Conditions: Sunny with a SW wind @ 12 mph(10.42 kts). My wind meter gave me spot readings for the 2 hours that I was out flying the Peak which showed
12.4 mph(10.77 kts) maximum and 4.3mph(3.73 kts) average. I stopped at least 3 times to spot check the current wind speed which I averaged between 6-9
mph(5.21-7.82 kts). I was riding on an old MBS land board with straps and the surface was short grassy soccer field. I weight in at 165lbs(74 kg).
Preface:
I have been flying foil kites for over 7 years, mostly Ozone and Flysurfer. I started out flying LEI for learning on the water. I have owned the Speed
2 6m, 10m, 19m SA, Ozone Frenzy 7m and a couple of New Tech foils for goofing around. I have kited on land, snow and water with buggy and land, snow,
and water board.
Looking over the Peak out of the bag I saw the standard high quality stitching and engineering that I have always come to expect from Flysurfer. The
kite was RTF with all lines attached, setup was the same as any other foil kite that I have owned. I launched the kite straight downwind and it
immediately shot to zenith. The trailing edge started to flap in the wind so I pulled the bar just enough to power the kite and stop the flapping.
The kite steered very slow at first and then I remembered the front line adjustment for slow or fast steering. Once I set this to fast steering the
kite began to turn much quicker. The kite would find the edge of the window and hold for me without over flying or much bar input. The depower of this
kite was amazing. I assume the same triple depower for the speeds are incorporated for this kite as well. I was able to handle some gusts without
feeling like I was going to be yanked off the ground. The depower for this kite was much, much better that may old Speed 2 or Frenzy. A couple of
times the kite started to fall back and collapse in some wind lulls but I was able to easily recover from them with the bar and a couple of steps
backwards. I tested the safety to ensure that it worked properly and without fail the kite collapsed to the ground with no pull or flapping around. I
was able to reset the line and bar and relaunch the kite with very little effort after using the backline to steer the kite right side up. I also
landed the kite using the backlines to stall the kite to the ground. This was also amazing since once on the ground the kite had very little pull at
all, unlike my other foils which I had to drive a heavy steak into the ground to hold them.
Static flying complete, I decided to jump on my board and give it a go. The Peak pulled very nice for such a small kite in lite winds. I was able to
tack back and forth going up wind or holding my ground without working the kite at the edge of the wind window. I have read that the Peak 6m is
supposed to have the pull of a 10m foil. I would say that is pretty accurate, since I felt that this kite in 6-9 mph(5.21-7.82 kts) was pulling me
like my Ozone Frenzy 7m used to pull me in 12-15 mph(10.42-13.03 kts)winds. I was able to continue a good 2 hour session with my land board from 6pm
-8pm as the sun was setting. During this time the wind continued to lay down a bit from the 12 mph(10.42 kts)at the start, but the Peak continued to
stay in the air and give me just enough pull to keep moving.
To sum it up, I would say that this kite performed exactly for what I bought it for, a light wind kite for cruising. So you get the Flysurfer high
quality and engineering with triple depower, very light wind performance in a single skin kite. I could see this being a great kite for snow kiting
and buggying(maybe the 9m for buggies). If I get a chance I might even try this kite on the water with my 143 Door, if the conditions are right.
TDF herc - 17-3-2014 at 10:22 AM
nice review ! thanks alot ! abkayak - 18-3-2014 at 07:25 AM
good read...wish i had $$...why do we all have no $$?TDFurr - 21-3-2014 at 10:14 AM
What I didn't include in the review was the months it took me to convince my better half that I....errr ummm I mean, we had the extra money to
purchase this kite.
My last two kite purchases will likely be my last for many years so I have to get many miles out of my kites, which I'm sure many of you do as well. ssayre - 21-3-2014 at 05:25 PM
My wife doesn't even know about my last purchase yet. :evil: Good review, I want dibs on this one when your done with it. 3shot - 21-3-2014 at 05:31 PM
:oDude. So can I call dibs on said purchase when she finds out ?? LOLrtz - 21-3-2014 at 10:31 PM
Where do you usually kite at?TDFurr - 24-3-2014 at 11:06 AM
@ rtz
Since I haven't found anyplace better, I do all of my kiting at Lake Hefner, both land and water. If you know of other places please let me know since
I would love to find a much bigger field to kite on than the one at Lake Hefner.madday92 - 28-7-2014 at 08:05 PM
I purchased a Peak 6m for my first depower kite, and I have to say I absolutely have been loving this kite. I picked it up about a month ago after
much deliberation and consideration.
All my flying is done inland with lots of gusty wind conditions, and the windspeed is typically sub 10mph. But for those days that the wind is gusting
up to 30mph the depower range is enough to still be flying.
Now I am feeling tempted to pick up the 9m for some extra power in the lower range.
3shot - 29-7-2014 at 05:22 PM
TEDWESLEY - 1-8-2014 at 06:31 PM
Kite Lust...B-Roc - 1-8-2014 at 06:37 PM
so are you saying the usable range of the 6m is 10-30+ mph, inland, in a buggy?madday92 - 5-8-2014 at 06:51 AM
Quote:
B-Roc:
so are you saying the usable range of the 6m is 10-30+ mph, inland, in a buggy?
For the most part I would say so. I'm guessing non janky winds would extend the range down some, but there isn't much of that around here currently.
Proletariat - 5-8-2014 at 08:39 PM
good read...wish i had $$...why do we all have no $$?
Seriously... now someone buy my kites robinsonpr - 30-10-2014 at 02:00 PM
I just ordered one of these babies to get me into depower kites. I'm in the UK, inland, rubbish winds. I'll post a review hopefully when I get it
next week! Can't wait!!!!!
