Here are the 7 most common myths and misconceptions we've heard about kitesurfing with foil kites! From relaunching to turning, set-up to self rescue, there are lots of points up for debate. If you've been considering adding a foil kite to your kiteboarding quiver, this is the video for you.
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I appreciate this is an older video to comment on, however due to your enthusiasm and videos you convinced me to purchase my first foil kite the Flysurfer Soul V2 15m, having been an avid LEI rider for the last 15 years, I finally crossed over to the dark side, lol.. But I took it out yesterday for the first time and no one ever talks about the different flying characteristics of a foil kite. Particularly getting up on the board and whilst in the air. I noticed that a foil kite has to be driven hard across the power zone and not flown too low to get up on the board and then flown higher in the wind window. Perhaps you could do a video and demonstrate the different flying techniques between a foil and lei. And thanks for all your videos, greatly appreciated.
I just discovered your channel right now and I LOVE IT!!!!!! Thanks for what your doing ; )
you're welcome :)
Great myth busting video 👍 I fly both LEI and ram air, and strongly agree. I think David is correct on the issue of self rescue working better with an LEI though. As for the >30 knot gusts, I can speak to that from experience. In back to back sessions on the Oregon Coast last summer, I flew a 2018 Cabrinha Switchblade 9m before switching over to my 2018 Ozone Hyperlink 9m so my buddy with less experience could take the LEI. It was blowing in the low 20s, with occasional gusts just over 30. To my surprise, the Hyperlink handles the gusts a little better than the Switchblade, and allowed me to control my edge while laughing as my buddy got tea bagged on the LEI 😂
Super helpful! Thank you!
My biggest issue with smaller foil kites is ground handling them in 25+ knots. It's just much easier to flip a LEI kite over on it's back and have complete control than trying to wrestle a foil kite with sand blowing in your face.
That's a really good point. We've kited on a 9 meter foil in 25 knots, but we hot launched from a wind shadow with two people holding on to harness. Sketchy!
That is true, I have sold my tubekites for foilkites and 25+ knots with foils is definitely a more difficult launching situation than with tubes....I do think it can be done safely with practice. For me it's worth the extra performance and airtime :)
If the meadow is big enough - russian start on foilkite in 25knt. is not a problem - just prepare to sit on your arse and be at the same spot the kite was sitting moments ago - a few seconds later -> works best in wet grass! Prepare to get pulled the length of the lines!!
I meant: I love the openmindness with which you treat the subject. Great. At the point (almost at the end of the film) when you mention "each kite has its riders" I get the impression you show an Aurora from Pansh soon afterwards? I used to own one. If intentionally: nice message ;)
we have flown it, again each kite has it riders :)
Thanks maybe see you there this summer.
You are wonderful ! LOVE the info and the camera loves YOU girl !
Thank you ☺️ happy to hear you like the videos!
This is one of the only v-log videos on foil kites. Great content and awesome images and production. Thank you!
Thanks Dave! Glad you liked the video! :)
Awesome information guys! 😀
Thanks Tanya! :)
Myth 1 and 5 I thought foil was only limited to snowboarding country. After watching this I am starting out with LEI as my first kite. Informative video, thanks!
Great tips guys, gonna use it on my foil kite 😁
No problem Kiryl! :)
Great site and informative as a potential foil kiter ( LE now). On question - you mentioned always using a life jacket in deep water. What I a good one that works for Kiting ( doesn’t end up around you neck ).
Thanks! I use a Hyperlite wakeboarding life jacket - it's short so it fits comfortably with my waist harness, however Yuri (and almost everyone else on our beach) uses the Neil Pryde High Hook Vest - would definitely recommend that one!
One time at OBX we used a 21m foil kite to body drag 4 kiters linked together across a channel in 4kt wind. The foil looked so odd just floating up there in the sky in such calm conditions.
