airsail wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 9:02 pm
Rain, easier to deal with a wet 4 mtr wing than a 10 mtr kite. And the wing is wet anyway even in fine conditions.
Strong winds when alone, self launching and landing kites can always go wrong, wings are just safer.
Time, when I’m really short of time and after a quick session, wing set up and pack up is quicker than a kite.
I tend to avoid rain - simply because everything is dull and not much fun, not because of the gear - only if amazing waves (and on a surfboard usually), it does not matter as much.
Also, if its 5 m2 wing wind, it is 4 (max 5) m2 kite, Peak4.
If I am in a hurry, I kitefoil, WAY faster to rig and be foiling, and pack down, than any wingfoil setup.
Again, there are Peak4 kitefoilers, and the rest
But in general, if conditions are in the lower end and stable winds, I avoid wingfoil - did it in the start hoping to be able to foil, but life is too short to stand parked on a wingfoil.
Gusty winds even in the lower end, is great for wingfoil, as you can use the gusts to get up foiling, and once up you dont need much and can practice not missing transitions, or using even small wind waves to get past lulls.
You dont get overpowered as such, with a wing, opposed to kitefoil where it isnt much fun if too big a kite for wave/freeride.
If a bigger shorebreak and onshore winds, and also if rocks at or near the coast in these conditions, I will choose kitefoil, way easier to get out without risking yourself or your wing getting destroyed by the foilwing.
But both sports works great even in onshore winds, playing in small or bigger waves - as opposed to kitesurfboards which I find useless (boring) in onshore winds.
Otherwise I choose what I feel for on a given day, and very often I do both - so much fun and very different, so good to mix it up.
Makes sense if the wind drops or pick up, to change back and forth also.
I like the simplicity of a kitefoil, and the fact it is much smaller and faster to rig and pack, and easier to get out to deep water, or ashore again.
I like the very different feel you got on a wingfoil, in particular trying to "milk" even the smallest wave, or trying to learn new things, and you get a better workout with your upper body, nice to have the lovely "windsurf" feel back, just more moderate because of the lower drag foil
Peter