I thought I could use your advice. I am interested in purchasing a peak 4, but I do not know what size to get.
I am lightweight (66 kg) and have the gong allvator allround (similar to Onda 633), but I am undecided whether I should choose 8 or 5 for the 10 knots days. What range could I get out of a 5 m, given my weight and foil?
By all accounts there is a significant difference in the playfulness of the Peak line as you make the jump from 5 to 8m. You are light and I highly recommend you get the 5m and see exactly what this kite is all about. I weight 77 kg with the same size foil and am powered up and flying all over the place in 11 knots. 10 is the absolute bottom end for me.
If you are determined to use the kite mostly in and around 10 knots you will likely be more powered on the 8m, but if your willing to have a kite that starts working at 10.5 knots and is loads of fun in ways other kite are not up to 17 knots, go 5m.
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...as a big fan of autozenith (enjoyed that feature for many years ) and avid avoided of dropping the kite (see autozenith comment ) Would you use a peak to learn foiling (big stable Gong type foil)?
Mike, use a kite you have for the learning fase. Learning to start with foiling means you will drop the kite.. even if you normally never drop it..
When you can start and foil a little you can step over to a Peak.
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Mike, use a kite you have for the learning fase. Learning to start with foiling means you will drop the kite.. even if you normally never drop it..
When you can start and foil a little you can step over to a Peak.
Good advice. I think it makes sense to start foiling on a kite you are familiar with so that you don't have to factor the kite into the equation. In any case, when you start foiling you should be doing it in, at least 12 knots of wind (& preferably more like 14/15) so that keeping the kite in the air is straightforward. Even in my early (failed) attempts to foil I never dropped the kite ... except when I mistakenly tried to go out in under 12 knots.
I am lightweight (66 kg) and have the gong allvator allround (similar to Onda 633), but I am undecided whether I should choose 8 or 5 for the 10 knots days.
I'm 75 kg and ride a 1600 cm^2 wing and the 5m is plenty fun in 10 knots for me. My low end is 8-9 knots but I need head deep water to start in those conditions and it's a lot of work and not much fun. 12 knots is the ideal wind for me and by 15 knots I'd rather have a 4m. 18 is the most I've had it out in and while it's totally manageable, the kite isn't really happy.
Today I was foiling with the 633 and the peak4 8m along the beach toeside downwind and upwind heelside in not much wind but since the tide was high, I was able to go very near the beach in the afernoon. As the sun went down, I landed the kite in the beach and picked my gear with no efort. A guy came running over and said that that was incredible and "how do you do that?" He wanted to know... I said that it is like rollerskating, that it is difficult but, just a matter of practice; that, in the pandemic I had the time to learn the foilboard (that I didnt know before).
Is it possible to buy my gear and go straight to foiling and not go through all the previous steps of learning regular kiting on the tt? I have to say, the gear is so simple and frendly that it looks eassy enough. I dont know what the best answer is for him. Afterall, he was in his 30's and me on my late 50's.
Well, droped the 5m for the first time and it doesn't float ! Couldn't restart backwards, I think there was already water in the LE, had to swim but the kite is HEAVY when packed with water in it.
Well as a coinsidence I dropped on last Sunday session Peak4 5m three times on deep water, and I was able to relaunch on every occasion. You don't have to believe me writing now here - I got two of those crashes captured on my 360-camera so I'll upload to Youtube for sure. Two first relaunches were like instant, third one I got worried if I need to swim, but no, I was able to recover after 30s of trying and slow-emptying the cells with some backline-frontline pulling&releases to get air back inside the kite fabric and made it open up. Unfortunately for this 3rd time camera battery was already dead.
Great News regarding 6m!!!
Interesting how will be with playness and turning joy comparing with 5m? Of course will be a little slower but question is how much noticible slower. It means no Peak5 this year???