Blast from the past: FS pulse

[merl]

Took out an old pulse 7m from 2006 I think it was. I bought it second hand 8 years ago for eu100 but never used it much. It is in amazing condition but feels so heavy by modern standards. Removed 5th line (never worked well, just span) and lengthened z 4cm.prevously lengthened the weird ring line

Riding a big freeride foil it was surprisingly nice. Only real down side is that it is a very twitchy in gusts and can fall out of the sky easily in sudden lulls. With leading edge stiffeners and light cloth I suspect that this would be a decent hf kite. Anyone else using vintage gear?

[Kristan]

I'm using Pulse2 14m. Although it's a really old kite, I bought it in decent condition and it flies really well. Quite slow on the turns and refuses to jump, but perfect for chill riding.

It still baffles me that FS refuses to make another low to mid aspect foil kite that would be as friendly and easy to use as Pulse, an entry level kite. There is Viron that nobody asked for and Soul that still requires some skill in handling, since it's, let's be honest, performance freeride kite. Pulse 3 might fill the gap in there, especially with use of hybrid close-to-open air intakes. I know there are kites like this on the market: HQ Empulse that is unavailable for me, due to crazy import custom fees and Ozone Hyperlink with the price tag higher than Soul's.

[Brizair10]

Sounds nice... i am having about the same experiences with the pulse2 6m i recently bought.
Initially i intended to use it as a crash test dummy trainer kite for friends and kids but it flies really nice and is very usable on the Moses 633 from 14 knots on.
Heavy but very stable and it turns better than my Hyperlink5. A lot of fun.
A modern pulse2 (Low AR, light Cloth, a little less performance than Soul, easy turning and good drift) would be a super hydrofoil kite.
The pulse was ahead of it´s time as there were no big wings these days.

[stefFZ]

I liked the pulse 2 6m and 8m but there profile was too "fat" and they tend to saturate in the higher wind range, it was very noticeable with the 6m.

It still baffles me that FS refuses to make another low to mid aspect foil kite that would be as friendly and easy to use as Pulse, an entry level kite.

When I understood that FS would not go in the direction of a performance low-ratio kite anymore (for strapless wave riding at that time -- European summer 2012), I sent emails around and Benoît Tremblay responded with the CA Aquasmart (that I test rided in Western Australia) then Wave project. Try a CA Wave 4.5, I am really confident that it will be mind blowing (wind range, agility, drift, ...) if you like the pulse.

Stef

[grigorib]

I liked the pulse 2 6m and 8m but there profile was too "fat" and they tend to saturate in the higher wind range, it was very noticeable with the 6m.

It still baffles me that FS refuses to make another low to mid aspect foil kite that would be as friendly and easy to use as Pulse, an entry level kite.

When I understood that FS would not go in the direction of a performance low-ratio kite anymore (for strapless wave riding at that time -- European summer 2012), I sent emails around and Benoît Tremblay responded with the CA Aquasmart (that I test rided in Western Australia) then Wave project. Try a CA Wave 4.5, I am really confident that it will be mind blowing (wind range, agility, drift, ...) if you like the pulse.

Stef

pre-Lotus Speed4 (in Standard fabric) was awesome - A/B/Z bridles only, leading edge battens, no jetflaps, single trailing edge velcro air release, leading edge horizontal string. All the cool things which disappeared till Sonic FR

My 10m Speed4 Standard rides pretty well, not missing my 8m Pulse2

[jakemoore]

It still baffles me that FS refuses to make another low to mid aspect foil kite that would be as friendly and easy to use as Pulse, an entry level kite.

Peak!

It’s really the perfect first traction kite. It’s just oriented to land experiences, which might be a better place for beginners anyway.

[Flyfish]

I'm still ridding Pulse 2's for strapless wave ridding. Mainly because I'm too cheap. I'm always wishing I'd destroy one so I can justify buying a concept wave kite from Benoit. But until then, the Pulse's work pretty damn well for my style wave ridding. All I do is keep the mixer tuned once a year.

[slide]

I have a pulse2 6metre as a high wind kite and it works great and I find that when i'm jumpinig I can take it to 10 o'clock and when I take it to 2 o'clock before I take it back for the landing I dip it down abit a get an extra boast , I do this a lot , you need a quick kite to do this and the pulse2 6metre is very stable in high wind - I tried a speed1 5metre , which worked ok in high winds and later I got a speed2 6metre and that thing was down right dangerous in high winds , it was too quick and difficult to keep airbourne and never ever managed to get landboarding with it - I still have that kite and I will try it on handles at some point as that might work well
but the pulse2 6metre is and will be a keeper as it does everything I ask of it in high winds and is very stable , just cause its old doesn't mean I need to replace it

but I wouldn't want a big one

[grigorib]

I recall the day I went upwind on water with 7m LEI. The second session was on my 8m Pulse2 (which I bought off someone at West coast forum). That session I was jumping my 2’ jumps and kept thinking “German quality”. I don’t know why - I just loved the kite.
Wait, maybe I do know why - the day before was spent on 6.3m S-ARC. Terrific and terrifying

[Brian H]

I had a 8m pulse 2 also and loved it , but I found it didn't have enough depower for strapless wave riding . I'm on the west coast Grigorib maybe you bought yours from me. I did buy a couple unitys 8m and a deluxe 10m that I kept for years thinking when I started foiling it would be a good kite. Oh was I wrong they where the worse kites I've ever owned .