I was sold on the quoted speed range in the blurb when I decided to buy.
My experience is with hang gliding.. so drag profile was dominant....
With a foil is that the same or do wings generate so much lift U can't hold down so weight dependant?
thanks
AP

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AquaPlow said..
I was sold on the quoted speed range in the blurb when I decided to buy.
My experience is with hang gliding.. so drag profile was dominant....
With a foil is that the same or do wings generate so much lift U can't hold down so weight dependant?
thanks
AP

The experts should chime in, but in my experience it depends on the foil. I've had some that just keep lifting, one that would nose dive, and other that don't change trim at all.

I think the quoted speed for a foil is for an average weight rider with reasonable skill in reasonable wind & water conditions. If you fall outside these parameters then the speed will be affected.
I know with my 65kg, tweaking the stabiliser to neutralise some of the lift on my Moses 633 surf foil made higher speeds more comfortable and kept the foil in the water and controllable.
Of course there are other variables like the type and aspect ratio of your kite. Using a higher aspect ratio foil kite should give you a higher speed potential compared to a medium aspect ration LEI surf kite. Plus if you have chips and gouges on your foil or even a smear of sunscreen, speed and control can be decimated

I believe the quoted top speeds in marketing materials are just arbitrary.
usually based on no more than a momentary display on a gps watch or guesstimation.
considering that top speed of nearly anything is operator controlled, a lot more research is advised than believing company website stuff.

Airsail...was final trigger...as a fair few have commented at times on top end..
"Max speed of a Naish medium surf is about 33kph. You might get a bit faster in flat conditions."

I assume the racers run out of kite pull power... Not on my bucket list

The SS Infinity. I have quoted 8-22 knots 15-40kmph.. I have not notched 40 but experience to-date I don't want to!! And not getting ejected off the board at 30-32kph.
I have been surprised at bottom end when kite hi.. so takes some of my weight..
1 unexpected speed influence going Goofy is slower to natural .. read that as still on "L" plates..
Cheers
AP

Obviously the bigger the wing the more lift, but I dont think anyone has an issue holding them down becasue of speed as a bigger wing is also more drag and simply cant go as fast.
Holding them down is the skill you need to develop, you see young light weight guys ripping around and some big guys having issues on same foils, so its techniquie and practice mostly. Some people get it quickly, some would like to get it quickly but just slow learners :)

The bigger wings.... also tend to flex more at higher speeds but depends how they are made too.

If your foil is bolted together, you get a nice speed gain by covering the bolt heads with cheese wax before riding..... I gained about 15% instantly

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dachopper said..
The bigger wings.... also tend to flex more at higher speeds but depends how they are made too.

If your foil is bolted together, you get a nice speed gain by covering the bolt heads with cheese wax before riding..... I gained about 15% instantly

I use surfboard wax.