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Flysurfer Peak5!

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Created by drsurf > 9 months ago, 8 Dec 2021
drsurf
NSW, 177 posts
8 Dec 2021 2:32PM
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The new Flysurfer Peak5 has been announced flysurfer.com/project/peak5/
Keenly awaiting my shipment from Flysurfer. However COVID and supply chain issues have meant delays and shortages of stock for one of the most popular kites in the past 2 years. I still have some Peak4 kites in stock however

The performance characteristics of the Peak5 should make it even better for foiling, building on what was already a fantastic kite in the Peak4. The new 2.5m size should give us lightweight kiters an even better top end. Can't wait

Pat WA 1965
WA, 37 posts
9 Dec 2021 7:23AM
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Link to Flysurfer Promotional Vid:

drsurf
NSW, 177 posts
19 Feb 2022 1:47AM
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Finally I have received some sizes of Peak5 from Flysurfer, a few 5m, 6m, 8m and 13m so far. Not yet my favourite sizes of 4m and 2.5m (was 3m P4)
I was able to supply some of my customer orders and have a few Peak5's left and I kept a 5m for demo and myself. So after useless wind for a week I was able to fly the 5m a few times and see what difference there is compared to the Peak4.

Visually the Peak5's look good with new colours, new material, changes in the bridling and different bags. Slightly lighter as well. I rigged the 5m Peak5 on the Flysurfer Connect bar with 21m lines and hot launched it. Just flying the kite on the shore it feels a bit different, a little more responsive and punchy. I grabbed my foil with a new SABFoil W800 wing and went foiling. Immediately the the kite had more grunt getting me out of the water and onto the foil. It felt tighter and more responsive in the air and most of all had the light Peak feel but even better than the Peak4 equivalent Also virtually no flapping in the 10 -15 knot wind even when sheeted out.

A friend who weighs about 30kg more than my 65kg was on a 5m Peak4 so I gave him a go on the Peak5 as a back to back test. He confirmed what I found with the additional power, responsiveness and lack of flapping. To be honest when used correctly I don't really have flapping with my Peak4 kites but the canopy felt and looked smoother and tighter on the Peak5. My friend also crashed the kite into the water but was able to quickly reverse launch and then spin the kite to get it flying again

I also had a run in dying wind which was so light that I could barely keep the kite in the air when I gybed. I really had trouble getting going again after I dropped off the foil especially since I was only using an 840 sq cm high aspect foil. To the kites credit it was fast enough and powerful enough even in this sub 8 knot wind to just get me foiling again and the apparent wind made it feel like the wind was stronger. Until I got to the shore and came in where I found walking toward the kite downwind made it nearly fall from the sky unless I sheeted right out. For a 5m kite I was impressed. It definitely seems more efficient than the Peak4 in marginal wind and subjectively I felt the kite pointed a couple of degrees higher going upwind.

So far I haven't been able to put much time on this Peak5, but so far what flying time I have had show it has definitely improved on the Peak4. It's not so significant an improvement that you would bin your Peak4 kites and go all out Peak5. For a start the kites are in short supply and half the sizes have not been available yet. I love my Peak4's, they have made foiling more fun as well as simpler, easier and cheaper. I still have some Peak4 stock available in sizes I've yet to see in the Peak5. However it's good to know improvements are easy to notice in a new kite and the price increase for the new kites has been minimal. Love these Peak kites
If you're coming down the South Coast feel free to contact me for a demo.

Jhana
WA, 120 posts
24 Feb 2022 11:03AM
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drsurf said..
Finally I have received some sizes of Peak5 from Flysurfer, a few 5m, 6m, 8m and 13m so far. Not yet my favourite sizes of 4m and 2.5m (was 3m P4)
I was able to supply some of my customer orders and have a few Peak5's left and I kept a 5m for demo and myself. So after useless wind for a week I was able to fly the 5m a few times and see what difference there is compared to the Peak4.

Visually the Peak5's look good with new colours, new material, changes in the bridling and different bags. Slightly lighter as well. I rigged the 5m Peak5 on the Flysurfer Connect bar with 21m lines and hot launched it. Just flying the kite on the shore it feels a bit different, a little more responsive and punchy. I grabbed my foil with a new SABFoil W800 wing and went foiling. Immediately the the kite had more grunt getting me out of the water and onto the foil. It felt tighter and more responsive in the air and most of all had the light Peak feel but even better than the Peak4 equivalent Also virtually no flapping in the 10 -15 knot wind even when sheeted out.

