Flysurfer Peak 4

[jumptheshark]

I kind of come to the conclusion that the Peak4 is a foiler's kite (or a snowboarder's kite) as opposed to a kiter's kite. I've used it snowkiting last weekend, and it was sweet, took me wherever I needed to go, flew fine in shitty winds, looped predictably, really nothing to complain about, did the job it was meant to do. However, yesterday I went for a low tide buggy session, and over the last year I was using the Peak 5 or 8 for that, no hassle of carrying a pump, always flew fine, pulled me along... anyway, yesterday then, I decided to go with my (HB Legion) 9m LEI. About 10 kts, kite holding in the air fine, but barely any static pull, but f*ck, that was my most fun buggy session in quite a while. The dynamic rewards of aggressively flying a tube kite were just very obvious. Lots of poke in the turns, massive drifts (of the buggy), meaty loops to keep me sideways for longer, very noticeable bigger wind window to play with, faster through the window, some brutal spikes of juice. Overall it was a very exhilarating ride!
So, while the Peak is a very dependable kite, one you can pretty much forget and concentrate on riding your board, I'd say it is a bit too tame, placid, and maybe not super exciting to fly. There are times when flying a kite like a maniac is a big part of the fun, and that's not where the Peak shines that much.

I think your right that its suits foiling and snow much more than say surfboard or even more so twin tip! Buggy, I have no idea and will take you at your word. Certainly sounds like more juice and spike are key to a fun ride. On that note, I think at least the smaller Peaks can take you there on foil. Their easy nature is sort of the key so far for me pushing things I would be tentative with on a Tube kite.

I loop almost all my landings from strapless airs these days and its the getting used to looping that I can eventually see making this kite amazing for more aggressively looped airs. Feel like it would have been at least another full season before I started to loop an lei the same way.

P.S. Was at a remote cottage for a week and had the opportunity to practice deep water swim drift launching the Peak 5m a few times. Didn't always get it right the first try, but mostly due to lack of wind. Had a couple of swimming resets, but eventually got foiling every time. Once up, it made swirly inland lake winds way more manageable.

[geron]

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P.S. Was at a remote cottage for a week and had the opportunity to practice deep water swim drift launching the Peak 5m a few times. Didn't always get it right the first try, but mostly due to lack of wind. Had a couple of swimming resets, but eventually got foiling every time. Once up, it made swirly inland lake winds way more manageable.
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I had a chance also to relaunch in low winds (but I was able to stand). Once the kite drifted belly up, I was able to launch if I hold the center lines as high up as possible; this way (as you pull) the kite doesn't tend to go under the water.

[azoele]

Hello all,

I searched the thread, but found only 8 occurrences of "fifth line", so took the courage to ask hoping it's not an old question...

How many fly the Peak 4 without a fifth line, and how do you feel re: safety and landing?

I like the Connect bar's simplicity and low weight, but for my larger Peak (13m, and to a point the 8m) I'd surely like a bigger (60+cm) bar: I use it in very light winds, and it is a hassle to make it turn in those conditions.

The Peaks are my first foil kites, so not much experience.
I can self-launch and self-land a tube kite safely in light and moderate winds, but the Peaks are a bit of a mistery in this regard, and I value being able to land them without assistance as I often foil in very light winds, alone or almost.
Even backstalling them feels uneasy: the 13m will fall slowly, and will always try to bolt upwards again, even in 5 knots.


Thanks for the collective intelligence, and apologies if I inadvertently beat a dead horse.
Lopi

[Kitedougiefresh]

Hello all,

I searched the thread, but found only 8 occurrences of "fifth line", so took the courage to ask hoping it's not an old question...

How many fly the Peak 4 without a fifth line, and how do you feel re: safety and landing?

I like the Connect bar's simplicity and low weight, but for my larger Peak (13m, and to a point the 8m) I'd surely like a bigger (60+cm) bar: I use it in very light winds, and it is a hassle to make it turn in those conditions.

The Peaks are my first foil kites, so not much experience.
I can self-launch and self-land a tube kite safely in light and moderate winds, but the Peaks are a bit of a mistery in this regard, and I value being able to land them without assistance as I often foil in very light winds, alone or almost.
Even backstalling them feels uneasy: the 13m will fall slowly, and will always try to bolt upwards again, even in 5 knots.


Thanks for the collective intelligence, and apologies if I inadvertently beat a dead horse.
Lopi

On my 13m Peak, I typically hot launch it and back stall it down. I will reach up and grab the steering lines as far as I can. It will start down slowly, and then pick up speed. Once it has touched down, i let a little of the pressure off and it crumples like a handkerchief. I am using my 13 in low wind conditions(under 10 knots) and it will only bolt back up if i let up on the steering lines while it is coming down.

[jatem]

Hello all,

I searched the thread, but found only 8 occurrences of "fifth line", so took the courage to ask hoping it's not an old question...

How many fly the Peak 4 without a fifth line, and how do you feel re: safety and landing?

I like the Connect bar's simplicity and low weight, but for my larger Peak (13m, and to a point the 8m) I'd surely like a bigger (60+cm) bar: I use it in very light winds, and it is a hassle to make it turn in those conditions.

