Delta99 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 16, 2019 9:11 pm
I'm reading up to understand which kite to use for hydro foil in weak winds. I get confused, some brands claim their hydro foil dedicated kite flies forward in the wind window, others say their kite flies deeper back. And both claim their flight position is the best. Strange. Since this is about aerodynamics and absolute laws of nature, one would expect all brands arrived at similar understanding and designs.
Mainly looking at single struts like the new Duotone Mono 13 sqm and F-one Breeze 13. I've never foiled, I'm 100kg/220 lbs with winds below 10 knots.
Appreciate your input.
Understand your confusion.
Short answer is: It has to fly far forward for marginal winds
Talking about wavekites, these are lower aspect in order to turn faster and drift better.
But there are two VERY opposite likings, and nothing but personal liking.
Some sits deep in the window, and almost takes care of themeselves why you ride the wave.
Others can accelerate and fly forward, which gives some extra advantages, IF you are capable of controlling it.
For a hydrofoil, once you get up foiling in really low wind, you will HATE a kite that sits deep, as you can not "stop" your speed anymore, but will go deeper at higher speed until a final crash maybe
Even more so in marginal winds 4-6 knots, as here you can not ride at all, if your kite havent got an extreme high L/D ratio, meaning it flies far forward in the window.
Here foil kites excel
The thick wavekites works just dandy in the medium and smaller sizes for hydrofoiling, but you will probably not like if they sit too deep.
BUT, if you got a low aspect really big wing, we often call "surf" wings, you can ride in marginal wind with a lower AR deeper sitting kite easier.
PF