Flysurfer Peak 4

[Janus]

No wrong, Ideal would be 3, 4, 5 & 6m.

[Peter_Frank]

No wrong, Ideal would be 3, 4, 5 & 6m.

True, can only agree, eventhough luxury, but why not with the low cost

Above the 6 you can choose the 8 if you like (as so much faster to pack down so I use it always now), but other foilkites or LEI kites that works in 8-9 knots can be chosen also - not as big impact up in these sizes, as they are all in another (slow) league and not for drifting waveriding or fun in the same way, in my experience.

I use the 8 myself when 8-10 knots, and not other foilkites or strutless/1 strut like I did before, but can understand if some want to use other kites in this wind.
Higher risk of dropping these other a bit or a lot heavier kites in lulls indeed, but if it happens, you might be able to drift ashore comfortably, instead of packing down and a swim - so ones personal liking, and also level.

Peter

[jumptheshark]

There is not all that much overlap in the ideal range of the 3,4 or 5m. As soon as you need to sheet out and let the kite flap, you should rig down and be in the sweet spot of the next size down. Certainly would not want to have just the 5 and 3m ! 6 down to 4 is likely much better, but the 5 is such a great kite in its range that I don't think I would want to stretch the top end of the 6m. Overall range is huge foiling, but overpowered on Peaks takes all the fun out of them. they are truly magic in a smaller range and it's well worth a quick kite change to stay in that sweet spot.

I'll pick up the 6m for the measly wind range of 10-12 knots and never rig it above that unless its dying. If it makes 10 knots feel like 12 on the 5m it's well worth it.

6m 10-12
5m 12-16
4m 15-22
3m 20-30+

[Flyboy]

Sometimes I feel like I'm on the wrong website - Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous Kiters. Whereas one Peak4 may be reasonably inexpensive, buying a quiver of 4 would come out at around $3,400 CDN. Throw in an 8m & it's another $1,000 CDN. I understand people's circumstances vary a lot ... but I'm finishing off a year in which my income is going to be 1/3rd of what it was the previous year. Even if it weren't, I wouldn't feel comfortable buying a new quiver of 4 or 5 kites just for foiling when I already have a quiver of kites that works quite well.

Yes, foiling you can cover a pretty decent wind range with each LEI kite - I wouldn't consider coming in to drop or go up one metre in size, especially not when I generally end up foiling a long way upwind (or sometimes downwind) from my launch. If you need one metre increments to make Peak4s work satisfactorily it suggest that Peak4s have a pretty narrow wind range.

My most used kites for foiling this year have been an 8m & a 6m wave kite. They have covered the wind range of 10 - 18 knots, which is what the wind is about 90% of the time locally. The 8m might be a touch underpowered at 10 knots, the 6m a bit overpowered at 18 knots. Choosing between the 6m & 5m Peak4: I figure being able to foil in 10 knots in the summer is probably worth it ... & I'm assuming that the 6m will hang in there to 14/15 knots, at which point the 4m will work. Giving up the 10 - 12 knots seems like a shame, if it means that I would need to use a heavy LEI kite to get going ... which would defeat the whole point of the having the Peak4s.

[PrfctChaos]

I use the 5m peak from 12-18 knots (it only starts flapping around 20). So that would basically cover that entire range. Im sure 4m + 6m would cover the 10-18knot range excellently.

The other replys are like asking a fine wine conneseur which wine to have with dinner. After half a hour of talking he would say you absolutely need at least 4 different wines to optimally pair with your hamburger.

[jumptheshark]

Well, I don't drink a lot of fine wine, I don't own a harley, a fast car, a big truck, a boat, a cabin, a camper, etc.

Kiting is my main thing. I do it a lot. Peaks are relatively cheap and wind is still free, so I've spoiled myself with em, but in a sequence that made sense from a $ perspective. Three kites is basically a full quiver for 500 bucks less than one 10m aluula roam.

My point was not that you should run out and buy a 4 kite quiver of something totally different than you have every tried before! I certainly didn't do that. My point was that you have to stop thinking 1m increments is similar to LEI sizing. It's not. Thats why when I read this thread, I bought the 5m. Knew it was right for me on day one and soon found a used 4m. Fell deeper in love and months later picked up a 3m, because by then it was necessary! I'll get a 6m mostly so I don't have to go back to LEIs in winter. Would buy them all over again in the same order.

The 5m is money, highly recommend not skipping it. Should be the first one you get to best stretch your dollar. It covers the very best light but actual wind foiling conditions. It's also the best size to give you a true understanding of their strengths and differences without being difficult to adapt to. The 4m is the obvious second kite once you realize you actually want something for more wind, not less. It's the true G spot size for me, but I wouldn't recommend it as your first Peak. You gotta know you like em first. Those two sizes are the best bargain you can find to completely cover the truly sweet conditions. The 3m is likely not for that many people, but if your like me, and prefer to stay on foil when it gets up over 20 knots, its necessary. Put loads of time on mine so far. For high wind foilers, its amazing bang for the buck.

