plummet wrote: ↑Thu Apr 26, 2018 7:21 pm
Each to there own. I want super fast and reactive. But i'm out there to fly kites and ride terrain. Not ride waves with minimal assistance from the kite.
<Ding Ding!> Highlights why discussions of foil and wave riding preferences are almost impossible to have on a forum like this. Different goals mean almost entirely different gear preferences. For those who understand these tradeoffs, then you can have an intelligent, rational discussion of the pros and cons. But inevitably a bunch of people chime in "yeah but the ____ is the best kite because it drifts perfect for waves and you can boost to the moon and its super good upwind and you can race full speed downwind and it'll make you lunch and do your ironing!". Critical thinking is in sadly short supply.
For me, I am willing to sacrifice a lot of performance for maximum drift and stability. I want to be able to drive down the line on a wave or directly downwind foiling and have the kite just sit there waiting for feedback. Once in a while, if I push too far, the lines go slack, and the kite starts to backstall.......if my kite can give me just that tiny little bit extra to save me a nightmare scenario, I will happily give up the boosting and fast turning. I think that's what he meant?
PS another related topic: surf foil enthusiasts are using bigger and slower foils to slow down and surf the wave, independent of the kite. But once on a bigger wave, these top out and can't go fast enough. Flash to Kai's instagram feed where he's riding experimental wave foils in what looks to be 25' surf, designed to go faster than a surfboard can and possibly redefine what is possible in big wave surfing. Again, opposite of conventional wisdom, but for a specific goal.