Thanks for the video. I exclusively fly foil kites, with twin-tips, surfboards, foil boards, landboards, dirt surfers, skate boards and snowboards. You asked if any one has flown in wind higher than 30 knots with a foil kite, yes I have, 35 knots on an 8m^2 Peter Lynn Synergy - mental session but fun. Probably 40 knots or so on a home made 0.75 m^2 single skin foil kite with skateboard, a downwinder, that was fun. Fly mostly my FlySurfers these days.
Nice! That does sound like a mental session, good to know that it can be done/fun at the same time!
I just finished my lessons and have to say I got spoiled by riding on Flysurfer Soul 15 on my lessons (I tried LEI kite one lesson just to be informed about those) - it has been a pleasure even on low wind where I was the only one riding on the spot and the others were waiting for the wind even with 14 or 15m LEI kites
The low end performance is one of the reasons we love foil kites :)
Foil kites are far more durable and easier to repair. I like the way they hang in the air during lulls, no bladder popping Hindenburg-ing if you get caught on the beach in a lull. Also, safer to self launch and land in gusty switchy conditions IMO.
Helpful info, good camera work.
Thanks!
Excellent...Thank you!
Very well done video! Also I find you to be a very articulate presenter - may I ask what you do for a living/ what your profession is?
Thank you :) I’m a graphic designer
Really interesting but I feel you kinda dodged the issue with the self rescue. To me self rescuing is not only being able to swim back dragging your kite because the wind died but also to use the kite as a sail to cover relatively long distances while possibly injured or exhausted. Properly done, a self rescue with an LEI doesn't require much physical effort and can literally be a life saver. I don't see how that would work with a foil.
Make sense, I would love to see a hands on video on someone demonstrating a real self rescue on a foil kite....
That's a fair point, and you're right - there's much more to self rescue, and it would take an entire video to talk about all the various scenarios of when things go wrong. Once it gets warmer we will look into making a dedicated foil self rescue video.
good point.. " wind died" is just one of many use cases. You can have your lines snap or anything that prevents kite from flying.. but guess what, if windy you can use your LEI kite as sail to get back to shore... "Don't kite further than you can swim" slogan.. is great.. but can you always factor in the currents, swell and other things? As long as you are still attached to a LEI kite in good wind, you can self rescue using the kite as sail.. with a foil kite your only bet of fighting the currents is your muscles... might work on some lakes but not in general... most brands warn that the foils should not be used at sea...
I agree mate. Having had to duck my kite into the surf out on a reef 1500m from shore to avoid a collision (I was starboard on a wave too!). I used the kite as a sail and it made my 'swim' in much shorter! Would hate to have had to swim in with a heavy foil kite soaked in the water! More reliable with a LEI.
er ….wind in lines - hold wing tips and sail in - have done it a few times...flops about a bit but works.....been riding foils since 2002....so do have a bit of experience about this sort of thing. And yes I do have tubes but prefer my flysurfers….nicer ride
Awesome video! Great info! Always love your videos! :)
Thanks Megan, glad you liked it :)
Congrats on being voted no. 1 KZhead site for Kiteboarders by OK Kiteboarder! Couldn't agree more!
Thanks so much! We're pretty stoked to make the list :)
I Live the openmindness with which you treat the subject. Great. At the point (almost at the end of the film) when you mention "any kite" I get the impression you show an Aurora from Pansh? I used to own one. If correct, nice message ;)
Thanks for the comment Michiel. Yes that is correct, it is Pansh Aurora (I believe 21 or 22m). Our local kiter rides it for past few years and he is happy with it :)
Would you guys be able to make a video about board sizes you (and possibly your crew) ride in Toronto -spring vs summer -looking to buy a new board for the spring
Thanks for the suggestion - we'll look into creating a video about board selection!
This was helpful, thank you 😉 the only foil kite I own is a old slingshot snow Ranger 12 m. I definitely prefer my inflatable c kites over that. Bridal Tangles are a hassle for me and bowtieing
Thanks! There's no one type of kite that will satisfy every rider, but it sounds like you know what works best for you :)
Not sure why I didnt suscribe before, very well presented videos, very clear explanations - great job!
