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Showing results for tags 'peter lynn'.
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Intro This is a little unusual, writing my first review about a kite which has since been superseeded by the Venom, but as I bought mine second hand (From Mr Dom "skypark" Moore), then I guess a good many of you may be considering the same so here are a collection of my experiences and conclusions gained from the 4 months or so that I have now had the kite. First Impressions/Kite Quality Well the first thing is the mighty Rucksack that the 15m comes in.. a decent quality bag with sholder padding and handy front pockets. as well as a couple of lateral straps for securing bars or other accessories. The Bag has a zip at the bottom, so that the whole bottom can extend by about 40-50 CMs so that you can roll the kite and pack if you are in a hurry and don't want to fold it up. A handy feature if you ever decide to use the pack for travelling as i did on a recent trip to australia.. (in fact my pack is slowly making it's way back from Australia via Postal service with all my Excess baggage! 😉 ) The Kite itself it very robust and really what you would expect from a manufacturer Like PL. The Anchor points are all double stitched and fixed to internal nylon straps which run the entire length of the kite with adjustments in the middle. The lack of bridle is a welcome site on a kite this size and reduces the possibility of knitting headaches when setting up. The bar and lines (which I bought separately) are of the same high quality, but it is definately worth taking a while to learn about the twinskins first... this is not as easy as it sounds, as you first instinct is to go and play with this monster, but you really MUST take the time to watch the excellent tutorial DVD (why don't all kites have this?) and to familiarise yourself with the safety release systems if you want to have fun without becoming a victim on a piece of string! Flying Setup and Launching can be a little tricky on your own if you are new to these kites... the sheer size means that it will flap about and frustrate you while you are trying to attach the lines... a stake or two is a must here! Pre-inflation is via a centrally mounted zip which you open and lay the kite out downwind so that the wind fills the downwind half of the kite... I then zipped this up and squashed all the air to the upwind half (if anyone knows a better technique then please let me know) and then reopening the zip to inflate the rest of the kite. This slightly painful proceedure has been addressed by PL in the Venom series which has inflation zips at each end (Yay!) a good launch is acheived by pulling on the centre lines... it is good to get the kite as high as possible quickly as I found the more turbulent winds at lower levels have a tendancy to twist and bowtie the kite (VERY FRUSTRATING!). the kite then needs to be flown high across the window for a few minutes to fully inflate via the vents at the front. It becomes VERY apparent when the kite is properly inflated as you can feel the power increase.. and the skin tightens I was very pleasantly surprised to find that after my initial nervousness of flying a kite of this size it was quickly replaced with a sense of confidence as this kite is really surprisingly responsive and quick turning.. it turns much tighter and quicker than my Flysurfer Speedair 9.0 for example and the power, when it comes, is very smooth and confidence inspiring... after about an hour of flying in winds 10-15mph you could not wipe the smile off my face.. I was getting the best floaty jumps I have ever had with this and gentle landings which kept the smile on my face. I am not a great land-boarder (but getting better ;-)) but have been on the board with it a few times and just love the auto-zenith function (the kite will tend to sit above your head if left alone) which is great is you are trying to concentrate on your foot placement on the board as i am. Conclusion Well... what can I say... i am sold!... I love PL ARC kites!.. The power is very different to other kites I have flown like my beloved Blades.. The power they deliver is like a motorbike.. brutal and very unforgiving but incredible fun... The Phantom is more like a V8 powered Monster Truck!... very smooth delivery and great in gusty conditions but huge amounts of lift and power. I had the opportunity to try a Venom while taking some kitesurfing lessons in Australia and loved that too.. water relaunching is a little tricky, but I was ditching the ARC only half the amount that the LEIs were falling out of the sky... they are very forgiving kites and with big wind ranges you can cover alot of conditions on land or water with relatively few kites... For me the Phantom has now become the favourite kite in my quiver By : chevytraveller
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Before aquiring my Venom II i had only flown my 5.5 bullet and a cheap naish x4 18m.After some memorable hurtful expreiences from the naish x4 and a lack of ability on the water with my bullet i soon fell in love with my new Venom II which allowed me to try moves that i had never thought possible with my slightly inexperienced standards. The build quality as from most peter lynn kites is outstanding, i was thrilled to find the adjuster straps located inside the twin skin, allowing yet another way to alter the kite for personal preferance. The kite is made from ripstop nylon making punctures along the bladders harder but this is standard in most modern day kites. I had heard setting up the kite would be hassleful but i olny found this on days with out strong winds, when the wind rose above 14/15mph the kite flew fine and performed even better in 20/25mph. However i was told the auto zenith would work anywhere but in my local park the wind tends to come from all over the place and as random gusts hit the side it tends to invert or fold and collapse