I've been searching the App Store for a new GPS app. I've tried a few but they either don't track Max speed or other basic information. Or they use up my battery in no time. I've seen a few PKF members post info. on their sessions and include a GPS link or screen shot. Just curious what you use and recommend?

I use kitetracker and it does track top speed and show a map of where you have been. It will eat your battery, but I think any gps app will. At least with my iphone.

I use Ulysse Speedometer. It tracks top, avg, avg moving, etc. Highly customizable. It also integrates with Google's "Tracks" to plot your movements in a map if you would like. While I'm using it I put my phone on airplane mode as it only needs the gps to track your movement, at least on my android phones, so the battery actually lasts quite a while.

I think the best app is Google Chrome to search for a place near you that sells a dedicated gps unit. If you really want to know, don't depend on phone batteries and cell signals. I've tried hiking apps to track elevation, distance and other data and the phone lets me down every time. A mile or 2 missing from the hike and a visible section of trail that I levitated straight from one place to another.

I use this GPS after reading another kiter's review of it:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultrasport-GPS-Navrun-500-Heart-Rate...

It's the cheapest waterproof GPS watch too. Shipping to the US was not bad either. Made in Germany. The display screens are customizable and it has a preset sailing mode display, which I changed quite a bit. I like it because I don't have to think about the GPS, I just wear it all the time as my normal watch and turn it on when I want to track myself doing some kind of sport.

Underwater it doesnt work as well, you can see that sometimes when I fell it would show me in the trees or parking lot for a minute and back on track pretty quick. I just got it so I haven't used it for kiting yet but nice to track my mileage wakeboarding. Speed takes a couple seconds to calculate I think, it doesn't seem to be an instant calculation.

Dedicated GPS is better IMHO... I was looking over the qualifications on Popeye The Welder's sight to have him list your top speed or Personal Best. He will not accept speeds listed from cell phone GPS's. My Garmin was only $99.

And yes cell phone GPS will EAT UP your battery. I used google maps when I was out of town recently and simply getting turn by turns from my iPhone took my battery from 75% to nothing in about 1/2 an our... Ridiculous.... And you REALLY don't want to be out kiting and not be able to use your phone in case of an emergency.

good point on losing your phone from battery death due to the GPS. When I'm riding solo I keep my phone close just in case. I'm thinking dedicated GPS may be the best investment. Too bad, all that technology (and free apps), just not there yet.

My friend has an excellent app to record new PBs, he got a personal best of 75mph while walking the length of his garden. To be fair I have heard that some apps are very good but unfortunately the consistency of others varies too much for the smartphone to be relied on for the sort of accuracy we're looking for.