Any ideas on what type of kite would be the best for light winds? like 6 knts + that is if there is one that will fly in 6 knts!

i would recommend some sort of cable park or powerful boat 4 6 knots

a 2m stunt kite

I have yet to see a big kite fly in 6kts.

I have a 2005 contra 16.5m - while the wind range is 7 to 17 kts, I only bring it out if the wind is at least 12 kts (I do most of my kiting in the sea with a twin tip and weigh 80kgs). On flat water I could probably get going in 9kts on a nice chunky board.

So it all depends where you want to ride in 6kts. The range for the 2006 contra is meant to start at around 5kts and is a lighter kite than the old 16.5m

Also, if you weigh 60kgs, that always helps.

It doesnt work...believe me I've tried. The bigger the kite the heavier it is...they wont fly in 6 knots.

Try a smaller lighter kite on a fixed setup - or heaven forbid a ram-air - and use a surfboard...probably a mini-mal or bigger.

Once you are getting air, a "light wind cruise" totally loses its appeal.

Ho, ho, ho.
If anyone will tell me that an inflatable, be as large as 30m, can stay up in less than 10knots....., I will say that may be in his dreams.
And on top of this to kitesurf?
I had to stack 3 (three) Peter Lynn foils: 11m, 8m and 6m, (tolat of 26.6 m sail in the air) to get going in 8 -12 knots winds, mostly beam reach and downwind.
In order to get the foils up in those light winds, I had to blow air inside the foils using a high volume 12V pump, than launch them directly downwind.
Do not forget, light winds have large lulls, almost to nothing, an inflatable will loose tension in the lines immediatelly, and fall down like a brick, before the wind will be able to pick it up again.

In less than 10 knots, forget about kitesurfing, unless you have a propeler on your kite(by the way, this is my next project)
So, follow the instruction given by kitebavariansweringbear, and add some beers (VB are good enough)

I like the mini mal idea! will give it a try when the wind comes on Thursday.

6 to 7 knots I can breathe harder than that.
You at least need 10 to 12 knots to get going all kiters know that.
6 to 7 knots maybe with a run in tide assisting you which gives you a extra 3 knots which helps alot.

To me kiting in 6 knots means alot of walking and relaunching your kite out of the water lets keep it real, no bullsh1tting and pimping the impossible.

u can kite in like 6 knots-just its gonna b **** and u will quit kiting very quickly if u do it often, ive bn out in seabreeze graph at rotto said 11 knots sw on a 12m and 122-no ****----i wouldnt bother with it next time, no jumps-100% concentration on kite and keeping ontop of the water-even chicken with surfers is **** cus u have to turn like 10m b4 get near them so u can stay up

I agreeing with the 12kt minimum.

Why? Fun is why.

I have not yet experienced Sub 12kt wind that is consistant.

Maybe people are thinking they are kiting in 6kts when they read that as a low point on their wind meters, If they are reading the Avg. at 6kts then the lows will be 0kts.

I can see the possibility of a gust getting a big kite to a useful apparent speed but it's all hard work, not the Fun I want.

But I'm sure there's still a few lunies who want to do it.

Big Boards(width) gain a bit but drag soon cancels the advantage.

Here's a suggestion. If you are so keen on getting on the water 2kts earlier. Get a Naish Kialua or S/board Start and cruise till your hearts content. probably similar cost, plus you get the added advantage of being able to take a passenger.

So your saying 6 knots without any gusts say getting up to maybe 10 or 12 knots you can get going or is that the gusts above 6 knots is what actually really gets you going.

No kite will get you going in 6 knots you need the gusts to start plaining and then maybe you might get going.

Like I said lets keep it real.Most kiters will not even bother if its blowing under 12 knots, as for my gear its all 06 gear and I have a light wind board and high wind board and 6 knots just will not happen.

quote:

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Originally posted by aimkites
. The speed 10 incedently i fly in winds up to 35knots - what a wind range for 1 kite.

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The foils have such a large wind range, because you can sheet them to the point they loose their "grunt" and fall powerless, in the middle of the wind window, to the ground!!!! They dont have "back" lines, they have "brake" lines
However, they are the kings of folding at the edge window

G'day Damo

From WSP?
You saw us at the island in Noumea? Even the experienced windsurfers who watched us said that the wind was under 8 knots, and there was no tidal assistance at all.

