Making peak 4 unsinkable?

[merl]

Creating a new thread for stuff that popped up in the bar thread:

Screenshot 2020-04-08 at 11.18.41.png (53.75 KiB) Viewed 3200 times

What kind of bladder might work? A condom is a funny idea but maybe not so practical. A modded strut bladder could work but probably heaver than needed. What's the lightest flexible foam? What about a sock valve instead of the open meshing?

[merl]

I remembered there was a similar discussion in the dawn of kitesurfing about the C-quad single skin for water use. They even made some kind of floats for it:

[lederhosen]

It would already help to make the leading edge drainable, then it would be easier to reverse start. I feel like any type of additional weight would change whats good about this kite.

[jaros]

Interesting topic!
Is this ment just to avoid a kite to sink (go to the bottom) or could this also help to make a relaunch of the Peak more successful?

[merl]

It would already help to make the leading edge drainable, then it would be easier to reverse start. I feel like any type of additional weight would change whats good about this kite.

No drain? Hadn't spotted that. But as for the weight, I think one can only try and see.

[merl]

More kiting history. Apparently the windtools Mosquito Pro had both inflatable bags and condoms for the valves!

Couldn't find any pictures tho

[tomtom]

just condoms do it - minimum weight penalty - no chance you can feel it
you can leave it inflated between sessions.

[Trent hink]

More kiting history. Apparently the windtools Mosquito Pro had both inflatable bags and condoms for the valves!

Couldn't find any pictures tho

I owned and learned on a couple of those, 7.5 and 9.5. The inflatable bags were sort of like large bread bags with a plastic inflation tube on one end.

The cut-off condom air intakes had a fancy marketing name: Condem Air Protect (CAP System)

The condoms worked well enough that I only used the inflatable bags once or twice. Only problem was the condoms would pretty quickly turn into goo if exposed to heat or sunlight, and there was something like 6-9 intakes on each kite. The fact that they worked did not make them good, and cloth intake tubes on modern kites are better, of course.

You could jam 27 inflated condoms or small balloons into the peak4 leading edge. I suppose it might help.

I don't think it's worth the trouble, except maybe for teaching beginners with no experience?

You could also take a look at single skin kites with an enclosed leading edge. Concept Air and Gin both make one.

[BWD]

Interesting ideas. I remember windtools from maybe 97 or 98, I was still only windsurfing and some older, European looking guy was out struggling with one (in VA, US). Seemed it did get waterlogged after a bit but back then nobody knew what they were doing! It was down in the water and I kept having to iimp over its lines as I rider back and forth. I could barely go upwind in the conditions, and the kiter could not relaunch. Pretty sure another windsurfer did run over the lines. Everyone lived to ride again.

Anyway, I think the key may be that as said, the LE mainly needs to shed water. So drains would help.
Also, I think the entire LE might not need floats, just “enough” of it to make it work...
But the CA or GIN ones might be an easier compromise than adding weight to the Peak.

[merl]

Interesting ideas. I remember windtools from maybe 97 or 98, I was still only windsurfing and some older, European looking guy was out struggling with one (in VA, US). Seemed it did get waterlogged after a bit but back then nobody knew what they were doing! It was down in the water and I kept having to iimp over its lines as I rider back and forth. I could barely go upwind in the conditions, and the kiter could not relaunch. Pretty sure another windsurfer did run over the lines. Everyone lived to ride again.

Anyway, I think the key may be that as said, the LE mainly needs to shed water. So drains would help.
Also, I think the entire LE might not need floats, just “enough” of it to make it work...
But the CA or GIN ones might be an easier compromise than adding weight to the Peak.

I think the point here is just to add it to the tips to prevent sinking, and to see if it helps with relaunch. I don't think anyone is suggesting to turn it into a hybrid like the firefly.