A friend who weighs about 30kg more than my 65kg was on a 5m Peak4 so I gave him a go on the Peak5 as a back to back test. He confirmed what I found with the additional power, responsiveness and lack of flapping. To be honest when used correctly I don't really have flapping with my Peak4 kites but the canopy felt and looked smoother and tighter on the Peak5. My friend also crashed the kite into the water but was able to quickly reverse launch and then spin the kite to get it flying again

I also had a run in dying wind which was so light that I could barely keep the kite in the air when I gybed. I really had trouble getting going again after I dropped off the foil especially since I was only using an 840 sq cm high aspect foil. To the kites credit it was fast enough and powerful enough even in this sub 8 knot wind to just get me foiling again and the apparent wind made it feel like the wind was stronger. Until I got to the shore and came in where I found walking toward the kite downwind made it nearly fall from the sky unless I sheeted right out. For a 5m kite I was impressed. It definitely seems more efficient than the Peak4 in marginal wind and subjectively I felt the kite pointed a couple of degrees higher going upwind.

So far I haven't been able to put much time on this Peak5, but so far what flying time I have had show it has definitely improved on the Peak4. It's not so significant an improvement that you would bin your Peak4 kites and go all out Peak5. For a start the kites are in short supply and half the sizes have not been available yet. I love my Peak4's, they have made foiling more fun as well as simpler, easier and cheaper. I still have some Peak4 stock available in sizes I've yet to see in the Peak5. However it's good to know improvements are easy to notice in a new kite and the price increase for the new kites has been minimal. Love these Peak kites
If you're coming down the South Coast feel free to contact me for a demo.


The Batton's on the Peak5 are longer than the Peak4 by about 50cm, this may be the reason the Peak5 doesn't flap as much

drsurf
NSW, 177 posts
17 Apr 2022 10:34PM
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I've had the full range of Peak5 kites in stock for a couple of weeks now, (should have been here in December)
Anyway my favourite sizes, the 2.5m, (previously 3m in Peak4), and 4m have stayed in their bags as the wind has not cooperated and I was doubtful there would be enough wind at the end of this season to test the smaller kites.

However today was the day I'd been waiting for, a forecast of a decent sea breeze maybe over 20 knots!
When I got to the beach the wind was gusting to 13 knots on my hand held wind meter. Thinking it's got to be more out on the water I optimistically rigged the 2.5m Peak5 on 21m lines while others on the beach rigged 8-9m LEI kites for foiling, 12m LEI's for TT and surfboards and 4m-6m wingdings. For my stats I weigh 65kg and am using a Moses/SABfoil 679 front wing of 990 sq cm.

I hot launched the 2.5m Peak5, which looked like a trainer kite on the beach, and even smaller in the air! It was fast as expected and seemed to have enough power to get me onto the foil. When I got out to deep water the wind seemed to have dropped a bit but I was able pop up onto the foil with relative ease and foil further offshore to where I hoped the wind would be better which it was. It never felt like the wind picked up as much as forecast but I never had a problem staying on the foil even in the lulls. Checking the two live wind report stations within 5km after the session they indicated an average wind speed of 12-15 knots with gusts to 18 knots throughout the afternoon.

So how was 2.5m, the smallest kite on the beach apart from some trainer and toy kites? Amazingly good
I think I could have got by with the 4m Peak5 which I'm yet to foil with, (maybe tomorrow?). But I like to use the smallest kite I can so I can ride the foil more than be dragged by the kite. Some of the time I was sining the kite through the lulls but I had no problem going upwind and then riding the small wind swells back down through the Easter holiday crowd of kitesurfers, wingers and a couple of sailboarders who were vigorously mowing the lawn with the occasional collision. I was able to outpace most of the kitesurfers and other foilers across the wind even with my tiny kite. Granted none of us are top tier wind sports people

And the difference between the new 2.5m Peak5 and the previous 3m Peak4 kite? Not massively different. It's a bit hard to compare exactly after just one session with one kite but I'd say the differences were, the 2.5m Peak5 was faster and more responsive, (no surprise as it's smaller).
The 2.5m required a bit more attention in lulls as I had quite a bit of backstall set into the depower adjustment and it could stall if sheeted in underpowered. To be expected with a smaller kite
Better gust handling with the 2.5m, once again it's smaller so should be better, but it felt like it ran a bit closer to the edge of the window and I never used much depower when the wind was stronger except downwind foiling. Upwind felt a little better.
No noticeable flapping even depowered. This was never really a problem with my 3m Peak4 though as it's more of a technique issue except in ridiculously high wind.
Drift is of course fantastic though the Peak5 feels more responsive to turning when using some depower.

