I do not agree with you on most of your arguments .... and we definitvelly have not the same wind speed scale. Have you ever seen the a15 or any pansh or flysurfer or ozone, ect ... kite cross the window soo slowly ? No, i can bet it. And it is not a LD ratio difference, there is just less wind to make it fly, it seems obvious on the video. So this wind is not your reference IMO.
Please believe my knownedge on this from years of tests and searches ...
Not an offence, but gettting your "advice" with SO much confidence in yourself, while not being on the kite spot seems almost pretentious my friend.
I will stop reacting further personally on light wind opinions and focus on pulsion 18m and questions if any.
I have seen many foils fly similarly slow. On land this is a common occurrence, kiting is not just for water! I think the advantage of a light kite is not so well expressed flying actively vs static flight. I have actively flown many kites down into 1-2knots on many occasions, with wind readings and the kite flow at wind reading height. That type of wind is the easiest to do things like 360s with the kite flown upwind through the window.
Are you referring to my advice about pumping? You don't have to take my confidence but look at the videos. It is possible to pump without a kite. SO at some point you can use pumping to help you water start or ride. If you look at videos you will see pumping can engage constant motion with just a little forward motion and the board out of the water. Although I don't think you will find a video for my full claimed technique like also claims for drifting kite, but that does not rule out it can be done. For sure question and doubt what I say, but at least acknowledge some of what I say, there is many videos of pumping. From your videos your pumping technique does not look good and I doubt you can pump without the kite, it is not easy. So at least practice pumping without the kite. I explained an easy way to do that, then mix it in with water starting and try some new things. Sorry if I sound pretentious but I am only trying to help.
So far Regis and Pulsion demonstrate the most compelling light wind video I have seen.
Probably second is Armin on the Soul in Canada but that also looks like cold water so wind meters might deceive.
Like Regis, for myself getting 90 kg out of the water is the limit. If I can get upright enough that pumping would be a consideration, I’m already flying.
Maybe it makes sense on a SUP to stand on the board and pump. But I have not seen the video with a kite. Wingers and more wind yes but with a kite not yet. And my on personal experience in borderline winds for kite flying on a non foil SUP has been dismal.
Alas where I live we are blessed with good winds so I will never get enough light wind experience to challenge the limit.
Regis I hope you keep the inspirational videos coming.
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There is a thin margin of power where loops won't get you out of the water but a full depower wide stroke with over sheet in the center will, kite will then stall or not unless you sheet out and either way quickly drop you back in the water unless you pump. I like Regis's videos but think he can go a bit lower and can waterstart much easier. It would be good to see a video in light wind from someone that is very good at pumping, I would guess Gunnar would be getting good at it by now. As to talk about sups? who brought that up?
There is a thin margin of power where loops won't get you out of the water but a full depower wide stroke with over sheet in the center will, ...
That is also my experience as a beginner. At some point in a loop the kite has to go up, against gravity. However, if you begin a long downstroke on the other side of where you want to go, you get maximum distance through the whole powerzone, and gravity accelerates the kite creating even more apparent wind. Well, I have to say that I cannot use long lines due to lack of space, which limits the space for loops, and loops too tight don't create power.
That is what I am doing with the kite building maximum speed with it depowered. When it hits center of the window at max speed I oversheet to exchange the inertia for pull, which gets me on foil out of the water but stalls the kite, so I pump and sheet completely out. Often even if I fly the kite it will not have enough pull to keep me on foil so I will need to get some speed up by pumping. That is why I put importance on pumping, if you can get on foil without pumping you can still go lower again with it. If I see someone on foil sink, then they either are not pumping, not pumping right or the foil isn't big enough, because you can ride with a large foil with only pumping and no kite assistance. You do however need to get the board out of the water to pump. There is like with other boards a riding part with hydrofoil where you can ride but not go upwind or it is very bad. It is not accessible unless you go into it already foiling or you can pump to get started because you can not start on the foil in that range without pumping.
As I seem to recall, might be wrong, you riding in 4-5 knots even with a 15 m2 Pulsion, because you are light.
Would have to be when wind a bit more sideshore though, as otherwise difficult to get out deep looping the kite.
At 78 kg I can ride in 5-6 knots with a 15 m2 Pulsion 30 m lines and the Ketos Karver wing (starts earlier than all my other kitefoilwings), even on a semi smallish board.
I am impressed by your analysis... yes indeed the wind was less powerrul than it looks like... 1 hour before this video i was also thinking it looks like i could ride even in 8 m ... so ...
i tried a elf joker 8m. Failed.
I tried a soul 10m . Failed (really not a good light wind kite beteween us ... too heavy, low to turn and to generate power.
I tried a toon 10m which i was able to ride in 7 knots the day before). Almost but Failed.
None of my friends were able to ride , and the wind was dropoing slowly down. Including a heavy 100 kg guy with a 18m elf and a 90kg guy with his speed4 lotus 15m.
I wanted to ride and do the show, so tried my the pulsion 15m on 23m lines, sure it would have been far enough to keep my 850cm2 wing.... almost almost but failed !!! Damned, what happens ! It looks like it should have been very easy ...
Then i put all i have as best for marginal wind , shinny of beeing stuck to the beach coast under friends eyes... so 1200cm2 wing and the 18m pulsion... and I recovered my dignity during 1h30 great ride (prooving my need of a 18m to have fun even at 60kg). My friend tried with its 18m chrono. He succceed once, 1 minute just to ride quite far away from coast, then swim back during 1 hour...
This wind was pure onshore but strange indeed... it was a new spot for me.