15m Strutless

[Foil]

The issue for ultra light-wind hydrofoiling with a tube kite tends not to be not enough power, but keeping the kite flying.

For example in 8 knots a 15m tube kite will probably give enough power, but it will also begin to be unstable and high risk of falling out of the sky. At 6 knots it will be extremely tough to keep it flying. So regardless whether the size is big enough to board-start, you are at high risk of swimming due to the kite falling in the lulls.

In contrast an ultralight foil kite will keep stable in 2 or 3 knots of wind. So you have a much larger buffer margin for error in case of lulls in the wind.

In answer to your question. I think a 15m strutless kite will be enough in 8 knots with good skill. But be careful as you'll have little margin for error.

from years of sailing with one of my foiling buddies who has had a17mtr gong strutless for 2-3 years, I can totally relate to the above reply, I have been comparing the pros and cons between strutless and my own ultra light new generation foil kites and earlier lei kites.
The only comment missing from the above reply is the fact that the strutless large gongs 12mtr and 17mtr have a very narrow wind range, above which they pull like a truck, which is very hard to cope with, being big and strong and loving heavy on the bar feeling kites helps when being overpowered, but not enjoyed my many,
However,when used In their range, and in safe onshore conditions sailing close to shore, then the fact they are mega cheap is their ace card. great value, and they certainly work well
In many ways much better than most lei strut kites, more hover, but certainly less relaunch ability
and of course leis have the downsides of more cost and falling more easily in slack line minimal wind conditions, and the more struts the lei has the more weight to bring it down and keep it there.
if cost is a barrier to buying recent versions of freeride foil kites then remember you can buy just one ulight foil kite to replace 2 lei kites, or when "foil kite skilled" then many foil kite users on foil boards manage quite well on one foil kite for "all" conditions, but that takes lots of practice and time.

[lightwind]

Gong strutless is stable in the low wind, I think down to 6 knots is easy to handle. Reverse relaunch works great if you know how to take the water away from the canopy before attempting. Main problem is wind range. It gets overpowered pretty easy. I have size 10 and on the website windrange is from 7-15 knots for foiling. I’m 75 kg and above 10-11 knots I find it too big on freeride foil. It’s powerful kite and flies great in low wind. I almost made mistake to go for the size 12 but in the last moment I decided to ask on their forum and was told to take size 10. Got 10 and never regretted.

[Whattheflock]

I've flown my 17m cloud in 6-7 knots with a spaceskate, 72cm mast, dwarftcraft 4.6, 70kg. Did the same with my simulator board and h5 (nf2, timecode 57) in cuba . Very over powered with the spaceskate. It's fun trying

[nayy]

i've a gong strutless 12 V2, on my onda @ 85 kg it's too much from 12 kn on... it gets me going from 7-8 kn.
On 29m lines it pulls like a truck.

Problem are the dulls... if you drop it you're lost.

but price/quality this kites is very good... it's a session saver ...

If I had to rebuy I would take a size smaller.

The problem is you need enough power to get you out of the water... once on the foil you don't need a lot of power anymore...

nayy

[AndersP]

For foil I use my Gong 12 strutless in 7-10 knots. Above that I get overpowered. To my surprice I had no problem holding it 20-22 knots on a rare twintip session. I used the suplied batten wich make the kite more stable with less flutter. I'm 70kg

[azoele]

A large Flysurfer Peak4 would be cheaper, more effective and fun in the light winds you want to hydrofoil in.

They are simpler than a conventional twin skin foil kite, and quicker to setup and pack down than any other kite. They also feel more like an LEI kite to fly than a conventional foil kite and will keep flying in very light wind.

Try one and you'll see why this thread viewtopic.php?f=197&t=2401224 is so popular

As to weight: 200 pounds is nothing
I am 250+ (ouch), and at 8 knots I would get on the foil (Moses 633) every time with a 12m (Airush Ultra, extremely light single strut). A (light) 15m would net you better than that.

But as to kites, I do wholeheartedly second this post: Peaks in low wind (but in higher winds too) have been, for me, just a whole new experience for hydrofoiling.

These amazing little flying bags (that's what they are, despite the nice colours )

• stay in the air in next to nothing (it is simply amazing: they stay up when kites on the beach don't even show flapping because of breezes... while other kites fall from the sky unless they're constantly looped)

• are easily recovered from mistakes like line slacking or sending the kite to the border of the wind window

• are a joy to fly: not very fast in large sizes, but with a gentle, controllable and predictable power output that makes one feel both very relaxed and empowered

• have a very large wind range: a friend was riding his 13m Peak when I was comfortable with a 9m Ultra, and he kept riding with it when the wind subsided and the other kites, mine included, just fell from the sky...

So, something to consider if you truly wish to practice lightwind, and make it enjoyable rather than a constant exercise of superior kite flying and self-rescuing abilities
Try to test one, and you'll see for yourself

All the best,