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One strut kite advantages/disvantages

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BOEMIX
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One strut kite advantages/disvantages

Postby BOEMIX » Tue Oct 31, 2017 7:34 pm

After doing a lot of swims lately with my chrono v2 15m, I'm considering to add a one strut kite when the wallet allows me to buy it.

Lately I noticed that when i foil in very light wind in my main spot (6-8 knots) there are mini wind switches of 45-90 degrees that make your kite fall out from sky no matter what you do. (by the way, I have learned to loop slow kites nicely) Then if you want to ride again you need to take a lot of care to not the tangle the lines of your kite or it's game over.

Do you think a One strut kite is going to handle well that kind of conditions?
Are wind ranges of one struts similar to foil kites?
Is relaunching one struts easy/hard?
Why one struts are bad boosting kites?
Which size of one strut is going to be the best to have the best low end paired with a freeride foil board (ketos) and a 90 kg rider over it?

Thank you very much!

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Re: One strut kite advantages/disvantages

Postby kiterocky » Tue Oct 31, 2017 7:54 pm

17 strutless or one strut...perfect

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Peter_Frank
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Re: One strut kite advantages/disvantages

Postby Peter_Frank » Tue Oct 31, 2017 11:14 pm

BOEMIX wrote:
Tue Oct 31, 2017 7:34 pm
After doing a lot of swims lately with my chrono v2 15m, I'm considering to add a one strut kite when the wallet allows me to buy it.

Lately I noticed that when i foil in very light wind in my main spot (6-8 knots) there are mini wind switches of 45-90 degrees that make your kite fall out from sky no matter what you do. (by the way, I have learned to loop slow kites nicely) Then if you want to ride again you need to take a lot of care to not the tangle the lines of your kite or it's game over.

Do you think a One strut kite is going to handle well that kind of conditions?
Are wind ranges of one struts similar to foil kites?
Is relaunching one struts easy/hard?
Why one struts are bad boosting kites?
Which size of one strut is going to be the best to have the best low end paired with a freeride foil board (ketos) and a 90 kg rider over it?

Thank you very much!

My 5 cents on this:

Yes, a one strut or no-strut kite will handle such conditions perfectly, no doubt, they can take a huge amount of "gusts/shifts" from the sides - where the racefoilkite will collapse easy.
No, wind ranges of these kites can NOT match the racefoilkites, as the latter got way more lowend and peak power, but also a lot higher upper end.
Relaunching one or no strut kites are just the same as you are used to with more strutted kites in more wind - but in marginal wind it might not be possible anyways.
One strut kites are not bad at boosting - many are just made with more depower than power thus not as good for boosting, whereas others are. But for boosting you need to be powered, and most one and no-strut kites will flap a lot in the upper end when turned sharp like in a jump, not optimal.
You should up in something around the 14-15 m2 range IMO, to have the best and most fun low end.


To add to above - I also use one and no-strut kites for 6-8 knots, a few times even 9 knots of wind (12 m2s for my 77 kg), and I always choose these over the racefoilkites whenever possible, eventhough they dont have the same lowend nor windrange, why ?

Because they turn so much faster, thus for freeride way more fun (for me), and if something happens, a mistake from me, a huge lull, whatever, the kite just floats in with me sitting on the board, comfy - and no tangle nor need to pack down - and you can just relaunch in a gust, or relaunch when on land, and ride again.
Not so with the racefoilkites, IF they go down :(

On the other hand, the racefoilkite is the only way to go in absolute utmost marginal winds because of their peak power spike :thumb: , BUT a huge risk that you drop them when around 5 knots - so I never use these when winter where the water is cold :wink:

8) Peter

BOEMIX
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Local Beach: Sant Pere Pescador (Spain)
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Style: Freeriding
Gear: Kites: ozone: Flusurfer Soul15m, Flusurfer Peak 11m, Flysurfer Peak 8m, Ozone access 6m, Ozone Enduro 7 and 10m, Ozone Edge 13m,
Boards: Naish Bullet 5,4, Liewe Shotgun 138x41, Custom Saul 145x45, Custom Race TTBoard, Custom Rikyshapes foil board with Sabfoil.

For winging: Duotone 5'5 Aluula Unit, Takuma Ride3 5m, Cabrinha Mantis 4m, Slinshot 3'2, and also Custom Rikyshapes winging with Sabfoil as the biard/foil.
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Re: One strut kite advantages/disvantages

Postby BOEMIX » Wed Nov 01, 2017 9:27 pm

Thanks Peter!

Sure you have been in this situation before, wind drops about 10 minutes, then picks up again, but your foil kite is a tangled wet croquette by then. So I' m looking at one-struts.

