General Flysurfer Peak kite discussion

Quote: Originally posted by TEDWESLEY

Remember : when you double the wind speed, the wind pressure quadruples!

I didn't know that, but it certainly fits with what I've experienced.

GUMBY ROCKS!
Thanks for sharing

Quote: Originally posted by CHICKENKOOP

static fly low wind peak2 12 meter porn https://youtu.be/auXUPYc4xXQ

Outstanding! Agreed that Gumby adds just the right element.

Consider installing a brakeline cross strap. You might have been able to reverse launch at the end with one. It doesn't take any more wind to reverse launch with that beauty than traditional nose-up launching. I got all of my Peaks from feyd at Hardwater and he sells the cross strap on his site.

Quote: Originally posted by CHICKENKOOP

not gonna get reverse launch out of that clover field in that wind. the clover is like Velcro on the bridles. kite needs to be put on back nice and pretty before it will get a clean launch. the clover is above my knee in most places. the kite never touches the ground really. I'm am kind of likening the lack of brake crossover. all my other kites came equipped and I am starting to wonder if I might remove from some of the others. they tangle, and don't wind up nice. I'm getting used to the under hand brake line grab move I use to back kite down or reverse launch.

Trade offs to be sure. I too don't like how the cross strap screws up nice clean line winding. That being said, I use the cross strap on pretty much every session for some reason or the other and purposely installed one on each of my four Peaks (they came standard on my Ozone foils). I've further used the cross strap to keep the kite on the ground, throwing it over my buggy's back tire so I can walk up to the kite to secure it on the ground.

Cool field BTW. Deep clover has got to be beautiful and provide a great odor to boot. I can see how the clovers would grab at the bridle lines, particularly the four leaf ones. But hey, at least Peaks have minimal bridling (not!). :duh:

Quote: Originally posted by CHICKENKOOP

static fly low wind peak2 12 meter porn https://youtu.be/auXUPYc4xXQ

Happy to see you out enjoying your new kite! Hopefully it will serve you well this winter

It's sure not regular for me!

Well it turned out to be a good fun day of riding with the Peak... it was kinda sketchy there for a bit but it all worked out ok. At one point a gust grabbed the kite and pulled out the ground stake so the guy running the camera jumped on the bar and grabbed it and got dragged about 10 feet while I was shouting at him to let go... ... it was kinda awesome.

A lot of really high gusty wind probably into the mid high 20's, but the base wind kinda hung in the 14-17mph range which is a rarity in ATL, so I did have to be cautious a lot and take it slow. But man what a great kite!... I really felt relatively safe. Like you guys said, when the gusts hit you just let out the bar... but there was more than one occasion where I had to pop the safety... Randy came back out and had a good time riding his land board with a couple of his cool hand made kites.... over all it was a good day.

I'll post the video once the guys finish it up.

Quote: Originally posted by soliver

Well it turned out to be a good fun day of riding with the Peak... it was kinda sketchy there for a bit but it all worked out ok. At one point a gust grabbed the kite and pulled out the ground stake so the guy running the camera jumped on the bar and grabbed it and got dragged about 10 feet while I was shouting at him to let go... ... it was kinda awesome. A lot of really high gusty wind probably into the mid high 20's, but the base wind kinda hung in the 14-17mph range which is a rarity in ATL, so I did have to be cautious a lot and take it slow. But man what a great kite!... I really felt relatively safe. Like you guys said, when the gusts hit you just let out the bar... but there was more than one occasion where I had to pop the safety... Randy came back out and had a good time riding his land board with a couple of his cool hand made kites.... over all it was a good day. I'll post the video once the guys finish it up.

That sounds like you had one of those "Toad's Wild Ride" sort of days - outstanding! Really looking forward to seeing the video. Great to see action on this Peak Fan Boy thread.

Quote: Originally posted by Cheddarhead

I might have missed this somewhere, but has anyone tried a Peak2 bar/line set on a Peak1 kite? I think of these things when I'm bored:D

From what I've read about the P1s this sounds like a match made in single-skinned heaven. The P2 bar is a fine setup with the little red ball for setting the bar at a given DP position (ideal for long runs) and the trim strap. Said to be much better than the P1 bar. The thing is, I've heard nothing but GREAT things about the P1s with their lack to dreaded tip-tuck and a lower AR for even better stability. Of course, I love my 4m and especially my 12m P2s, sizes just not available in the original release.

Gotta figure there will be a P3 at some point. It will be interesting to see how these beauties evolve!

