Single Skin kites for UL winds

[diogoveb]

From what I've understood, if your kite gets in the water in ultra light winds, you won't be able to relaunch it no matter if it is a single skin or closed cell foil kite. My question is: If you are going to swim anyway, why don't we all stick to single skin kites in UL winds, as they are lighter and more "easy" to keep in the air?

[dave1986]

Because in what I would consider "Ultralight" winds (4 to 6 knots) a double skin ultralight foil kites (like Ozone Chrono/Hyperlink, Flysurfer Sonic/Soul etc... ) will allow you to ride on a hydrofoil. However even the biggest single skin kite will not have enough power to get you up on the board in Ultralight winds (4 to 6knots).

Double skin foil kites are much more efficient at capturing the maximum energy from the wind than single skin kites. They have superior "peak power" or "power spike" so in the lightest of winds they will have sufficient power when dived or looped into the powerzone to haul your ass out of the water for a boardstart. Unfortunately even the largest single skin kites will not have the power to do this in such low winds due to not having that "spike" of power needed.

Not only that, but double skin kites have much much better upwind ability than single skin kites (this is very important in marginal winds).

Yes, single skin kites will fly in next to zero wind. But ultralight double skin foil kites can do this too, but they also have the extra power(spike) to make it work in the very lowest winds.

If you're only interested in riding in what I would call "medium light" winds (I.e 7 or 8knots+) then large single skin kites will be suitable for this.


There are of course many other different characteristic differences between single skin foil kite and double skin foil kites which come into consideration in 7/8knots+ when both types of kite can be used. If you're looking for a kite to sit back in the window and drift, then single skin wins. If you're looking for speed(in a straight line) and power and jumping then double skin kites win.

[edt]

double skins are more efficient air foils so you can go faster. Single skins are much much lighter and people that fly love them love how manuverable they are. double skins are much more sluggish. It's all personal preference depending on what you want to do. Single skins aren't better or worse, they are just different.

[lederhosen]

Single skins are also draggy, so if you ride a smallish foil on flat water with steady wind the single skin is the limit to your fun. A faster kite and foil would let you go fast and jump, but is more difficult to handle.

If you have gusty winds or ride a big foil anyway, the single skin is probably better.

[Sceotend]

I wonder how much "more draggy" and "less peak power" are due to the typically lower AR of single skins and how much can be attributed to the difference in concept. Born Kites RS+ kites AR is 6, which is comparable to the double skin ultralight foil kites mentioned above.

[Peter_Frank]

dave1986 answered it well IMO.

Except one thing, single skin kites (as t.ex the Peak) in big sizes does not have any powerspike at all...

Thats their achilles heel, and why the small ones are amazing both fun and a lot more power than their size.

Whereas in the bigger ones for close to UL wind, they lose all the appeal in terms of power.
They also turn slow, eventhough they are light - but all powerful kites in these sizes, single or doubleskin, turn slow - only light semibig LEIs turn well, but they can not hang in this wind.


So big singleskin kites for UL wind is not gonna happen, but close to UL wind, they have some advantages:

Can hang longer than everything else, so if wind drops you can get safe ashore without dropping it.
Super easy to fly and handle.
Packs down really easy and fast.
Low cost.

But besides that, no advantages so a more fragile superlight doubleskin kite kite will have way better low end, but a lot more costly and can be difficult.

I have ridden a big high aspect single skin kite like Born RS+, it turns even slower, but had okay peak power.
Not nearly as much peak power like a low drag double skin kite though.

Peter

[Regis-de-giens]

Agree with all above good statements.

I would just add that ultralight double skin kites relaunch in very little winds, very close to their flight limit if no briddle tangled .... So even if relaunch is never garanted, you Can still have some significant chance to relaunch in a little gust and come back to shore without swimming.

Single skin have not this "extra-chance" to relaunch, and even hybrid SS like Sky country Hysper will need significantly more wind to relaunch and pursue the riding after any punctual lull below 2-3 knots.

[derek440]

I will be interested to try the new Gin Marabou V2 12m in very light winds when i get one in a month or two, the intention with v2 is to make it more powerful like a twin-skin but with advantages of SS. For me I can fly a large twin-skin foil kite in about 6kn but also when the wind drops to say 3kn or so I can still fly the kite but can't start my hydrofoil so I just wait for more wind. Have done this before, looping the kite in about 3kn for 30min and then wind comes back up. I have also had foil kite in the water during a lull for 20min or so and relaunched (Gin Spirit) after draining the water.

[tmcfarla]

Single skin kites suck to swim in. One of their many downsides, but still my favorite kites overall.

[Janus]

Single skin kites suck to swim in. One of their many downsides, but still my favorite kites overall.

Don't exactly agree with this.. I think they swim in better.. after you packed it..

Packing goes easy, symmetrical wind up the lines with bar set to full power (in case you want to restart is this the way), wind up as far as you can, take the LE and make a nice roll package, let the water run out. swim in..