and sometimes overfly. This was not the case at the beach, where none of this happened, i could lie on my back and watch the kite sitting there. I was also worried the bladders went inflated enough, although it is important when launching to have then as inflated as you can i was told that the vents in the leading edge have one way silicon valves, making air pass in but water or sand to be blocked out thus inflating the kite fully. I have only used this kite for boarding so far but hope to get on the water soon, it is the flagkite in kitesurfing for the peter lynn kites, the scorpion being designed for land use primarily but a new kite may be coming out soon. I found the turning fast compared to any depower kite i had flown yet even if it was nothing compared to that of my bullet but i hear the slingshot fuel 2007 is far superior in this area. Jumps.My personal favorite. this kite it just the lift master, compared to the rips off the floor from my naish and hard landings from my bullet the venom II in my view wins.Boosts are such a feel good feeling on this kite, and the control the kite allows for float is immense, when you pick up the gut to swing the kite up when your on the board the result is the best feeling ever. flying with a board on my feet has no words to descibe the funess of it. So finally although it can get quite pricey i recommend this kite to anyone who is seriously thinking about taking kiting to the next stage and improving their skills. However, given the choice to choose the V2 or the Scorpion i would go for the later purley for its superior ability to be used on land. By : MadPaul
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so, the weekend was coming and the wind was forecast to be light...light like 5-8knots or so i was after a light wind kite to make the most of the light airs that can blight our balmy isles now and again. eveyone knows depower is not the way to go in these situations, which leads you back to the fixed bridle genre i have flown a decent amount of kites, plenty of LEIs, ARCs, bullets, blades, depower, race kites, other foils whatever, and it was earlier this year that i discovered the Rebble from Peter Lynn well now. here was a kite that went beyond expactations, beyond the call of duty if you like - super stable (hang a strop between the handles and you can literally peg it to the ground and it will stay at the zenith) thanks to the last few cells being close. super sweet through the air, light, looks good and great upwind...so i bought the 2.5, 3.5, and 5.0 surely then the 8m would be the go for the light winds? all of the above charms but in a bigger package? first off the kite is MASSIVE. spread it out on the sand and it looks like some sort of shimmering space blanket for mountaineerers. same build quality as the other Rebbles - spartan. no fancy logos, gimmicks, tags or tassles. just one thin, light, crispy but strong kite. in blue, with a grey stripe to add a bit of cheer, and the ineterior skin is just...white. this kite is like a Lotus car, or a middle weight boxing champ, or an AC/DC riff - no messing about - you wanted action, thats what you get... once in the air...Woah. super super stable - it sits in the sky like a...like a...rock. in the lightest of airs, it inflates and sits there, waiting, barely breathing. then you turn it the kite whips accross the window and drives you forward and forward and forward. its pull is relentless and once moving pulls very hard right to the edge of the window. jump in the buggy and with this leviathan and hold tight. super fast accross the wind, and points better upwind than ANY kite i have flow - better than blades, better than phantoms. in light winds you can get upwind so hard its tough to remember which way the wind is blowing this kite, as you may have gathered, i think truly rocks. not in the flavour of the month kind of way, but truly is AWESOME. it looks hot, flies hot, and delivers a sick sick ride once you engage its attention the first day i flew it, a guy using razors (a quiver of) was having trouble keeping them in the sky (light winds) and was not getting the speed the rebble created. it just turns air into speed. and then shoves you upwind. i cannot wait to try this kite on a board, in fact i want to hit the water with it, its so stable. the rebble has long remained to the many, something of an underdog. slowly, some are catching on to what these kites can do...the way they outperform others in their class... the 8m rebble (as the album title goes) is definaltely outnumbered...but never outgunned demo this kite the next day off work you get. By : mickjones
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Finally received my Venom II 13m on the 29th of July as a birthday present from her in doors. I decided on the Peter Lynn Venom after many months of happy flying with the Guerrilla II 9mtr last year and also after flying a 13m Venom II on a trial day at Fraisthorpe. On dragging the package out of the box I found the waterproof canvas bag really nice and eye caching. The kite within was wrapped in plastic as too were the aluminium spars for the wingtips. In fact I suppose everything was for that matter. Kit included a sticker, manual and T-Shirt (which in fact is only big enough to fit my 12 year old son). Lovely twin skin technology with profiles between and also a power adjustment webbing strap that is accessible through the kite inflators situated at the wing tips. The line connectors at the wingtips are pre-knotted with a single knot, these are at equal distances as the kite flies, this is good, as this is where I like to have my lines attached and haven't bothered with other kites in the past adjusting these. My only apprehension was inflating the Venom, in the past I've had many issues inflating the Guerrilla through the centre inflation zipper. No surprise though the tip inflators helped a great deal and also probably due to being on the beach as opposed to a