I've had the 3m Peak4 single skin foilkite for a couple of weeks waiting for enough wind to try it kitefoiling. Just flying it on the beach showed how different it was to other kites, both foilkites and LEI, but flying it on the beach doesn't make it a useful addition to anyones quiver. Although it's instant power off makes it a great kite for teaching.

Yesterday had a bit more wind, but still under 10 knots so I foiled with the 10m Flysurfer Soul which was well powered up with the Moses 633. After a while the wind picked up a little, just averaging 10 knots with gusts to 11 so I thought I'd try the 3m peak4 just to see if I could even get close to getting going on my foilboard. First attempt I flogged the kite all over the sky, just about got out of the water onto the board and ran aground. With such light wind the wind window is pretty small so with a cross onshore wind it's hard to get offshore.

Trudged back upwind as the wind seemed a knot stronger in that direction and went in again flogging the kite all over the sky. It seemed I was just on the edge of getting on the board so I kept working the kite, finessing the trim between stalling and maximum power. Finally I got up on the board and with a few more sines of the kite was up on the foil Remember this is just a 3m single skin kite in 10-11knots of wind! Also had witnesses. Foiled out 200m without having to sine the kite too much and turned to toeside where working the kite and maintaining the upwind angle of the board was harder. Touched down slightly a couple of times but was able to keep foiling. The wind chop waves helped a lot on the way in with virtually no pull from the kite when I caught a small wave. This was the purpose of the kite to me, to be able to virtually turn the kite off when on a wave, have it drift, but not have it drop from the sky.

So the essential stats were 10-11knots of wind, using a Moses 633 surf foil on a 91cm mast mounted to Axis FreeMV 125cm board with my weight being 65kg. With a few more knots of wind the 3m Peak4 will be a usable combo. It's amazing how little pull you need on a good surf foil. And you can surf the foil without the kite pulling, because the Peak4's lose power as soon as you sheet out but drift so incredibly well, you don't have to worry about them falling from the sky. This is a good thing as they are not designed as a water relaunchable kite, though with experience you can relaunch them if you maintain line tension.

The wind forecast looks good for at least one day this weekend so fingers crossed it gets over 12knots.

Stretching the season with foil goodness, have fun, Dave