Thanks so much :)
Explanation of Myth #3 is interesting, I generally ride LEI's for the most part and only use foils in the winter as there's no bladder to break if things strike the ground for whatever reason. LEI's I find have a tighter feel because of the faster dives and turns you can make but what you give up in feel with foils that way you definitely make up for with more sessions in marginal winds. It is a compromise!
There are pros and cons to each for sure. We're thinking of getting a smaller foil kite after trying the 9m Speed5. We were impressed with how quick it turned and overall how it performed in higher winds. Maybe we'll have it in time for Hatteras ;)
@@OurKiteLife The old Pulses from FS were a great low aspect kite for wave riding. Realunched very easy, no bow ties - jumped ok . Inwaves you can reverse launch as soon as it hits the water - or it even just almost auto relaunches. Even the drift was not too bad. Still have a six meter in the garage
What you said at the end (8:30) I would actually consider a disadvantage: I would never consider buying such equipment new, and the price of used foil kites compared to used tube kites puts me off.
Another advantage to short lines is quicker response due to less drag (arc) on the back lines. Line extensions tend to create a 1 - 2 second delay for response turning.
With shorter lines kites definitely feel more responsive. Thanks for reply Viking :)
Great video, thanks
Thanks! Glad you liked it! :)
Personally I only foil kite when I snowkiting... I do have a Subzero 9 M V1 and it is amazing... I might look at 13 M in the future for light snowkiting condition... The advantage is the 5 lines on land that is much easier safety alone plus no pump... One day I might try on Water the close cell but from now LEI is for my summer water :)
Comments on a very nice video on foil kites. I have 2 Souls now - 6m and 12m. I use the 6m foiling in anything between 16 to 25kt; the Soul handles gusts in a much gentler way than a LEI of comparable size. And relaunch is instant. Only hurdles are 1) line and bridle handling on the beach in 20+ kt of wind ... does not get your best language out and 2) very little feedback on the bar such that initially you tend to exaggerate the movements. Of course, self rescue is an issue if you cannot roll your kite and use your board to swim back.
Agreed that the Soul handles gusts way better than most other LEIs that we've tried. Launching on the beach in 20 knots can be difficult but we don't have that problem as we literally have 0 wind on the local kite beach, and 20 knots upstairs. With regards to feedback on the bar, I think it is more wind dependent than kite dependent. Self rescues are never fun :)
It does take some time to adjust to flying foil kites if all you’ve even flown is inflatables. But it’s a life saver in the low-wind days, which we happen to get a lot of in Ontario.
Definitely! Crazy to think how much less kiting we'd do here without foil kites :)
Excellent job
Thanks Stan!
Since you are the queen of self rescue please do a video how you do it in real life situation!
Definitely something we will look at filming in the spring/summer. Lots of different situations to explore, we'll try to do our best!
very nice, thank you!
Just recently got a foil kite - the biggest downside is the self landing - in anything above 12 knots you have to pull the safety and potentially an hour untangling bridles. Bridle birds nests are an issue. Self rescue with a kite full of water is also bad. The pluses are that they stay up in the air in less wind (size for size with an LEI), there is more floaty lift so better for unweighting foot-switch/tacks etc on a foil and they point upwind way better.
I've been flying foil kites for 6 years now and have install a brake line on all my bars that I use for foil kites and have been able to self land at 20+ knots. I currently own 8m, 10m, and 12m and do a lot of self landing using a dog stake on the beach and a ice screw for snow kiting.
