Flysurfer Peak 4

[winduser]

The Peak is made to have a 5th line bar. Similar to the new Flysurfer Connect bar. So no problem.

[MaximumAC]

Just curious if there will be problems with differing V patterns.

[winduser]

The connect bar have a Y at 14 meters and the North bar is I think 15 meters.

[Armin Harich]

I expect yes, if it does the things I described below:

The bar for the PEAK should have all 4 line with equal length (Bar powered up and trimmer opend).
It can be flown with V or Y frontlines.
If you want to use a 5th Line (B-Safe Safety) you need a 5th line with same length too. Releasetravel should be about min 2 Meters depending on kite size.
If you fly it with 4 Lines, the safety should pull one frontline. Safetytravel should be more than wingspan/2.

Cheers, Armin

[foilholio]

Interesting I have always felt FLS to be wingspan +. Overall given the infrequent use of a safety, plus complication of a stopper and added risk in tangles it is not worth using one. I feel when a safety is used it should have the greatest chance of working. When I release a kite I often release the whole thing, given waves etc anyway.

[Denisesewa]

Interesting I have always felt FLS to be wingspan +. Overall given the infrequent use of a safety, plus complication of a stopper and added risk in tangles it is not worth using one. I feel when a safety is used it should have the greatest chance of working. When I release a kite I often release the whole thing, given waves etc anyway.

My feeling exactly! I don't use a flag or safety system at all, if I can't handle the situation the kite is expendable and I get rid of it ( never had to yet). At least I know what I have and don't have to rely on something *maybe working*.

[jatem]

I going to Fuerte next week to HF and im hoping for some HF wave riding.

Have you been able to try wave foiling with the peak 4 yet? Mine should arrive tomorrow.

[jatem]

Purchased a couple of peaks, in 4m and 5m, specifically to use with hydrofoil at a gusty wind-shadowed launch site. I've used them about 10 times now, and prefer them over my drifters. When I was flying a drifter at this launch site, I'd be constantly worried the drifter would back stall in the lulls or front stall in the gusts, with a high risk it could land on a rock wall. The peak hangs in the air way better, and it's next level stable. I can park the Peak just off the zenith and focus on walking down the rock wall, no worries about it falling out of the sky. When the wind lulls out, they hang in the air like no other kite, and I can fly them back to the launch site (body dragging the last 100m if it's really died).

The Peak 4 is very easy to fly, nothing like a high performance foil kite. It sits happily at the edge of the wind window without the wingtips folding. It seems nearly impossible to front stall the Peak 4, due to the trailing edge flapping when you release the bar. You can yank several metres of front line, and then let it go slack, and it will calmly float back up to where it was. You can hot launch it with the bar completely out, and it flies gently up through the power zone. It doesn't generate apparent wind like a traditional foil, loops are not powerful, and it doesn't generate upward lift like a typical foil kite. Releasing the control bar instantly depowers the peak.

On the water with a strapless foilboard, the Peak4 is mild-mannered and playful. It's responsive and turns quickly. It doesn't take much bar pressure to keep it flying in one direction. You have to get used to the light bar feel, and not oversheet the bar when water starting or it will backstall and lose power. Loops are gentle, and you can grab a steering line to do a quick pivot turn. In lulls it loses a lot of power - so it's probably only suitable for hf where you can maintain speed through lulls. When you're riding downwind in swell it's like having a plastic bag floating along with you. As the wind picks up, the bar pressure goes up, and you get more feel for what the kite is doing. If you let the bar go completely, then the trailing edge will flap and it will stop generating power. If you hold some bar pressure while riding overpowered, then you feel a slight pulsing at the bar, which doesn't bother me. When riding underpowered you have to be careful not to oversheet, as you won't have much feedback for where the kite is but it will still turn quickly.

The peak4 is great on the hydrofoil in swell - easy to keep in the sky, fast turning, amazing drift, flies back to the launch site in barely any wind. I'm not sure how it would go if it gets swamped in the shore break, at ~800g it's not exactly built like a tank.

