🏄 Equipment Inventory
All equipment used for kite foilboarding at Kanaha Beach Park. Each piece is matched to specific wind and wave conditions by the forecast system's equipment recommendation engine.
Boards
Armstrong Noah Flegel Pro Board — Freeride
| Length | 4'2" (127 cm) |
| Width | 18⅛" (46 cm) |
| Thickness | 1¾" (4.4 cm) |
| Volume | 19 L |
| Weight | 2.9 kg |
| Construction | Dual Carbon Stringer System |
| Use | Freeride foil, windswell, small groundswell |
Sharp rear chines and squash tail for hard carving. Double concave bottom for powerful pop and seamless release.
Naish Hover Macro Chip — Wave Foil
| Length | 100 cm |
| Width | 1'3¾" (40 cm) |
| Thickness | 1⅛" (3 cm) |
| Volume | 9 L |
| Weight | 1.92 kg |
| Price | $649.00 USD |
| Use | Overhead groundswell — duck diving safety board |
Wider nose than the Micro Chip for extra stability on dock starts and light-wind launches. Minimal volume for getting under breaking waves.
⚠️ Safety-critical: Low volume required for duck diving under breaking waves on wipeouts. Too much buoyancy = can't get under crashing waves. Not optional in big surf.
Front Wings
Armstrong High Aspect (HA) and Ultra High Aspect (UHA) front foils. Larger area = more lift in lighter wind. Higher aspect ratio = more efficiency and glide at speed.
Armstrong HA1080 — Light Wind
| Area | 1080 cm² |
| Span | 1020 mm |
| Aspect Ratio | 9.63 |
| Series | High Aspect (HA) |
| Price | $799.99 USD |
| Use | Maximum lift and glide — sea breeze and light trade conditions (12-17 kts) |
Largest front wing in the quiver. Maximum low-speed lift means you can stay on foil in the lightest rideable conditions. Pairs with 5.0m or 4.0m kite and Glide220 tail.
Armstrong HA780 — Versatile / Moderate Wind
| Area | 780 cm² |
| Span | ~900 mm |
| Aspect Ratio | ~9.6 |
| Series | High Aspect (HA) |
| Price | $799.99 USD |
| Use | Versatile all-rounder — active trade winds (15-22 kts) |
The do-everything wing. Good speed with less drag than the 1080, still enough lift for moderate conditions. Standard choice for active trade wind days. Pairs with 3.4m or 4.0m kite.
Armstrong UHA570 — Strong Wind / Speed
| Area | 570 cm² |
| Aspect Ratio | 12.6 |
| Series | Ultra High Aspect (UHA) |
| Price | $999.99 USD |
| Use | Strong trades (22+ kts) — speed-oriented, minimal drag |
The speed weapon. Ultra-high 12.6 aspect ratio means incredible glide efficiency with minimal drag. Lower stall speed than you'd expect for the size. Pairs with 2.2m kite and shorter lines.
Tail Wings (Stabilizers)
Armstrong Glide 220 — Maximum Glide
| Area | 220 cm² |
| Type | Glide — high aspect stabilizer |
| Use | Default tail for all conditions up to 25 kts |
Narrow outline, wide span. Maximum glide distance and stability. Thin foil section limits drag and rapidly sheds air when ventilated. Pairs with all front wings in light-to-moderate conditions.
Armstrong Speed 180 — High Wind
| Area | 180 cm² |
| Type | Speed — narrow, minimal drag |
| Use | Strong trades 25+ kts — reduces power, increases top speed |
Narrow, efficient, and fast. Reduces tail drag in powered conditions where the Glide 220 creates too much lift and control resistance. Pairs with UHA570 front wing.
Masts
Mast length is chosen per session based on tide height and riding style. Longer mast = more stability and lift, but reef strike risk at low tide.
| Length | Use Case | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| 72 cm | Low tide protection | Reef depth <95cm during session |
| 85 cm | Default freeride | Standard for all freeride sessions |
| 90 cm | High tide / performance | High tide, want more stability |
| 100 cm | Very high tide / downwind | Very high tide only, max performance |
Reef hazard: Old Mans reef is ~0.9m deep at MLLW. Each +1ft of tide adds ~0.3m. The forecast system computes minimum reef depth during your session window and recommends the appropriate mast.
Kites
| Size | Wind Range | Regime | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.0m | 12-15 kts | Pure sea breeze | Lightest rideable wind |
| 4.0m | 14-18 kts | Light trades | Sea breeze + gentle trades |
| 3.4m | 15-20 kts | Active trades | Standard trade wind kite |
| 2.8m | — | — | Typically skipped |
| 2.2m | 20-40 kts | Strong trades+ | Jump from 3.4m → 2.2m |
Kite Lines
Line length controls the kite's arc — longer lines = larger sweep = more power generation per stroke. In stronger wind, shorter lines reduce power and increase control.
| Length | Wind Range | Paired With |
|---|---|---|
| 26m | 12-15 kts | 5.0m kite — max arc for light wind |
| 25m | 14-18 kts | 4.0m kite |
| 24m | 15-22 kts | 3.4m or 2.2m kite — standard trades |
| 22m | 22-25 kts | 2.2m kite — start depowering |
| 18-20m | 25-30 kts | 2.2m kite — strong trades |
| 16-18m | 30+ kts | 2.2m kite — survival mode |
Complete Wind → Equipment Matrix
The forecast system uses this matrix to generate equipment recommendations. As wind increases: reduce kite → shorten lines → shrink front wing → switch to speed tail.
| Wind | Regime | Kite | Lines | Front | Tail | Board |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-15 | Sea breeze | 5.0m | 26m | HA1080 | Glide220 | NF Pro 4'2" |
| 14-17 | Light trades | 4.0m | 25m | HA1080 | Glide220 | NF Pro 4'2" |
| 15-18 | Light trades+ | 4.0m | 25m | HA780 | Glide220 | NF Pro 4'2" |
| 15-20 | Trades active ★ | 3.4m | 24m | HA780 | Glide220 | NF Pro 4'2" |
| 20-22 | Trades strong | 2.2m | 24m | HA780 | Glide220 | NF Pro 4'2" |
| 22-25 | Trades powered | 2.2m | 22m | UHA570 | Glide220 | NF Pro 4'2" |
| 25-30 | Trades full | 2.2m | 18-20m | UHA570 | Speed180 | NF Pro 4'2" |
| 30+ | Overpowering | 2.2m | 16-18m | UHA570 | Speed180 | NF Pro 4'2" |
★ "Trades active" (15-20 kts NE) is the most common and most enjoyable Kanaha condition — good power, manageable, great windswell for bump riding.
Riding Styles
Freeride Foil (Primary)
Windswell gliding and small-to-medium groundswell. Emphasis on efficiency, glide, and bump riding. Uses the NF Pro 4'2" board with all equipment pairings above.
Wave Foil (Big Swell)
Overhead+ groundswell (10+ second period, 1.5m+ face height). Requires the 3'10" 8L duck-dive board. Equipment matrix for wave conditions: coming soon.
⚠️ Board selection in big swell is safety-critical. The 19L freeride board cannot be duck-dived under overhead breaking waves. Riding it in big surf risks injury and equipment damage. The forecast system flags when groundswell conditions require the wave board.