Quote: Originally posted by TEDWESLEY

Please Santa bring me a 15m p3. I'll be a very good boy if you do

Great (read: obsessed) minds think alike! I was just talking with Chris Kruge the other day about my wish list should Flysurfer come out with a P3 and I too was talking up a 15m! Do you have some actual intel? I was just spouting off and now you go and mention it.

My favorite kite in my quiver remains Session Saver my 12m P2. Earlier this year at IBX I was out having a blast at about 10 AM one day and was the only person rolling for about an hour before the winds picked up above a breath. I was about 75% powered up and having a fine time. I would have been lit that day with 15m of Peak fury in the air. Bring it on! :frog:

Quote: Originally posted by eric67m

Christmas came early for me. flysurfer peak 2, 15M

That would be one heck of a fine present in my house too! Only catch is they don't make a 15m. I'm not trying to mess with you or be snarky, it's just that I really want a 15m Peak and hold out some hope (however dim) that the soon-to-be-forthcoming P3s will expand in size to incorporate this. Alas, the P2s only come in 4, 6, 9, and 12m sizes. I've heard from some folk in Australia that this is highly unlikely so I'll just have to keep on dreaming. If you did in fact land the 12m P2 then that is a fine kite indeed and a fantastic Christmas gift!

Quote: Originally posted by eric67m

Oops, 12M. And i should say Christmas present to myself...

I had figured you meant the 12m. A fine gift to yourself nonetheless! Have fun with it. There are a lot of folks on this forum (myself included) that truly appreciate this kite as a low wind session saver.

I'll just leave this here.

Aww, you tease...

I reckon this picture would be from FS, since you're still waiting for winter in your area (..?) Or did you get to try disthing? Would you know anything about sizes or any changes from Peak 2 ? :puzzled:

*edit; found some info on russian FS site; google translated;

"Meet new PEAK3!

Differences from PEAK2:

- Even more lightweight and durable construction

- Improved speed and turning radius

- A new line of security Reef

- Delivery only kite

What remains the same?

- Different colors for different models

- Free warranty repairs"

http://flysurfer.ru/catalog/item/12-peak3

Quote: Originally posted by Feyd

You tease!

Quote: Originally posted by eric67m

I was able to get my 12M out for a little bit yesterday for some static flying. With light winds it flew great, lots of pull, lots of fun. The rain started to fall and the wind was picking up so I decided to cut my first test flight short. Also my daughter and dog were getting wet. While packing it up I noticed there was a knot in a black line about 20 feet from the handle. Is this knot there on purpose to limit how far the bar travels if the safety release is activated? Or should this knot be removed? For packing up, when i first got the kite it was folded in half and was rolled with the bar starting from the tips. When trying to repeat this in the wind the folded base of the kite was catching the wind. Any suggestions on how to wrap up best in the wind?

The knot is there on purpose! I made the mistake of undoing the lines, undoing the knot, got scolded (rightly so!) and replaced the knot. You are correct, the knot is to keep the bar from traveling too far up the line if you release the chicken loop under load.

As for folding up in the wind I wish you the greatest of success. I've struggled with that too. For better or for worse I fold all of my Peaks the same way. I secure the kite, figure 8 the lines to the bar up to the bridles, roll the bridle lines around one end of the bar until I've taken up enough bridle to rest the bar in the center of the trailing edge. Next, I fold each wingtip to the center. I repeat the fold in to the center with the remainder of the kite until I have the kite the width of the bar centered. This takes more folds with the 12m than the 4m, etc. I then fold the kite half way towards the bar and then roll the kite around the bar until it is a smooth cylinder, sort of like rolling up a sleeping bag. This cylinder then gets pushed into a similarly shaped stuff sack (long, skinny cylinder). I can get all four Peaks stored like this into a single large backpack or split them into two smaller backpacks for easy transport.

Yes, this is a wholly different way of packing up the kite than they show in the flysurfer videos. Their videos show the folding similar to the way you described. Delightfully, the videos show the kite getting folded up in what looks like a wind still day. As you know only too well things go differently when there is a lot of gusty, shifty wind at ground level messing up your routine. I carry three weighted sacks that I sometimes use to pin the kite in various positions as I go through my packing routine.

I'm sure folks reading my thread post here are cringing at my technique, but it works for me. I'm open to better methods if somebody wants to share. Bottom line, 12m of single skin fury can be a bunch to handle on the ground packing up. I've found that typical twin skin kites are far easier to pack up size-for-size. Just more structure to them. Good luck!