I learned to kite surf on a foil kite coming from a buggy in back ground and have only ever had to self rescue 3 time due to crashing in the waves they are surprising easy to relunch on the water and I don’t even bother with preinflating the kite and very rearly have any problems
Nice - that's good to know! One of the spots we kite in is pretty wavy, and typically we have no problems relaunching either as long as it's done quickly. Agreed - pre-inflation isn't always needed - but helps if you have to launch in a wind shadow, or if it's really light wind
Yeah this years tech for water relaunching with the Chrono3 and SOUL has come on pretty well, but still it is way easier to relaunch and LEI than any foil. With that in the back of your mind a session can a little pressured, when in the back of your mind, a bow-tie, or a water fill if it isn't back up sub 10 minutes. Love my Chrono's, always have a 13 15 18 since the Chrono1, then same with v2 and v3. Astounding build quality on the Ozone compared to Flysurfer though from my experience, the Lotus range is/was awful for a heavy rider.
Amazing vid!
Thanks!
I would like to know what that front wing is on the CRX foil in the background. Where get? And how much?
That front wing is the original CRX wing after a much needed repair job by our friend and fellow kiter. It had some pretty big cracks, so he wrapped it in carbon fiber and painted it blue.
@@OurKiteLife Thanks for letting me know. I too have cracks on mine. I originally wanted to wrap it in fiberglass and now that I see it can be done, I think I'll give it a try. Beats buying a brand new wing.
I've got duotone Evos in 6, 10, 14. What size high aspect foil should I get to cover the ultra low end wind range?
Our lowest wind range kite is a 15m sonic. The soul 15m is also good but just a little less powerful.
Ad #2: I kite only on snow/land and I would like to add that the pre-inflation also depends on what closed-cell foil kite do you have. If you have something like Aeros Navy or Flysurfer Sonic, there is no need for pre-inflation whatsoever. You will be able to launch and inflate these kites in winds as low as 1-2 m/s. From this point of view the scene with that pre-inflating fan thing seems a bit ridiculous to me :-). Regarding safety, I think that the safest kites are open-cell foil or single-skin ones -- simply because they are able to (almost) completely lose their shape (and power) just by pulling the break handle. But you can't use these on water, so this matters only for snow/land kiters.
Thanks for the additions - very valid points, and nice to get the perspective of a snow/land kiter!
Vraiment cool comme vidéo 👍
Thanks!
Pansh makes absolutely fantastic foil kites open or closed cell, and sell most affordably from China. Their quality, attention to detail, and accommodation as for color preferences, etc has never missed a step with me. Years ago I ordered 20 kites from them that I resold on ebay within 2 weeks and so funded a trip to Barbados. Reason I did not repeat? Competition caught on fast, so that was a one-off for the time.
Nice - that's awesome. We haven't tried Pansh, but our friend flies one, and has for many years now :)
In the end of the video we see a pansh aurora (probobly the 2nd one), have you flew it, and if yes, what do you think about it
Yes we flew it, and short answer is you get what you pay for. Also the material is super thick, so the kite is heavy. In the video it's a 21 m
Any thoughts on drift launching a foil kite? My home beach won't accommodate launching from shore with an assistant but having used a foil on loan on vacation I definitely loved it.
We have done it, everything needs to be perfect when attempting to do a drift launch. With that said our success was about 50% in low to medium winds.
@@OurKiteLife Good to know. Really enjoy your channel by the way, keep up the good work! I live to the East of the city so I don't get out your way much but it looks like it's worth the effort to get to Marie Curtis Park, hopefully I'll meet your crew next summer.
Hi there, I live in Toronto and usually go to Cherry Beach. Where is this spot? It looks pretty good. Thanks.
Hey there! This video includes clips from a few different spots. We kite mostly in the west end - there are a couple different spots. Shoot us an email (on the About tab) and we'll glad share location and details :)
Our Kite Life Hey there, I‘m a Kiter from Switzerland and I‘will be in Toronto in June for visiting friends... Is it worth to bring the kite gear over (we are there for about a week). When is the windy season? cheers
Hi! Question: what about the trimming work? Its true that foil kites need to be trimmed more often than inflated kites?