The Peaks are my first foil kites, so not much experience.
I can self-launch and self-land a tube kite safely in light and moderate winds, but the Peaks are a bit of a mistery in this regard, and I value being able to land them without assistance as I often foil in very light winds, alone or almost.
Even backstalling them feels uneasy: the 13m will fall slowly, and will always try to bolt upwards again, even in 5 knots.


Thanks for the collective intelligence, and apologies if I inadvertently beat a dead horse.
Lopi

Backstall landing a peak takes fine control of the steering lines, it can try to surge or collapse. I landed my 4m in a narrow grass section this way the other day.

However, I usually land my peaks by steering them into the ground at the side of the wind window, and walking towards it as soon as it touches the ground. If you side land on grass, or in a bit of wind shadow, it just sits flat on the ground. At worst, it flips over abit. You can use a sand bank as a landing support and it won't move.

I wouldn't use 5th line on water. With regards to single front line safety, I have never needed to activate it on a peak, they lose all power when they splat into the water/ground/bushes. They also don't try to kill you with deathloops like a LEI will.

[azoele]

On my 13m Peak, I typically hot launch it and back stall it down. I will reach up and grab the steering lines as far as I can. It will start down slowly, and then pick up speed. Once it has touched down, i let a little of the pressure off and it crumples like a handkerchief. I am using my 13 in low wind conditions(under 10 knots) and it will only bolt back up if i let up on the steering lines while it is coming down.

Thanks.
Whenever I try, I just feel uneasy because it feels like it wants to shot back up.
Pulling the fifth line instead, lets it fall down more predictably, it seems...
Perhaps I just have to try more without fear.

[azoele]

On my 13m Peak, I typically hot launch it and back stall it down. I will reach up and grab the steering lines as far as I can. It will start down slowly, and then pick up speed. Once it has touched down, i let a little of the pressure off and it crumples like a handkerchief. I am using my 13 in low wind conditions(under 10 knots) and it will only bolt back up if i let up on the steering lines while it is coming down.

Thanks.
Whenever I try, I just feel uneasy because it feels like it wants to shot back up.
Pulling the fifth line instead, lets it fall down more predictably, it seems...
Perhaps I just have to try more without fear.

[azoele]

Backstall landing a peak takes fine control of the steering lines, it can try to surge or collapse. I landed my 4m in a narrow grass section this way the other day.

However, I usually land my peaks by steering them into the ground at the side of the wind window, and walking towards it as soon as it touches the ground. If you side land on grass, or in a bit of wind shadow, it just sits flat on the ground. At worst, it flips over abit. You can use a sand bank as a landing support and it won't move.

I wouldn't use 5th line on water. With regards to single front line safety, I have never needed to activate it on a peak, they lose all power when they splat into the water/ground/bushes. They also don't try to kill you with deathloops like a LEI will.

Thanks.
Yes, it looks like it takes fine control, still not my forte. Whenever I feel like it wants to shoot up, I get scared and let it fly up.
Retrospectively, not very smart!

So: you have it touch the ground at the edge of the wind window and walk towards it?
I will have to try this trick, and see if I can get it to crumple on the ground, or if it will keep shooting up.
No zones of wind shadow where I kite, and the sand is full of detritus, so try to avoid manouvers that would have the kite hit hard or slide on the ground.
For this reason I was a bit afraid of landing it on the edge of the wind window: thought that, once on the ground, the wind would slide it on the sand until it got downwind of me.

I am sure that it if touches the water it will collapse immediately. It will also embark so much water it will need a miracle to move it!
I had a self ejection (foil board touched my eject handle when body dragging) and the kite went into the water, luckily near the shore.
It was a nightmare to recover it (and over 1h to untangle it afterwards), even though I could touch with my feet... can't imagine it happening in deeper waters.
Very recently a friend had to eject a bit farer from the shore, and kite+bar sank and were lost forever

Strange creatures, the Peaks.
Although incredible flying characteristics.

[ieism]

I've used my 11m without the 5th line a few sessions, its easy to land to the side. Even your foilboard will give enough windshadow to land behind. When down grab the upwind steering line if you're afraid it will blow away and run to it.

I've now reinstalled it because there is a spot where I have to land between two parked rows of cars with half a dozen windsurfers watching, so i don't want to mess that up. No other kiters ride this spot, but its the closest to my house and with the peak it works.

[jatem]

It was a nightmare to recover it (and over 1h to untangle it afterwards), even though I could touch with my feet... can't imagine it happening in deeper waters.
Very recently a friend had to eject a bit farer from the shore, and kite+bar sank and were lost forever

Strange creatures, the Peaks.
Although incredible flying characteristics.

Sounds like a good reminder of why they're not the kite for everyone.

I had difficulty the first time I tried to roll up a peak on the water, and later realized it was because I was pulling tension on the lines as I rolled it up. The kite started flying under water. Since then, I always half lean on my board for floatation, and swim/kick towards the kite when rolling up the lines, and make sure the lines are not tight.