VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

I have been doing a lot of reading about foil vs inflatable kites... for water kiting only. As of right now I only have interest in water kiting, not snow or land. We will cross that bridge when the day comes!

I am just looking for a few opinions on the two.. I have read that foil is easier to pack and cart around but inflatable is safer on the water...

Any opinions? Or is it really just personal preference?

Thanks!

-M

Most kites out there are inflatable.Think about it...(Floatation) My opinion. Sorry Teabag! ;)

As a beginner kiter, I can say without any doubt, go inflatable. When your kite handling skills are good enough to more-or-less guarantee you can keep it flying during a crash, you could think about a foil. Its bad enough as a beginner trying to get an inflatable kite relaunched if the conditions aren't just right for it to pop back up, even with an instructer nearby giving directions. With a foil, it would be virtually impossible for a beginner to relaunch while swimming. And if you are even half a km offshore.....

Hi Matty, I have been flying both type of kites and I would say the same, start with inflatable.

Not because foil can't water re launch (closed cell foil), they are actually very safe/re launch able. It is just that at the beginning it is difficult to learn the "how to" and how "not to" crash them/re launch etc..

Start with inflatable without a doubt. Then when you get upwind, start jumping feel free to ask me to try one at Nitinat if you want.
They turn slower than inflatable. But they do have an almost zero bar pressure (good if you suffer from chronic tendonitis on the elbow) and have a HUGE floatation.

90% of people prefer inflatable, which is reflected by the market as well. Beware of inflatable vs foil post on other forums as you might get unfair feedback sometimes. Both positive and negative.

Have fun learning!

I use both - inflato for medium and high wind on the water, foils ( Flysurfers ) for light wind on the water and land.

A big difference that hasn't yet been mentioned is that quality foils are generally more expensive that a similar sized or power inflato, both new and second-hand.

Since learning can be hard on your first kite, it's often more economical to start with an inflato.

I really liked the Naish Bolt

the one I have in the air is my fav..