Relaunch might be hit and miss, so not recommended for someone who frequently drops their kite in the water. During the 10 sessions I've used the peaks on water, I've seen three situations when an inflatable has ended up in the water and couldn't be relaunched. One LEI stalled into swell and was getting churned in the waves. Two times a LEI couldn't be relaunched due to the wind dropping, and they were dragged slowly downwind past the launch site. Any kite could end up failing or being unrelaunchable, so you should always have a backup plan for swimming in. I'm planning to roll up the peak and paddle back in with my 15L foil board as buoyancy if I need to. Don't kite further than you want to swim.

It's not a kite for boosting. It will pull you downwind when water starting underpowered, which isn't a big issue on a hydrofoil. It won't give you high powered loops when turning on a wave. I wouldn't use it for surf board or twin tip. It takes a some patience to understand the bridle, take your time initially as with any foil kite. Leaving a bar connected is the way to go, it makes launching the kite a rapid process.

I've flown the 4m peak in 15-25+ knots, with roughly similar low end to my 5.5m Drifter but easier to handle in the upper end. The 5m peak4 needs about 12-13 knots to get me going on the hf at the beach, and is feeling overpowered in 25 knots, but easier to manage than my 8m Drifter in the upper range. I'll likely buy a 3m in the coming weeks for 30 knots.

[tomtom]

I going to Fuerte next week to HF and im hoping for some HF wave riding.

Have you been able to try wave foiling with the peak 4 yet? Mine should arrive tomorrow.

Yea, Unfortunately there was rare period of low wind on fuerte so i just rode 2 times on 5m - and quite underpowered.

Other time I rode closed cell foil and 9m LEI kite.

So here is my review in points:

First negative

There is very rest pull on peaks and if you let bar - you are on your own like if you ditch kite - it take me a while to get use to. We unconsciously use this rest pull as stabilizing vector.
So it was little bit challenging for me, especially in waves
It doesnt body drag very well - there was just on shore wind + waves here and going out was more challenging than Closed cell.
It goes upwind worse than Closed cell kite.

Than positive

Self launch/land is bless - this is first really "i can kite alone" kite. I can self lauch land any other kite - but it is always complication - not so with peak.You have all self L/L arsenal at you dispose,
Hot start - is no so hot - Landing hot - landing on edge - release it on leash /without drama and any kite wear/ - anchor L/L whatever even standard asisted L/L work like LEI...

Stability while depowered - It just is... It has to be experienced.

So classical - go out in weak onshore - while big waves push you towards shore - manipulating with foil - and not flying kite for second - bum - kite is in water. Big waves coming - slack you line 5m bum... every bodyknow it...
With peak - you must steer it to water. Period.

You have just nice kite that turn fast - and its goes down very slow when on side and doesnt require constant upper line tension. It drifts very vell, better than wave lei and better than my closed cell foil. It weight nothing, bag looks like for T shirt and not for kite /so small/.

So conclusion - i sell my LEIs completely - will using closed cell foil in low wind and peaks from there.

Its not low wind kite though.

Never relaunch it - but all leis that i saw go to drink swim anyway - included my - Peaks dont go to drink unless you steer them for.
Im talking about 10-14 knots onshore in waves.

[jakemoore]

Jakemoore, sorry for little OT - I also use anorectic P4s - did you try them on SB? I rode 95% HF and 5% SB, and selling my LEIs. Do P4s work on SB? At least somehow?

A few sessions. On my main surfboard I am unable to stay upwind with the Peak 4. Even once I am feeling overpowered I can work and work and feel like I am beating upwind but I always come back to the same spot on the beach. Riding just one wave requires me to walk upwind. Riding downwind into the peak and also sheeting in to get some power is wonderful, but the upwind not so much. My surfboard is a big floater but is not a super upwind board - too big for me to ride very fast

On the Alaia on direct onshore winds I can ride and get enough offshore to get one of the little shore breaking wave and get enough power to do some transitions. But still upwind would be better even on the 1-strut LEI. Maybe I have not cracked the code and will probably try some more because I am very enthusiastic about the simplicity of Peak kiting.

Not selling my LEI yet.