100%, its not hard just takes 10-20 minutes from time to time, the benefit you can adjust it to the way you like it
You are soooo sweeeet! ☺ nice Video 2😅👍
i just bought a little trainer kite, had a blast at downsview park today
Nice! :)
thecore xlite is a foil kite too and you have to pump it up normally
Cleaning and drying; especially an issue if you live near salt water. LEI: Inflate in the back yard, hose down, air dry. Foil... I don't know how to clean and dry a foil. Worlds largest clothesline maybe? A 15 metre foil is one big piece of laundry
That's true - we had to wash and dry multiple large foil kites on a small clothesline on the last day of our trip to the Bahamas :D It's doable, but easier with LEIs
Myth 8 or maybe more of a question. How hard is it to learn to fly a foil kite? I have never flown one but they intimidate me. Thoughts
There isn't something that special flying the foil kites. New kites like Soul and Hyperlink tend to behave like LEI's in the air. The main difficulties of foil kites are the bridle maintenance and relaunch. Sometimes bridles will tangle, twist and overlap, it might be because of bow ties, bar pulled through the lines or self rescue. It might be complicated if you don't know what you're doing, and unfortunately not much tutorials cover that aspect. Even manuals have only brief description of untangling procedure. What helped me in the first place with it is that I'm a paraglider pilot, I was taught how to properly untangle the lines. As for relaunch, it won't be always the perfect way that your foil kite would fall and sit there like a "fence", ready to relaunch at any moment. Sometimes it would fold itself into a taco or just a clump. So you will have to spend quite some time pulling the lines in order to get the foil kite to achieve the "fence" position. And pray to all gods that there won't be a bow tie while you do this.
A foil kite is the same as any similar performance LEI kite to handle in the air. You quickly learn the reality of your actions on the bar. So not only is it nothing different from a LEI it is actually also teaching you a lot about kite handling. As for launching/landing/relaunch. Any foil kite fly in sub 10knts. Making them fairly safe to play and learn differents methods on the beach.
We agree with both the replies. Learning to fly a foil kite isn't that difficult - it requires practice, but you quickly learn the differences and adjust (letting the bar out). There is more of a learning curve when it comes to relaunching and untangling bridles. It's been our experience the faster you relaunch a foil kite from the water (rather than let it get blown around / increasingly tangled), the better. Sometimes that's easier said than done though :) Given that foil kites are very well suited for light wind, it's best to practice in those conditions. It's a very rewarding feeling when you have a great session (twintip or foilboard) in light wind conditions that otherwise you would've sat on the beach for!
I learned to kite with a foil kite. When i decided to fly a LEI first time i felt intimidated and thought its weird. hope that answers your question ;-)
You Peeps need to do a Kite Surfing Holliday to Perth Australia..... Awesome regular and constant wind with a warm climate. Being on the west side of Australia we get regular cross on shore winds
Would love to! Australia has been on our list for years now, hopefully when things open back up again we can get there for at least a few weeks :) any recommendations on where to stay to maximize kiting?
Our Kite Life Awesome, free accomodation at my and my wife’s house for a small fee of free lessons? Haha. It’s not my video, however take a look on KZhead for 2 videos named - ‘Chasing the Wind in Western Australia Pt 1 & Pt 2’. Those two videos give good reference on what our Coast Line in Western Australia is like.
Haha you've got yourself a deal ;) will definitely check out those videos - thanks!
Getting a chrono v2!
I love the channel can you make a video for best beginner kite for young people around the age of 19 years old keep the vid's up i am from holland💪❤
The best kite at your age is whatever you can afford that will get you on the water :)
Foil fact: I was the first person to ever loop a silver arrow! Foils are great, perfect for traveling, as an experiment I exclusively used a 10m psycho for an entire year! I had a 140 board and it was totally doable! The only issue we found with this was I actually went through 2 kites that year as It stretched out the bridles
it seems that issue now days is that bridles shrink
Smaller kite in 30+ knts... I had plenty of fun and plenty of crap with them. The speed4 8m normal edition in tarifa. Very unstable side off winds... Made for a lot of bow tie after bodydraging. Moved to a LEI for the small size. But waiting to test the small soul to decide. Also sadly foil kite is to broad of a name, same as LEI. Many LEI are easy to relaunch, many are hard. Same goes for foil. So many différents kinds of foil (closed cell, open cell, single skin) they don't all have the same pros and cons. Good video and yes good myths busting (i still consider i don't have to pump a kite, the wind does it for me 😁)
Nice - thanks for the insight! We're also looking forward to trying a smaller Soul (we have a 12m). After trying a 9m Speed5, we were quite happy with the performance in higher winds, but we'll probably still keep our smaller inflatables :) Very true - it's a very broad term for both foil and LEIs, especially given how many options there are for both. We were basing this mostly on newer models of closed cell foil kites as that's our experience. Not pumping (or having to pre-inflate) is the best!
