tangle in lines. If you ride with onshore wind there has to be at least length of your kite +50% to lunch it. Foil kite during self lunch can and often do travel a little downwind before it lunches.

Bought my Soul when I was kiting for only 2 years hence it was step learning curve, now after 3 year got rid of it because hydrofoiling seems more fun than riding large LEI or foil kite on TT.

If you can afford foil kite I would say it's interesting experience worth trying but be prepare for love-hate relationship, when foil kite work and you can ride and jump in 10-12kts while other people are waiting or barely going upwind on their LEI it feels magical!
Going abroad with foil kite is brilliant as well, it packs 50% size of less of LEI kite and it gives you this confidence that you always going to be last on water riding TT.
Depending where you going but set of 10 & 15m Soul would get you covered like no other LEI kites.

Steady winds are a foil kite friend, if you have gusty wind for wind range you are interested I would no bother with foil kite

I would disagree with a lot of these statements and will blame many of this guys problems with inexperience. I have absolutely no problems with my "fishnet" bridles on my Flysurfers. I usually always leave my bar attached to the kite and a couple quick jerks/whips of the bridle lines shorts everything. As you gain experience, bridle tangles/twists will be no problem at all.

Launching again comes with experience. I've been able to self launch in areas that I would never try with a LEI due to fear of damage etc. Also it's easy to water launch if you need to and except in high winds, a foil kite is easier to self land as well.

I started using foil kites within 6 months of learning to kite with a LEI. Everyone once in awhile I try another LEI to see how they have improved but I have yet to fly a LEI with the same type of preformance.

When I had my 15m, my quiver was 8m and 15m Soul and I had the range for any condition. Had no problem with the gap as well but again I'm pretty experienced.

Foils are a different beast. Theres many pluses but there are some cons as well. There's a learning curve especially when you need to start unlearning certain LEI skills and many won't stick it through past the hump. The newer foils are so much easier to use and learn/adjust to that you shouldn't have much problems.

[SolarSet]

I would disagree with a lot of these statements and will blame many of this guys problems with inexperience.

OP never ridden foil kite hence I wrote my experiences when I started to use foil kite, if you think that any if these are not correct for beginner foil kite user please enlighten us

[jakemoore]

I would also go 15 to extend low end on a TT.

But as Regis says the Soul will like a fast board. I would consider a Spleene Session or other flat fast mini-door shaped board or even a door.

I would definitely get a light wind board before kite in trying to get out in less winds.