purdyd wrote: ↑Fri Nov 27, 2020 4:58 pm
Unless you spend all of your time kiting in less than 9 knots and then I would consider a peak.
Um, no, this is incorrect.
Peak sizes that outshine others for foiling are 5, 4 and 3m. Now there is a 6m. None of which are appropriate for under 10 knots. Peaks come into their own in actual wind, and anyone thinking they are light wind kites is misinformed.
Under 10 knots you need more efficient higher aspect foil kites. The 8, 11, and 13m peaks might work for some, but by all reports, not in the stand out fashion that embodies the smaller sizes. You cant really play around in waves much in winds under 10 knots anyway. Big kites are just too slow, let alone heavy!
Weight is really only one criteria, but in this case it simply is THE criteria.
Three strut kites cannot even be considered in a list of best kites for foiling. They just cant. Even with plenty of wind, they are no match for the low drag nature of riding a foil. Sure you can have fun and learn the basics just fine, but they cant hold a candle to kites that weight half as much. Single/strutless are the only decent LEI options for the type of riding the OP describes, and even then, I would rate the Peaks as far and away a better option. They literally weigh less than half a Cloud or UFO for the matching wind range. Thats two orders of magnitude better than three strut wave kites! That's just talking weight. There are loads of other flying characteristics that favor the peaks. Then a whole pile of non riding but significant safety and convenience factors that frankly more than cement their status as the best kite for what the OP is asking.
The only reason people will discount Peaks for that type of riding is inexperience. Plenty of people still fear the idea of strutless kites when Clouds were so obviously a massive leap forward for wave/carve oriented kite foiling. Including relaunch! Took more than half a decade for an industry main player to get on board, and now loads will think that strutless kites are da bomb. Too bad they are still half a decade behind!