Need more time on these Peak5 kites to really feel the difference. But if you have Peak4 kites they're still good The Peak5 is a little better in my testing so far and the characteristics which have made the Peak kites so good for foiling are now even better.

drsurf
NSW, 177 posts
3 May 2022 11:25PM
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Before the seabreeze completely finished for winter it had one last puff today, enough to try my new 4m Peak5. After a few trips to the beach where the wind did not blow as forecast, today it was gusting up to 11 knots on the beach with my wind meter, good enough for the 4m

I've previously used the 4m Peak4 and it was a fantastic kite, it was perfect for 10 to 16 knot seabreezes which are common in summer. So I wanted to see how the Peak5 version performed. Hotlaunching the kite on the beach it felt like there was plenty of power to get my 65kg up on my 990 sq cm foil. When I got to deep enough water a couple of figure eights across the window and I was up on the foil.

There were no other kiters about but there were two wingdingers on 4m and 5m wings from Sydney further out on the bay who were only intermittently foiling. I was able to easily foil upwind and ride some small wind chop downwind riding left and right as the chop appeared and subsided. The kite was as easy to fly as the previous model and only a few small differences. It felt a bit tighter and more responsive and there was virtually no flapping when fully depowered foiling on wave power. It pointed a little higher upwind and drifted possibly slightly better than the Peak4.

The wind did pick up a little and the wingdingers were able to get themselves foiling most of the time. Spent a little time foiling with them. I felt a bit sorry for them as it was harder work for them to stay foiling and I was able to easily outpace them and point higher.

Very happy with these new Peak5 kites. Virtually all kites nowadays are only incremental improvements on what has preceded them apart from material advances like Aluula. The Peak5 kites are made from a tougher fabric than the Peak4 kites and they are slightly lighter and definitely have improved on what was already a fantastic kite for foiling. Still the Peak4 kites I've sold which are over 2 years old are still going strong and in excellent condition. A kite designed for snowkiting up a mountain isn't going to be stressed pulling someone on a hydrofoil

MarTrench
14 posts
4 May 2022 7:31AM
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I've heard there are hints that a new "hybrid" single skin Flysurfer kite aimed at hydrofoiling is under development. Will be interesting to see how the weight/drift compares to the Peaks...

drsurf
NSW, 177 posts
4 May 2022 11:19PM
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The rumour about a Flysurfer hybrid kite has been around for a while. There is a video somewhere of them trying the concept some years ago. Gin has the Marabou and Sky Country has the Hysper which are both hybrid style kites. However they haven't been as popular as the Peak5 or as accessible and affordable.

While I think there will be more hybrid kites someday, it's hard to see how they will match the Peak4/5 kites for lightness, performance and affordability. In my experience the Peak's are so easy to fly with a good foil, reasonable skill will keep the kites out of the water. Over the past 8 months on Peak4 & 5 kites I can't remember having to swim in with a downed kite. The only drop in the water I had recently was not paying attention in a very light wind gybe when my 5m Peak5 lost line tension and collapsed. I was able to relaunch the kite quite easily, something I think the Peak5's are better at.

I do sell Flysurfer kites so there's no doubt some bias in my posts. However my Peak customers are fervent Peak users and once they've used a Peak they tend to buy more and rarely use their other kites for foiling. They are somewhat addictive

KBGhost
QLD, 260 posts
5 May 2022 7:01AM
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I don't really see the point tbh, a hybrid wouldn't give me a great feeling of security over a single skin - I would need to go inflatable for that. And to be honest the only time I've really ended up in trouble and swept out a river mouth and into a circular rip in the surf zone with the sun a bit low for comfort, it was a broken rope spreader and no kite would have relaunched, although I could have floated through the night with more security on an inflatable, if it came to that.

As for Hysper they are very new and also made in Ukraine, so I don't think it's fair to say they haven't been popular, they haven't had the chance yet.

I have been addicted to the p4's however I'm personally moving away from them a bit as I want more raw power and better upwind ability. I will keep them for when I'm using a large wing, they pair beautifully with a bigger wing and slower foiling, but not so good for the faster more powered riding, which is where I'm heading these days.