field encircled by trees (where I'm usually) the kite inflated correctly in approximately 4 minutes in 10mph winds. I opted for this kite without the bar. I have tried the Zero4 Peter Lynn bar and really dislike the power adjustment webbing and how it feels just like a floppy piece of wide shoe lace. I also don't like the appearance of the bar overall with a flimsicle feel, to me anyhow. I prefer the heavy duty GUN feel of the Robbie Naish UDS SSS bar, umpteen times better IMHO. Attached the lines and the 'launch helpers' and up she went with a couple of tiny tugs on the leading edge lines. Sweet. I knew this kite was going to be a doozy as it felt very much like my Samurai 7.2m on the power. So off to the Flexifoil buggy I hopped. I may add, on the journey to the buggy I was lifted a couple of feet which was petrifying due to it being totally unexpected, but do you know I floated back to the ground as smooth as satin and just carried on at walking speed with a 'ooooo look at that!' look on my face lol. Firstly the nice thing about using this size of kite is the option to just pull the bar in with the canopy at 10 o'clock and you start to trundle. Pushing a slight 'sign' and away you go, and boy do you go. I was quite unnerved at first, as I'd never tried a closed foil de-power in a buggy before, but as the day went on I was so glad my first experience was with a Venom II. The handling and turning speed are comparable, to me, to a 7.2m Ozone Samurai, and compared to my 12m and 16m Naish kites the Venom II practically turns on its wing tips, very sharp. Talk about fast, this navy blue and ox blood red creature had me from standing to 30mph virtually instantly. For 10-15mph of wind that's insane. On a 20-25mph day a few people should watch for some personal bests being made to look embarrassing. But saying that, when the kite IS under full load, it takes a heck of a long time to stop it's just so fast with a buggy. Can I stop now please? Taking the kite further up the window and de-powering, 'no you're coming with me sony' as it carries on its merry way. Overall the kite absolutely rocks and I won't be chopping it in for a long long time. I tend to stick with what I know and what I know works well. I don't tend to swap a kite just because the newer shinier one is available with a ½ mm thinner profiled canopy, no sir. But… this kite has me considering, going 100% Venom II now with a quiver. Dam! Author : mrmawalker
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Hi this is my first kite so i cant compare it to anything, exept some 20quid stunt kite. I didnt have a clue what to get and i found this site which helped me loads. I read lots of reviews, posted loads of begginer question topics and finally decided on the pepper. I saw videos of people with traction kites and it looked amazing. I do things like sailing and windsurfing . so i was very very exited when it came! Unwrapped it came with handles,intructions,lines and of course the kite.( just to be on the safe side i bought some kite killers before so i got 10 percent off the kite ) It looks good quality, but i dont have much experience. Some people complain about the bag. But i would rather have a cheap bag to keep the costs down and u can stuff it in ur pocket. It looks like a drawstring bag but without shoulder cords which i would have liked. Of course windy all the time im waiting for the kite to come, when i get it wind suddenly drops Finally it was slighty windy, banches were moving quite slowly. I thought it wold just fall out of the sky but it flew perfectly. Within 15mins i had learnt how to reverse launch Its pull surprised me considering the conditions. ( im 13 weigh 50kg i think ) Instantly i was hooked into power kiting. Second time i flew it, i went ot the beach. Bit windier this time and i was doing small scuds. However i thought i should have gone for a bigger version because i want to be pulled around more and do buggying or boarding (cant decide yet) it was fun but not as fun as it looks on the videos However yesterday around 20mph winds i knew i made the right choice (i can always get a bigger 1 later) massive scuds down my local park/footy pitch. It didnt have enough power to pull me off my feet but if u jump and pull on the handles i sawed in the air. Great fun !!!! Im yet to try it buggying/boarding. I need to save up 4 1 and i cant decide which 1. But this is a exelant value kite 90quid i think if ur heavier u would need a bigger kite. Its perfect for learning on and its just great. The best 100quid ive ever spent! By : madpanda
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I have been kiting since last summer with a Symphony 4.1 (Need to convert it to 4 line but see my other review on this great 2 line kite) and since Christmas with a Beamer 7 (Pig of a kite but need to do bridal modifications and then will review it) and a Flexi wide axle buggy. I decided with my birthday money to get a budget kite in the middle of these and rather than a smaller Beamer or the other options of the Firebee or Buster went for the new kid on the block the Peter Lynn Pepper 4.5m. My local kite shop, Gizmo of Northampton, price matched the best price I found on the web and a Peter Lynn Pepper 4.5m was mine for £125.99. The kite come complete ready to fly in a stuff sack but with no kite killers or stake. The handles are fairly long and the top half is covered in soft foam like the Flexi handles and certainly better than the standard issue Beamer ones. The lines were 30m long and different colours for easy identification of mains and brakes and different loopends for left and right. The kite material was the usual light crispy material with a white underside and a blue & red topside. The kite itself is a very oval shape with a slightly longer trailing edge than leading edge but looks smaller that a Bullet 4.5m which is supposed to be the same size and had a Velcro tab for the bridle lines on the leading edge in the