Kiteboarding- Changing From Tube Kite To Foil Kite (Why?/Why Not?) 

Launching and landing gets easier the more you do it. At our local kite spot we launch between trees on a short walkway with no issues. Landing can be tricky when you're alone, but if you have someone to catch the kite it's pretty easy. With regards using a seat harness vs a waist harness with a foil kite, we use waist harnesses ourselves and have zero issues. Great video overall! :)

Haha „once a kiter gets hooked then price becomes secondary...“ i couldnt agree more on that one :) very nice video!

Great video, it's always nice to get perspective from non-pro kiters. I've only been kiteboarding for 3 years, purchased a Soul 18m nearly a year ago and totally love it. We have many low wind days where I live (6 to 9 knots) and the Soul 18m provides more than enough power for an enjoyable day on my twintip.

Dont forget the resale price. The price for a Tube Kite drop much faster ..also a foil kite last longer;-)

For solo landings, I use the back stall method to put the kite on the ground and then attach my bar to a large sand stake which I hammered or screwed into the beach before I launched my kite. After I've hammered the stake into the sand, I like placing my spare board over top the sand stake to help me spot it when I come in and to keep beach walkers from tripping over it. Pulling in both control lines quickly and as far as you can will bring the kite down quickly and minimize the amount of time the kite pulls you. Once the kite is on the ground and under control, unhook and wrap all the lines around the bar a few times, attach the chicken loop to the sand stake and walk up the lines to take control of your kite. Like all the instructional videos tell you, the back stall method should only be used in light to moderate winds.

I tried the Soul 10 and got "hooked" (so I understand what you mean)... bought couple of Flysurfer Soul (second hand - 10m and 15m). Price is huge, but it's definitely a game changer (it increased my time on water combining them to a surfboard and foil board). Give it a try, you won't regret :)

Great episode. I tried Chrono v2 7m and 15m with hydrofoil and didn't like them at all. They have massive pull while riding but very little when you slow down for transition. Downloops were super slow and sketchy for 15m while 7m was allright. Plus, deep water swimming was a hassle. I sold both kites. With hyperlink and Solo being much lower aspect ratio kites and therefore faster in turns, I'm willing to give a try again. Especially since my in air transitions are pretty much dialed in. I don't do racing but more like freeride so for now lightweight LEI kites like airrush ultra served me well.

Thanks for the video. I have a Soul 12m also, and in the first 2-3 sessions i disliked it. Then I got used to it and now it’s so great. I’m on the same boat regarding self landing. In lighter winds no problem but in 15 and up you have to be decisive when you stall it otherwise it will pull a lot. FYI I fly 15m lines so I have a bit more high end.

I wish there was more videos on how to untangle or manage the bridals on foil kites. I spend one hour flying my kite and 3 days untangling them.

great video! I'm now considering to switch to foilkites but have no idea about size related to inflatables. I usually ride Rebel's 9 and 12m. What size would be enough, taking the Flysurfer Sould as a baseline, to ride on the wind range you've cited (8-12mph) considering I'm 160 pounds

I got a 15m soul for 1 year This is a perfect kite when wind is low but quite steady, between 12 to 20kts in Twintip The only down point I found is when a big gust happens suddenly (as someone switching on the big fan) and winds picks up to 30+kts At this point everybody leaves the beach and you are let alone to manage this largely too big sail 🥶

Just one note: I use Soul instead of Airush Ultra V4. So Soul is easyer to restart from the water then AIrush Ultra which is LEI.

Excellent video because it targets the one who wish to try it but are hesitant! Last winter I decided to try a Foil kite Flysurfer Sonic3 in 15m size for my light wind days(6 to 12 knots) on the snow first because it it is easier for me and less intimidating and this summer got the courage to ride it on the water with a Twintip small or large! And I love it for those light wind days because it increases the number of days kiting and improves and makes it more fun! Lately I decided to buy the Soul2 in 10m size for Foiling with my Moses 633 on the light wind days and HAHAHHAHA I am there working on it! For stronger winds I feel more confident and safer with an inflatable 5 struts Freeride Big Air kites for many reasons! LOL I am not ready to replace my 7m or 8m Ozone Edge v11 by a Soul2 7m or 8m even though I love both kites! I still own an inflatable light wind kite the Ozone Edge 15m for light wind days for those sketchy water relaunch. My Quiver is 6m, 7m, 8m, 11m and 15m Ozone Edge and equivallent and 10m Soul2 and 15m Sonic3!!! Control bars are Ozone Contact water for Ozone Edge but I love the Ozone Race Control bars with 15m lines for the Flysurfer soul2 (55cm)and Sonic3(62cm).

