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Light Wind = Big Board + Massive Kite

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Created by AUS116 > 9 months ago, 12 Aug 2013
AUS116
QLD, 21 posts
12 Aug 2013 9:02PM
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Hi All, Have had a few questions sent my way after linking my vid in another post. So thought I'd answer a few here and throw the link back up for good measure.

1: Yes, the kite actually is 22.5 sqm (surface area)
2: It is incredibly easy to self launch and self land when you know how.
3: It is inflated by RAM air when flying, but with such light winds I usually inflate it with a bucket and a PC fan before launch.
4: Yes it is slow to start turning and slow to stop turning due it's inertia from containing many cubic metres of air.
5: The inertia however allows it to literally pull you through lulls if you are on speed and additionally does end up making the kite fast at turning once you pre-empt what you want and set it up.
6: I currently have it tuned for flight speed, and low stalling potential, it can be tuned for fast turns but stalls at a lower AofA.
7: It will happily fly in 4kts of wind, and happily sits very stable at zenith if you want to have a chat to someone on the beach or something, including if you crash and let go of the bar.
8: If it does stall you can easily pump the centre lines and it will regain fwd speed and shoot back up through the window.
9: It will relaunch off the water in very light winds and remains inflated on the water due the leading edge intake check valves (actually just material sewn to form a duct but closes when the static pressure inside the kite is greater than the outside)
10: Yep, I'm on the sunny coast in QLD and if you see a massive bright red doona cover marshmallow-like cloud flying around.. it'll be me...Cheers

Here's the link... Go for the 720 HD option if you have the bandwidth


gokid
QLD, 491 posts
12 Aug 2013 9:26PM
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checked out your video,very impressed,hardly any wind,the ocean is kinda glassy,looked like you were well powered and having fun,checked out the price on the net,Onch!!,but I guess there is a lot of kite,my mate tells me you can get a better price if you can find a new one thats been superceded by a newer model

cauncy
WA, 8407 posts
12 Aug 2013 7:34PM
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how do you turn the video from slow motion

Lambie
QLD, 742 posts
12 Aug 2013 9:43PM
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Hmm quite impressive !! - but in conditions like that is when I go fishing - so now its a decision between 'doona time' and enjoying some time on the boat - but the cost of the doona say - GO FISHING !!
Nice vid of what is possible if you haven't an alternative activity !!

Fruitloop
NSW, 42 posts
12 Aug 2013 11:04PM
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And radio birdman for a sound track like your work

Jedibrad
NSW, 527 posts
13 Aug 2013 8:46AM
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Vid was prob more suited to something from Enya or those dudes with the pan flutes

wishy
WA, 1501 posts
13 Aug 2013 6:14PM
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Poor guys. I can't even go upwind any more unless it's 25knots +. Too hard basket.

JaspervD
7 posts
13 Aug 2013 6:33PM
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Still a lot cheaper than a Flysurfer 21m, and faster on the turning too it seems.
Would like to see more of this kite, can't find more video's or reviews on it tho.
If it can really get you going with this in 6 knots FS finally has a more affordable competitor... hmmm, interesting!

AUS116
QLD, 21 posts
14 Aug 2013 7:37PM
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Yep that's it JasperD....I originally bought it as I wanted a big foil for light wind. The Flysurfer was pretty much a grand more so I opted for the massive Peter Lynn instead. Knowing that the PL foils are more regarded as high wind machines I took a bit of a gamble but figured if I tuned it as stated in the post above I might be able to get it to perform well in the light stuff. I've had it for quite some time now and have been totally stoked with it's performance, for such a big machine it turns real well when you know what you are doing, and with some apparent wind it really gets going in the light stuff. If you are chasing some more footage let me know? Weather permitting I might try get some footage of it on some downwinders, the PL's are pretty impressive when you turn towards them on a wave, basically they flatten out the arc becoming more wing looking and just float along downwind at about a 45 deg angle.. If you want to get real aggressive with turning towards them then they happily downloop and remain powered up through your transitions, I think this has a lot to do with the inertia they have. Anyways, thanks for the positive comments from those of you above, is pretty daunting to make a post with a vid...waiting to get shredded by all you guys.. Cheers.

jamesperth
WA, 611 posts
14 Aug 2013 8:19PM
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Nice vid - looks fun. Im curious - what line lengths are you using ? I bought a 2nd hand Speed 3 21 recently, and have been using it on the standard 21m lines off the Perth beaches- it's surprisingly handy. Funnily enough when I add the 6m extensions the turning speed drops dramatically, and it's caught me out on more than one occasion. Ultimately more bottom end, but I think I need really still water to get the absolute best performance out of it. How do you find the PL ?

