Foils that don't sink. How much of a problem is it

[slowboat]

I think if you are trying to ride waves with an under powered wave kite, a foil that does not sink will be a real pain, maybe prohibitively so.

[Adventure Logs]

I think if you are trying to ride waves with an under powered wave kite, a foil that does not sink will be a real pain, maybe prohibitively so.

I always rig as small as I can go and I ride the 633. It seems sometimes like the foil will actually slowly travel upwind from me and can sometimes be a real pain to get to. I've been riding the Nobile Zen Splitboard with the Onda 633 on a 91cm mast but I just bought the smaller Dwarftcraft so we shall see if it's better.

=J-

[jatem]

I ride in swell, underpowered with small wave kites, and a foil setup that floats on its side, usually in on shore wind. It sits in the water ready for a water start, and it doesn't float in to shore with the waves. It's a minor effort to body drag back to it occasionally, I much prefer this compared to having it float quickly to the beach.

[Peter_Frank]

I ride in swell, underpowered with small wave kites, and a foil setup that floats on its side, usually in on shore wind. It sits in the water ready for a water start, and it doesn't float in to shore with the waves. It's a minor effort to body drag back to it occasionally, I much prefer this compared to having it float quickly to the beach.

Agree fully with this

The advantages by far outweigh the minor hassle that you have to bodydrag longer.

Unless in the winter, when freezing cold you don't want to drag for long in the water, so here it is not good...

Peter

[Teabageppo]

My axis foil floats on its side. Which can be a pain when you come off as it will foil on its side going upwind if you !

[OzBungy]

Generally, foil up is pain when it's upwind (you have to drag back to it), a foil down is a pain when it's downwind (the foil can rocket off downwind without you).

As an experienced kiter, generally in stronger winds, foil down is better. If you're downwind of the foil then it comes back to you automatically. However, a couple of times in light winds with a crashed kite the foil has run away and ended up on rocks before I could get to it.

Foil up is not a problem but it can be tedious dragging back to it. No more difficult than dragging back to a TT or surfboard, but still tedious. I have never had a problem with it. My mate got separated from his board and could not drag back to it. A passing kiter flipped the foil down and it quickly sailed back to him.

One thing I am certain of, I love love love my very light weight carbon kit. It is so easy to use and so easy to own. I would have to be dragged kicking and screaming to a heavy and/or alloy kit. I hate it that the mass market is going for cheap shit aluminium masts and fuselages. Hopefully the makers of quality carbon kit will continue to refine and improve their products and occupy a healthy market niche.

[jatem]

Light carbon foil gear is nice to use and easy to carry. Combined with a 600g Flysurfer Peak 4, it's minimalist.

[dkazhdan]

i am often in a situation when the wind is so light that body dragging is not working out that well as all I manage to do is keep the kite at 12 and wait for the board to come back to me.

wondering how people get to their non-sinking foils in those conditions? if you cant bodydrag?

[Peter_Frank]

i am often in a situation when the wind is so light that body dragging is not working out that well as all I manage to do is keep the kite at 12 and wait for the board to come back to me.

wondering how people get to their non-sinking foils in those conditions? if you cant bodydrag?

I think most light foils WILL sink down to "flat" eventually, when so light wind that you can not bodydrag, and waiting for the board kite at 12 is the solution - eventhough it takes a bit of time, but thats the price for a superlight big wing.

If some wind, the wind will often keep the foil up on its side permanently, even if chop waves, but here you can bodydrag easier up after the board - no matter where it is heading

Most often it is a pleasure it does not sink down, so you can just start immediately if you are at the board after a crash, especially when strapless, so besides jumping and carrying there are other benefits

Peter

[Foil]

one of the main advantages to a floating foil on its side is you are never in doubt where your board is,
its visible for everyone to see,
you maybe 50 yards away, and for those people looking out for you on the beach then they can see it easily as well, especially if you have a dayglo strip on your board like many groove skate boards have.

At flag beach last year my wife was running for the rescue guys as she spotted a board on its side way outside the outer reef, moving along with the tidal current without the owner in sight, as his foil kite was down in the waves and almost invisible,
the rescue guys already had a plan to sort the problem, as they had seen the situation as well, the board was flashing its bright dayglo stripes back to the beach in the bright sunshine and rolling sea.
made me buy the same board with the same colours.