middle. The construction looked good but there were a few thread ends about that will need to be trimmed. The bridle is knotted not stitched (budget kite remember) and the edges of the cells are only single stitched not double like some of the more expensive kites out there. The cell openings are grouped together, 4 in the middle that taper to a point at each end and then from that point it opens for another 3 cells. The outer 3 cells only inflate from the cross venting holes throughout the kite. The bridle only connects 3 times front to back but the way the lines branch looks good when the kite is flying (imagine from a single point it goes to the nine points on a RubiX cube) and they join together at the centre of the kite which stops the effect you see on the Bullets of appearing to be two separate wing areas. The first flight was in light winds, 3-10mph, on the Welsh coast so no major worries about being over powered. Unwound the lines, sorted them out, connected them up and walked back to the staked out handles (stake borrowed from another kite). The kite is sitting nicely on the ground and not pulling too hard but the trailing edge looks a little untidy. Gave the kite a gentle pull and it rose nicely into the air and up to the zenith. Held the handles together to see what would happen and the kite starts to drift left (must check the line lengths) but not too much. A few gentle turns and the kite responds well. Drop it down further into the wind window for more pull and start with harder turns and more speed. The kite is pulling nicely and flying quickly around the power zone and turning just outside its axis. Try some turns with the brakes and it turns quicker. Next is some low horizontal passes from one side of the window and still goes nicely. Next explore the edge of the window, it will over fly if run from one side to the other or bottom to top but when it does the kite deflates slightly, changes its angle of attack and it gently drops and reinflates (Not like a Blade) so you can fly on and still have not managed a Firebee type 'bowtie'. Then try with the buggy and get moving, but this is my first time on sand and get bogged down in the soft stuff and with the light wind can't get moving again. The next day back home on the grass but no time for the buggy and slightly more wind 8-15mph. I get a few small scuds but then I'm 115Kg so a friend of 75Kg tries and slides 8m down the field. The conclusion is that this is a good kite, great for a beginner/intermediate and looks like it will nicely fit in the gap in my kite range. It's easy to fly, stable in the air, fantastic value for money, and will give good pull in 15mph winds for my buggy but you may want a slightly bigger size than the comparative Bullet. There is a hot new budget kite on the block and its name is Pepper. By : Matthew Corbett
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Ok, I cant really fully pass comment on my 13m Scorpion yet, however I have done about 3 hours back to back flying the 13m Scorpion and 16m VII. Wind conditions was 15mph avg with gusts up to 20mph, inland location so fairly shifty wind. Hope this helps people choose if they are thinking of investing in either the Scorpion or VII, or have a VII and are considering upgrading to the Scorpion. Speed: So this time I got going on the board on it and god damn it is so fast compared to the 16m VII, like a Ferrari being raced against a pick up truck! Was easily traveling twice as fast and really sitting back into the kite, was lurrrvly! Turning Speed: This kite is so easy to work since it turns on its pivot and doesnt backstall when you do this, like the VII sometimes does, however I was finding sometimes it was hard to bring the kite around when it went across the zenith one way, trying to pull it back the other way sometimes required more bar input than expected. Stability: The VII was definitely the more stable of these two kites by quite a long way, the Scorpion was quite twitchy in the gusts and required quite a lot of adjustment of upwind/downwind direction of the board to keep on top of it. Lift: The Scorpion is in a different league to the VII on lift, I was flying on the VPC intermediate setting so not most aggressive or most gentle. When I redirected I was being fairly aggressively picked up without pulling the bar even half way in, and going about the same height as the VII. Ill take a while to get used to this because you get to the same height alot faster with the Scorpion so any incorrect balance is soon noticed as you get launched! On the last occasion when I really went for a jump and pulled the bar all the way in and redirected really hard I went the highest ive ever gone, was a bit scary and didnt redirect enough at all so went a bit pair shaped. Brought the Scorpion down at this point as was getting a bit cocky and didnt want to get hurt. Float: Both these kites have absolutely stacks of float, but the VII definitely had more, ill take a bit of getting used to the less hang time and less time redirect and land. My main problem was sending the Scorpion too far back so ended up half way between a transition and the kite over flying before I could redirect, this is pilot error obviously and im sure ill get more float of the Scorpion, but itll be hard matched to beat the VII. Final thoughts: The Scorpion is definitely for the more advance kiter, would not recommend it to a newbie to depower for the same reason that I wouldn't recommend a blade to a newbie, it has a high potential to take the flyer high, and take them there fast! I personally will need to get alot better to even start getting the most out of this kite, and cant wait till I do! As for comparisons go i'd compare this Arc kite more to the 6m Air Evo Hybrid I owned for a short time than my VII's. For all you people who dislike Arcs for the common given reasons then give this kite a go, it will not disappoint! There is a short video of the kites maiden flight in sub 10mph winds at: Ill update this thread next time I get a good session on it and can pass more comment. By : crobo
