Hand Kite Foiling

Clamsmasher

Michael Peterson status
Apr 22, 2013
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Any feedback appreciated here....how well upwind can you get toeside. Can you live without the ability to run switch? I’m trying it now and then but it’s fkn scary on a foil imo.

I’m getting up now easily in 12kts on the 4m Ozone and GL210, that includes toeside (just a little more wind required but I’m getting better) and trying to twist upwind...Im doing okay I think, but it’s hard to quantify without a GPS. My outbound tack is almost always toeside and the wind is very sideshore and usually 20kts so any deficiencies stack up quick, and I do a lot of walking. I’m getting better but....

Switch is a great tool, just not sure if I can do it.
 
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Clamsmasher

Michael Peterson status
Apr 22, 2013
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I just had two extremely fun days of winging in the river. Today was crazy, mostly 20kts gusting 30ish with lulls down to 10kts or so. It’s a unique spot, a spit of sand that is usually straight offshore on side, and onshore the other.

Best thing is that where you park is totally sheltered by a hill and you can paddle out in zero wind then move over a short distance into the wind line. Likewise you can absolutely scream down the spit on a beam reach in full survival squat and get spat into calm water near the jetty. Too much fun.

Bonus: big brown jellyfish everywhere, doink, slice, doink.

7E227928-9D49-4D58-963B-B4D221AD144C.png


Wind direction.


0BF96FF2-21F1-4F15-A456-95F747B8324B.jpeg
 
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Kaser1

Tom Curren status
May 3, 2004
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I just had two extremely fun days of winging in the river. Today was crazy, mostly 20kts gusting 30ish with lulls down to 10kts or so. It’s a unique spot, a spit of sand that is usually straight offshore on side, and onshore the other.

Best thing is that where you park is totally sheltered by a hill and you can paddle out in zero wind then move over a short distance into the wind line. Likewise you can absolutely scream down the spit on a beam reach in full survival squat and get spat into calm water near the jetty. Too much fun.

Bonus: big brown jellyfish everywhere, doink, slice, doink.

View attachment 84684


Wind direction.


View attachment 84685
That's a pretty sweet setup. I can bet there's thousands of places to do this all over. That would be a cool addition to any vacation.
 
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Kaser1

Tom Curren status
May 3, 2004
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Tell me about harness lines kaser. You using them yet? Do you have a picture of them?
Haven't used it yet. Bought the belt thingy too, just been to lazy to rig it all up.

Could use it though, the tendons in my fingers kill the next day after a long session
 

juandesooka

OTF status
Jan 12, 2009
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FYI, interesting read on “wing-mare” in Maui

One caution that comes out of it: the weak link for your wing leash may be the connection point…just a few stitches is all that’s holding, there’s potentially a lot of force on the wing in high winds.

Another is about winging in offshore or side-off winds. That’s a no-no in kiting, unless you have boat support, as if anything goes wrong, you can’t self-rescue. If you kite in offshore winds, you have to accept the possibility that in case of trouble, you have to abandon your gear.

One of the advantages of winging over kiting, is that you can potentially wing it in offshore winds, because in most cases you should be able to just depower the wing or even deflate it and paddle in (or if doing it in waves, surf one in). But this is the first tale I’ve heard of losing wing in offshore winds…which in most of the places I play would mean saying “ba-bye” to the wing, as there isn’t going to be any jetski rescue! ;-)
 

Hdip

Michael Peterson status
Apr 23, 2005
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Malibu, CA
Side note: the point about what to call these things in progression project was interesting. Don’t call them kites as kite surfing is banned in a lot of beaches. They are wings, have no lines. So you should be able to in theory use them at any beach.
 

Kaser1

Tom Curren status
May 3, 2004
10,271
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Maine
Can you compare the F-one and the Ozone Wasp?
No, but I've been thinking lately of trying the Ozone. I've got a few friends that have them, I'll try and give you some feedback, I'm curious also.
 

Hdip

Michael Peterson status
Apr 23, 2005
3,331
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Malibu, CA
You've had a couple goes on prone boards right? Am I delusional in thinking I can learn on a prone board? (I learned to prone foil on a 4'8" in waves, no boat/ski to tow me and learned fine, so I must be pretty stubborn)

My current plan is a 5m f-one. I figure a slightly bigger wing to counter for the small board and foil. Plus I have old kite harnesses around so I can try out a harness line too.
 
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Kaser1

Tom Curren status
May 3, 2004
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You've had a couple goes on prone boards right? Am I delusional in thinking I can learn on a prone board? (I learned to prone foil on a 4'8" in waves, no boat/ski to tow me and learned fine, so I must be pretty stubborn)

My current plan is a 5m f-one. I figure a slightly bigger wing to counter for the small board and foil. Plus I have old kite harnesses around so I can try out a harness line too.
I don't know your ability but I can say it was pretty tough getting it going. The young guys seem to be more consistent getting it out of the water. But when the wind goes light they're screwed. That initial lift of getting the board to the surface takes alot of work. After that it gets easier.

The other issue you may have, the 5 meter wing is pretty big. And to muscle that thing into a position to get you going from half of your body underwater will be a challenge.

You mentioned small board and foil...how small foil? I'm switching around my foil wings quite abit based upon wind conditions. 2 days ago I went chasing wind to the other side of Maui, it's been light here for about a week and wanted to wing. I have a handheld wind meter I use on the beach and it was down in the 10-12knt range. I normally use my GL180 in good wind conditions (15-25knts), I used my old M200 and was constantly either pumping the wing, or foil, or both with a few little moments of relaxing.

I'm going to say, from my experience, is that you want to be sitting on the surface to get winging. I usually look at the tradeoff of the pleasure/pain ratio in making a decision like this. If it ends up being more frustrating than fun, I ditch it. And using a small prone board and winging is not in the cards for me. I've tried it, was alot of work to get it going, and all the time I was trying to get it going, all my other wing buddies were off having fun winging their SUP boards.

Not to say you have to use a SUP, but a small board with enough volume to allow you to stay on the surface while you negotiate getting to your knees then stand. For me that's going to be something with volume of at least 70'ish liters.

And I've had a few conversations with DK (Dave Kalama) about this very topic, when I was all amped to wing a small prone board. And his answer was, what's the benefit of using such a small board? It didn't make sense to him. And my only answer was you could do airs alittle easier. Other than that, there was no clear benefit. Winging, in surf, you're having to hold this big object behind you so you're not doing much manuvers that would warrant a tiny board. You can get away with a small SUP.

So that's my .02 on the subject. Let me know what you decide on doing and how it goes.




On a side note, my buddy is selling me his 5m F-One this month so I should have some feedback on a bigger wing.
 

Clamsmasher

Michael Peterson status
Apr 22, 2013
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Thanks Kaser,
that’s good information as we are starting to look toward smaller boards and prones here too. My mate is a much better winger than me and never even got close on a prone in sub 20kts. Now he’s killing it on the formula kite board I converted.

I think I will make something like the SS windfoil boards next, maybe 5“ - 5‘2” with lots of float, very light.
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