Hi there foil surfers

Has anyone have a glue why suddenly some manufacturers like Naish and North have started to produce edgy foil wings? What might be the real benefit? I Have designed some foil wings my self (tested, approved and used by some kite foilers) and I just don't get it. In nature soft and smooth shapes seem to be linked to hydrodynamic qualities, shark fins, dolphins and manta rays just to name a few.

Would be great to hear fellow kite foilers insight!

Cheers,
Totti

Not sure of definition of edgey

As in straight lines and sharp angles in both plan shape and downward curve/angle of tips?

It's just marketing gimmicks. Remember North's first foil with the ankle-snapping rails? Remember what they were trying to charge for it? How many people are riding them now? A fool and his money are soon parted.

Stick to designs that are both simple and refined and you can't go wrong. Too many kiting companies are releasing gimmicky crap for the sake of novelty and then letting the paying public do their R+D for them in terms of both performance and durability.

You need to have a look at the Naish Thrust Surf. The wing has no sharp leading edges and is almost 2cm thick in the meat of the wing. It's massive.

There's plenty of pointy winged aircraft out there flying !


I agree that rounded edged wings should have less vortices at the wing tips and therefore reduced drag.

Random thought of the day. Do fish fins actually need to provide lift? The fish its self is at the same density as the water. So perhaps fish fins are not design for lifting. More for steering. They would need to be streamlined to be efficient. However when looking at a lifting wing perhaps we should be looking at birds?

Or maybe a flying fish? which interestingly has a pointy wing tips

What also appears to be true is that many different hydrofoil shapes work!

so if they work who cares if they are pointy or smooth? Personally I don't want pointy just incase I hit the foil!

This might explain their logic.