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Although this is my first review it isn't of my first kite. I've been flying a Flexifoil 'Rage' 3.5 since the beginning of the year and have moved into buggying. Now I'm a "hefty" kinda guy going 100kgs and I started to feel the need for a bit more meterage above me to get me moving in lower winds. After splashing out on the buggy, helmet and pads etc., My budget was decidedly on the low side so I trawled through the various blurb and reviews and settled on the 'Pepper' 5.5. Picked up my kite and handed over the 125 quid, bargain I thought and off home I raced. Now I know this is a budget kite but surely PL can do better than the stuff sack it comes in - I went to a cheapy shop and bought a little ruck-sack for a fiver that fitted perfectly, I'm sure the amount PL would buy would make the knock on price negligible, so come on guys get with it! Unpacked and laid out in my living room the kite looked huge, the material is of a good quality with a nice smooth texture to it but very different to Flexifoil which is crispy and lighter. The handles were O.K., I'd read that some people found them a little narrow in diameter but I felt comfortable with them. No kite killers though and I feel that as it is branded as an entry level/beginners kite these should really have been supplied - safety first!! - specially when starting out. Got enough wind a few days later to take her out and rig her up and see what we'd got. On arriving I put a stake in and measured my lines, the two main lines were quite a few inches out but you get a handy little card explaining how to shorten lines correctly and I soon had them all O.K. All colour coded so no mix ups. Got it all connected and robbed my 'Rage' of it's kite killers, strapped in and away we go. I have to say I expected more pull from a kite this size, this was almost polite by my 'Rages' standards. It filled nicely and went straight to the zenith and stayed inflated at both edges of the wind window. I just found it slow and lumbering and I've had to work it very hard indeed to get the best out of it. I flew it a few times in different conditions and decided it wasn't the kite I required. I probably sound like a kite snob (perhaps I am) but even at 125 quid it IS a lot of money to spend on your hobby/ pastime whatever you want to call it. I feel you really do get what you pay for in kites, as in most things these days, so if you can be patient and keep saving those precious pennies until you can take your pick of the higher end of the market. Line my Flexi up along side the Pepper and the difference is quite astounding, just in the bridle alone. The Pepper's is white nylon cord of the type you see in balls to tie things up with and the Flexi is sleeved dyneema. Yes it is a budget kite and there will always be a need for kites at this end of that budget and I'm not saying it is a bad kite - far from it - it just seems to me that for a few more weeks saving you could have an Ozone or Flexifoil or have at least a much wider range to choose from. By : blue cossack
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These are water relaunchable foils, with sealed valves which stop water and anything else getting in. All sizes are nearly semicircular in shape, made from fairly thin ripstop, with a full crossover bridle. I have only flown them on a bar with a three line set up, two power lines to the fron and a single killer on the brakes. A large bar is used and the break line is kept fairly slack. Inflating. The kites all need manual (pump) inflation, until they are virtually full they fly like a carrier bag, and are comp[letely rubbish. I bought mine second hand a very cheaplybecause people said they were awful and would fly. Once inflated though, the change in character. They have a thick profile need a huge volume of air for their size. Flying. Once up and flying they are normally well behaved kites, very stable with a constant pull throughout the window. Very lifty and strong pulling for the size. The 3.6 is slightly stronger than my 4m Blade II. Flight is very straight with the bar flat and responds to input very easily. A big bar is needed as these are quite big kites, a crossover might help but has not been tried. Landing. Pulling the brake line causes the kite to reverse and land very very neatly on its trailing edge and ready for action. Relaunching from this position is very simple with the kite taking off. Speed can be controlled with the brakes limitting pull until ready. If unside down the breaks will reverse the kite easily for relaunch both on and off water. If the kite lands leading edge first it very quickly rolls over and relaunches which can catch unawares, but the brakes will keep that under controlled. Downside. Gusts this is normally no problem as the kite rides gust well, but if the kite luffs it has a tendency to fold drop unpowered into the middle of the widow and power up violently. As long as tension is kept on the lines this shouldn't happen. Upside. Body dragging throught the surf with these is brilliant fun, you can dump them in the water and they relaunch 100% of the time. They are good for beginning to mountain board, slow stable and strong pulling. Leaving alone. These need staking down with a good pull on the brakes, They then sit quite happily fully inflated for ages. A short fly for top up the air and bang they are off again All in all a bit quirky, but a good kite. My youngest daughter flies the smallest and apart from the inflation time prefers it to here 2.1 little devil. By : Tele Player