Caribcat
2 posts
8 May 2022 9:52PM
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Hi Guys, I'm jumping on this thread as finding info on the Peak 5 here in the UK a little short, hope that's OK. I'm currently using a Soul 10 on 15m lines but am looking at replacing with a Peak 5 5m or 6m. I'm 76 kg riding Lift Foils 700-1100cm2 and am looking for the perfect 10 -16 knot kite. I'm in North Wales so wind is nice and dense. With the Peak 4 everyone would recommend the 5m as the sweet spot kite from what I have read. What about the Peak 5? Get the 5m and be done with it or get the 6m and consider something smaller in the future if I like it? Thanks for any help you can offer.

Jhana
WA, 120 posts
8 May 2022 11:21PM
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Caribcat said..
Hi Guys, I'm jumping on this thread as finding info on the Peak 5 here in the UK a little short, hope that's OK. I'm currently using a Soul 10 on 15m lines but am looking at replacing with a Peak 5 5m or 6m. I'm 76 kg riding Lift Foils 700-1100cm2 and am looking for the perfect 10 -16 knot kite. I'm in North Wales so wind is nice and dense. With the Peak 4 everyone would recommend the 5m as the sweet spot kite from what I have read. What about the Peak 5? Get the 5m and be done with it or get the 6m and consider something smaller in the future if I like it? Thanks for any help you can offer.


With 10kts you will struggle with a 5m Peak, I would go a 6m for your low end kiting

Caribcat
2 posts
9 May 2022 5:45PM
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Jhana said..

Caribcat said..
Hi Guys, I'm jumping on this thread as finding info on the Peak 5 here in the UK a little short, hope that's OK. I'm currently using a Soul 10 on 15m lines but am looking at replacing with a Peak 5 5m or 6m. I'm 76 kg riding Lift Foils 700-1100cm2 and am looking for the perfect 10 -16 knot kite. I'm in North Wales so wind is nice and dense. With the Peak 4 everyone would recommend the 5m as the sweet spot kite from what I have read. What about the Peak 5? Get the 5m and be done with it or get the 6m and consider something smaller in the future if I like it? Thanks for any help you can offer.



With 10kts you will struggle with a 5m Peak, I would go a 6m for your low end kiting


That's great -not what I expected however, but what I needed to know.

drsurf
NSW, 177 posts
10 May 2022 3:00AM
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Caribcat said..
Hi Guys, I'm jumping on this thread as finding info on the Peak 5 here in the UK a little short, hope that's OK. I'm currently using a Soul 10 on 15m lines but am looking at replacing with a Peak 5 5m or 6m. I'm 76 kg riding Lift Foils 700-1100cm2 and am looking for the perfect 10 -16 knot kite. I'm in North Wales so wind is nice and dense. With the Peak 4 everyone would recommend the 5m as the sweet spot kite from what I have read. What about the Peak 5? Get the 5m and be done with it or get the 6m and consider something smaller in the future if I like it? Thanks for any help you can offer.


It's surprising how well the 5m performs. One of my Peak4 customers is around 100kg and he uses a 5m for lighter wind and 4m for stronger days. There is a small improvement in low end power with the Peak5 and if the wind was mainly over 10 knots I think a 5m would do with your larger foil. Both 5 & 6 are fun sizes but the 5m is faster = more fun

It's disappointing you can't find any Peak users in the UK considering how popular they are. It would be worth your while to try before you buy and I'm sure any Peak owner would be happy to give you a go.

tim111
ACT, 57 posts
11 May 2022 3:00AM
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Hey All. I would like to understand how the performance of the peak5 compares to the peak4 in the larger sizes. Has anyone had experience with both and can speak to that? Is the difference significant enough that there would be a noticeable difference in flight characteristics?

Doctorlactic
VIC, 6 posts
13 May 2022 2:25PM
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Caribcat said..
Hi Guys, I'm jumping on this thread as finding info on the Peak 5 here in the UK a little short, hope that's OK. I'm currently using a Soul 10 on 15m lines but am looking at replacing with a Peak 5 5m or 6m. I'm 76 kg riding Lift Foils 700-1100cm2 and am looking for the perfect 10 -16 knot kite. I'm in North Wales so wind is nice and dense. With the Peak 4 everyone would recommend the 5m as the sweet spot kite from what I have read. What about the Peak 5? Get the 5m and be done with it or get the 6m and consider something smaller in the future if I like it? Thanks for any help you can offer.