I have a very small Flysurfer Maniac - 3.5 mt. From 2001.....it is a hoot in high winds....crap for jumping but you hoon around and throw the kite about in complete safety …..here's an old vid in about 30 knts kzhead.info/sun/i7GvcZaHgZx5ZJ8/bejne.html ......nothing special but a bit of a giggle
@@thecarloschp4784 Nice - thanks for sharing!
Can you do a video about the launch of this kite plz? Because peoples said « is more difficult than a inflate kite » but i think when you know how to do, is easy
check out our video on how to hot launch kites
@@OurKiteLife thanks 😁
Where do you kite in Toronto.??
south etobicoke, marie curtis park and kipling
Cool vid
self rescue with with waves barreling over yoou thats game easy to get dumped and tangled in any line or bridle just pop the poper
I've had a speed5 12 in very gusty 35 knots when I was looking into how much wind I can handle on it. No problem with the kite but it pulls quite a bit more than an xr5 12. I switch to a 9 above 35 on the LEIs. On the speed 12, I drop it to 30. I'm 200lbs. On the other end my 115lb girlfriend rode my speed 4 21 a couple of times on pretty much glassy water. The thing I like the most is in places like Hatteras, I just carry the kite into the water rolled up. Partly unroll, preinflate, let it go and launch. No pumping, no line attaching. I'm riding in a couple of minutes from showing up to the spot. The one downflall, is rolling it up in 30 kts. And most random riders don't know how to land it.
yeah a lot of people dont know how to handle a foil kite, funny right? also rolling in 30 + knots can be very daunting.
6:53 Not floating, but you can actually make small sail with an inflatable kite - It has saved me several times on zanzibar from swimming 3km. I simply made a small sail, sat in the kite and downwinded back
Get the fly surfer soul is the best out there easy inflate super fast and relaunch super quick
We have the Flysurfer Soul 12m, and we agree - inflates quickly and easy relaunch :)
Foils require a more skilled pilot. Plus, they just perform better overall. Been flying open cells for over three decades...it's what I'm used to I suppose.
Good video! But I'd like to partially disagree with two "myths". First, in my opinion they don't handle well in gusts. Second, in no instances you need some kind of inflation device in light winds. If the wind is to low, you don't need plenty of pre-inflation. As the wind gets higher, the pre-inflation gains more importance. Lastly, I would add that I love my Flysurfer Sonic 2 for Airstyle tricks, and, in this case, being slow is good. You won't want a fast kite for Airstyle. The only 2 drawbacks of foils are that their launching process in high winds is tricky and raw air kites don't turn so well for tricks that involve rolls and slides
Hey Joao, thanks for the comment. with regards to low wind and pre-inflation, at out local spot, there is "zero" wind at the surface due to trees upwind obstructing the wind, so without pre-inflation, it is exponentially harder to launch the kite. With regards to foils not handling gusts well, am curious about your experience, specifically wind conditions and what kite did you use?
@@OurKiteLife You're right. I did't realize a situation in which there is zero wind at surface. With regards to gusty conditions, unless there is a real lightwind situation, the kite poses dificulty as power delivery oscilates too fast because of the power of foils. I use a Sonic 2 13 meters, in winds from 8 to 20 meters and a board 126cm for Airstyle. Anyway, this is just my impression. Maybe another models handle gusts better
What foil have you been using?
