Peter Lynn Pepper 2.5M 4.5M & 6.5M

We have had these kites for about six months.... I thought it was time to shout about them a bit.

They are NOT the kind of kite you would make much of a fuss over, they are not a super high aspect race or freestyle kite, they aren't made from a super light fabric and triple stitched with concealed seams.

What they ARE is a superb low cost high fun package.

We got a 2.5/4.5/6.5 combo... this will cover most wind ranges from 7-10mph right up to 30+mph... Obviously it would have been better to have the complete range from 1.5m but I had to draw the financial line somewhere!

Onto the financial side of the range... CRIKEY they are good value! The 6.5 is available for £164, that is LOTS of kite for the money. The package you receive is a White stuff sack with the size marked on it, a set of good quality lines... something sadly missing on other "budget" kites, a set of handles, instructions, sticker and let's not forget... the kite!

The kite's construction is like most of the Peter Lynn kites highly functional. The costs have been kept low by not adding extra seams and stitching to the foil, so it can look a little "basic" when compared to perhaps a flexifoil Rage... but then the Rage is £350!

Bridles are basic but work well, I have never had the problem I used to have with my Busters of the bridle getting snagged up on itself and either not launching OR launching and going into the deathspin of doom right in the middle of the wind window!

The only thing extra I would like to have seen would be a set of kitekillers in the bag.

Initial setup was easy, lines are colour coded AND different lengths and strength to suit the kite they are to be fitted to.

The first hour flying is really to fill the kite and get it to take proper shape and get the packaging creases out. I have had very expensive kites that just did NOT want to fly out of the bag; real time had to be spent bedding them in.... NOT these! Tug the handles and up they go!

Each one flies well all around the wind window, no wing tucking, no hesitations as it gets toward the edge, and they all turn well on just the front lines so advanced kite skills are not required.... saying that if you start to add a little brake in the turns even the 6.5 will spin surprisingly quickly!

The Pepper is a medium/low aspect ratio kite... for the NON anorak types that means it has lots of power without huge lift. This makes them a superb choice for learning.. Static, board or buggy... you control the kite rather than the other way round. there is very little chance of an unintentional lofting with these... you CAN get lift but you need to be well powered up and asking for it by strong input.

We have used the 2.5 to get countless people having a go now, you know.. you are stood there on the beach and having a laugh, some people are chatting away about how much fun it looks... they REALLY want a go but don't like to ask/are scared of the monster depower kite you are flying.. Now we have the option of setting this up for them getting them going and letting them have a blast on something that will give them a taste, get them hooked and yet not give them a kicking at the same time... TOPS! All this and it still only costs £90!

I think this kite has maybe had 30 hours of flying time, some of it in stupidly high winds, most of it with newbie's hanging onto the other end of it, smacking it into the ground... again and again and again!! It still looks really good, has shown no sign of damage and even cleans up well after Hunstanton mud!

The 4.5 and 6.5 have been used both in buggies and on landboards to get people moving.

I use them when I am on my travels for work, they fit nicely under the floor of my boot so they stay in the car all the time. I throw a board in on top along with my work stuff and I am sorted.... out they come, quick unwind of the lines and away I go. EASY.

I recently got the 6.5 out after a water session, the wind had died down so I got changed but didn't want to head home straight away, my harness was wet so I got the 6.5 out and flew it unhooked I had one of the most peaceful fun sessions ever on a landboard. Just cruising happily about, practising carving up and down wind... I even got the hang of turning into and out of toeside in each direction on this kite... It really does make things much easier when the worry about what the kite is going to do is removed.

What would I change about them? well... other than some kite killers in the bag.. Nothing really!

They do exactly what you need a basic kite to do, exactly when you expect it to and for a price that means most people can have a couple of kites rather than just one.

I feel these are sadly under represented on forums and rarely get mentioned in "what kite should I get" threads... give one a try, you will probably be very surprised... the best bit is, as you progress you will still be happy to fly them, for once ease of first use doesn't compromise and excellent buggy/board engine for later on.

Our most recent use of them has been for Kite longboarding... video here
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-8782161366740279275&hl=en-GB

where the stability they offer in gusty winds was VERY necessary!

We may be using them for a spot of kitercross overland kitelandboarding soon too, mainly due to the quick launch and landability of them.. Probably on shorter lines than standard.

This is what happens when you have good, dependable kit... you think of new and even more desperate ways to maim yourself!

So to sum up... if you are looking for a great starter kite or you want to progress on board or buggy... get a go on one of these, you will not regret it for one moment.

By : adamski