Caribcat, I've a Soul 10m as well. I purchased an 8m Peak from the Good Doctor and loved it so much I added a 5m and a 13m to the quiver! The 8m is so much fun I actually TT on it when others are on 13-17m LEI's as well as foil. I reckon the Soul 10 is hard work and feels large compared to the nimble 8m Peak or even the 13. At 78kg and a relative newbie, I actually like the larger sizes as they are slow to fall from the sky if I mess up. The 5m is super fast and for me, lesser used partly because I enjoy foiling most in that 8-12 knot range. The Peak lets you easily kill the power when slightly overpowered. The power delivery in the kite is super smooth and the bar pressure is light on all sizes. Upwind ability is reasonable though better with smaller sizes in strong wing but won't match the Soul. My 8m weighs about 1kg and my 13m about 1.4kg. Grab one!

drsurf
NSW, 177 posts
14 May 2022 12:17AM
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tim111 said..
Hey All. I would like to understand how the performance of the peak5 compares to the peak4 in the larger sizes. Has anyone had experience with both and can speak to that? Is the difference significant enough that there would be a noticeable difference in flight characteristics?


Hi tim111.
Although I've tried Peak4 and Peak5 kites in a range of sizes I've only tried the Peak5 in 5m, 4m and 2.5m. These kites matched what I used in the Peak4 sizes though I have used the Peak4 in 8m and 13m.

So although it's not directly answering your question re the large sizes, in general compared to the Peak4 the Peak5 kites feel tighter and more responsive, point upwind slightly higher and have a little more grunt at the bottom end of their range and are more comfortable at the top end of their range. Also I've dropped the 5m once in a light wind gybe and found it relaunched quite easily.

If you're after the best flight characteristics definitely go for the Peak5. But it's not a massive change from the Peak4, which is still a great kite, and both Peaks are fun on the water or snow

fun2kite
24 posts
17 Aug 2022 11:32AM
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Hi Everyone.
thanks for this thread. I am thinking of getting P5 for ultra light wind foiling.. It seem everyone on this thread is implying that the small size of Peak5 maybe be equivalent to bigger size of Flysurfer Soul ?

Anyone can comment how do they compare: Flysurfer Soul vs Peak5/4 in terms of grunt and how big is the difference in terms of sitting more back in the wind window for P5?

If I wanted a power of a Flysurfer Soul 15M, which Peak 5 size should I go for?

I saw that Peak 5 13M is 1.5 kg (amazing), but anyone have stats how low wing it will stay in the air?


I plan to use Peak 5 for 4-6 knots days and I will use a wing board with large foil , probably Axis 1310 .
I saw a video of a guy riding 13m in under 3 knots.. video below.. I probably will not venture in 3 knots..


But want to do in 4 knots.. Do you peeps think, I need the 13M Peak , or can I get away with smaller size?

Thanks to everyone in advance.



Hugo riding 13 Peak 5 in under 3 knots:

fun2kite
24 posts
17 Aug 2022 11:35AM
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another question guys..
Do I need to buy a bar with Peak5? ie: does it need a special bar or , can I use any other bar I currently use for foil kites?
I am confused by this BSAFE system and not sure if a special bar / special set of lines required to fly P5?

Jhana
WA, 120 posts
17 Aug 2022 8:49PM
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fun2kite said..
another question guys..
Do I need to buy a bar with Peak5? ie: does it need a special bar or , can I use any other bar I currently use for foil kites?
I am confused by this BSAFE system and not sure if a special bar / special set of lines required to fly P5?


You dont need a special bar , I use an Ozone bar the connection rings on the Peak bridles will fit any bar

Jhana
WA, 120 posts
17 Aug 2022 8:52PM
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fun2kite said..
Hi Everyone.
thanks for this thread. I am thinking of getting P5 for ultra light wind foiling.. It seem everyone on this thread is implying that the small size of Peak5 maybe be equivalent to bigger size of Flysurfer Soul ?

Anyone can comment how do they compare: Flysurfer Soul vs Peak5/4 in terms of grunt and how big is the difference in terms of sitting more back in the wind window for P5?

If I wanted a power of a Flysurfer Soul 15M, which Peak 5 size should I go for?

I saw that Peak 5 13M is 1.5 kg (amazing), but anyone have stats how low wing it will stay in the air?


I plan to use Peak 5 for 4-6 knots days and I will use a wing board with large foil , probably Axis 1310 .
I saw a video of a guy riding 13m in under 3 knots.. video below.. I probably will not venture in 3 knots..