We have the Soul 12m and Speed5 15m
Brrrr ... time to move down south so you can get more kiting in during the year. Unless you snow kite too.
We do snow kite... but even still, we'd love to move somewhere warm for year round kiting :)
Would you guys travel much u should check out Ireland for kitesurfing
Would love to! What time of year is best for kiting?
September October time it's not to Cold and good wind but most of the year is good check out my channel u can kinda see from that what the winter and summer is like
I always wear a flare gun while kiting because once the wind died and i was 2 Kilometers off shore. Man that self rescue was horrible, i just grabbed my kite, used my leash to clip it to my board so i didnt have to hold it and waited for the wind to push me back. If the wind was the other way i would have been in big trouble😂
If you're kiting that far from shore, a flare gun is a not a bad idea ...although isn't it awkward to kite with?
What does LEI mean?
Leading edge inflatable
@@OurKiteLife thanks
I had inflatable kite before, what pissed off was to pump them, now I have foil kite because I’m looking for performance and speed in hydro foiling
as much as we hate pumping, the silver lining is that it serves as a warm up before your session :)
Ozone R1 in 15, incl. Bar, from 2016, almost new, 950 Euro.
Fact 1 - bridle plus sea weed equals chaos (sorry for the negativity but there is just to much string to snag on everything)
True... Fact, when i was teaching in Tarifa... LEI kite lines or briddles + sea weeds was a direct return to shore and 30min of removing the seaweeds....
100%! Also dry sea weed on the beaches can make launching a nightmare at times.
Well, Myth #7 has definitely been blown out of the water, with Pansh foil kites being a 1/3 of the cost of most of your kites in that video. #PanshKites #YeahILoveEm #TheyWork #AuroraII #AuroraIII great video btw! #yeeow
6m Sonic 2, 52 knots (26ms) on the hardangervidda (snowkiting) you need to use short lines 12m to stop over acceleration but handles just as well as my wife’s 5.5 m drifter.
wow kudos to you for going out in those conditions. Makes sense with regards to the 12m lines.
Foilkites turn slow(er) - well - tell that to my Flysurfer Psycho 4 in 8m2. Oh boy I wish Flysurfer would release another Psycho! That kite was insane! The 8 "can" be used until 35 - 40knt. But then it becomes something else! Like total psycho madness - yanking you violently out of the water, if you move it fast enough!
Ya, Yuri had a 12m psycho - it was a great kite :)
How many ads? Yes!
9:05 What was THAT??? So cool...
Backroll handdrag - very stylish move :)
I would say that most of these are only for the modern foil kites within the last 3-5 years.
I love your channel. anyone who has negative comments is just an a$$ O, and most kite-boarders have never flown a kite inland (Away from the ocean). It is incredible that you can deal with the conditions up there. I'm in MA and drive at least 2 hrs to the ocean for a kite session, I don't go out if its less than 40F. you guys are true kite warriors. keep up the good work.
Thanks Louis! We very much appreciate your support :)
So why do you guys choose foils?
It's two fold: low wind conditions for the majority of our season and it just kind of happened that our crew flies mostly foils on our beach for over a decade
There must be a reason that olly is literaly the only guy to loop foil kites lol
Curious if anyone here has done it? A quick search on KZhead and there are a few other people who have successfully done it. Wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing more and more. Maybe I'll give it a shot this summer (palms are sweaty just typing that, lol)
@@OurKiteLife hahaha, would be exiting to see that!
@@OurKiteLife It is not if you do it but how you do it. Guys who do big kiteloops use LEI's because there is no reason to use a foil kite in high winds.
