Flysurfer Peak 4

[jumptheshark]

Flyboy you could buy the 5m and miss the slight extra bottom end the 6m should bring. It's a cracker of a kite.

Ok I have a question for those of you who ride in the surf. I am just getting better and better at getting out in bigger swell and getting longer rides. My favourite combo is 5m & axis 820 wing.

Yesterday I had an amazing session but eventually pushed the envelope too far. Caught a great swell ride and as one disappeared another formed up and I was straight on that. Already fast I caught the 2nd one too deep downwind. The peak balled up and didn't recover. I had a swim in.

Now that I'm getting better at getting on swell, I clearly need to rely a bit less on the great drift ability of this kite. I need to pay attention more and treat it seriously if the kite balls up, carve away harder and maybe power bar up fully?

Aside from that does anyone have any tips for how they fly the kite when going deep & fast downwind on swell. I have been just sitting the kite right in the middle of the power zone, turned up a little, and depowering on the bar. What do you do? Loop the kite? Work it? Bar in or out?

Sheet in for sure, but also try and keep the kite higher in the window when surfing. If the kite is broadside or bottom facing the wind and you really slack line it loses shape more easily than if its a bit more profile to the wind. I've slack lined quite a few times and when the kite is higher in the window, airflow over the profile helps it keep shape for a few more all important seconds. Also the weight of the lines and bridle mixer hanging straight down below the kite provide some assist in shape retention. Tends to fall back and recover more reliably than if the kite is deep in the window when you lose line tension. Also being on the smallest peak possible seems to help too, but that might just be because its generally windier.

[Peter_Frank]

Just ride waves like you do on a waveboard, regarding the kite - just a bit higher.

Meaning, you fly the kite around in your bottom turn, and back in the cutback.

The advantages with the Peaks are they drift amazing, so you can get slack lines now and then, without issues

You can also park the kite at 45 degree or higher, and slalom on the wave surfaces - again, you can ride a lot deeper this way, than with any other kite, especially LEI are pretty useless for this.

I have never seen or had a Peak "ball up" as you say?

Did you ride totally slack lines, or?

My point is, riding waves full on around bottom turning and cut backs, fly the kite like you would on a waveboard (here you, in most conditions, fly the kite aggressively and low), just dont fly it as low and aggressive when on a foil - subtle turning in 8's on top of the window is usually sufficient, and one does that without thinking.

Flying in 8s on your backbone, while turning around on the wave, Peak4 will just drift whenever needed, and you can ride a very free path down the line, EXCELLENT

If you assume you can let the kite hang, and ride waves all the way around bottom turning and cutbacks, I think (know) you are wrong.

The smaller the kite (higher winds), the easier it is, and with a 3 you can sometimes do it just drifting.

With a 5 not possible to the same extent, but way better than other kites, using soft 8s on top - easy and safe.

Going up into 8 m2, it is almost not possible at all is my experience - but now we are talking 8 knots of wind maybe 9 max 10 (for the average weight) usually, so not just the kite which makes DTL waveriding close to impossible.

My take on this at least.

Peter

[Oldman_Dave]

Thanks guys great tips, exactly what I was looking for. I will try keeping the kite much higher in the window, and working some high figure 8s. I tend to be more slaloming than full S Turns & cutbacks.

Also Peter when I say balling up I mean if you slack lines aggressively the kite will momentarily turn into a floppy sheet not a kite with shape. At this point for me the last time, one wing rolled across in front of the other, and the other curled in a little, so that when I finally paid attention to the kite it appeared to be about half the normal size. As I said this was user error all the way, I was just too relaxed and paying no attention to the kite, focusing 100% on the swell..

[jumptheshark]

Can peeps give me an idea of their wind ranges with dif Peak4 sizes on SNOW. The website has em all starting at 3 or 4 knots, but thats obviously just flying. Have the 3,4,5 and am considering a bigger one for use with a snowboard on snow covered lakes. Everything from relatively low drag hard pack, relatively high drag powder. Average weight. I know this is an amorphous question, but looking for insight from those who have used there on snow enough to know what works when.

Thanks.

[Peter_Frank]

Has anybody tried the 6 m2 yet?

Mine (and an Connect bar, I like that one actually) is in the "mail" I just saw on a tracking number, if I am lucky it can be flown this weekend

I wont advice the 6 m2, till I know if it is closer to the 8 or the 5 in feel and lightness and agility so to speak

Crossing my fingers, but we need experience and facts - everyone agree the 5 and down is awesome in a league of their own, and the 8 is fine for lighter winds say down to 8 knots when average weight, but nothing special.

Peter

[tomtom]

new 13 was better than old 11. It was Peak 4.5. Its possible than new 6 will be better than 5 - or at least not worse.

[Peter_Frank]

new 13 was better than old 11. It was Peak 4.5. Its possible than new 6 will be better than 5 - or at least not worse.

True, the 13 was designed with some good tweaks, somewhat after the 11, so that makes sense

Cant wait to try the 6, will keep you posted if I am one of the "early birds" in this respect (we are right next to Germany so fast delivery)

Peter

[Oldman_Dave]

My 6m (& 4m!) Arrived yesterday Peter. Will try asap possibly this afternoon.

[Oldman_Dave]

Ok quick and not so exciting review. Flew the 6m today in 5m weather. It did everything I hoped. It felt a little slower and gruntier than the 5m but much nicer than the 8m. Unfortunately the wind wasn't light enough to really test the low end.

I had a good session in a challenging spot and came in after half an hour fully dry with no stacks. This is pretty unusual for me. So it is a lovely easy stable kite.

I came in because I wanted to try my new 4m too. I immediately fell in love with that kite but that's a different story

[Peter_Frank]

Sounds great Dave !!!

The low end is not important, it will be a bit better than the 5.

The most important thing is, not feeling slow like the 8, says it all

Mine arrived today - might have a go tomorrow (today we have sun and 37 knots average wind, gusting to only 48 so stable wind, the weather stations say right this moment, not for a 6 m2 where 10 knots is fine )

Peter