But want to do in 4 knots.. Do you peeps think, I need the 13M Peak , or can I get away with smaller size?

Thanks to everyone in advance.



Hugo riding 13 Peak 5 in under 3 knots:





I have a 13m Peak I use it when it is 6 kts or less however if the wind picks up you will be overpowered very quickly a 13m Peak is the equivalent to a 19m Leading edge kite, also you have to have some wind on the ground to launch it, if there is 6kts in the air but no wind on the ground then you cant launch, also you have to send the kite over the other side about 5 seconds or more before you gybe

fun2kite
24 posts
23 Aug 2022 1:12PM
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Jhana said..





I have a 13m Peak I use it when it is 6 kts or less however if the wind picks up you will be overpowered very quickly a 13m Peak is the equivalent to a 19m Leading edge kite, also you have to have some wind on the ground to launch it, if there is 6kts in the air but no wind on the ground then you cant launch, also you have to send the kite over the other side about 5 seconds or more before you gybe


Thanks this makes sense. at how much wind do you get overpowered? Can you still ride it on a foil in 10 knots?

Sending over 5 seconds or more is concerning.. the kite is that slow?

Can you comment on how it's upwind ability? I understand it will not compare to Soul, but would you say its the same as a tube kite of 18m size?

Jhana
WA, 120 posts
23 Aug 2022 6:46PM
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fun2kite said..

Jhana said..





I have a 13m Peak I use it when it is 6 kts or less however if the wind picks up you will be overpowered very quickly a 13m Peak is the equivalent to a 19m Leading edge kite, also you have to have some wind on the ground to launch it, if there is 6kts in the air but no wind on the ground then you cant launch, also you have to send the kite over the other side about 5 seconds or more before you gybe



Thanks this makes sense. at how much wind do you get overpowered? Can you still ride it on a foil in 10 knots?

Sending over 5 seconds or more is concerning.. the kite is that slow?

Can you comment on how it's upwind ability? I understand it will not compare to Soul, but would you say its the same as a tube kite of 18m size?


I will get overpowered if the wind stays consistant at 12kts, but if the wind is up and down say it goes from 7 to 12kts then its fine you can adjust easily.

At 6 kts or less the kite will take some time to transition to the other side this is especia;;y so when you do a gybe, you have to time the gybe well otherwise if you turn the board too early in the gybe and the kite is not over the other side then your board, as it goes downwind a little will make the lines go slack and the kite wont have enough apparent wind or pressure in it and it may just crumple and fall out of the sky, so you can downloop but you still have to time the gybe well and not turn too early.

Upwind ability is ok, however it also depends on your board and foil and stance on the board and how efficient you are at getting into the heelside after a gybe, I switch my feet before to toeside just before I gybe then I bring the kite over the top and turn onto my heelside and I easily go upwind, if you gybe from heelside onto your toeside and dont immediately switch feet to heelside you will lose ground, also if you downloop on a gybe you will lose ground.

You can comfortably ride the 13m in 10 kts the beauty of the kite is that you can get through lulls easily

I was in Sanur Bali recently and I could only take 3 kites so I took my 11m Peak4 for light wind, I was the only one foiling sometimes I was out in 7-8 kts at a guess I like the 11m more than the 13 m but when its really light and there is very little chance the wind will be over 11kts will take the 13m out.

Obviously the 13m will pull more than the 11m but the 11m turns quicker, I recently changed my foilboard and I notice that the new board is so much more efficient when doing turns, this means there is less chance of letting the lines go slack. The best way to test how long it takes to get the kite from one side to the other is to stand on the beach and bring the kite over and count how many seconds it takes, you really want the kite to comeover to 11am or 1pm approx before you turn the board on the gybe, hope this helps.

drsurf
NSW, 177 posts
30 Dec 2022 2:17AM
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After a terrible wet winter and a spring & early summer that wasn't much better wind wise, it's finally been blowing for Christmas
As good as any pressie, a nice nor-east seabreeze has been great for kitefoiling with the Peak5 kites.
However I have yet to break out the 5m Peak5. Even though the wind is barely measuring 10 knots on shore and 10-11m twin tippers are struggling to stay upwind the 4m Peak5 has been my go to kite in these conditions and the 2.5m Peak5 when over 15 knots. I've also been using the 3.5m Hybrid when I can't make up my mind between the two Peaks and when I feel like trying manoeuvres where I'm likely to repeatedly crash the kite.