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Well, Ive had this kite for about 6 months now and thought that as Ive had so much help from this site it was time to give something back. As a starting kite for someone on a budget, or someone who is unsure as to whether powerkiting is for them or not this kite is ideal, ready to fly it only set me back £130. Having decided on a day that was blowing 27mph and gusting up to 35 that powerkiting was the way forward i made my way to the local kiteshop. The bloke who sold me the kite recommended it to me as a starter kite in front of the beamer and the buster (both of similar size and within budget) even though it was the cheaper out of the three. This immediately made me think that i was being pointed in the right direction. So after having been kitted out with some kite killers and the kite (in what can only be described as a carrier bag with a drawstring) along with a giant corkscrew which i later found out was to anchor the kite, we made our way to the field. We laid the lines out attached them to the handles and then attached them to the kite brake lines first - very important. Once all four lines were attached and the kite anchored to the floor by way of the stake the kite sat up immediately and then proceeded to bounce around the field. Cue masssssive adrenalin rush and a quick bought of cold sweats. Due to the wind strength and having never flown a powerkite the expert said he would show me how to get it up in the air without killing myself. he hooked himself in with the killers and walked around from in front of the kite so when launched it wouldnt go straight up through the window. Releasing the tension on the brake lines and a quick pull on the powerlines and the kite shot up round the edge of the window straight to the zenith and sat there like it was being held up two rigid white poles rather than pulling on the powerlines and trying to escape. He then proceeded to move it back down towards the edge and then whip it across the window resulting in him flying down the field leaving me with my jaw on the floor. After returning to the stake, grinning with the kite at the zenith he landed it.....my turn. More sweats and adrenalin - what a buzz - and ive not even touched the handles yet! I launched the kite in the edge of the window and the power built slowly, up round the window to the zenith. I couldnt get over how awsome the power was even though i wasnt in the power zone, I wasn't able to do much apart from flying round the edge of the window on this maiden flight due to the wind stength (and the self preservation instinct overriding all irrational thought) but I knew that power kiting was gonna become an obsession :s Ive been flying the kite loads since that first time in winds from 3-20mph. It is a really responsive kite when flown using the brake lines to aid turning and uses all of the window especially in higher winds. Ive never had it overfly on me and it rarely luffs, when it does i think this might be down to me rather than the kite. this results in the kites movements being really predictable. The kite deosn't generate much lift at all and is all abotu power in the middle of the window, however if you fly it straight up the middle of the window it turns the power on again just before the zenith and generates a small amount of lift but to get anything out of this you would need some pretty strong winds. Ive used this kite successfully for boarding in winds of 15mph+ wihtout having to work it to much. Ive also been able to use it to get some good pendulum jumps and have had some good size scuds with 7mph+. I weigh about 13stone if thats an indication of its power. Having only had it for about 6 months ive realised that its a gerat kite to learn on as it has survived all the crashes and bangs ive put it though.....but its left me wanting more!! I guess its time to upgrade!! All in all its a good all round kite and will fly in most winds without killing you once you understand how it works....and I still get the adrenalin rushes every time i fly it! By : Gusts
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Peter Lynn Guerrilla 2, 9m Desiring a high wind Arc to supplement the 13m Bomba in my quiver I eventually won this one off a well known auction site for a fair price. First Impressions Although second-hand the material was still crispy and the kite had either been well looked after or hadn't seen a lot of use. It looked kind of tiny alongside the Bomba, unfortunately the inflation zip is also scaled down, so, despite being a smaller kite it takes just as long to inflate as the larger arcs. There's not much else to say about arcs, material, zip, bit of string on each corner and that's about it. First Flight For once a maiden flight didn't cause North East England's answer to The Doldrums and the lines were attached in a respectable 25-30mph wind. Inflated it launched nicely with a respectable amount of pull for such a small arc. Compared to the Bomba it positively zips around the sky, needing a some bar input to supplement the fabled PL auto-zenith in gusty wind. After a passes through the window to check the handling, I decided to try a little jump. Not expecting too much from such a small arc, I redirected the kite, yanked the bar all the way down and suddenly found myself checking out the tops of my companions' heads. Quite a bit of lift for a 'little' kite. In Use I've used this arc mainly for buggying sometimes in wind which would probably be better suited to the 13m Bomba, just because it turns so much faster. It produces so much power in the buggy compared to foils, quite easily dragging the bug sideways on upwind runs, the extra torque also opens up the softer sand area's of the beach and gives confidence in long runs, knowing the 'walk of shame' won't have to be undertaken for the return leg. Of course, being an arc it's pretty much useless in wind speeds which aren't in double figures, and 9m being small in arc terms it probably needs quite a bit more than that to realise its full potential. Great kite, handles well, excellent for buggy use, doesn't turn as fast as a Phantom but much less temperamental to fly. I've just ended a three month enforced lay off from boarding, so I hope to be using the little fella for some four wheel cruising over the next few weeks. By : terra
