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Flysurfer Peak 4

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Slappysan
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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby Slappysan » Tue Apr 09, 2019 12:54 am

jakemoore wrote:
Mon Apr 08, 2019 10:55 pm
Very narrow wind range. Diminishing returns with bigger sizes. Its a light wind insurance policy for a hydrofoil rider, not an every day kite.

12 knots and I'm begging for mercy on the hydrofoil.
So what's the sweet spot then?

Where I live we get consistent reliable summer thermals of 8-9 knots so I'm considering getting a size up from my 5m Peak 4 for these conditions as while it's doable in 9 knots I have to have deep water to do a half water start because there isn't enough power in the kite loops to pull me straight up out of the water on to the board. I'd imagine the 8m is a better fit than the 11m though but it's hard to tell.

We also have launch restrictions and tide issues so I spend a lot of sessions riding my skimboard and 17m kites instead of foiling so I'm also curious what the 11m Peak 4 would be like with a skim in 8-9 knots.

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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby jjjlaudenslager » Tue Apr 09, 2019 1:25 am

Jumptheshark, I think 5m Peak4 same low end as 8m Cloud D EXCEPT diving or looping the Cloud a little more grunt for getting butt out of water for start.

Also - interesting what jakemoore said about 11m tip collapse fully sheeted out in high wind range. I experienced such tip collapsing on my 5m for first time yesterday in 20-25 kts on the beach. I put the kite down.
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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby jakemoore » Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:54 am

Slappysan wrote:
Tue Apr 09, 2019 12:54 am
So what's the sweet spot then?

....skimboard and 17m kites instead of foiling so I'm also curious what the 11m Peak 4 would be like with a skim in 8-9 knots.
Light wind has so many variables but if you forced me to pick a range I would say the sweet spot for me is 8.4 to 8.7 knots based on our local iKite meters. I'll tolerate the kite in more wind if I think the swell would push me into the lines of my closed cell foil causing it to fall. That also means there are waves to ride. And I'll tolerate it in less wind if I think dying winds will cause my closed cell foil to fall.

In this light wind it took several downwind loops to get on the board and a few more to break free of the surface with my 900 cm2 wing. I probably lost 100m trying to get started. If you need to get on foil in one swoop this is not your kite. Think 1978 diesel Mercedes 240D acceleration. On the books it could do a quarter mile in 22 seconds but I never experienced such performance with mine.

If you succeed in making it work with the skim let me know your secrets. If your 17 is working with the skim I would continue to fly it. And if your 17 is a tube know that 9 knots is windier for you than me.

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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby jakemoore » Tue Apr 16, 2019 3:21 pm

So the 11 works in waves and straight onshore winds. 16-19 knots with 14m lines. Others were flying 13m tube kites x 24m lines. Flying the kite on land is a pain in this wind. Going upwind is hard work but is doable. Downwind wave riding awesome as expected.

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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby drsurf » Wed Apr 17, 2019 5:42 pm

I've had the 3m Peak4 single skin foilkite for a couple of weeks waiting for enough wind to try it kitefoiling. Just flying it on the beach showed how different it was to other kites, both foilkites and LEI, but flying it on the beach doesn't make it a useful addition to anyones quiver. Although it's instant power off makes it a great kite for teaching.

Yesterday had a bit more wind, but still under 10 knots so I foiled with the 10m Flysurfer Soul which was well powered up with the Moses 633. After a while the wind picked up a little, just averaging 10 knots with gusts to 11 so I thought I'd try the 3m peak4 just to see if I could even get close to getting going on my foilboard. First attempt I flogged the kite all over the sky, just about got out of the water onto the board and ran aground. With such light wind the wind window is pretty small so with a cross onshore wind it's hard to get offshore.

Trudged back upwind as the wind seemed a knot stronger in that direction and went in again flogging the kite all over the sky. It seemed I was just on the edge of getting on the board so I kept working the kite, finessing the trim between stalling and maximum power. Finally I got up on the board and with a few more sines of the kite was up on the foil Remember this is just a 3m single skin kite in 10-11knots of wind! Also had witnesses. Foiled out 200m without having to sine the kite too much and turned to toeside where working the kite and maintaining the upwind angle of the board was harder. Touched down slightly a couple of times but was able to keep foiling. The wind chop waves helped a lot on the way in with virtually no pull from the kite when I caught a small wave. This was the purpose of the kite to me, to be able to virtually turn the kite off when on a wave, have it drift, but not have it drop from the sky.

So the essential stats were 10-11knots of wind, using a Moses 633 surf foil on a 91cm mast mounted to Axis FreeMV 125cm board with my weight being 65kg. With a few more knots of wind the 3m Peak4 will be a usable combo. It's amazing how little pull you need on a good surf foil. And you can surf the foil without the kite pulling, because the Peak4's lose power as soon as you sheet out but drift so incredibly well, you don't have to worry about them falling from the sky. This is a good thing as they are not designed as a water relaunchable kite, though with experience you can relaunch them if you maintain line tension.

The wind forecast looks good for at least one day this weekend so fingers crossed it gets over 12knots.