I know being 67kg has its advantages with regard to using smaller kites but my other kite buddies who are 15kg or more heavier than me are on a 4m or 5m Peaks and having fun. Mind you when the wind was gusting to 30 knots on one day with the 2.5m on 14m lines, more weight would be an advantage. It wasn't the power in the kite so much as the large and steep high frequency chop which was hard to get through at speed without breaching in the troughs after clipping the peaks.

I do live in an area where the seabreeze is usually very consistent. Just wondering what size other Peak owners use the most?

zarb
NSW, 620 posts
24 Feb 2023 10:36AM
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I was wondering if I could get a reasonable flexible wind range on the Peak by swapping my front wings around? I'm a heavier dude (90kg), but I love zippy kites, looping waterstarts, etc. So I think the 5m or 6m should be good for me in light-ish conditions (12+)?
I'm going to be banking on being able to swap other aspects of my gear around to deal with changing conditions - as I already have quite a quiver of wings from my other foil sports. HPS1050, ART1099, BSC890, BSC740.
What kind of wind range do you think the 5/6m would give me by using those front wings?

drsurf
NSW, 177 posts
26 Feb 2023 12:33PM
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zarb said..
I was wondering if I could get a reasonable flexible wind range on the Peak by swapping my front wings around? I'm a heavier dude (90kg), but I love zippy kites, looping waterstarts, etc. So I think the 5m or 6m should be good for me in light-ish conditions (12+)?
I'm going to be banking on being able to swap other aspects of my gear around to deal with changing conditions - as I already have quite a quiver of wings from my other foil sports. HPS1050, ART1099, BSC890, BSC740.
What kind of wind range do you think the 5/6m would give me by using those front wings?


Hi Zarb.
I have customers in your weight range which are using the 5m & 6m Peak in 10-12 knots on 1000 sq cm foils. For maximum zippiness the 5m would be the go and you could start with the BSC890. If that feels a bit big you could try the BSC740. The Peaks have quite a good range. If you just want to mow the lawn, foiling with the 5m would be usable for your weight up to 20 knots. However if you want to ride waves/swell/wind chop maximum fun means the smallest kite that will get your butt out of the water and 4m is great for bigger guys when the wind hits 13-14 knots.

I assume you are wingfoiling with the range of wings you have? If so you'll find the Peak kites have a lot of power compared to a similar sized wing. Not only do the kites work higher in the air where there's more wind but the Peaks especially are easy to fly hard to get maximum power. Being so light they have plenty of pull in the upstroke as well as the downstroke and fly deeper in the wind window where they are less likely to stall. Small zippy kites are fantastic for kitefoiling and once you've tried it's hard to go back to heavy LEI kites.

Not sure where you are in NSW but here on the NSW south coast 10-12 knots has the kitefoilers out frothing with many on Flysurfer Peak & Hybrid kites. Let me know if you want to try one

zarb
NSW, 620 posts
27 Feb 2023 8:29AM
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drsurf said..

zarb said..
I was wondering if I could get a reasonable flexible wind range on the Peak by swapping my front wings around? I'm a heavier dude (90kg), but I love zippy kites, looping waterstarts, etc. So I think the 5m or 6m should be good for me in light-ish conditions (12+)?
I'm going to be banking on being able to swap other aspects of my gear around to deal with changing conditions - as I already have quite a quiver of wings from my other foil sports. HPS1050, ART1099, BSC890, BSC740.
What kind of wind range do you think the 5/6m would give me by using those front wings?



Hi Zarb.
I have customers in your weight range which are using the 5m & 6m Peak in 10-12 knots on 1000 sq cm foils. For maximum zippiness the 5m would be the go and you could start with the BSC890. If that feels a bit big you could try the BSC740. The Peaks have quite a good range. If you just want to mow the lawn, foiling with the 5m would be usable for your weight up to 20 knots. However if you want to ride waves/swell/wind chop maximum fun means the smallest kite that will get your butt out of the water and 4m is great for bigger guys when the wind hits 13-14 knots.

I assume you are wingfoiling with the range of wings you have? If so you'll find the Peak kites have a lot of power compared to a similar sized wing. Not only do the kites work higher in the air where there's more wind but the Peaks especially are easy to fly hard to get maximum power. Being so light they have plenty of pull in the upstroke as well as the downstroke and fly deeper in the wind window where they are less likely to stall. Small zippy kites are fantastic for kitefoiling and once you've tried it's hard to go back to heavy LEI kites.

