Cheap kites to complete Hyperlink V1 7m and 12m quiver

[CARMELHILL]

This spring I stumbled on the thread for the Hyperlink V2. Impressed, I bought the 12m V1 on closeout (cheaper). Impressed even more after some use I bought a 7m V1 Hyperlink on closeout. Love the kites. I have a 2017 Cabrinha Switchblade 14 that I will likely sell in the next few weeks. I am permanently ditching the pump.

So now I'd like to fill out both ends of the quiver. Two questions:

1:
I'd like something a little bigger but looking cheap, because that Switchblade 14 still has a small edge in light wind on the 12m V1 Hyperlink. I had a 2006 Waroo 20m that was my dream light wind kite but it finally fell apart after 12 years of patching. So what cheap kite would be perfect for twin tip riding in light wind? A Chrono 18 is way too expensive. Maybe a Pansh kite (I don't care about resale value)?

2:
I'd like something smaller than the 7m Hyperlink for foiling boarding. I've only been out twice, but I've got the Naish WS1 wing with a 55cm mast and an Alien Air board. It's a floaty board and a decent big wing. First day on my Hyperlink 12m in 8 - 10 mph wind was a dream. Up on the foil after an hour. Went today on my Hyperlink 7m and it was a disaster because I made the mistake of trying in gusty side offshore wind. bad idea. I was thinking of a 5m single skin kite. I saw the Ozone Explorer but it is still expensive. Maybe a Pansh, Concept Air?

Any comments and ideas are appreciate because your comments made me get a Hyperlink and join the foil crowd.....dump the pump.

[CARMELHILL]

I forgot to also mention the Flysurfer Peak 4. I was watching this video with A LOT of interest. And it's not too expensive.

[drsurf]

Definitely the Peak4. Once you try one Peak4 you'll probably want another. They are just superb as a hydrofoil kite especially if you want to ride a few waves.
Main features which will make you want to use a Peak4 over even your existing foil kites are:
• Steer and depower with one hand, even depowered the steering on the smaller Peak4's is direct and the steering is light and quick.
• When used in their optimal wind range for a given size you can depower the Peak4 to the point it hardly has any pull, and even if you ride towards it the kite hangs in the air without falling.
• Cheap enough to buy more than one.
• Safe to manage on your own launching and landing as the kite collapses when landed unlike a twin skin foil or LEI kite.
• Smooth in gusty conditions as the depower is so responsive.

There are probably more but the above gives you an idea of the benefits. On the downside it's technically a land based kite so it's not guaranteed relaunchable every time you drop it in the water. However to put a Peak4 in the water you have to steer it there, as it won't Hindenburg unless there's absolutely zero wind and with basic attention to the kite when crashing, you'll rarely get it wet. It will relaunch quite well if the lines have tension and some of the leading edge is above water. The only time I've had mine in the water was from another kiter flying into my lines. Even then it's easy to roll up your lines and the kite as it packs down quickly and small compared to other kites.

You'll find a lot of positive reviews on the Peak4 on this Forum and elsewhere for good reason.
Have fun, Dave

[tomtom]

Peak all way - but only as SMALLER kite - option 2

but you will not use your HL 7 then...

[CARMELHILL]

But what about the other end? A Chrono 18 is expensive. Any thoughts?

[fernmanus]

A used Speed 5 is a good option. A used Soul is even better, but may not fit your budget. Either is a better option than Chrono 1 & 2. I don’t like the limited range on the first two versions of the Chrono.

[tomtom]

If you need more than 12m kite - there is problem somewhere... 9m is my biggest - im 86 - naked - 90kg in gear - and riding from 7 knots. I suppose you are /hydro/foiling or?

[CARMELHILL]

I wouldn't be using the 18 to hydro foil. I'd be using to extend my wind range on my twin tip. My HL 12 gets me out in about 12 mph wind, but anything less is a waste of time. I'm not experienced enough to switch the hydro foil yet, in winds under 12. You guys make it look so easy in the videos, but out on the water is tough and frustrating starting from scratch all over again.

[Adventure Logs]

I cringe at using “cheap” with a foil kite, they just don’t go too well together. It usually ends in a foil kite not performing that well or something that requires a lot of work to get back to somewhat new performance. Here’s my advice:

Get something lower performance/aspect - These kites will be less prone to problems with bridle shrinkage. The main problem with used or older “cheap” foils is line shrinkage, and yes the lines will shrink even without usage just sitting in its bag. Race kites are much much more sensitive to even the smallest change in bridle length and would require much more tuning.

Get a foil with an adjustable bridle - Your kite will last longer, allow you to get back to near factory like performance, and you’ll avoid expensive bridle replacements. It sounds like you like to keep your kites a long long time and having an adjustable bridle in your foil will be a smart move in the long run.

Don’t buy one older than 3-4 years unless you know it’s mostly been it’s bag - UV light weakens the fabric which leads to bigger problems on foil kites. It reduces its air tightness which is a big killer on foil kites. You lose tons of performance and it greatly effects relaunch ability.

Couple side notes: If you are looking at twintip riding then I wouldn’t suggest a Peak. While it’s great on a HF, on a twintip it would be a little lacking. You never told us your weight, wind speed you want to ride in, and type size of TT you use. It does have relevance to what size you should buy. Panish foil kites will be the cheapest you can buy new, usually with the ability to get 50% off retail from the manufacturer but people have had mixed results and usually require some work to get to fly correctly. If you don’t mind putting in some effort then that might be the way to go. Other than that, as suggested above, a good used Speed 5 would be a good option or if you can get your hands on a Soul, the fabric will last you a long long time. I don’t recommend Ozone long term because of no adjustable bridle and the fabric just isn’t as air tight and will age quicker. Most other manufactures haven’t been in the foil industry long enough to find a “cheap” deal and DO NOT buy a used race foil.

=Jason-

[TomW]

I have Hyperlink V2 13, V1 9m UL and V1 7m.

The 13m is biggest I'll go for HF. Works down to 8 knots easy. I'm on 1200cm2 Moses 633 wing on 93cm mast. 76-78kg dry.been foiling 3 years.
9m works great from 10knkts to 17-18.
7m from 15-22 knots. At 22 I'm using 15 m lines. Changing down to 15m from 20m has big effect on the top end.
I bought a concept air 4,5 only really used it one time now, but due to inexperience, I'm feeling overlapping to 7m is almost non existent. Need solid 20 knots to make it work. I suspect a Hyperlink 5m would have been better next step down, but too early to say and I've never tried the HL 5m.