The 6m will have the smallest range of all the good sizes. Even if it were around from day one, it would be my last choice. If it weren't for the prospect of having to go back to using a pump in winter, I wouldn't bother with bigger than 5m.

You have to stop equating 1m of peak with 1m of LEI. They are simply not equatable like that. For one thing, when I'm on my 5m..... no one else around here even bothers to rig, and they have huge kites, like 17 m turbines and stuff. When I fly the blue one, no LEI kiters even show up. By the time it gets to 15 knots and the first person starts pumping, Im on the 4m! The 3,4,5,6m peaks correspond to a 3,5,7,9m LEI. Pretty much ideally spaced! Skipping the 5m would be like Going from a 9 down to a 5m lei. Thats a big jump for foiling. Look how many UFO fans are bitching about that range missing a 4m!

No man, DONT GO OUT AND BUY A COMPLETE QUIVER OF KITES YOU HAVE NEVER TESTED. But I though you knew that already.

Get a 5m. You won't be disappointed. Let it convince you. If it doesn't, you won't have a hard time selling it.

If you get a 6m and 4m. You will have short changed yourself.

[Flyboy]

Well, I don't drink a lot of fine wine, I don't own a harley, a fast car, a big truck, a boat, a cabin, a camper, etc.

Kiting is my main thing. I do it a lot. Peaks are relatively cheap and wind is still free, so I've spoiled myself with em, but in a sequence that made sense from a $ perspective. Three kites is basically a full quiver for 500 bucks less than one 10m aluula roam.

My point was not that you should run out and buy a 4 kite quiver of something totally different than you have every tried before! I certainly didn't do that. My point was that you have to stop thinking 1m increments is similar to LEI sizing. It's not. Thats why when I read this thread, I bought the 5m. Knew it was right for me on day one and soon found a used 4m. Fell deeper in love and months later picked up a 3m, because by then it was necessary! I'll get a 6m mostly so I don't have to go back to LEIs in winter. Would buy them all over again in the same order.

The 5m is money, highly recommend not skipping it. Should be the first one you get to best stretch your dollar. It covers the very best light but actual wind foiling conditions. It's also the best size to give you a true understanding of their strengths and differences without being difficult to adapt to. The 4m is the obvious second kite once you realize you actually want something for more wind, not less. It's the true G spot size for me, but I wouldn't recommend it as your first Peak. You gotta know you like em first. Those two sizes are the best bargain you can find to completely cover the truly sweet conditions. The 3m is likely not for that many people, but if your like me, and prefer to stay on foil when it gets up over 20 knots, its necessary. Put loads of time on mine so far. For high wind foilers, its amazing bang for the buck.

The 6m will have the smallest range of all the good sizes. Even if it were around from day one, it would be my last choice. If it weren't for the prospect of having to go back to using a pump in winter, I wouldn't bother with bigger than 5m.

You have to stop equating 1m of peak with 1m of LEI. They are simply not equatable like that. For one thing, when I'm on my 5m..... no one else around here even bothers to rig, and they have huge kites, like 17 m turbines and stuff. When I fly the blue one, no LEI kiters even show up. By the time it gets to 15 knots and the first person starts pumping, Im on the 4m! The 3,4,5,6m peaks correspond to a 3,5,7,9m LEI. Pretty much ideally spaced! Skipping the 5m would be like Going from a 9 down to a 5m lei. Thats a big jump for foiling. Look how many UFO fans are bitching about that range missing a 4m!

No man, DONT GO OUT AND BUY A COMPLETE QUIVER OF KITES YOU HAVE NEVER TESTED. But I though you knew that already.

Get a 5m. You won't be disappointed. Let it convince you. If it doesn't, you won't have a hard time selling it.

If you get a 6m and 4m. You will have short changed yourself.

I'm not questioning anyone's right to spend their money they way they see fit ... I'm saying it's a bit much when I'm told it's "wrong" to think I can get by with two kites, and I need to get 4 ... or 5.

Philosophically speaking: I started this wind/watersports journey back in 1982 with a stock windsurfer. That led to a whole series of upgrades over the years ending up today kiting with a foil. Even though the equipment I'm using today is far more advanced & sophisticated than that stock windsurfer, I can honestly say I didn't have less fun learning on that windsurfer. Every step of the journey has had its own challenges & rewards. Every new piece of equipment seemed, at the time, to offer the 'ultimate" ... but in reality, it was only ever the "penultimate", to be eventually replaced by the next penultimate. A couple of years ago Clouds were the last word in "kitesurf foiling" ... now it's the Peak4. It's very likely that a couple of years from now something else will come along. So, every purchase - unless you have unlimited cash available - involves something of a cost/benefit analysis.

With regard to my specific situation: there is no way on earth I am going to buy 5 Peak4s in the next year (8,6,5,4,3). I already have a lightly used 3.5m Boxer which I bought for about half the price of a 3m Peak4 . It will be interesting to see how it performs - my assumption is that it will offer most of what a Peak4 3m does, but only experience will tell. I have no interest in buying an 8m Peak4, for reasons that have been discussed in this thread. That leaves the 6m, 5m & 4m.

