Flysurfer Peak 4

[Janus]

I noted one thing, when launching a Peak4 in 5 m2 in higher winds - and would hear if others have experienced this, or it was a "one off" single incident:

Wind was for 6-7 m2 tubekites on waveboards (not foilboard), and I put my 5 m2 Peak up dead downwind, in extremely gusty wind because of wind shadows (otherwise I wouldnt have dared to hot launch in this wind)

It flew and was easy controllable, but both tips where curled in.
Like the hard wind has shut the air intakes to both tips inflation points - I dont know...

I thought I had kinks on the bridles and was about to land it after some time - but then the tips opened.

From then on no problems the next hours when out - I disliked how it flapped like crazy when fully depowered in this high wind and you walk out and in from the waves, feels wrong and must be aging the kite fast?

But apart from that, even when walking out behind wind power stations so wind could not be any gustier - it worked great.
Did not fold or drop or do any odd things, even in this horror wind.

Out in the surf, on a "normal" waveboard, upwind was just fine, and riding the waves DTL was a great experience - it was so fast and nimble and easy to fly onehanded, and could drift, so I could ride a lot higher on the waveface when doing bottom turns and cutbacks, meaning the bottom turn even on small waves, was high on the waveface as it should be

Peter

I take the Peaks out the normal foil wind range too.. keeping tension and not depowering too much helps a lot in preventing tip collaps and folding up.. but it's not Peak's foil fun factor conditions then.. Perhaps I should try to kitesurf with them too.
Depending wind direction I launch the Peaks on the road / grass in front off my house.. walk around (!) the house to the water (pond) with the kite in the air.. doing this with twinskins or tubes will get you into serious trouble.. it's amazing how safe these kites are.

@bitxopalo; be prepared that you want a 4m after the 3m..

[jumptheshark]

Highly recommend that you do not skip sizes from 5 down. They are sized and spaced well and skipping the 4 will definitely leave a gap in proper non flapping perfect range. You will either be over done on the 5 or under on the 3.

Besides, the 4m is definitely my favorite Peak4. Perfect amount of cloth in this design for my 80 kg and 1100 cm2 foil.

[ieism]

I tested the 11m and 8m today back to back because since I started foiling I'm thinking about selling the 11.
On a SB the 11 was my most used kite. But now I can ride the 8 before I can ride the 11 simply because it stays in the air a bit easier in lulls and is faster to loop in low wind.
I found absolutely no advantage to using the 11 with a 1200cm foil, this is in about 7 to 9 knots that's about as low as I can go in offshore conditions due to the lulls.

We almost never have 8 knots of steady wind, that's about the only use for the 11m on a foil for me so I'll probably sell it.

[Peter_Frank]

I tested the 11m and 8m today back to back because since I started foiling I'm thinking about selling the 11.
On a SB the 11 was my most used kite. But now I can ride the 8 before I can ride the 11 simply because it stays in the air a bit easier in lulls and is faster to loop in low wind.
I found absolutely no advantage to using the 11 with a 1200cm foil, this is in about 7 to 9 knots that's about as low as I can go in offshore conditions due to the lulls.

We almost never have 8 knots of steady wind, that's about the only use for the 11m on a foil for me so I'll probably sell it.

True, you only gain a small bit with the 11 over the 8.
But the same can be said with the 8 over the 6, marginal difference because the 6 is faster and can loop on standard lines, the 8 and 11 needs longer lines to work.

Going from 6 to 5 to 4 to 3 there are huge upper end advantages, but the low end is not as influenced as the small ones zip around so fast, that even the 3 m2 can be flown from 13-14 knots if you want....

So with these very kites, the gain in going bigger is very small, compared to most other kites.

But if you look at the full circle, from 13 m2 to 3 m2, difference is huge of course.
The gain in lowend up in the big ones is very marginal though.

Peter

[geron]

how much low end do you gain in small peaks with longer lines (from 22n to 32m)?

[Peter_Frank]

how much low end do you gain in small peaks with longer lines (from 22n to 32m)?

Close to nothing IMO.

Maybe a tad with the 6 but for the others I don't think you really gain.

I could be surprised, but that is my bet.

Peter

[merl]

I still dont know why we want a 252 page long thread about the Peak, instead of topic specific single threads - but thats maybe just me...

This! Time to close the thread and make specific topics. You can't find anything here anymore (you need to use Horst's meta index, but where is the link... )

[jbrodin]

I came to the Peak for the 5th line security more than anything else. In the winter, out in hard conditions on the snow, there is nothing like it - it can be a life saver.

Now, in the summer, I am out with the hydrofoil and I see that the Gin Marabou has an edge over the Peak, with similar feel when foiling, single skin simplicity, better relaunch and definitely better twintip performance ( I don't go out on tt with my Peaks).



Who has back to back experience with the small Marabous vs the small Peaks?

The Marabou does not have the 5th line safety though. Could it be possible to make a single skin with closed cell leading edge, and 5th line safety? I suppose that Ozone's hybrid closed cell for water, open for land, is an option. But they are expensive and lack the feather light advantages of the single-skins.

[bitxopalo]

Maybe the new version of the peak will has this Two features...

Closed LE and 5th line.

[Peter_Frank]

Maybe the new version of the peak will has this Two features...

Closed LE and 5th line.

But the current Peak4 GOT a 5th line

Although, if you dont snowkite, I think we all have removed it, as not needed for anything

Closed LE will be heavier, and somehow interfere with the superfast rig and land and packdown, so not sure it can be seen as a benefit only...

Peter