Quote: Originally posted by Wind_dog

As the newest owner of the Peak1 6m formerly known as Ssayre's, I have been waiting for a chance to take it for a spin. Yesterday was too windy, 85 mph, gusts to 105 at nearby Mount Bachelor. Today was 0 mph gusting to 8 mph but I tried anyway down in the flats.. This was my first time with any kite on skis; 2 feet of medium density powder topped with a breakable crust. Good challenge. Skinned out, waited for wind gusts, hot launched and got a few rides, a few turns, a little uphill and one kerplunk. Now addicted!!! Peaks are my goto for buggies and now skis. Looking forward to more wind next time and I'll carry a bigger peak2 as well.

That 6m size is just a blast. It produces good power in the entire mid range and can really be flung around much better than the larger sizes. Just an all around fun kite.

Quote: Originally posted by Feyd

To get the old pvc coating off you have to cut the stitching. Be careful not to cut the loop itself.

Yeah, I saw there's lots of stitching and mine is glued in as well. Looks like I should be able to get a new one under warranty, though.

Quote: Originally posted by Feyd

Hope to have more info soon. In regards to adding more lift to the Peaks. In my opinion, doing so has been and would be counter to the initial design intent of the Peak, which is a purpose built alpine touring kite. IMO they pretty much nailed it with the Peak 1. Low lift, packable, broad wind range and extremely simple bar design. Minimalist, efficient and supremely capable at what it was designed to do. It wasn't until FS increased the lift and AR in a effort to make the kite sportier, that the Peak series started having issues. By trying to adapt it to a broader use spectrum and adding some freestyle ability to it, the Peak became less proficient at it's initial purpose and yet not really a competent freestyle kite. Still a very good and amazing kite but less of a purpose built piece of equipment. Is the goal to have what is arguably the best purpose built touring kite in the world with the best light wind performance in it's price range or a budget freestyle kite? Which, let's be honest, if you make a budget kite that has a lot of lift that is likely to attract beginners learning on their own, it's not the best combination. Whereas the original and Peak 2 allow a high margin of safety for people just starting out. Which allows and encourages long term participation in the sport. I'm sold on the single skin design. And I feel that there is room for a high performance variant. But instead of taking the Peak from it's intended purpose and turning it into something else there should be other variants designed specifically to do certain things. Call it the Peak Freeride, make it higher AR and liftier with the fancy bar. And make a Peak Tour with low lift, low AR and high grunt with a minimalist bar that once again fits in my Camel Bak. :D

Very well said! I agree with the Peak Variants. Maybe they could go back to the characteristics of the P1 with all the Peaks they release from now on and open a new line of single skin aimed for freeride as you said. I definitely get what you are saying though and agree. Having a Peak Freeride line would be epic!

Initially it was the single skin and quick pack/unpacking that got me to purchase the Peak 2 9m. However, after a season of landboarding, I got too used to it and wanted something with lift.

Considering our parks here are quite small, getting a kite on the smaller end but with the same amount of grunt of larger kites would make sense. The Peak definitely checked all the boxes in that matter. All I can say is that it had amazing characteristics, but for me I just naturally wanted more lift when on a landboard.

Another Teaser. We should have something here tomorrow.

Oh and yeah, it comes with a safety system similar to Re-Ride, :D

A very nice P2 to P3 comparison appeared on a German site here:

http://www.landkitekurse.com/single-post/2017/01/12/Flysurfe...

Comparison Review translated from a German site -

I flown the PEAK 2 and PEAK 3 from Flysurfer Probe yesterday and compared the two sizes in 12qm. The PEAK 3 is very similar in its characteristics to the PEAK 2, but it has been improved and fine tuned in many respects. On the first and second glance one realizes in amazement that there has not been much change. The number of cells is the same. The shape very similar, only the Bridle was significantly reduced and changed. But it is the small, almost unimpressive changes that make the performance jump at Peak3. flutter In direct comparison, the 3 no longer flaps. If the 2er, with pushed forward bar, hunted through the wind window, one felt the cloth flaps clearly at the bar. It always shook it back and forth. That is no more at the 3er. Barfeeling In general the barfeeling has become more direct and progressive. This means that you can feel every centimeter when pulling the bar (pulling on the dog) you gain an increase in the kite. This was much more spongy at PEAK 2. So he just depends on the gas if you can say that. To steer The 3er hangs more crisply at the bar and during the steering it is noticeable that the PEAK3 no longer makes these pockets at the tip as seen in the picture below. A loop now feels really flown and not choked. A railing system was installed. When steering, the brake is not only pulled by the cloth, but also the cloth at the tear-off edge tightens somewhat. This has been used for paragliders for a long time. This should be a secret of better handling. Lowind First we thought the 3er is a lighter cloth but it is the same. The PEAK3 makes more pressure in the past. In direct comparison, you have the feeling in the 2er that energy and energy is lost by the flutter. The 3er cuts more efficiently through the air and converts all the energy into propulsion. Upwind Here the PEAK3 has a clear nose. It just goes to the wind window edge. In the photo below, we have the kite on 12 stand and stand exactly on its own height. The PEAK2 simply hangs slightly further back. Safety As Safety there is a new Raffsystem. A rope runs through the kite at the top of the leading edge. When triggering, the kite is gathered from the tips to the center and thus pressureless. Unfortunately, we have not been able to try this because the system was not yet assembled. So the bottom line is a nice continuous development of the singleskin kite without now any aspect worsened .... what often occurs times with the kiteherstellern.

