Flysurfer Peak Size

[alekbelia]

Peaks have really great low wind capability and this is big advantage.
But heavy bar, low speed of the foil, not looping and sining well and even light stalling of the kite can destroy this completely.
Even light pumping with the foil can increase the speed and improve foiling. Buy simple carbon bar too. Feeling, sining and looping are far better and sensitive.

[Peter_Frank]

Peaks dont bodydrag upwind well?

I have the opposite experience in light wind Flyboy.

Meaning I can drag out in less wind with Peaks than LEI's, in particular when having a board under my arm.

With a Peak you can fly the kite low and let it hang, if you want, but in minimum winds, no matter if Peaks or LEI's, you have to fly the kite down and then up, in a cyclic movement.

This can be done so much more efficient with a light kite, that being a single or double skin kite - LEI's has almost no chance of doing this efficiently because of their (usually) sheer weight...

Peter

Disagree. Yes, a light kite will hang in the air in light wind well, but it won't necessarily create upwind momentum. This is simply a function of Peaks flying further back in the window. You can sine the kite, but it doesn't create as much upwind pull as an LEI. I've actually found it more effective in lighter wind to depower the Peak and swim directly upwind.

Maybe we are not talking about the same, you talk about upwind body drag to your board?

I talk about dragging out in dead onshore light wind WITH your board.

Here you could park the Peak kite yes, but very ineffective and slow in my experience.
Better to fly the kite up and down to the side, depowered and powered in a cyclic motion, holding you foilboard with the other arm.
Doing this with a LEI will make it lose a lot of speed and go "dead" at the lowest point, meaning you have to fly it higher in the window, sining, so the slight upwind angle advantage is lost now, compared to the now more efficient Peak which can be flown faster and lower in the window.
So I find it goes even up somewhat, and have never any issues getting out/upwind this way, apart from the much safer style with a light Peak kite, you dont fear it drops.

When going out from the beach over the sandbanks, the wind is sometimes even lower than a bit further out, so extremely important one can boarddrag out to deep water with a safe zone away from the banks, as one will need a buffer downwind when starting in the very low end, and your foilboard will often be knee to waisthigh under the surface at first, so some depth is needed

For pure bodydragging in a bit more wind, where a LEI hangs fine will make you go upwind faster though, agree.
And Peak5 also seem to go upwind better, I have changed my 6 m2 from Peak4 to 5 and seems to have better performance upwind and more range, but of course not fully the same drift I think, but close, they are not that different.

Peter

[drsurf]

I've also found the Peak easier to get through the shore break in an onshore wind, especially if it's light. One of the issues using a heavier kite like an LEI or twin skin foil kite is that when you get hit by a big set, it can push you back towards the kite slackening the lines and the heavy kite falls into the shore break. This can sometimes destroy the kite but often just tumbles everything in the surf and gives you a session of untangling lines.

Even in marginal winds I've found the Peak just drifts back when I'm hit by a big set and stays in the air ready to go again I think the Peak5 does have an advantage here, with a bit more punch and better upwind angle.
If you really want to see a struggle, watch wing foilers trying to get through a shore break with big boards, large pointy foils and a wing in close proximity. Lucky if you just damage some gear, if you have a bad day you'll end up with stitches or worse to yourself

[Flyboy]

Going upwind, either while riding, or body dragging, is not what Peaks do best. The reason they are so good at doing what they do is because they sit back further in the window than many kites. My regular wave kites drive upwind (on a foil) a bit better.

Interestingly ... or annoyingly ... I had an onshore wind experience yesterday. The wind came up (as forecasted) late in the day. On a narrow beach littered with debris and backed by cliffs I had a devil of a time launching the 5m Peak in absolutely dead onshore wind. After multiple failed attempts side launching (the wind would back off the cliff and flip the kite over) I resorted to walking into the water & hot launching - not easy with a rocky bottom & shore break.

By that time the wind had backed off a bit and I was underpowered with the 5m Peak. Was completely unable to make my way into deep enough water to prevent the foil grounding out as soon as I tried to get up on it. The waves kept knocking me back and the troughs between the waves were too shallow to ride out of. Very frustrating. Certainly completely impossible to body drag upwind through the surf. Admittedly, with an LEI there would have been a good chance I would have ended up dropping the kite in the water as I got banged around by the waves.

Of course, after I eventually gave up and packed it in, the wind picked up to 15/16 knots as the sun was setting.

I was using my Gong foil. It did occur to me that the Triton mono wing might work better in that situation. I think when you ground out while trying to get going it's usually the stabilizer that drops down and hits bottom. You just need a few seconds where you can bear off a bit, get up on the foil and scoot off upwind. Generally, even the smallest wind angle allows you to do that if you get the timing just right.

[Trent hink]

The only time peaks lack up-wind on a hydrofoil is at the extreme low-end in dead-onshore wind.