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The kids are growing up and at an age where I appear to be not important any more and the wife has been nagging me to get a hobby. So I popped into the kite shop at Hinckley and 1 and a half hours later walked out with the Pepper and a verbal lesson on the do’s and don’ts of power kiting chucked in for good measure. Being honest I know this is a starter kite on the budget end of the scale but I think the stuff bag lets it down, a ripcord bag with a felt tip tick to tell you how big it is seems wrong. I would rather have paid another ten to twenty quid on top for a rucksack. For this reason I was unsure as to whether or not I had made the right choice. Mind you a stuff bag lying amongst all those flexi’s and ozone rucksacks I felt a bit of a cheapskate. Well! The guy in the shop assured me it was the perfect kite to foray into the world of powerkiting. Although I insisted on the 3.5 not the 2.5 as he suggested, as my last foray was about 30 years ago with a Peter Powell stunt kite. On unpacking the kite at home I found that the lines on this kite are of very good quality,being colour coded and were perfectly matched. The handles are ok but I would prefer something a little thicker. On examining the kite it all appeared ok with no errant stitching. On the field I set up the kite with some trepidation of excitement and some anxiety, I had listened too well to the salesmen I fear. It swelled up as it should and a gentle tug on the lines got it airborne slowly to about six feet then wham straight up to the zenith taking me twelve inches of the ground and my wife who was watching collapsed on the floor in hysterics. After exchanging profanities with my wife it basically came down to this, I could carry on standing there with my arms straight above my head because it’s the only way to relax from the pull, or I could do something with the kite. After regaining my senses and getting some blood back into my muscles I began gingerly to see what the kite would do. It does everything you expect of it, work this kite in the power zone and it will pull you around, but one problem I have found is that it can be a pig at the edges of the wind window and has a tendency to turn itself inside out. This has also happened to me in the wind window but may be because I’m flying in dirty air –the field is surrounded by trees. After flying it for around two months now, I’m glad I bought this kite, its taught me to respect the wind and take things one step at a time .In gentle winds my nine year old can fly it. In strong winds it WILL try and bite you. As a beginners kite I can highly recommend this kite, however if you are slight in stature or like I used to be- unfit. Maybe the 2.5m would be better until you are used to the pull. Author : rummy
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Introduction The Guerilla is the third model in the Peter Lynn ARC series. After the F-ARC of last year, and the S-ARC of the year before, Peter Lynn didn't stop innovating and released the Guerilla. The Guerilla is Peter Lynn's answer to the Tube kite market when it comes to technical innovation besides looks and marketing. Finishing and durability The quality is the first thing that really shows when you get your hands on a Guerilla. A nice looking, decently finished and sturdy bag which has separate pockets for bar, lines and other accessories. The bags are spacious, no more stuffing the kite when you finished a great session. It just fits in there. When we unroll the kite we see that the looks of the Guerilla are a great enhancement over the S-ARC and F-ARC series. No more flat orange or blue colours but a quite nice looking kite! Of course it's not the most important feature of a kite, but it's never a bad thing to fly a kite that looks great. From this year all seams are stitched and taped. This prevents air for escaping the kite in case of a water start. Dacron tips for durability. This durability is a thing that has been well known for all ARC models, and it is an important feature for the Guerilla. When you don't use the kite for some time I advice you to roll it up. The fabric is, like the fabric of any kite, sensitive to the sun's violent rays and a continuous flapping of tips doesn't make the kite any better either. The Guerilla can be easily fixed in case of damage. All parts are replaceable and fixable. The Guerilla's tips have Velcro openings to lose sand or water. d Set-up Just like the F-ARC setup is simple, so is the setup of the Guerilla. Light wind starts aren't any problem. Unroll the kite, open the zipper which is placed on a central spot in the kite and make sure the zipper is in the right angle to the wind, and the inflation is going strong. When you finish setting up the lines and you return to the kite it will be well-inflated. Attach the lines and go! This saves considerable time in comparison to the inflation of a tube kite. The Guerilla therefore can be considered quite user-friendly. In stronger winds I do advice to stay at the kite. When the zipper is open for a longer time and the kite is already well inflated, the kite can easily fill up with sand which has to be removed afterwards. It's not a real problem, since the kite inflates within one minute in that kind of wind. In stronger winds using smaller sized Guerilla's it is advisable to make use of a helper. The lines can wrap around the tips due to the flapping of the wing. This will inevitably end up in a crash of the kite, which is highly uncomfortable. After some practise you'll start any Guerilla with ease. Make sure you keep a 45 degree angle to the wind. Just like modern tube kites the Guerilla is equipped with multiple attachment points. The power lines attach to a single point but for the control-lines the kite offers two options. The lower attachment points