Lightest Wind Options

[OzBungy]

I am continually reading posts and seeing videos of people claiming to be winging in 4-8 knots. At the same time, I never see any of these people out when I am kite foiling in 10-12 knots. On the rare occasions people are out they're just plugging along on the surface. Wing foilers almost never appear until I am kite foiling with an 8m, and even then it has to be in the well powered part of the kite's wind range.

I don't doubt that there are people wing foiling in light winds. I very much doubt the wind strength numbers they're claiming. If they're going in 4-8 knots gusting 10, then I must be kite foiling in 2-4 knots gusting to 8. That's clearly not happening.

So, what's the truth about light wind wing foiling? Is it worth pursuing bigger and bigger wings and humungous foils to get access to those super light days? Or should I just buy a lighter kite and deal with the sketchiness of keeping the kite in the air in the lightest breezes?

[grigorib]

I can kitefoil in less wind than wingfoil, yet my biggest wing is 6.4m and my biggest UFO is 9m. Still excited to wing when others are twintipping on 13m kites

[OzBungy]

I can kitefoil in less wind than wingfoil, yet my biggest wing is 6.4m and my biggest UFO is 9m. Still excited to wing when others are twintipping on 13m kites

Yes, but TT with a 13m kite is not even close to light wind. You're talking moderate winds with any kind of TT, even a purpose built light wind version.

I'm kite foiling with a 12m kite and nobody else out. It still gets a bit sketchy when the beaches are crowded and/or the wind is on the lighter side and onshore-ish.

The choices seem to be, buy a super lightweight kite that will stay in the air through lulls, or pursue larger wings and more expensive materials. The point remains, I've never seen anybody wing foiling in anything approaching light winds. I've been one of the last wingers riding after the wind has dropped but I wouldn't call that light wind. I've done lots of kite foiling in quite light winds.

[grigorib]

Well, there’s no magic. Kite/wing size matters and you can’t loop a wing. But then again, I got a 1200 cm² and 9m UFO for lightwind and then efoils for anything under 8 knots.
Yet there are lightweight riders who need less cloth and they can wing in less wind. And lighter and better ones can pump a foil in no wind, so technically they can wing in less wind that we can kitefoil in.

[mikesids]

I reckon my bottom end for winging is around 8 knots. My LW set up is 7m Takoon v2, 107L board, Axis 1150 ( a real low end wing ). Had a pretty accurate wind meter nearby at my local spot for one session where I tried to figure out my ultimate bottom end , and when I looked at the readings when I got back to the beach, anything under 8kts corresponded to me pumping my ass off but failing to get on foil. Was in many ways a very frustrating session, but still educational .
I’m 80kg and have been winging for over 2 years so know how to pump.
After this experience I am VERY sceptical about any claims of wing foiling in less than 7-8kts, as in kiting there’s a lot of folks who claim they can get started in a veritable vacuum though.

[joriws]

I see in practise on light wind area that me and my Peak4 5m and wingfoilers are quite equal being able to ride.

If I cannot ride also wingfoilers are also sitting on the board. Sometimes I need to toss Peak around to accelerate foil flying speed. We are riding on a lake with wind bands so for wingers it is more important to paddle and snail surf out to a higher wind band.

[ronnie]

Using the optimum gear would help in the lightest wind.
I guess it depends on what qualifies as the lightest wind foiling/ versus with human assistance. SAB Leviathan 1550 2100sq cm front wing.


An 8m CWC might help, compared to the 5.2m Balz was using?


8mCWC and the 1750 Leviathan foil.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Mug7ywjHpDM

Maybe a board like the 2023 Gong Cruzader? or Kalama Barracuda?

[jkrug]

what you might be able to do and what is fun are two different things. i'd still rather sit on the beach than struggle to get and stay on foil while winging. even my 8m wing really only gives me an extra knot, maybe two, below my threshold on a 6m wing. there is no doubt for me that kite foiling on my 8M Peak is better than schlogging with my 8m wing. and neither works under 11 knots (at ~90 kgs).

[Peter_Frank]

I can kitefoil in less wind than wingfoil, yet my biggest wing is 6.4m and my biggest UFO is 9m. Still excited to wing when others are twintipping on 13m kites

When I can wingfoil with a 6 m2, I can kitefoil with a 5 m2 Peak quite powered, meaning probably 12 knots.

But when I can just get up on kitefoil with a 6 m2 Peak, meaning 9 knots, one of the very best wingers here can just go with a 6 m2 if he finds a tiny puff, once up he is flying.

Very very few can though, and indeed, the bigger wings doesnt help much, or at all - unless for us who dont have "perfect" technique, where size DOES matter

Many average Joes, even with big gear, can wing around 11-12 knots but not lower.
And most need 12-13 knots in fact, even with big gear.

So the lowend seems to be between 9 and 13 knots "allround" for average and a bit above average weights, depending on skill.

Dont know about lightweights - as they are often shorter so cant really pump with the bigger wings, maybe thats why I dont see anyone going lower

6-7 knots is the lowend for kitefoil, for most with lightwind kitefoil gear.
For those without "special" extreme kitefoil gear, it seems to be around 8 knots.

Anyways, wingfoil needs 3-5 knots more than kitefoil it seems.

Is my postulate and experience watching others (and myself)
I need 5 knots more for wing than kite though.

If gusty wind, a lot easier on wing, but if smooth wind you cant go as low, opposite to a kitefoil where you will often excel in smooth wind and go lower.

Not that easy to compare though, as wind up at kiteheight and head high can be extremely different (ARE always different, but windgradients can differ hugely so difference can be a lot smaller or a lot bigger)
Besides wrong wind assesments of course.

Peter

PS: Regarding if it is fun with big wings in this wind?
Well, it can be, some like to practice just to see if able to ride, even if flat, or practice transitions.
If just a tiny bit of waves, it can be tremendous fun even with really big wings, and you can also start earlier than if flat water.
But I will give jkrug, that once learned, you dont wanna wing when on the limit, IF you also kitefoil that is.
So if you both kite and wingfoil, most will probably go kitefoiling instead, but if a bit or a lot of waves - wingfoil is great

[Wingingit]

One knot can be different.
High elevation, high humidity and high temps can make it hard to fly higher winds. Where cold, dry, sea level air is much denser and make light wind more doable. How this plays into what people say they can foil in, who knows?