If I have problems, I just rig the next size up, and in those conditions it will probably work way better for riding the shore-break.

Upwind, the Peak kites are at least equal to any wave-specific lei, and anyone who has ever used a Peak with a surfboard in proper wind knows this is true.

... except the drifting is superior.

It's similar to any other kite with any means of conveyance.

If you want to ride very underpowered, you have to go fast and be efficient, with both the board (or wing), AND with your kite control.

[PugetSoundKiter]

anyone foil with a 13M Peak 5?

Please share your experience on :

1. How slow it is ? I was told you need to send the kite to another side 5 seconds before jibe?
2. we saw a video of Huge foiling in 3 knots of wind on 13M with a signboard, what is your experience on the low end?
3. How soon do you get overpowered on it? would 10 knots still be ridable with 13M peak 5?

I’ve found the 13m a fun challenge in 5-7 knots to start looping on 28m lines then keep upwind, and play around with big front wings, but I’m 90kg and don’t use a big/floater board. Not much else to do with it tho that I can think of, I always head back to the shore before 12 knots, pretty limited use/range. The smaller the peak the more fun usually.

Example of what a lightweight rider can do with a high AR +2Kcm wing and a big floater board to do standing/knee starts (mentioned in the YouTube comments).

[Flyboy]

Tried the 3m Peak 4 today for the first time. It was around 14/15 knots at the beach so I set up my 5m. While doing this the wind rapidly started to ick up and as I launched the 5m it was immediately apparent that it was too windy - over 20 knots. So ... I put the 5m down and decided to try the 3m. By the time I had the 3m set up the wind dropped again and was around 16 knots. I decided to give it a try anyway. To my surprise I immediately popped up on the foil and was able to ride in control even though I was underpowered - very similar to riding the 4m underpowered, but even easier to generate power by moving he kite.

Most notably the 3m Peak 4 obviously had way better low end than my existing "high wind" foiling kite: a 3.5m Boxer. The Boxer is a beast to water start in marginal winds - because it likes to fly forward in the window, it needs to be dropped forcefully deep in the window at which point there is a sudden power spike and the kite pulls you over the handle bars ... or the kite suddenly back stalls and drops you back in the water. Very, very sensitive unless it's really powered up. In contrast, it seems very easy to water start with the 3m Peak 4, even at the low end of its range. And the ability to direct the power during turns or lulls is fantastic. Really happy. The 3m will be a much more useable addition to my foiling quiver.

[irwe]

Tried the 3m Peak 4 today for the first time. It was around 14/15 knots at the beach so I set up my 5m. While doing this the wind rapidly started to ick up and as I launched the 5m it was immediately apparent that it was too windy - over 20 knots. So ... I put the 5m down and decided to try the 3m. By the time I had the 3m set up the wind dropped again and was around 16 knots. I decided to give it a try anyway. To my surprise I immediately popped up on the foil and was able to ride in control even though I was underpowered - very similar to riding the 4m underpowered, but even easier to generate power by moving he kite.

Most notably the 3m Peak 4 obviously had way better low end than my existing "high wind" foiling kite: a 3.5m Boxer. The Boxer is a beast to water start in marginal winds - because it likes to fly forward in the window, it needs to be dropped forcefully deep in the window at which point there is a sudden power spike and the kite pulls you over the handle bars ... or the kite suddenly back stalls and drops you back in the water. Very, very sensitive unless it's really powered up. In contrast, it seems very easy to water start with the 3m Peak 4, even at the low end of its range. And the ability to direct the power during turns or lulls is fantastic. Really happy. The 3m will be a much more useable addition to my foiling quiver.

What was your line length?

[Flyboy]

What was your line length?

17m. The 3m looks tiny at the end of 17m lines. I can't imagine using anything longer.

The wind was a shit-show on Lake Erie yesterday - up and down all over th place. I rigged all 4 of my kites at some point. Totally failed (for 30 minutes) to get through the shore break with dead onshore winds & my 5m and 17m lines. Eventually switched to my 6m and 20m lines and immediately popped up and out. Lesson: impossible to body drag through shore break in dead onshore winds - you can't make upwind progress when the waves are constantly pushing you back. However, with a decent amount of power from the kite it's possible to pop up quickly enough that you avoid grounding out the foil ... & then you're up and away.

[Adventure Logs]

17m. The 3m looks tiny at the end of 17m lines. I can't imagine using anything longer.

Welcome to the world of what I call my "trick kite". On the Peak4 3m, my absolute low end is around 12kts but I usually don't take it out under 15. I usually ride it with 18m lines unless it's ripping. My only complain(besides relaunch) was it had too much overlap with my Soul 6m.

The new Peak5 2.5m has a slightly higher low end but it's high end is significantly increased with more comfort(kite takes overpowered better). I'm pretty happy where my 2.5m sits in my quiver.

It's hilarious when I'm out kiting on these small peaks with guys riding kites 5xs larger. Really entertaining.