just wanting some advice as to kite sizes for foiling
not racing
im 86kg and just starting foiling
have 7-8-10m kites, any recommendation on next size to be out on the water a lot more would be appreciated

15m foil kite all the way!!!at 86kg will get you going sub 10m easy and we hold them down for racing on short line to around 16-17knots.I think it would be fair to say 15m for most foilers is their favorite size

Maybe won't answer your question entirely but I got into foiling just recently, LF Fish, on inflatables kites. Up and running consistently but without turns after 7 sessions, probably about average from what I read. Found the 12m in anything between 10 and 15 knots perfect for my 70kg. 9m in anything from 14-20 knots and 7m from at around 20 knots. 9 is fine, 7 was a bit more challenging as it requires more focus on the kite and the ride was getting quite fast. Yet to try my 15.5 Solo I just bought.
With frequent water starts I recon in the beginning you need a tad more wind while once up and running the low end will be significantly improved.

So your 7-8-10 will probably work fine but start with the 10 perhaps

That is obviously just a personal view from another hydro foil newby

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RussKraut said..
Maybe won't answer your question entirely but I got into foiling just recently, LF Fish, on inflatables kites. Up and running consistently but without turns after 7 sessions, probably about average from what I read. Found the 12m in anything between 10 and 15 knots perfect for my 70kg. 9m in anything from 14-20 knots and 7m from at around 20 knots. 9 is fine, 7 was a bit more challenging as it requires more focus on the kite and the ride was getting quite fast. Yet to try my 15.5 Solo I just bought.
With frequent water starts I recon in the beginning you need a tad more wind while once up and running the low end will be significantly improved.

So your 7-8-10 will probably work fine but start with the 10 perhaps

That is obviously just a personal view from another hydro foil newby

LF fish is super low aspect so takes very little kite to get going, but aslo has a very low cruising speed so bigger kite for more speed wouldnt help. 15.5m solo being low aspect would be a perfect pairing.

Hi Cruzin

getting a foil kite is not always the answer in low winds, especially if you're not into racing or getting the best upwind angle possible.

I have lots of experience hydro foiling in sub 10 knots winds with both types of kites and the foil kite is clearly no advantage for me unless you buy like a 18m or 21 and want to tackle the sub 7 knots winds... Foil kites collapse and invert easily in very low winds and it's very hard to recover from that, most of the time you will be swimming in with a kite gradually filling in with tons of water. Foil kites (especially race specific foil kites) are also more fragile and demand more maintenance and more frequent bridle replacements.

Longer and thinner lines are key in my experience to expand your wind range. My biggest kite is a 12m CoreXR4 and in sub 10 knots I will systematically use a custom made 35m lines bar with thin race lines. For example, with that setup yesterday I was hydrofoiling at Melville between 1 and 2pm, wind was 10 knots at the highest and the kite wasn't stalling at all. Plenty of power and a super fun session. Other hydrofoilers would typically pull out their 18m foil kites in those winds, but there is no need for me.



If you simply used your current 10m kite with longer lines you would increase bottom end for hydrofoiling by 2-3 knots easy. Make those race lines and increase your bottom end by another 2 knots.

So at your weight, on your 10m kite with 30m (or more) thin race lines and some skills you should be able to hydrofoil down to a minimum of 10 knots easily. Below that would be a bit difficult.

Christian

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cbulota said..
Hi Cruzin

getting a foil kite is not always the answer in low winds, especially if you're not into racing or getting the best upwind angle possible.

I have lots of experience hydro foiling in sub 10 knots winds with both types of kites and the foil kite is clearly no advantage for me unless you buy like a 18m or 21 and want to tackle the sub 7 knots winds... Foil kites collapse and invert easily in very low winds and it's very hard to recover from that, most of the time you will be swimming in with a kite gradually filling in with tons of water. Foil kites (especially race specific foil kites) are also more fragile and demand more maintenance and more frequent bridle replacements.

Longer and thinner lines are key in my experience to expand your wind range. My biggest kite is a 12m CoreXR4 and in sub 10 knots I will systematically use a custom made 35m lines bar with thin race lines. For example, with that setup yesterday I was hydrofoiling at Melville between 1 and 2pm, wind was 10 knots at the highest and the kite wasn't stalling at all. Plenty of power and a super fun session. Other hydrofoilers would typically pull out their 18m foil kites in those winds, but there is no need for me.



If you simply used your current 10m kite with longer lines you would increase bottom end for hydro-foiling by 2-3 knots easy. Make those race lines and increase your bottom end by another 2 knots.

So at your weight, on your 10m kite with 30m (or more) thin race lines and some skills you should be able to hydrofoil down to a minimum of 10 knots easily. Below that would be a bit difficult.

Christian

spot on with the thinner race line, but long race lines be that the kite spends ages getting anywhere in the wind window. loops takes aaaagees!! And if a bit heaveier you'll be lopping to get up on the foil.

Depends on your style of riding.
you will never feel powered on a 10 in 10knots. You certainly can kite in much less wind with a very small kite to prove a point and this will be to your personal taste if you enjoy that. And as a challenge alone that has merit.

On a 17/18/19m Foil kite you can still do 30knots in 10-12knots of wind, so for lads that have them and like dont feeling under-powered absolutely they'll pull them out... no point buying the kite otherwise for it just to collect dust.

Personally i like be proper power and even in the light conditions of 10-12 can still get some AWESOME boosting on a 15m foil kite. That's not possible on a 10m tub in 10knots.