Flysurfer Peak 4

[slowboat]

All the info on this topic compelled me to try a Peak 4.

I had a 5 M out for the first time in 13-15 avg MPH, direct onshore with waist high waves. 1100 cm wing, 70 kg rider, 23 meter lines.

Drift is astounding. A completely different league compared to strutless inflatables. Snap turns at the peak of a wave...riding straight downhill and downwind at the kite....the kite just stays with you. No doubt my strutless kites would have fallen out.

Depower is also in the class of its own. Instant and complete with sheeting out.

Turning speed is between an 8 meter and 6 meter strutless.

Upwind is similar to strutless. I suspect this might improve for me some as my technique with Peak 4 improves.

Water starts. Very little spike. Need to dive kite a few times to get going. Easy if you are experienced with "underpowered" water starts. You do need a bit of downwind room.

The most pleasant surprise for me. I LOVED foiling with a kite that has so little lift. I did not know what to expect but it made foiling so much easier for me. Zero breaches during 2 hours of wave riding. I understand some use lift for transitions but it is not really needed if you are using a big hydrofoil.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this topic. I believe kites like this will change the sport of wave foiling.

[Adventure Logs]

Thanks. My weight is 76 Kg. and my foil combos are: Groove Skate L/M and MHL Lift 170 /110, Ketos Pocket and V1200/Freeride 2/Wave. With the high lift foils (MHL 170/Ketos V1200) the wind ranges are the followings:


- 3 m, not yet tested;

- 4 m, 14 to 35 Knots;

- 5 m, 12 to 23 Knots;

- 8 m, 8 to 20 Knots;

- 11 m, 6/7 to 18 Knots.

I hope this helps.

Cheers

Carlo

Interesting, you're the first that has claimed such a low end with the larger sizes. I'm right around your weight on a Moses 633 and this once again has me thinking of picking up a 11m. Is there really that much of a difference on the low end between the 8m and 11m?

[jakemoore]

With the 11 I was quite uncomfortable standing on land at 16 knots even with short lines. And I didn’t have any luck water starting below 9-10 knots. It did act as an excellent buggy engine even in 4-5 and because of that I thought HF should be possible. Maybe with the right technique, and deep enough water and room downwind for a sink start? May be variation in wind meters. I’m using our local NOAA sensors. YMMV

[haiku]

In a couple of sessions my brother and I were out alone in a marginal Winds conditions with our 11 m Peak 4. The on shore wind was below 7/8 Knots, the weather station of our home spot is absolutely precise and regularly checked. On the beach there were two kiters with double skin foil kite (Ozone Chrono v 2 15 and Flysurfer Speed 4 15), both of them weren't able even to let their kites fly. As I show in my video the Peak 4 11 m is an Amazing LW/ULW kite, but requires a high lift foil a pretty big board like my Groove Skate carbon L and an experienced rider used to fly foil kites.

The difference beetween the 8 and the 11 is remarkable especially in very marginal conditions but the 11 m has a very narrow upper end. The 11m is now my first choice when the wind is less than 8/7 Knots.

Also the 8 m is an Awesome LW kite in the picture below I show It Flying during a session I had at Porto Pollo (Sardinia) just few days ago. The wind was blowing from 6 to 10 Knots.

Cheers

Carlo

[Horst Sergio]

Hi Carlo (haiku)
thanks for the video and description of the bigger Peaks. Motivates me to try the 8 m² even if I have still doupts if it is also interesting for difficult lake winds and not just laminar sea winds.
What is your experience about about my main concerns in under 10 knts:
1. Still going upwind with big Peaks well?
2. Having it imediately colapsing when lines go slack in a missed jibe for example?
Thanks

[haiku]

Hi everyone. Horst, Before I anwser to you I collected Another few sessions with my bigger Peaks (8 and 11 m) in LW/ULW conditions. I love these kites! Since I've ridden with the 11 m I use my Soul 15 only for airstyle and…..yes It can't go upwind as the Soul, It hasn't the same huge lift and hang time, but It cannot collapse from the air unless the wind completely dies. The drifting is simple Amazing, even with the lines almost totally slacked I am able to control It, no back stall at all! IMHO, those are the key points for freeride hydrofoiling. The only drawback is the upper end, not as wide as a comparable double skin size. Needless to say If I miss a jibe the kite never collapse. The upwind angle, in marginal conditions, is more than sufficient to cruise efficiently up and down even in onshore wind. The 8 m has a better upper end and, obviously, is faster in the flight window. So unless I want to improve my HF jumping skill or go very fast with my race foil, the Peaks in all sizes are my choices . And, till now I relaunched them two times in a row .


Cheers


Carlo

[elguapo]

i didnt want to buy any more kites this year...

i'll just have to tell the woman it's carlo's fault when this 8m peak4 magically appears on the doorstep.

[Adventure Logs]

Ug this is making my decision much harder. I’m ordering one next month when I get off work and have been struggling between picking the 8 and 11m. Top end doesn’t bother me since I already have a 8 and 6m Soul. Looking for ultimate bottom end, something that will hold me over until FS finally releases the Sonic 3. Was leaning on the 8 since reports previously was there wasn’t much difference between the two larger sizes. I’m back to leaning towards the 11m since I like riding pocket boards(Groove S) and the extra grunt will be helpful.

[foilholio]

What about the Marabou? It seems to be better in reviews for upwind, range and relaunch.

[jatem]

Question for Peak 4 for users. Favorite self landing method? Thanks

I only have the 8m, so this is for winds 8-14 kts. I find i can bring it down on the edge of the wind window, grab an arms length of the lower front line, give it a good hard pull and run towards the kite. It collapses instantly that you move towards it and i can grab a wingtip before it has flipped over more than once. I can then put my helmet with a few stones in it on the wingtip to keep it still.

I bring the peak to the edge of the wind window, and as soon as the wingtip touches the ground I walk towards the kite quickly. That way the kite lays on it's back, and I can run to the kite. If it's windy, I run along the upwind steering line.

Awaiting an 8m for sub 11 knot days. I had a brilliant session on the 3m in a 30 knot breeze with some swell earlier this week, so intuitive and responsive.