I really wish this channel grows. I've learned so much from the Ok Kiteboarder!

my first foil kite is ozone hyperlink 9m,love it,but you have to take more care of it than an LEI.Agree with all your comments,thanks for sharing

Thanks for sharing. Still relevant today. Myself I have transitioned mostly to Sonic 3, only ever a LEI kite in 30+ knots or rainy weather. I mainly do jumps up to 15m and for that the sonic is incredible, loooong floaty jumps and very comfortable landings. I never do kiteloops anyway. Only downside I would say is when the canopy is wet it flies less nicely (until blown dry) but otherwise I prefer foil kites over LEI now.

Very good video dude. I’m looking forward to your comparison of the two kites that you are testing!

i ve been riding foil kites for years in alpine lakes ,, 8-10knots and sometimes i had to swim back to shore, the good thing, is that the kite remain in the air until 5knots then will backstall. only once i had to pack the kite in the water and swim back , roll the lines to the kites, use it as a buoy and once it will slowly deflate, roll it up slowly, to keep air pressure in the remaining part, once deflated, it s rolled like at the end of a cession. for 8 knots riding and if the win will slowly die out, i usually had a small backpack with tiny pair of palms (like bodyboarding ones) and palmed gloves, it saves u energy to swim back in a drop out (LEI or foil kite), some cash and my phone if i end up on the other side of the lake ( 40km perimeter lake) for X reasons. we did some tests with friends, the kite (new kite) will take 30mn to deflate when it s in the water (calm lake , zero knots, we used a blow leafer to inflate it) 90% of launchs are hot launches (whatever the wind, snow or water) as the kite only get power once inflated (my lake launch spot has barely the deph of the lines, error margin is very small) self land: back stall against a fence (can use a human too as it will wrap around him), in low wind, i backstall it then reverse land it on the leading edge (grass or snow) and i will put the chickn loop on something and walk to the kite ( which is full depowered as u dont handle the bar), he will try to get in the ground and not fly away.

Very nice video! I have a big question, which are the benefits of a foil kite when you use hydrofoil? I have tried the Soul and Hiperlink and I liked the fealing very much, Would you choose a Sonic or an Airush Ultra? I usually kite in 9 nots.

Hi thanks for your honesty opinion. I am a high time kiter only 3 years, but I kite nearly every day. I purchased a 9 m foil kite practiced it the first day on the beach only , I was amazed how it just stayed in the air in very lite wind and it turned just as fast as my lei kite if not faster. On my first day on the water with a tt I was amazed how well it pulled upwind, I could never go so fast and upwind on an lei racing kite. On jumping the hangtime was also amazing. I dropped it in the water a few times on going down wind, I guess I didn't keep enough line tension but got it to relaunch without much problems. That session I kited 3.5 hours with it and covered 45 miles. I can't wait to use it more it was really fun. Time to toss the pump.

Great job. Just got SOUL from Greenhat. Vadim and Brian are great guys.

I'm switch for light wind. I have a Fone diablo v2. It fly very ligh wind, but when I don't have enough wind the tips bends and wrap my lines. I'm looking forward to see a ram air kite video how to fix it.

Be using foil since 2012 and I just flag out to solo land. In stronger winds it does spin a lot but it's landed. Lei and ram air are 2 different feels but I like the ram air kites

Thanks. This is just where I am now. Very useful info. Keep it up!

For a the best kite to hydrofoil is the Peter lynn charger. Now that kite is a game changer. Try one

Foil kites are great if you have the space to launch and land. Most of our beaches require a drift/water launch, except one, so it makes a foil kite less desirable. Unless you're skilled as kite junkie and his water launches.