Yeah she should have skipped that myth. Wonder how many guys at the king of the air flew a foil kite? None, for good reason. This was a cute little video but if she lived where there is real wind and waves she would not being flying a foil kite.
kzhead.info/sun/YNqCoLB8fF93hac/bejne.html
Thanks for a measured discussion. I've found that foil kites fly sooner and generate more lift in lighter winds, so anything under 20 knots and I'm flying a foil. Probably because they are lighter, and flatter, but having an efficient wing shape must help too. I like being able to launch my kites on my own, and usually self-land them too. But yes, foil kite bridles and seaweed don't play well together, but I other than that I don't have any problems with bridle lines. I also suspect that my Flysurfer kites are going to last forever, as they don't tear, there's no high pressure components, and no bladders to fix.
Thanks! Agree with you on many of the benefits of foil kites. In our experience, Flysurfer kites do stand the test of time, so long as you take good care of them. The seaweed point is a valid one. Luckily we've only seen it happen once or twice on the beach, but it was a time consuming project for everyone there :)
agree with the bladder situation. got a harvested wheat field with plenty of spurs, the advantage of the spurs is they hold the wing down when ready to launch and they act as a snow fence.
It’s easy to fly a foil kite just try one...they turn slightly slower and once you are riding you want to keep the bar out a bit more...then you would on inflateable kite
Exactly! Agreed it is not that hard when you get the hang of it.
you are classifying schools of thought as myths due to your personal experiences. Others have different experiences. I have to most whole heartedly disagree with 'Myth' #4. I bought a used 21 meter Flysurfer when I moved to North Florida because I knew I would be dealing with much lower winds than where I began kitesurfing in Texas. The safest spot for me was a lagoon off the Atlantic Ocean that would often have very unclean winds, After a year of scares, jerks and yanks I started leaving that foil kite in the garage. Maybe the intensity of gusts is much different than Canada, but when you have a lull and your foil jellyfishes till a strong gust pops that 21meter back to life against 225 lbs something is going to break. Luckily for me it was always the kite or lines, but that still got to be expensive. In two horrible sessions, I got to spend 500 in kite repair on a 1000 dollar kite. A LEI can't jellyfish so you won't have that stomach twisting POP back to life. I am fine with a foil kite... but only in clean wind...
If it jelly fishes a lot it could be a mixer issue, but that may not help in conditions you are describing. Foils excel in clean light winds, and they are good in gusts but in turbulent winds it is better to keep them down - and same for LEIs as they can Hindenburg as well in nasty conditions. Definitely what we posted is based on our conditions and it is true what applies to us in our winds will be different for someone else under different circumstances
i perter pump up
foil kites dont relaunch well when soaked, also there expensive
why did everyone switch from calling them "softkites" to "foilkites". Certain "tubekites" are just as good for foiling as "softkites" so i don't see why you would call them that way.
here everyone calls soft kites foil kites, interesting
What a cutie!
good stuff--although my flip flops have more water time than these kids
Thanks Chris. We try to get out as often as we can :)
Inflatable kites are the most safe ones and it's easier to fly
We enjoy flying inflatable kites as well. I learned on inflatables before learning how to fly foil kites. It's different to fly, but once you get the hang of them, it's easy
Still not buying one.
That's cool, they're not for everyone :)
I'm a kitesurfer since 2009 ,and I'm not going to waste 10 minutes of my life watching this video ,thank you for listing the myths you will be "busting". Have fun playing with words ! :3 PS: I'm ashamed of calling myself a surfer nowadays because of people like you.
The only pro for foil kites is not having to worry about kite bladders.
Replacing bladders can be a pain - same when the valves start to delaminate
i watched full video, can i get ur number now? LMFAO
1-800-you-wish :P
Thank goddess I live in Maui and don’t have to fly those crappy foil kites.
Just so you all know, I LOST my foil kite the other day - it SANK! Yes, sank and disappeared. So if you put it you're foil kite in the water and can't get it up (yes, recall that!?), then don't go get a jetski lift back in and wait for it to float in, it won't. Mine sank and got sucked out by the current. Never saw it again. Lesson: 1. if you put a foil kite in the water and can't get it up, do a self rescue, pack it up and swim it back to shore on the board; 2. my view - don't use a foil kite, what a hassle, for 10-15% better performance. JK