The reports about the 6m from PF have been pretty positive. Most of my riding in the last year has been on either an 8m or a 6m LEI. The 8m starts at around 10 knots. At 14 knots I would choose the 6m in preference. I would assume that corresponds roughly to the 6m & 4m Peak4s & that the 6m Peak4 would offer better performance at the bottom of that wind range than the 8m LEI because of its lightness. I think it would be a shame not to have the ability to foil in 10 knots. The 4m would take me from around 15 knots to 20. Just getting the 5m would be a compromise between the two - leaving me underpowered below 12 knots & overpowered above 16 knots. I think I would rather have the 10 knots - 20 covered with the 6m & 4m. Could always fill in with the 5m if I felt the need later.

However, in reality it's largely an academic consideration as the season is pretty much done in Ontario with temps not climbing above 4 C for the next two weeks. BUT, I am planning on spending January in the RD. I'm not ready to give up my SB, so would be taking my 9m & 8m wave kites. Normally I would take an 11m for the light wind days, but would give that up for foiling. I would probably only buy one Peak4 for the trip. The 6m for 10 -15 knots, the 4m for 15 - 20 knots, or the 5m for 12 to 16 knots. In fact, the best match for the conditions would probably be the 5m Final wrinkle: SS currently only has the 4m available.

[ieism]

Buy whatever funds allow and the conditions at your local beach dictate. Everybody is right about the 5 being a great kite, but I've used the 11 the most by far this season (on surfboard not foil) so I'm glad I bought that first against most advice.
I've probably used the 5 and 8 ten times less than the 11, so go with what makes sense for you and just enjoy riding.

[jumptheshark]

Flyboy,

I am not rich. I have spent the last few years poaching super cheap used kites at pennies on the retail dollar. The 5 and 3m peaks are the first new kites I've bought in almost a decade. I totally identify with the need to watch expenses. Last year at this time I was contemplating saving for an Aluula 10m as a low wind foil and general do it all kite. So much has changed. For one, I haven't stepped off the foil even once this year. The learning curve is just too good. Secondly, in throwing around kite ideas, my dearest wife was the one who suggested trying a Peak4 5m. She was right in pointing out that it could be fun to try something totally different, the cost was reasonable, and could likely be mostly recouped if it didn't work out. It definitely worked out, but that is just for my personal tastes. There are plenty who have tried them and sold them onward. Keep an eye out for these used peaks as they pop up semi regularly. I found a used 4m at a great deal shortly after getting the 5.

You outweigh me by just enough to make enough difference that it's likely a great move for you to start with the 6m. I have no experience with it, but trust Peter's opinion. The 5m is a known entity and gets stellar reviews throughout this thread. Mine got a lot of use this season and I was really able to sort out my low end, sweet spot and top end. The more I ride Peaks, the less I want to ride them overpowered, and it led to me picking up the 4 and eventually the 3. Both of which I'm very happy with.

It's key to understand that a 1m increment in Peaks is just a number and not an indication of range. I cover 12-32 knots with a 2m different between smallest and biggest kite in a three kite quiver!

For your consideration, I think this is a close estimation of equal power.

3m peak = 3.5m lei
4m peak = 5m lei
5m peak = 7m lei
6m peak likely = 9m lei
8m peak likely = 12m lei
11m peak likely = 15m lei
13m peak likely = 17m lei

At first exploring the overall range of peak kites is really exciting and kind of blows your mind. They can be effectively held down WAY above the ideal range and safely beyond even that. You will not have actual holes in your wind range when skipping a size. If you get one and like it for your style of riding, you will no doubt (like all the rest of us) begin to differentiate between true sweet spot performance and the compromised lines you can ride when overpowered. This exists in exactly the same way with LEI's but you just get so spoiled by complete depower that you start getting picky. Get one Peak (5 or 6m is my recommendation) and let everything happen naturally from there.

At this point I am very glad to have sequential sizes from 3-5 and might end up disappointed with the 6m. If so, I'll sell it.
They get much faster as you go down in size, so skipping the 5m will have you a bit out of sorts when first rigging down from 6 to 4. The 4 will be likely twice as fast as the 6 and so much easier to oversheet and stall. If you like the 6 but hate the 4m, PERSIST! Give it some more time, and you too will come to the conclusion that the 4m is an F-ing amazing kite. Skipping the 5m is likely very doable, but if kiting is one of your two favorite past times like it is for me, you will eventually end up filling your quiver like all of us who currently sound so opulent.

I hope you get one, and I hope you love it.

[tomtom]

imo 3,4,5 and other kite is still best option

other kite can be FRS or Ozone Alpha or whatever
Anyway using 1500 cm wing sub 10 knots wind is possible with 5. But still other kites are just more suitable to 8 - 11 knots than Peaks. But as others im often using Peaks from pure laziness in this range. 8-11 is cruising and speeding area. There isnt much more to to do in this wind.