Thanks Peter, what I was missing was the high wind range concept; now I understand more, but it makes more sense to me for the small sizes than the lager ones.
(Mabe because the power stroke of my bar is too short?)
Keep us posted on your search of finding the limits of freeride low end. I'm very tempting to buy the 13m as well just if it works in 4 knots -luls and 6 max I'm curious how it will work in 30m lines.Foil_Adict wrote: ↑Wed Oct 20, 2021 6:20 pmGot a chance to fly the 13m today. First impression after rolling it out....I have made a HUGE mistake....LoL. Just kidding, but this thing is enormous after only flying the 5 and 3 for the past 2 years. Wind was a little stronger than I was hoping for at around 8-12mph directly onshore. Didn't have time to get on the water but got a good feel for this tractor. Despite being near the top of it's wind range it was very well behaved and easy to fly. Much slower of course with constant pull when sheeted in. Anxious to get it on the water, will be fun finding it lower limits. Ran at it a few times trying to slack the lines,power went away but it drifted back fast enough that I could not get them slack, it remains really stable though which was encouraging.
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It's not based so much on rationalizing not having a 5m ... it's based on my personal experience this summer where the wind was very consistently lighter than usual. From May to the beginning of September practically all my sessions were on the 6m with the wind in the 10 - 15 knot range. Typically, I would go out as soon as the wind hit 10 knots & it would usually build a bit from there. I would say at 12 - 13 knots I would rather be on the 6m, at 14 - 15 knots I would prefer to be on a 5m ... but often it would only stay at 14 - 15 knots for a half hour or so - not enough time to justify coming in to switch kites even if I had the 5m. What was missing was the 14 knots to 18 knot days that we would get in an average summer (not to mention the 20 -25 knot days )jumptheshark wrote: ↑Wed Oct 20, 2021 1:06 pmI think a lot of that is based on rationalizing not having a 5m. Like Peter said, once you get used to it you will appreciate having it, and there will definitely be many days where it is far and away the better choice. There are quite a few factors that go into choosing a peak size. Many days I "could" ride on either of two or even three sizes but there is definitely a "right" one. With time you get pretty good at figuring which one that is. Forecast, gustiness, rain, swell, directions, and sometimes just how you want to ride can all make one size the better call. The 5m is truly GOLD. It's no 4m, but it outshines the 6 by a country mile. The wear and tear issue is also a key one. These kites flap...... How many tattered flags have you seen flapping in the wind. Minimizing it should be every Peak riders priority, and doing this can severely limit the riding if your overpowered. Spreading the hours over more sizes while also drastically reducing time spent flapping needlessly will be essential for longevity. Done right, these kites should outlast tube kites pound for pound, but done wrong, you could likely shred one in no time. There are a lot of funny contradictions to these kites that might not make sense to those looking into Peaks. They have huge yet small range, they are super safe, yet "don't" relaunch, they are gutless, yet powerful for their size and they are so simple anyone can fly them, but it takes practice and some skill to make them truly shine.
If you want to get the most differentiation out of your Peaks, I suggest you rig them on successively shorter lines as they get smaller. It helps loads with eliminating flapping, massively extends the top end comfort, and helps heaps with deliberating which one is the right size for any given situation. I suggest you keep your 6m on 21m lines for max low end, but suggest you run the 5m on something like 17m lines for a very logical and comfortable step in range.
I am the same weight as Peter, but my ranges skew high compared to him due to shorter lines.
The important step is the realization that Foiling is the Future. The last 2 years I have been foiling perhaps 90% of the time. As my skills in foiling have developed, the appeal of the SB has gradually diminished. A very average day on the foil is more curvelicious than anything but the very best conditions on a SB. So the foiling quiver becomes more important than the SB quiver.jumptheshark wrote: ↑Thu Oct 21, 2021 1:12 pmUm, you can definitely rationalize how you view your personal experience. I think I do it all the time.... with pretty much everything!
Trust me, you will enjoy having more Peaks, and I absolutely empathize with the experience of switching to a small LEI after much time spent on Peaks. Had a 3.5m Solo before getting a 3m Peak. Enjoyed the silky smooth top end in steady wind, but eventually it was the gusty less than ideal conditions that got be fed up with it.
Had a dream conditions 5m session yesterday. SW, right down the pipe with nice swell and steady wind, sun and a dramatic fall sky. Rode my legs off! Would have been half the experience on either the 6 or the 4.
There is something about perfect 5m conditions. So easy and stress free that is somehow feels a bit like cheating. Kite is so light in hand, yet the pace is a bit slower than 4m, so all the carves, transitions and airs are a bit more scripted. Makes for a really nice flow to the riding.
My preference is also not to be too powered up. However, in practice it's always not realistic to come back in & set up a new kite when the wind picks up or drops a bit. Switching kites involves self landing, packing away & setting up & self launching another kite - all of which takes a considerable time ... when I am a long way upwind of my launch spot, it's not even worth considering. And then there's the ever-present possibility that the increase/decrease in wind will be temporary.jumptheshark wrote: ↑Thu Oct 21, 2021 8:41 pmIdeal range has yet to be well defined. For sure, above ideal, the lines get much more up and then back down wind.
For me, the low end of the sweet spot is when I can get up and foiling without any particular effort. One dive or loop and straight up to foiling with easy upwind.
The top end of the sweet spot is a little less defined, but as soon as I cant carve a hard bottom turn and get right up to a top turn without feeling the downwind pull of the kite, that's about it. In other words. I'm super spoiled by having each size and as soon as my lines are compromised by too much power, I prefer to be on a smaller kite that will allow me to carve toe side back up through the eye of the wind.
Your mileage may vary.
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