Have fun, Dave in Australia

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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby foilholio » Sat Apr 20, 2019 4:46 am

Drsurf do you think you will get a bigger size? if so what? Do you ride a surfboard as well? A review with the P4 and surfboard would be good, thanks.
jakemoore wrote: So the 11 works in waves and straight onshore winds. 16-19 knots with 14m lines. Others were flying 13m tube kites x 24m lines. Flying the kite on land is a pain in this wind. Going upwind is hard work but is doable. Downwind wave riding awesome as expected.
This on a surfboard? I can do similar on 10m foil, but drift with direct onshore can push it, it is better to be on a bigger kite for that. It of course all depends on the wave size, on big enough waves I can out run a kite in 25knots. Have you tried the 11 with hydrofoil in light onshore with waves? I am wondering if it could be the mythical kite to make that happen.

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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby jakemoore » Sat Apr 20, 2019 6:07 am

Yes on a surfboard in that wind. The peak drift is amazing but the kite is a pain to fly on land and you have to stomp it to ride upwind. This is near the collapsing unmanageable windspeed for this kite. There are so many better choices unless Peak is your light wind insurance policy and you have limited space e.g. luggage. I would not choose the kite to use with a surfboard or twin tip and would pretty much prefer a tube kite in these winds or a closed cell foil. But you can ride the heck out of it downwind and that is rad. I probably won't do it again but its fun to try. I would definitely not but the Peak for this purpose.

And yes in light onshore waves on a foil. I've had a few sessions now with no other kiters out and the conditions were such that there is no way to body drag out with a light weight tube kite or closed cell foil. Definitely had some magical wave rides on the 11 both straight onshore and also side shore but riding the wave downwind into the kite.

I have also had a few chances to swim. I have had zero success relaunching the Peak and it may be that I am only using it in waves where there is no time to form up the kite before it gets swamped. A few of the swims were long and gave me plenty of time to contemplate the error of my ways.

I may actually migrate to strutless to improve safety for me and others even if it decreases my low end options. Maybe a paddle board in light air?
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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby tomtom » Sat Apr 20, 2019 2:52 pm

low wind safe alternative?

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnn5Nj ... yDg/videos
just dont forget paddle :)

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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby drsurf » Sat Apr 20, 2019 3:41 pm

foilholio wrote:
Sat Apr 20, 2019 4:46 am
Drsurf do you think you will get a bigger size? if so what? Do you ride a surfboard as well? A review with the P4 and surfboard would be good, thanks.
Hi foilholio.
Not getting a bigger size at present as I have other kites as larger options. However if the Peak4 works well for me in it's range I may get a larger size.
I do ride a surfboard but see the Peak4 as being most suited to foiling at present as up wind capability is not an issue. We've lost the best wind for the season so I doubt there will be enough wind for a 3m kite on a surfboard for a while.

Have fun, Dave
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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby drsurf » Sun Apr 21, 2019 5:19 pm

Warning! Problem with 3m Peak4!
Was out yesterday and had enough wind, about 15 knots, to give the 3m Peak4 a good test. Didn't take much flying to get up on the Moses 633 surf foil and upwind was close to my 5m Naish Boxer. The feel of the kite takes a little getting used to, as going from full power to depower is a much shorter stroke than on most kites. However after a few runs it became comfortable. When there was a lull I could sine the kite with one hand kiting toeside quite easily and when I caught a swell I could depower the kite and just ride the wave without feeling the kite interfering with waveriding or dropping out of the sky. But being Easter and good wind, it was hard to line up waves downwind without crossing the track of the many other kitesurfers mowing the lawn.

Herein lies the warning with a small 3m kite. While cruising along, another kiter sailed right into my kite with his lines wrapping the kite around them. The Peak4 collapsed being single skin, lost power and then slid down and off the lines still leaving my lines across his lines. The lines slid down and got caught in the harness hook of the other kiter who eventually managed to get free of them. I then wrapped up the lines and kite, as the kite was well beyond relaunch now, and swam the lot slowly back to shore where I laid it out, untwisted the lines and went back out. When I spoke to the other kiter, who is a friend and owes me a coffee now, he said the kite was so small it was hard to see :o

Now it is a small kite and there were a lot of people out, but I'd never had my kite hit another kiters gear before. And when I thought about my experience over the day, I did remember a lot of kiters coming particularly close to me, more than would normally be the case, so I think there is a grain of truth in what the other kiter said. Most other kiters were on twintips with kites from 12m to 17m, so my 3m Peak 4 was tiny by comparison.

Anyway there's nothing wrong with the kite at all and it was great on the foil and added another dimension to surf foiling which I'm keen to do again, wind willing. May have to get a bigger size Peak4 for lighter wind now the seabreezes are finishing ... Maybe I can justify that to the other half of the finances by saying it's a relatively inexpensive kite :wink:
I've sold a few of the Peak4's in Australia, but so far not to anyone who has used them surf foiling to my knowledge. Definitely different, definitely more fun per sq metre. Apart from being collected by the other kiter, the kite never hit the water to test for relaunching and it was easy to keep in the air, so relaunchability is not such a big issue. However like any kitegear don't go further out than you are prepared to swim.

Looking forward to more fun, Dave


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