jkrug wrote: ↑Wed Mar 16, 2022 1:37 pm
i have the 6m and 8m peaks. if i were to get rid of one of them, it would be the 6m in favor of an LEI. for me, the only reason to use these kites is their pull in lighter winds, and their drift. i find if i use the 6m in lighter winds then i should, it likes to stall a lot. but i never have that problem with the 8m. so, for me, the 8m is my ultimate light wind kite, and thereafter as the wind gets stronger, i'd just assume use a more reliable re-launcher, i.e., an LEI. when my 6m is spent, i won't replace it with another peak. not so for my 8m.
This is totally opposite everyones experiences
I think, if you will allow me to deduce:
You have heard about the Peak hype, and got one or two big ones yourself, aiming for light wind - as you got LEI's for higher wind, where weight is not essential.
And trying a REAL Peak (smaller than 6 m2), you found it odd, or havent tried one, yet.
This is a classic case unfortunately, and not good.
Those starting with small Peaks, getting used to these, and then all love these, go up in size to get the "Magic" on the whole range, and find they dont work the same in any way.
The thing is, the small Peak almost have to stall, it is why they are so magical.
They can be sheeted fully out/in on a few inches, so extremely sensitive at first, impossible to ride if you start with a 3 or 4 m2.
But this will come naturally quite fast, just like learning to foil - muscle memory kicks in, but at first you are hopeless
They turn on a dime, drift like nothing else - but most importantly, they generate power like NOTHING ELSE, as they accelerate like a bat out of hell, and no power loss when looped.
AND, you can stall the kite, if you want to dump power fully - all in a small tweak with your hand
You can ride with shorter lines than LEI's and obtain the same qualities - another plus.
Whereas the bigger sizes has longer sheeting, turns lousy, no acceleration thus no peak power.
So they are all very lame and saggy so to speak...
Worse than a double skin big foilkite
But big Peaks has amazing qualities in terms of not bow tying and able to hang in less wind than you can ride, easily - so many love these for that, understandably.
They ride a lot like lower aspect foil kites like the Soul or similar, just less upper windrange of course.
So if used to kites like that, I get why you like the big Peaks.
But I have never met anyone NOT liking the small Peaks - but you can probably not just borrow one, as you have to use some time to get used to the delicate touch.
And no, smaller LEI's are nowhere near the qualities of the small Peak kites - not by a long shot.
We all, me included, thought it was perfect with LEI's as most have the small (and sometimes light) LEI kites for waveboards, so in more wind, they were perfect (we thought, wrongly !!!)
I can not emphasize sufficiently, how amazing this discovery about small Peaks is, a quantum leap
And the opposite - many who try a Peak bigger than 5 or 6, dont get the Hype - and this is true, as there ARE no hype about these, many kites do the same or a lot better.
Everyone using small Peaks knows exactly what I point out here - but very few knows.
Sorry if I am all wrong, and you might simply have different likings - but it is my impression based on everything you write jkrug.
Peter