AUS116
QLD, 21 posts
15 Aug 2013 5:58PM
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G'day James, I'm running lines at 26m, the PL standard TS Navigator bar 23m lines with 3m extensions. I'm at this length specifically for the light stuff, the extra 3m gives more time to dive and get the kite up to speed. I've found that the turning speed at this length is still really good, but like I said above, it's slow to start and slow to stop turning (understandable at this size though). Being a classic c / arc shape I guess really helps with turning speed, being of a lower aspect ratio than your Speed 3 no doubt also a contributor although at the cost of more induced drag. In regards to water conditions, well, I guess the flatter the conditions the more chance of holding an edge and generating more fwd speed. I've really had no dramas with the PL in the open ocean or the surf but do get that floating feeling if there's any swell as I'm fairly regularly getting lifted off the water. You may have noticed in the vid that if I'm not transitioning I keep the kite pretty low in the window, this really helps with going upwind and keeping the board on the water. Additionally you literally need to be kiting about 10m ahead of yourself in your mind in order to anticipate your next move yet put the input into the bar straight away. This is quite noticeable if you accidentally get air without putting a downstroke into the kite before doing so... No dramas though you just float up..and the kite overflys you due it's inertia, but it will then open up the C shape, flatten out and float back in the window. If you look at about 4:41 minutes in the vid you can see where this happens as I put the input in after getting a small amount of air instead of putting it in before it... Cheers.

JaspervD
7 posts
15 Aug 2013 4:59PM
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That's what I always found as well, PL for high winds and FS for the low stuff.
Have been living in a high wind area for years so I have always flown PL and was always impressed by their stability and gust munching, and just loved the way they handle.
And as I ride landboard and buggy too I like the not having to worry about popping a bladder when I mess up, even damaged arcs have gotten me back to camp a couple times.
Then I think they dropped the ball with the first generation Charger (for me at least) as it was way too aggressive and it had lost the super stability all the previous ones had.
Now I've moved to a low wind area due to work I tried FS speed III's but those kind of disappointed, price, amount of (drag inducing) bridles, slow turning.
Awesome airtime, but no way to redirect in time to maintain momentum.

But seeing this I think I'll have to get my hands on a PL again :-), see if I can get the local kiteshop to arrange for a demokite..
(and have them sell it to me for cheap hehehe)

AUS116
QLD, 21 posts
15 Aug 2013 11:07PM
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Yep JaspervD definitely try and get your hands on a demo (if there's actually any here in OZ?), I started my kiting on LEI's like most of us here and bought a first generation 15m Charger as it was cheap. I really enjoyed the challenge of flying it with the inertia and pre-emptive inputs and found that it really improved my LEI flying dramatically. Having since sold that kite and moved to the latest generation charger I'm totally stoked with the performance, the stability, ease of self launch/landing etc... The autozenith, the way it opens up and floats and the way it stays uniformly on power through turns and downloops are just awesome. Going from your comments on the first generation and from what I've heard from others I'd say you'd be totally surprised and stoked with the new models, although looking similar they are a really refined machine. Further, their new VPC bridle is much more efficient and their new lines are second to none, they have super robust pigtails on the ends and as before a real simple and easy to use depower system. I'm unsure as to what part of Oz you are in but I actually bought my 22.5 from PL directly in the Netherlands, at the time there was no-one stocking them here in OZ and well...I was pretty keen. I've since learned that Briskites can get them with some notice so if you are local or even semi-local maybe give them a call....



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"Light Wind = Big Board + Massive Kite" started by AUS116