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Flysurfer Peak 4

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joriws
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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby joriws » Sat Oct 23, 2021 7:29 am

lezo wrote:
Thu Oct 21, 2021 6:29 pm
With my previous Sonic2 15m it was 6kts, the Peak4 13m is much less risky in the 5-6kts range..

But this extremely powerful kite gets hard to hold over 10-12kts, its flapping and deforming, maybe I still have to find the right way to pilot.
Does deforming mean tip tucking or collapsing? Do you have V or Y lines in your bar? As FS' own Peak4 bar is Y-style, with Y I have not experienced tip tucking but with V-lines multiple times.

With V-lines - piloting-wise you should sheet in more than necessary to keep tips open.

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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby Foil_Adict » Sat Oct 23, 2021 2:52 pm

Forgot to add a detail that made me laugh a little bit. The 13m really messes with your head when riding in these super light winds, your out there thinking man I have so much power I bet I could ride the 5m. Well after getting off the water I back stalled the kite to land and it just laid flat on landing no wind at all moving the kite. Had to laugh a little bit that just 5min prior I could have sworn that the 5m might have worked in the same conditions.

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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby loco4viento » Sun Oct 24, 2021 3:24 pm

Foil Addict, that is so true and it made me laugh.

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Peter_Frank
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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby Peter_Frank » Sun Oct 24, 2021 6:52 pm

True, but this is the case with all big foilkites.

The most extreme is if you ride a fast wing, loads of power, and you mess up a jibe or tack, and suddenly realise there is no wind left, it has dropped - you were riding on apparent wind lots of power, but now too low wind to start.
I think we have all tried this :rollgrin:

But when size exceed a certain size, IMO around 12-13 m2, these kites feel really powered when riding, almost to the extent of overpowered because of apparent wind, eventhough you are not out in marginal winds.

8) Peter
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flaps1111
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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby flaps1111 » Sun Oct 24, 2021 7:21 pm

Some say the Peak4 13m lacks lowend "peak" power and others say it's a tractor.
Personally I have suffered this with the Pulsion 15m with 5-6 knots it had no power to waterstar and with 8 knots I was overpowered.
It's probably my lack of experience with ram air kites, it's easier for me to get the last knot out of the LEIs.

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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby Atte » Sun Oct 24, 2021 7:35 pm

flaps1111 wrote:
Sun Oct 24, 2021 7:21 pm
Some say the Peak4 13m lacks lowend "peak" power and others say it's a tractor.
Personally I have suffered this with the Pulsion 15m with 6 knots it had no power to waterstar and with 8 knots I was overpowered.
It's probably my lack of experience with ram air kites, it's easier for me to get the last knot out of the LEIs.
Not sure about the Pulsion but a twin skin foil (speed, soul, sonic, vmg etc) has way more depower/range then a LEI, the peak4 13m not so much.
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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby Peter_Frank » Sun Oct 24, 2021 7:37 pm

You say it like its contradictive flaps1111?

But it is correct - it has no peak power so difficult to start in marginal wind - but it is a tractor indeed.

A tractor can not have peak power, and reverse.

This is pretty normal, the highest AR fast kites (not too flat camber) has max peak power, but flies to the edge meaning no tractor pulling.

The Pulsion is not the most extreme in terms of peak power no, somewhere in the middle of double skin kites (extremely user friendly though, hangs well also, and does not bowtie), but more peak power than the big Peak4's.

8) Peter

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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby flaps1111 » Sun Oct 24, 2021 8:02 pm

Peter_Frank wrote:
Sun Oct 24, 2021 7:37 pm
You say it like its contradictive flaps1111?

But it is correct - it has no peak power so difficult to start in marginal wind - but it is a tractor indeed.

A tractor can not have peak power, and reverse.

This is pretty normal, the highest AR fast kites (not too flat camber) has max peak power, but flies to the edge meaning no tractor pulling.

The Pulsion is not the most extreme in terms of peak power no, somewhere in the middle of double skin kites (extremely user friendly though, hangs well also, and does not bowtie), but more peak power than the big Peak4's.

8) Peter
There are several videos and testimonials here that claim that it is "easy" to waterstar with 4-5 knots or at least around 6 knots. For that you need a powerful kite, yes like a tractor, because it is not fast and it is difficult to be so in 6 knots, with the little inertia it should generate by its weight.
I am afraid that all those testimonies of 4-7 knots or maximum 6 knots are not very accurate, ...it seems that the reality is that they can float and wait in 4 or 5 knots until they get a gust of 7 knots.... I think the minimum advantage against a modern LEI that generates a lot of power.

I would like to believe because it is a pain to inflate a 14m just to test if there is enough wind to ride and that is what attracts me to the Peak 13m.

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Peter_Frank
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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby Peter_Frank » Sun Oct 24, 2021 8:56 pm

a tractor is no good for waterstarting on a foil in marginal winds, as it has the least peak power.

But maybe this is also what you say?
A bit confused.

Agree though, that the low end testimonials we see are pretty useless indeed :roll:

8) Peter
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Re: Flysurfer Peak 4

Postby Foil_Adict » Sun Oct 24, 2021 9:05 pm

Have not had much time with the 13m yet but here are my early pros/cons

Pro:
-light weight and simple kite for it's size, bridels are long but easy to manage
-super stable in the lightest of winds, never really have to worry about it falling
-tractor pull power(if you like that)
-if there is any wind you can ride
-half the price of a double skin foil
-no pump required

Cons:
-slow turner
-slow acceleration(can't get out of trouble quickly need to wait for kite to move through the window)
-in light winds you have to be careful not to overrun it, does not slack line as well as the smaller sizes and slow turning and acceleration make it nearly impossible to recover if it starts to slack too much
-realatively narrow wind range(maxes out in 10-12mph)
-less performance than comparable double skin
-no water relaunch unless you have Jedi powers

So if you frequently have conditions where is steady 5-10 with low risk of the wind increasing it's a good optionmas a session saver.

I can tell you that this Saturday I had a window of wind to take it out with some decent waves and side shore winds in the 8-10 range and I opted to do a downwinder with the 5m. I was too concerned the wind would pick up as was forecast and I just didn't want to be out attached to the beast in 10-15. Turns out it was a good choice. The 5 is just so fun to try to try to milk every last ounce of power out of. I would rather loop 4x to get up and another 4x to get going and have a playful kite in the waves then be attached to an big tractor. Turns out it was the right call, about half way through the down winder the wind picked up to the sweet spot for the 5m and I had an epic day. Had to force myself to get off the water in the end.

The 13m will still have it's place as a session saver. Just needs the right conditions.
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