:thumb:

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Re: One strut kite advantages/disvantages

Postby Regis-de-giens » Wed Nov 01, 2017 10:00 pm

Peter_Frank wrote:
Tue Oct 31, 2017 11:14 pm
On the other hand, the racefoilkite is the only way to go in absolute utmost marginal winds because of their peak power spike :thumb: , BUT a huge risk that you drop them when around 5 knots - so I never use these when winter where the water is cold :wink:
Sorry Peter I do not follow you on this one. There is now several foil kites on the market that have wonderful light wind abilities without the instability of racefoil kites.
To me, this is a good case for these mid-AR roil kites like Ozone Hyperlink or Conceptair Pulsion (I just made 2 h on the water with the Pulsion12, when a guy with a sonic v2 13m was even not able to get out of shore) ; their incredible stability and drift will resist well to wind changes in direction, or maybe fall just punctually a bit in the window before restarting still above the water ; their relaunch is also far better than mono strutt or strut less, while performance (Speed/upwind) is better... even if i agree that like with any foilkite you will still find some situations where it will not relaunch (Long pause, twist).
My 4 cents ... :wink:

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Re: One strut kite advantages/disvantages

Postby Peter_Frank » Thu Nov 02, 2017 11:05 am

You might be right on that one Regis.

The Ozone Hyperlink is brand new kite here late 2017 so dont know anything bout that one...
Looking now at the review the idea sounds right, very right - eventhough a bit heavier than a racefoilkite maybe, or ?

Concept Air Pulsion has been for a while, but not very known worldwide, if at all ?

So no, I could only compare full racefoilkites with overall (too heavy) classic foilkites and light LEI kites - dont know about these two you mention, one is too new, the second not known - I actually only get hits in French when googled ?

8) Peter

Regis-de-giens
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Re: One strut kite advantages/disvantages

Postby Regis-de-giens » Thu Nov 02, 2017 1:52 pm

Indeed Hyperlink maybe a bit heavy as well but I read Ozone should launch one in light cloth ;
About the pulsion, there seem to be most users in France , or at least reacting on my reviews; you can find the translations of most of my reviews here viewtopic.php?f=197&t=2392648&hilit=pulsion ;
Other useers ( French mainly ) confirm more or less the same feeling ; I am quite sure both will do a good job for the kind of ride condition described here, Pulsion having a bit more agility, perf and light wind ability, vs more relaunch ability and maybe durability / crash resistance on the Ozone;
Yesterday I did a 2 hours ride with the Pulsion 12m in 4-6 knots where a guy with a sonic v2 13m could not even walk out off the shore ; one semi-professionnal race competitor managed to ride (with much more speed than me) on a North Ace 17.5m , with a very high skilled level I do not have (backloops, and all kind of transitions in this poor wind)

Otherwise the ex-Speed4 Lotus, much more famous worldwide (but less fun and stable) could certainly do a good job, or Pansh A15 for limited budgets;

Regis-de-giens
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Re: One strut kite advantages/disvantages

Postby Regis-de-giens » Thu Nov 02, 2017 1:56 pm

Indeed Hyperlink maybe a bit heavy as well but I read Ozone should launch one in light cloth ;
About the pulsion, there seem to be most users in France , or at least reacting on my reviews; you can find the translations of most of my reviews here viewtopic.php?f=197&t=2392648&hilit=pulsion ;
Other useers (French mainly ) confirm at 80% the same feeling ; only 2 testers did not like ot much (both tested it only in 12-14 knots which is already a high end for comfort ride);

I am quite sure both kite should do a good job for the kind of ride condition described here, Pulsion having a bit more agility, perf and light wind ability, vs more relaunch ability and maybe durability / crash resistance on the Ozone;
Yesterday I did a 2 hours ride with the Pulsion 12m in 4-6 knots where a guy with a sonic v2 13m could not even walk out off the shore (kite was flying but was requiring working the kite, not compatible with on-shore wind to swimm out) ; another guy (semi-professionnal race competitor) managed to ride (with much more speed than me :thumb: ) on a North Ace 17.5m , with a very high skilled level I do not have (backloops, and all kind of transitions in this poor technical wind)

Otherwise the ex-Speed4 Lotus, much more famous worldwide (but less fun and stable) could certainly do a good job, or Pansh A15 for limited budgets but almost no reviews on a hydrofoil;

BOEMIX
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Posts: 309
Joined: Fri May 08, 2015 10:57 pm
Local Beach: Sant Pere Pescador (Spain)
Favorite Beaches: Etang de l'Eole, La Franqui (France)
Style: Freeriding
Gear: Kites: ozone: Flusurfer Soul15m, Flusurfer Peak 11m, Flysurfer Peak 8m, Ozone access 6m, Ozone Enduro 7 and 10m, Ozone Edge 13m,
Boards: Naish Bullet 5,4, Liewe Shotgun 138x41, Custom Saul 145x45, Custom Race TTBoard, Custom Rikyshapes foil board with Sabfoil.

For winging: Duotone 5'5 Aluula Unit, Takuma Ride3 5m, Cabrinha Mantis 4m, Slinshot 3'2, and also Custom Rikyshapes winging with Sabfoil as the biard/foil.
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Re: One strut kite advantages/disvantages

Postby BOEMIX » Thu Nov 02, 2017 3:11 pm

I haven't the chance of try the new freeride foils ( Pulsion or Hyperlink like) but I'm very happy with my chrono v2.

The only problem it has is the re-ride hability when the wind dies and picks up again minutes later, it's a lottery if your kite gets tangled / bowtied or not on the no wind time,

Freeride foilkites could be also a good alternative to one struts, specially if the bridle is more simple than a higher AR foilkite, but right now, I have not the chance to test them.

Still I'm more geared towards the one struts for relaunching/simplicity.


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