Its technique, you sheet the kite in a bit, so that it is flying off the front lines, as fast as possible, then head downwind until you are planing fast, then ease away and point upwind, with care. Its important not to point to high or edge too hard, you must keep the kite speed as high as possible, its all about apparent wind under 10 knots, and the Contra 17M is a fast efficient big kite with as much power as a 21-22M C shaped kite.

Many people think they have to let the trim strap all the way out in light winds for "full power", all this does is leave you with a slower kite that is easy to stall if you pull in on the bar at all.

Pulling the trimmer in a bit - shortening the front lines does not depower a bow kite, it only changes the relative bar position, and ensures you cannot over sheet and stall the kite.

Big ass boards make a huge difference, especially anything over 42cm wide, like the custom FLX 1.52 x 44 or the new flat bottomed 1.48 x 46!!

I've been powerkiting for 15 years now, I know a little bit about the wind and tides, especially at my home spot.

It is possible to kite and stay upwind in smooth 6-7 knots of wind, I've done it heaps.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve McCormack

quote:

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Originally posted by Damo

hey steve hows it going over east??
i got some questions for you on that light wind stuff.

Heaps of people have seen myself and Moritz kiting in 6/7 knots??staying upwind in 6-7 knots???
how does that work then?how do you get you kite to fly so much faster than the wind speed or do you have a board that planes at a stupidly slow speed???
are you shore about that wind speed? maybe there was also some tidal movement as well??
i didnt think it was possible to kite in 6-7 knots

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Thanks aimkite.
I know the foils very well, cause I was on foils until last year!!

lol
Bust out the 20m blimps.
The windmeter is red-lineing at 6 knots.
Kook Alert warning for general beach-goers:
BEWARE of AIRSHIPS malfunctioning

This is the fastest way to piss-off regular beach users.....
by attempting to fly blimps on a non-kiteable day and making a real pest of yourself.

Learn to share nature.

quote:

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Originally posted by tobes

quote:

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Originally posted by aimkites
Using the bar it is impossible to stall a Flysurfer Kite, so that it will land while riding if you have the kite bar tuned properly, however these 'brake lines or rear lines' do come in handy for doing controlled landings or reverse water re-launches.

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Gotta pull you up here aimkites, not sure if I've misunderstood you, but it is VERY possible to stall a Flysurfer kite by oversheeting the bar. The lightwind technique is exactly as Steve described for the contra, pull in the trimmer a bit and be careful not to oversheet and stall. I've seen the Speed fold at the edge of the window as silviu described but no sign of anything like that with the pulse. For such a high aspect kite the Speed is remarkably stable, compared to say an ozone razor, but you still have to be careful. The Pulse, no worries! Anyone interested in Flysurfers check out the emerging reports of the Psycho3.

Re Steve/Moritz and 6 knots with Contra 17, Botany Bay must be one of the most accurately wind metered places in Oz, could you guys verify with stats or are you using figures from a handheld meter or just guessing? I use figures from the local airport.

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G'day Tobes

Of course it possible to over sheet and stall a Flysurfer Speed 17M, but I am sure it can be trimmed for absolute best low wind performance, after that its all about the pilot and their skill.

There is a guy here in Sydney with a big Flysurfer, it has similar bottom end to the SB16 or CB16, when he is using his big board.

But it does not turn anywhere near as well as the two tube kites I mentioned, or the legendary 20M R2, or R4. Its ok for straight line cruising.

6-7 Knots is the absolute bottom end for low wind kitesurfing.

The big problem for foil kites in light wind is that they need airflow and the subsequent airpressure inside the kite, to maintain the kites profile and stability, otherwise all foils will tip fold as soons as the wing speed drops near the edge of the window. A skillful pilot can get better bottom end and keep the kite out of the water, than one less experienced for sure, but I would still prefer a Contra 17M or my SB16 for absolute lightest possible conditions.

The Ozone Razor, which Kitepower imports and distributes, was a purpose built land buggy racing foil kite, that was extremely easy to luff. Land buggy racing foils are tempremental to say the least and require maximum skill to get the best performance from, they cannot be fairly compared to a purpose built, variable profile foil kite like the Flysurfers, or even Ozone Frenzys.

Botany Bay locals will back me up when I say that under 10-12knots the wind meters around the bay are not accurate, we always take off a few knots for real wind strengths.

Kitesurfing is much better fun if the wind is at least 8 knots, anyone who kites will know the wind never blows at exactly 8 knots, or any given number, it is always gusting and shifting a couple of knots and tens of degrees or more, even in the "smothest" winds.

If the wind is averaging 6 knots, there will be times when you would need to walk back upwind, but thats just part of the exercise.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve McCormack