Credit goes to "Jason" on XK for having originally posted this on XK.

Quote: Originally posted by Feyd

Hardwater Kiting has finally gotten the Peak 3 in. Right now, I'm pretty pumped on the 9m. Not sure why yet.

:saint:

Quote: Originally posted by utahtami

Chris, you aren't favoring the 9m just because that's the only one Steve didn't order, are you?

Quote: Originally posted by utahtami

Chris, you aren't favoring the 9m just because that's the only one Steve didn't order, are you?

Ha! I thought the same thing. Feyd, you need to be sneakier than that. :evil:

D'oh! Busted!!!!:P

But, when I was flying the 9m for the first time and made the determination that I liked it more than the 6m, I thought of Steve's order soon thereafter.

But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. We are still getting these kites figured out a bit and I'm trying to get all the little details dialed. For example as the Peak 3 is a KO option now I'm trying it with different bars and various line lengths. As the 5th line that comes with it is a given length it won't help with some bars that don't happen to have lines that match up. And boy oh boy when things aren't right with the 5th line dimension relative to the other lines on this kite it is pretty ugly. If people are expected to be able to mate this kite with various bars I'd like to be able to offer some level of insight as to how to make it all work.

This said, if you choose not to use the optional 5th line, they go together with various bar set ups easy peasy. As long as you have an FLS, you're pretty much golden as far as we can tell.

The reefline safety is pretty sweet though. I'm torn between the simplicity of the FLS and the effectiveness of the reefline. Just like Ozone's ReRide, you activate it and the kite just falls out of the sky.

My preference for the 9m over the 6m may change. As I said I was a little surprised myself. We've been using the 6m as the primary test bed for the various bar/5th combos and I haven't just flown the kite with the FLS or with the exact "right" set up bar wise. So there may be a flip flop in my opinion of the 9 vs. 6.

And then there is the 12m. For some insight as to what we've seen so far with that kite I flew it the other day with Molly and another kiter in about 2-4kts on semi-firm surface. I outweigh Molly by about 70lbs. The other rider by about 90lbs. She was on the HQ 19m Zeekai (Pulls like a 15m Chrono) and he was on an 18m Chrono UL. The 12m Peak 3 allowed me to ride, POWERED, with those two on those kites. Across the wind I was laid out and just railing my edge. (Upwind, I didn't have a chance) :D But again, the 12m is still an amazing lightwind option for the $.

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre

pretty cool video showing some of the improvements on p3. Also doing something near to my heart on a smooth star which is similar to carver. that set up is like riding a magic carpet.

Out of the business but still posting strong!

Quote: Originally posted by Windstruck

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre   pretty cool video showing some of the improvements on p3. Also doing something near to my heart on a smooth star which is similar to carver. that set up is like riding a magic carpet. Out of the business but still posting strong!

just going through some withdrawals. This video just happened to pop up on my suggested list on youtube and I had to share it once I saw it. Also inspired me to dust off the skateboard and use the hornet on some unsuspecting parking lot during my travels for work today.

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre

Plus, I don't care if I have to buy more gear if I need to. It's only money, I'll make more.

That's the spirit! The thought of you staying in the sport brings a smile to my face. Short spontaneous opportunistic sessions on a carving board in a parking lot just begging for the attention it so richly deserves? Well, bust my buttons, why didn't you say that in the first place? That's a horse of a different color. Come on in!

Session Saver! Courtesy of the venerable (and super cool) wind-dog! Make sure your volume is turned on.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwHvifRlXiKIempXdFpCaXVvd0U...

I don't know what it is, but I just have a certain relationship with these larger woman. The 12m P3, now in "stunning" deep blue (similar to the old 9m P2 color) is spectacular. we had a low wind afternoon at IBX when she was the only one flying on the entire playa and I was bookin!. Not saying the 11.5m LS2 wouldn't have hung with this plus-sized gal but I'm a faithful guy and she's the only plump one for my heart.

