Flysurfer Peak 4

[Peter_Frank]

Hi all,

I have a Peak4 5 and 3m² that I use mostly for kitefoiling.

Yesterday I flew my 3 for the first time... the kite has the tendency to backstall very fast when I pull the bar.

I'm flying it on an Ozone bar, all lines are checked and equal length.

The 5 I have to depower it a few cm to avoid backstalling when I pull the bar completely 'full power'... the 3 is much worse, I have to depower it almost completely.

But then is flies ok... but this seems strange to me.

A friend who flies the peaks a lot says it's due to my flying syle...

So both kites backstall when you pull the bar full power . The 5 I have to depower a few cm to avoid this, the 3 I have to depower almost completely or it is uncontrollable.

Nayy

Yes, this is normal and why they are so "Magic" - you can control them onehanded almost without sheeting nor any trimming.

Dont take line lengths for "granted", its a common mistake that line lengths should be equal, rubbish in fact, nothing but a thumbrule when starting out with a new kite.

Just trim the lengths to fit your current kites and your personal style.
If you dont have a fixed bar on the kite, but share bar for several kites, trim at the kites so this bar will be perfect no matter which kite you pick

I trim the opposite on my kites, both Peak but also LEIs, the first thing I do is shorten the rearlines, so they backstall a lot more.
This way I can ride with bar further away from me, gives a much better stance when carving and riding waves (for me)

If I pull the bar completely, the kite will more than backstall - but doesnt matter, you should never do that.
But if this is your preferred way of riding, you have to lengthen your rearlines instead, like you have done now with the trimmer.
It is not a good way IMO, as then you have to find the exact sweetspot which is only a few cm's and you have to ride with arms bent all the time?

As said before, the 3 m2 can be extremely difficult to fly at first, if you have no experience with small Peak kites (3 and 4 m2)
This is normal for everyone, just trim it to your liking and get some time on the water - it will come and soon you will fly it blindfolded, not stalling
5 m2 and bigger, easy, but below that, sensitive and your body needs to adapt just like when you learned kitefoiling.

Peter

[drsurf]

Hi all,

I have a Peak4 5 and 3m² that I use mostly for kitefoiling.

Yesterday I flew my 3 for the first time... the kite has the tendency to backstall very fast when I pull the bar.

I'm flying it on an Ozone bar, all lines are checked and equal length.

The 5 I have to depower it a few cm to avoid backstalling when I pull the bar completely 'full power'... the 3 is much worse, I have to depower it almost completely.

But then is flies ok... but this seems strange to me.

A friend who flies the peaks a lot says it's due to my flying syle...

So both kites backstall when you pull the bar full power . The 5 I have to depower a few cm to avoid this, the 3 I have to depower almost completely or it is uncontrollable.

Nayy

Hi Nayy.

The 3m Peak4 is a small kite and the distance between backstall and fully depowered is much less than a larger kite. Also the 3m Peak4 is very fast and responsive so backstall may occur in a lull quite quickly.

Also if your 3m Peak4 is new and this is the first time it has flown, you have to give it time for the bridles and kite to settle. It usually takes 5 - 10 hours of flight time for the whole kite to settle in and then it won't change too much after that.

Each Peak kite may also need a different adjustment of the depower at the bar to fly at its best. Spend a bit of time getting this right and you shouldn't have a problem. The smallest of the Peak kites, the 3m Peak4 and 2.5m Peak5 do take a bit of getting used to as they're way smaller than most people have used as a traction kite. However once you're used to flying them with your foil I think you'll find they're probably the most fun kite in the Peak range "Magic" as Peter has said

[Trent hink]

It’s almost as frustrating as getting flippant responses from people who don’t even comprehend your question.

Mirza, your leading edge wing tip is collapsing because you have the kite trimmed in too much and are pushing the bar out too far.

The guy using the same kite on a twintip in way more wind is not doing that.

Are folding wing tips when overpowered inevitable? Does everyone experience that?

I flew peaks all of last season and just accepted that’s the way it is, but yesterday I ran into someone riding a 5m on a twintip in winds I would consider overpowered. He also said he rode a 4m in 40kts on a surfboard recently, and he never has wing tip collapse. He said he doesn’t have to sheet in and keep steering lines tight to avoid issues like that. He has stock peaks. I forgot to ask what kind of bar and line config he has (maybe Y vs V makes a difference?)

Anyone know what’s up with that? Does anyone else here not experience collapsing wing tips when flying a peak above its typical wind range?

One of the most frustrating things about forums is when you have kite problems and all you get are posts trying to explain why it is a problem with your technique and not the kite. Here is some practical information that should be worth a try:

viewtopic.php?p=1157604#p1157604

[mirza23454]

Thanks folks! I’ll look at bitxopalo’s method! To be clear, I usually downsize when it’s too windy, but I’ve been wondering if I could make my peaks work on surfboards where I’d need more wind. I know I can sheet in to stop the collapse, but I find the bar pressure pretty high when it’s that windy, so I don’t know how well it would work to ride that way for longer. I guess I just need to experiment more.

[bitxopalo]

I have used twice the 5m with surfboards... Didnt like it too much but doable. I prefer to take the "magic 3m" pure joy to sail with it

[Fatso]

I have used twice the 5m with surfboards... Didnt like it too much but doable. I prefer to take the "magic 3m" pure joy to sail with it

I got a 6m Peak 5, i found it hard to understand what sort if wind range I'd be looking at on a surfboard? I'm 95kg.

[bitxopalo]

I would say 18knot.... but Im 65Kg and never rode a 6m.... Sure other can answer you better

[Peter_Frank]

I have used twice the 5m with surfboards... Didnt like it too much but doable. I prefer to take the "magic 3m" pure joy to sail with it

I got a 6m Peak 5, i found it hard to understand what sort if wind range I'd be looking at on a surfboard? I'm 95kg.

I dont know.

But I used my 5 m2 Peak in winds where a 6-7 m2 LEI worked.

Out with the Peak first - magic to find out how I could stay higher on the wave, kite drifting so much better than LEI's, great

Out with the Peak first, and then a LEI.
It was horrible - to get back on a LEI the same day, it felt so slow and heavy and sluggish, compared ha haa

The only thing I did not like with the Peak on a waveboard, was the noise from the flapping when walking out/in as it was a spot with low water for the first 300 meters, even for short surfboard fins

My take would be you can use the 6 m2 Peak5 in winds where you would use an 8 m2 LEI

Peter

[Fatso]

I have used twice the 5m with surfboards... Didnt like it too much but doable. I prefer to take the "magic 3m" pure joy to sail with it

I got a 6m Peak 5, i found it hard to understand what sort if wind range I'd be looking at on a surfboard? I'm 95kg.

I dont know.

But I used my 5 m2 Peak in winds where a 6-7 m2 LEI worked.

Out with the Peak first - magic to find out how I could stay higher on the wave, kite drifting so much better than LEI's, great

Out with the Peak first, and then a LEI.
It was horrible - to get back on a LEI the same day, it felt so slow and heavy and sluggish, compared ha haa

The only thing I did not like with the Peak on a waveboard, was the noise from the flapping when walking out/in as it was a spot with low water for the first 300 meters, even for short surfboard fins

My take would be you can use the 6 m2 Peak5 in winds where you would use an 8 m2 LEI

Peter

Thanks both, my other kite is a 9m Reo so was thinking over 30 knots bit that does not seem to be good...

[bitxopalo]

I think it will be less for sure
If I go with 15knot with 5m you must go 18-20knt.
IMO!