Hi there I have been trying a 15m PL synergy out for a while now but seem to be having a bit of trouble to keep out of the water, always seem to slow down and fall back in the water after a while.

When I use my bow kite you only need to dive it a few times and then sit it at 10 o'clock or 2 o'clock depending on which way I am going I just seem to cruise along where with the synergy i'm continually diving it up and down soon as i try to sail it I loose speed and fall back in the water. Also should it have better or worse upwind performance then a LEI.

Is this just the nature of the PL kites or is it just my technique because I really like the kite but I am having so much trouble with it.

My LEI got a slow leak today which is a Cabrinha 2010 Nomad 11m which sort of gave me the s**ts a bit because its a bit of a mission to repair it so was thinking about buying a Flysurfer Unity or Speed 3 12m, would this be a wise choice for some in my position, can someone tell me which would be best as a use most of the time kite, am I still going to get the same pull and cruise as a LEI.

I know so many questions but if you guys could give as much advice as can I would much appreciate it.

I am just tuning into the fact that some of the early Synergys need extensions on the back lines .

I am still playing with this on mine and am not sure about how it is helping ? It too can stall like you describe. I have until now coaxed it by tugging the front lines . Might be worth giving the extensions a try ?

Check this page out for set up details. I have this bookmarked for reference on ARCs.

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/mx5alan/arcs/ARCsetup_FAQ.htm

Some people swear by the recommendations for pigtails.

Oh forgot to add my general wind ranger for most days would range from 15-25 knots

It sounds like you are underpowered on the Synergy. Granted, I have VERY little experience with that kite, just what my impression is of what you are describing.

The S3 12m is rideable in 15mph of wind, but will not really turn on until over 20mph. I have had some really fun sub-20mph session with it, but I find it the most entertaining when over 20.

The question you have to ask is what kind of performance are you looking for? The Speed3 is a much more aggressive kite than the Unity. It has a higher aspect ratio and as such a little more power, little more upwind, and it likes to jump crazy high. The kite is a LOT of fun. The Unity is going to sit a little deeper in the window and generally be a little bit tamer. Not to say tht the kite will not go upwind, just not as much as the S3.

Hope that helps.

Your body weight is a huge factor. I'm 230 lbs and couldn't ride a 15 syn at 15mph unless maybe I was on a big surfboard. But at 25 I'd be leaned back and locked in, well powered.

Thanks for the input guys I guess I was just expecting a bit too much in such low winds with the synergy and as for the flysurfer think I will go for a Speed 3 12m too bad I cant really demo one first, I guess I will just have to learn to love it.

Where are you riding? Maybe there is a rider near you who could give you a shot at it?

like BoB mentioned weight is a big factor AND the board you ride. if the board has a concave bottom the arcs have to be solidly powered ESP. if your a big guy 20KTS kinda powered.

15mph is light and foils /arcs require a light touch, well balanced and speed to be in their sweet spot, getting the kite AND rider up to speed is the first hurdle.

tubes have LOW SPEED power ( FS have the same but slower build rate).

tubes aren't as sensitive as foils/ arcs to poor board control. the falling back you are experiencing is "too much brake (edging)" kite speed drops and stalls this is called choking the system. gotta let it run to speed and carve up wind without choking it, thats the "dynamic system" balance part.

the fast slick board is a LARGE step for most beginners, nearly zero control with the blast off starts and this can be super slippery, hence MOST folks want a controllable concave bottom board. a lighter rider <180# may not have as much trouble as a heavier rider.