Not sure where you are in NSW but here on the NSW south coast 10-12 knots has the kitefoilers out frothing with many on Flysurfer Peak & Hybrid kites. Let me know if you want to try one


Thanks for the response! Most of my wings are actually from prone foiling, and I've just recently started wingfoiling. But I secretly don't really like it... haha. I'm still in the awkward stage and admittedly only really continuing with it because I want to be able to catch swell & waves with better depower than on my normal kite setup (Reo's). But I got turned onto the Peaks because my friends were saying that it's the closest thing to full depower riding waves with a kite. I've also grown up with little 2m sport kites, so these look like a lot of fun to me.

I'll probably get the 5m based on your advice. The 4m is tempting, but I'm also thinking about getting a 2.5m in the near-future for stronger days and the 4m might be too much of an overlap in that case?

djdojo
VIC, 1607 posts
27 Feb 2023 12:31PM
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Start with the 5 and then work your way down. Having 5, 4, and 2.5 means that each kite is operating in its best wind range and this increases fun and reduces wear and tear. I have 5, 4 and 3 in the Peak 4s and a 2.5 Hybrid and really enjoy having all those sizes. With my minimalist bars attached to each kite all 4 still easily fit in an old backpack from a 10 LEI for easy transport.

NathanG
NSW, 139 posts
27 Feb 2023 1:21PM
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I'm on the same journey Zarb, but in reverse. Kite foil to prone foil (and much easier). I'm 100kg and 6'5" and am loving foils both under my feet and in the sky.

Peaks and hybrids allow you to head dead downwind with minimum kite power, then fang it back upwind to repeat.

On the weekend the TT's on Botany Bay were on 12m kites, while I was on a 4m foil kite, 1350cm2 front-foil and small low volume board. I now chase water where tide is rushing against the wind, to get maximum chop and whitecaps (ocean swells are yet to arrive, after summer junk).

Let us know how you go on the flysurfer kites and your large high aspect foils. I think djdojo uses small high aspect foils on his pocket sized board on port Phillip Bay.

zarb
NSW, 620 posts
27 Feb 2023 5:53PM
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Awesome Nathan. I can't wait to give them a go. Funny you mention the tide vs wind, I live a lot of the year on the west coast of the US and spend some time each year at Hood River. Perfect for what you're chasing. Living over in the US also gives me some nice snowkiting access, so I'm keen to get the Peak out there too. First stop though is Corpus Christi to dial in my new pocket board

Koba
WA, 3 posts
6 Sep 2023 1:07PM
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drsurf said..
The new Flysurfer Peak5 has been announced flysurfer.com/project/peak5/
Keenly awaiting my shipment from Flysurfer. However COVID and supply chain issues have meant delays and shortages of stock for one of the most popular kites in the past 2 years. I still have some Peak4 kites in stock however

The performance characteristics of the Peak5 should make it even better for foiling, building on what was already a fantastic kite in the Peak4. The new 2.5m size should give us lightweight kiters an even better top end. Can't wait


Hi drsurf I have several peak5s in japan. peaks are my go to kite. But 13m is not good recentry a year past. when the kite flying left hand shoulder is broken especially strong wind and depowerd. I asked flysurfer teck they said shorten B and C line. but not improved. do you have same problem? if you have some information. please give me some helps. regards koba

drsurf
NSW, 177 posts
7 Sep 2023 2:35AM
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Select to expand quote
Koba said..

drsurf said..
The new Flysurfer Peak5 has been announced flysurfer.com/project/peak5/
Keenly awaiting my shipment from Flysurfer. However COVID and supply chain issues have meant delays and shortages of stock for one of the most popular kites in the past 2 years. I still have some Peak4 kites in stock however

The performance characteristics of the Peak5 should make it even better for foiling, building on what was already a fantastic kite in the Peak4. The new 2.5m size should give us lightweight kiters an even better top end. Can't wait



Hi drsurf I have several peak5s in japan. peaks are my go to kite. But 13m is not good recentry a year past. when the kite flying left hand shoulder is broken especially strong wind and depowerd. I asked flysurfer teck they said shorten B and C line. but not improved. do you have same problem? if you have some information. please give me some helps. regards koba


Hi Koba.
What wind strength are you using the 13m Peak5 in?



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"Flysurfer Peak5!" started by drsurf