Best kites for foiling
For foiling you can best use a kite with that have enough downwind draft and downwind performance. So you can control the kite with easy in any direction. more on differente kites type.
For sizing up the kite, if you come from a twintip, you can get a size smaller. if you ride wave, you can use the same size kite. more on kite size.
The Hydrofoil in kitesurfing.
The hydrofoil or the foil board are not new in the water sport, but are being uses used more every day.
Not only in kite surfing are the foil boards upcoming, also in the other surf sports: golf and windsurf we see more and more Hydrofoils. But why is that? What are the up’sand downs you need to know about about foiling? We try to explain is all for you.
How does a hydrofoil work?
A hydrofoil works almost in the same way as an airplane. A foil board had two wings under the board. The front wing is for is for the uplift for the board. The second wing, on the back is for stability.
The wings of a hydrofoil is built almost in the same shape as an airplane wing. By moving forward with your your kite, you get an uplift in power that makes come your board out of the water. By moving your board out of the water, you got less residency from the water. Therefore you can fly over the water with only the foil wing in the water.
The Best kite size for Foiling
For foiling you can get a smaller kite. The best fit for you is here on the kite size chart for foils. Here you can see the size kite you need for you. Check your body weight and the wind speed and your good to go. Also check the Foil calculator.
Check out all the kite size charts
Why is Foiling becoming the trend in kitesurfing?
The main reason is the feeling of “ flying” over the water. You don’t have a direct connection with the board and the water. This makes it like floating over the water, with no beating against the waves, no splashing of the water, and almost no sound. This comfortable way of riding is appealing to a lot of surfers who used to be wave or directional riders.
Efficiency is key for a foil
One of the other reasons the Foil is being used more and more in kitesurfing is because it is very efficient. This means a hydrofoil can surf with very little power, so in terms of kitesurfing, very little wind. And beside from the less wind you need, you can kite hard upwind. This makes it easy to stay on the same height or freeride and kite long distances.
Why are Foil boards so expensive?
There are a few reasons why a foil board is more expensive than a twin tip of direction board:
- Lack of production volume
- Research cost
- Materials being used
A hydrofoil board must be light weighted to use with easy and strong enough to hold a kite surfer. This is why there are mainly made out of carbon, and carbon is a expensive material.
Is hydro foiling hard?
Starting with a hydrofoil can be hard. We surly recommend learning how to kitesurf with a twin tip at all times. But if you mastered the power of the kite and want to give it a go on a hydrofoil it still can be hard. There are a lot of kitesurfing schools who can teach the basics of kitesurfing and Kite foiling.
Having some experience on a direction or wave board will help. But the extra dimension of a foil board is something different. It is all about the balance and feeling of the kite and board. It could take you some time really get a hang of it, but in a day or two you surely can make your first meter on a foil board!