One of the problems I have with the foil kites is that they pick up so much seaweed when laying out and launching. I find I can only use my 9 Chrono on beaches (or grassy spots) where I do not have the seaweed problem. Also launching, which you really have to do solo, is more tricky. I don't find landing a problem - you just have to commit and don't change your mind after you pull on the depower cord - keeping it even on both sides - to take the kite back to the sand. All the best. JK from OZ

Great video! Greenhat hooks me up with all my gear. Skyway and Pass-a-Grille are awesome places to learn how to fly a foil kite in nice mellow flatwater.

I tried a chrono 15m foil for ultra low wind, but eventually found the BRM cloud 13.4 was More fun for carving around and having fun...no competition for speed jumping etc- but when you wrote about getting a pfd...I was able to keep the 13.4 cloud up in 4knots...I can actually kite in 4-6 knots on the 13.4 but with a takuma surf foil... just like riding with twin tips, get a bigger kite or a bigger board, same thing applied to foils /foil kites. I sold the chrono... I would love to buy one of the newer foil kites for boosting in higher wind tho

Dead on target 🎯 ! Same issues with me specifically with the down loop jibes … 😉👍🏻 keep going

Fantastic video! I love that you described differences from perspective of just a normal kiteboarder. It really hit the spot, maybe because I'm on the same level (a bit afraid of downlooping on foil)

I went through last season really-really wanting to make Souls the only kites i fly. Still love them for light wind hydro-foil and for gliding off the mountains in snow. But IMO they are inferior to hybrid-C LEI (like Dice or FX) in freestyle tricks. Foil kites loop very slow.

You da man ! Even though you dry up yer dialogue the stoke conveys well - I look forward to each of your videos. Aloha

...and how's it work in the RAIN?

Good job - which one will you go with? What size for all around?

Just let the kite go to the side of the wind window then de the back stall technique it's way easier then the normal back stall technique

Thanks great video. Looking forward to comparison review. I was thinking of getting the soul kite, but still hesitant. Thanks and can’t wait for nxt video

Nice video

Fuck tampons with strings had them more work then it’s worth since using UFOv2 tampons are now used in construction make great drop clothes UFO will out perform tampons for 90% of kite foil riders plus tampons you always have to adjust the pulley system where inflatables as long as you on the kite. It’ll always fly right has for your harness majestic they never ride up

Thanks, now I need to spend too much money :(

This video was a lot more helpful to me as it’s on my level (and not hosted by a pro kiter). Much more informative and relatable. Thank you.

Question - are these more technical kites in terms of line and bridle management vs LEI? I’m just picking up on your comments about rushing the setup before launch and also seeing vids on bridle tweaking which seems like a real ball ache vs LEI. If LEI is a simple setup with lowing maintenance, is a foil better or worse. Don’t say same but for different reasons, I don’t want that answer 😀🙏👍🤘🖖🏿

Never! Far too many lines

Great vid. I just disagree with the “one-for-all kite solution” These kites are not made for waves :)

another great episode man

i installed a brake line on my bar, so now i can backstall the kite more easy, I fly Sonic2's.

I have a 15m foil for lightwind... And only drawbakcs are the transition is slow if you dont downloop... And once I was long way of shore and kite dropped down(exactly bcz of slow transitions) from the sky and bowtied.. I had 0 chance of relaunch.. Only option was to self rescue.. Which wasnt a problem. But I didnt packed my kite. Just put lines on a bar and had a long swim back. No problem until I came back to the beach. Where I noticed that my kite acumulated ???liters of water and was heavy AF... I mean my heart was tearing aparth when I was realy have to mucle my 2000€ kite out of the water - which had proobably atlest 40kg of water inside... I pulled it 1 m out of water and patienly pumped water out.. Luckily I was carefull enough not to tear it and I was back flying an hour later... Still by heart breaks a little when I think how I was dragging that expensive kite out of the water...

Excellent video!

Just ordered my first soul 15m, dreading first launching of kite, not so worried out landing as always kite with other people on spot. Will start to use it with my TT fist and later try foil. Actually decided to buy after many video from @Our Kite Life. Great video though!

They are zo sloooooow, no i am very happy with my Ultra V2 from Airush specialy in the waves ! ☺

Folks are way behind on realizing how great foil kites and In my opinion thyre a much better choice for most people. And Lets face it 90 percent of kiters are not out there throwing kiteloops.