When the wind picked up Slapbasswoody and I had a lot of fun racing back and forth in the setting sun, me with Session Saver and he with a beautiful 9m Chrono2. He could work that kite and it would pass me. He was going in the 50's mph range and he said I was going about 45 mph. Woody is a superb flyer and he worked that Chrono like the champ he is:



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Well usually....

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OK, most of the time.... :evil:

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Quote: Originally posted by Coldsnap

After no small amount of frustration I gave up on trying to install the reefline kit on my new Peak3 4M. Didn't realize it was this much of a DIY mod. I got as far as disconnecting the FLS-endline from the frontline, but the knot is sealed inside a thin plastic tube, and I just couldn't get it off. I completed the first step, where you pull the kite parts of the reefline through the metal ring on the kite, can I just reattach these to the ring and go without using the reefline? Anyone else had trouble with the installation?

Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble. Can we assume you have the instructions? Not trying to ask a stupid question BTW. I know they can be downloaded from the Flysurfer main website. Our US dealer Chris (feyd) installed mine and may have some suggestions. I read the instructions and agree that it looks tedious. Good luck!

Quote: Originally posted by soliver

Thanks Ted... today my 6m landed on top of a pile of dead sea grass and seaweed and got badly tangled,... THEN flipped inside out once or twice and I had to spend and hour untangling bridles... guess I need to make up some sand bags!!! The 6m has the strap between the brake lines from Hardwater Kiting, I used that to land the kite and staked it from that and that worked pretty well.

SS DP make up for their lack of a second skin with oodles of bridles, that's for sure. Sorry you're experiencing those issues. Been there and done all of that. I personally have not had a great deal of luck with SS kites being staked. I'm not sure if beach flyers do this, but on the playa it is useful to drive a piece of rebar into the ground and put a foam tube over it (pool noodle). I find it works best if you wrap the tubes with a lot of duck tape to stiffen them up. On the playa you only need four foot rebar as pounding it in a foot is plenty deep enough. You might need a little longer on the beach so you could get it two feet deep. In any case, you wrap the kite around the noodle so the kite flags out downwind.

I've had the reverse launch problem happen when I try to stake a Peak from the brake strap even if I start it nose up. It can flip over and then up it goes. Price you pay I'm afraid to have a kite with so little structure on the ground. That's why it can take off in a breath of wind!

You're a talented kiter. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. Have fun! And yes, cursing is allowed.

Quote: Originally posted by soliver

Used sand bags and just strait sand today and it worked great... thanks for the advice gang!

Glad things went better today Spencer! Yup, sand, sand, sand. Should have plenty of it all around. Trailing edge and good to go! Note to self - avoid those seaweed piles! Inland I've mistakenly allowed the 12m to land in scrub brush. Nasty. Pilot on! :karate:

Quote: Originally posted by Blitzhound

Well...I finally got out to the beach yesterday and got to fly my shiny new 12m Peak3. Also making my first official post on the Peak thread. I've got one word for yesterday's session. AMAZING. Winds started out at 2-3mph. Then picked up in the evening to 6-7mph and this kite came alive! By the end of the session winds were 10-12mph. I'm not going to do an in depth review. But I will post some Peak Porn for all who are interested.

Downturns! Way to go Blitz. First downturn that kite had ever seen, so in essence you got it's maiden voyage of flying it right. Just wait until you have a proper clean onshore so you can park and ride that Big Lady. You'll notice that there is a stopper ball at the top of the line that the bar slides up and down on. It can be slid down to lock the bar in place for long runs. It made my morning to read that you had such a positive experience with that beauty. Go get some!

Quote: Originally posted by utahtami

The trim straps and full range of depower bar throw of the Peak3s are too stretched out for my reach. I had to resell my recently acquired 6m from Steve. Is that close enough to hate talk?

Woh Nellie! Sorry to hear that Tami. Being so "vertically challenged" must really suck sometimes. What am I saying - most of the time. :evil:

You're the only kiter I know that goes through equipment faster than me. You couldn't just shorten up the doubled up line? You can untie it and retie it shorter.

All kidding aside, I'm sorry it didn't work out for you. Memory serves a certain 15m Ozone Summit suffered a similar fate...

Quote: Originally posted by utahtami

The trim straps and full range of depower bar throw of the Peak3s are too stretched out for my reach. I had to resell my recently acquired 6m from Steve. Is that close enough to hate talk?

Absolutely. Did you have the same trouble with peak 2 or was it better or different? I've only flown the real peak. Peak 1