Flysurfer Peak 4

[Kitedougiefresh]

I hope the 13 Peak pulls like a MOTHER!!!

She does for this 100Kg kiter!

[Peter_Frank]

Also, it depends on what level of foiling you're at. As I'm still basically foiling back & forth working on transitions, & riding small swells, the benefits of Peak4s would be more limited ... I'm guessing.

The peaks are so easy to fly and manouver that you will progress much faster with foiling than with a lei kite. I experienced that myself. Everything felt much easier with the peaks because of their superb flying characteristics

Ha haa, very true I believe.

The other (only) guy in Denmark who got Peak4's just before I did, for riding waves and freeride, said for fun, when we exchanged experiences: "It is almost too easy"

Very describing regarding the Peak4 kites

Peter

[Janus]

Also, it depends on what level of foiling you're at. As I'm still basically foiling back & forth working on transitions, & riding small swells, the benefits of Peak4s would be more limited ... I'm guessing.

The peaks are so easy to fly and manouver that you will progress much faster with foiling than with a lei kite. I experienced that myself. Everything felt much easier with the peaks because of their superb flying characteristics

Ha haa, very true I believe.

The other (only) guy in Denmark who got Peak4's just before I did, for riding waves and freeride, said for fun, when we exchanged experiences: "It is almost too easy"

Very describing regarding the Peak4 kites

Peter

yup, it felt like cheating for a moment..

[andrzej351]

Just had my first session on my new Peak4 5m yesterday and I was overpowered so I could not really form an objective oppinion. Kite was flapping and upper tip would fold. Kite was managable but nothing special. I was not really impressed Easy launch and no drama landing solo.
Today I rode again and...............all my LEI wave kites are still smoking in the back yard.........On the second thought I could have sold them and gotten smaller sized Peaks but I guess I overreacted slightly...........Been riding only wave kites for last few years. That era is over. I guess you can call me a Convert.

Question: Were you using the Flysurfer connect bar with the Peak? I suspect not.

14

It doesn't matter at all. With my Peak 4 I use the old Wainman bar and the BTB Naish bar. Kites 5 and 8 fly perfectly

[Peter_Frank]

Indeed, use any 4 line bar, low or high V, everything works

Peter

[drsurf]

The peaks are so easy to fly and manouver that you will progress much faster with foiling than with a lei kite. I experienced that myself. Everything felt much easier with the peaks because of their superb flying characteristics

Ha haa, very true I believe.

The other (only) guy in Denmark who got Peak4's just before I did, for riding waves and freeride, said for fun, when we exchanged experiences: "It is almost too easy"

Very describing regarding the Peak4 kites

Peter

yup, it felt like cheating for a moment..

I'd have to say if any one word summarised the experience of the Peak4with a surf foil, "cheating" would be it.

I remember learning on an LEI kite with a freeride foil. Much crashing of foil and kite. And when I was up and foiling the control of an LEI was a lot more challenging, usually too much power when I didn't need it and no way to shut it off fast. And gravity seemed to have a stronger effect on the kite especially in light winds
Learnt how to handle those problems as I got better but when I tried a Peak4 ... it was almost like an e-foil. You had control of the power at all times. Sheet in when you needed it and sheet out and it was virtually like foiling without a kite.

And it was sooo easy ... just like cheating

[Onda]

...So for me it is Clouds #1 and peaks when riding good waves (and only riding waves) so pretty complementary

Thanks, this makes perfect sense to me. Still waiting to get my Peak in 5 m²

[jumptheshark]

I love clouds, I bought them used as a test of concept and was immediately convinced they were a better option for my foiling. I got great bang for the buck out of them and they have held up incredibly well for the light gauge construction. Pretty big eye opener that is wrt all the extra stuff we loaded onto kited over the years but I digress.

Both my clouds are in need of replacing and I was just waiting on the right second hand kites to show up when this thread began to pick up steam. Aluula was also being talked about and I still have great hopes for that direction of development, so I decided to hold off and literally ride my current kites to their graves while letting options become a little more clear. I'd scored some small single strut kites so it was only the light wind kite at issue.

It was Cloud D/E vs 10 Aluula roam. Peaks were foil kites and I had never thought I would like a bridled foil.

Price was a big factor tilting the scales. Aluula was months away and carried a very premium price tag. I credit my wife for the clarity. During the depth of our Covid isolation and just as kiting on water was beginning here she Peter Frank dropped his difinitive approval on Peaks (thanks Peter). Was my fantastic wife who said it would be smarter to try something completely different seeing as it came at a relatively light price. Let the record show that I'm usually better off following her advice!

Landing her was the best move ever. Getting a Peak4 was a good move too!

P.S. For me, all things considered, Peaks trump Clouds. I'm sleeping well smug in the knowledge that I don't NEED any new kites for a good long while.

[kriskris]

Just finnished my 3rd cheating (in last 3 days) session on my new Peak4 5m. All the moves are easier to execute. Everything is smoothed out. Don't even start me on drift ability...Launch and Lnding easy and no drama with minimum space. I smile and laugh all session long and then some afterwards. I agree it is like cheating. More importantly I feel like I literaly lost significant amount of WEIGHT. Riding with peak is surprisingly weightless, fast and free. Riding with LEI feels like you are dragging something behind. How the hell do I explain to my wife that I need two more new kites?

[Peter_Frank]

I cant find the post anymore, but I recall Flysurfer asking what they could change or improve with the Peak kites.

Making an additional size between the 5 and 8 m2, say a 6.5 m2, would be great

I find the gap from 5 to 8 very extreme, and often choose the 5 eventhough underpowered, because it is so much more fun in every way.
But usually have to give in, and take the 8 m2, which feels really really big now.

I would instantly buy a 6.5 m2 Peak4

And minimalists could choose a 4 m2 and a 6.5 m2, and have an awesome 2 kite quiver for waves and fun, and use other kites like the Soul or similar, for less wind.
Or the bigger Peak4 kites.

I experience this huge step almost every time I am out in 10 to 12 knots, a very common wind strength for foiling in waves, where nothing else works, so would be a relief to have a kitesize between the 5 and 8 m2.

And as said, others could very easily use a 6.5 also, even with fewer kites.

Around 10-12 knots for the average weight, a 5 is possible but too small, and the 8 feels really big.

IMO, am I the only one thinking this?

I know I am special, liking small gaps in the "sweet" often used range, and in the big sizes it does not matter much with big steps (IMO), but can only see a benefit in general, being able to offer a 6.5 m2 Flysurfer Peak4

The smallest and biggest sizes are always more tricky in terms of payoff, as they are a minimal sales range, so eventhough some of us would like either a smaller or bigger Peak4, it does not necessarily make sense in terms of sales....

But the "sweetspot" range is another matter, loads of users can benefit.

Peter