offer little bar pressure, the top attachment points more bar pressure. I personally choose for more bar pressure because it passes more information to the rider this way about the position of the kite. The Guerilla is a complete new design. It's no upgraded S-ARC or downgraded F-ARC. The kite is very stable and when the lines are equal in length it will stay 'parked' neatly wherever you put it. Without exaggerating this is by far the most stable kitesurf kite on the market today. Large sizes are rather slow, although the 15 is still quite usable. The 10 and 13 are ideal kites. The 10 is my personal favourite. Using longer lines (35 meters) this kite is still quite easy. Less easy is the fact that every size needs a different bar-setup. The 10 'wants' more pressure on the steering lines then the 15 so it can be a hustle on the beach changing kite size with just one bar. I solved this by moving some knots on the attachment points of the kites. Low-end : high-end The Guerilla is not a low-end kite. You can go out with it in it's low-end but it's just cruising then, no jumps, no upwind performance. This has to do with the fact that a Guerilla stalls a little bit when you have too much pressure on the steering lines. With the 15 I was able to go out really nice in 10 knots but the kite just starts to perform as it is intended to at around 14 knots. In the high-end on the contrary the Guerilla is a great performer. It's noticeable in jumps for sure. The lift of the Guerilla in its low-end is minimal, but there is surely a lot of float. Only in its high-end the Guerilla offers lots of pop in the jumps. The last events of the Funsport-tour showed that tube kites have better low-end then the Guerilla's. Where tube kite riders could jump properly the Guerilla riders were just able to go out and cruise. Turning In the turning department we can see quite large differences between the sizes. The 15 and 18 are considered to be really slow, whereas the 10 and 13 can be considered ideal. The 10 is the best performer, turning wise that is. You think turn and it turns. A Guerilla turns slower then the high aspect ratio tubes of 2003 though. Take a Guerilla 15 and compare its turning-rate to that of a 16m2 2003 tube kite and know what I mean. Never seen anyone do a kite loop with a Guerilla. Upwind performance The upwind performance of the Guerilla is pretty good. The more wind you have, the better the upwind performance. Because you fly the kite more on its frontlines the kite crawls in to the edge of the windframe. I didn't notice that much difference in upwind performance in the different sizes, although I have to admit that I don't have that much experience on the 18. Depower The Guerilla's depowerablitily is comparable with modern tube kites. It's like it outperforms the less depowerable tubes of 2003, but does not underperform in comparison to really good depowerable tubes. The 10 is again the best in the Guerilla range. Its depowerability is really superb and it has a great range. For an experienced rider on smaller boards the end of the range is somewhere around 38 to 40 knots. Depowering the kite works a little different then with a tube kite. When you sheet out a Guerilla the flight-speed increases so more force is generated. The trick is to get the rail in pretty good and steer the kite to the outer range of the wind frame. That is where the kite is at its maximum depower. This is a method that you master within just a couple of sessions. Jumping Guerilla's jumps are tremendously floaty. The larger sized Guerilla's have a lesser lift do drag ratio if you ask me. You can jump less high but will stay in the air extremely long. The 10 and 13 have nice pop and nice float. You do need some better breezes to make use of this. Think 15 knots for the 13 and 20 to 25 knots for the 10. Strongly depending on board size and rider weight of course. While jumping the kite behaves nice and relaxed. This is ideal for practising tricks without worries, especially because the kite never overflies the rider. Make sure you watch out not to sheet in the bar too much when getting in to the jump. For high jumps the kite should generate lift on its frontlines. Waterstart Can't say too much about the waterstart of the Guerilla (sorry?). I go out with the Guerilla since January but haven't had it on the water once. Not because I'm like an 'uber-rider' or something like that, but more because you're not really able to get it in the water. The kite doesn't crash, even if you jump right under it. It just floats nicely back to the top of the windframe to continue its flight. The Guerilla is and will stay a foil-kite, which makes it prone to twist itself into a candy wrapper when it's not landed properly. When this occurs the kite is not able to restart. Helper assistance is needed then. But because of the taped seams and neatly closed inlets the kite keeps the air in for a sufficient amount of time. I have seen friends of me who use Guerilla too do several waterstarts. Most without any problems. Just when the two tips are right on top of each other it can be difficult. The only kites with a 100% water-restart warranty are Flysurfers modern kites like Warrior, Titan and Psycho. Purchase Like purchasing any kite purchasing a Guerilla needs to be done with some consideration. The Guerilla comes in 4 sizes: 10, 13, 15 and 18. The 10 should be in any quiver if you ask me. Since we have increasing amounts of days with 6 to 7 Beaufort it is a must-have. Buying a 15 and 18 is overkill. Make the choice depending on your weight and board size. If you weigh above 75 kilo's buy an 18, below that weight get a 15. The 15 is just a more pleasant kite to fly. It is possible to have a quiver of just 10 and 15 but it's not ideal. When you surf much on inland water the 10 could be replaced by a 13 and combined with an 18, regardless of your weight. You can go on surfing up to a good 6 Beaufort. I used to fly 10 and 15 but replaced the 15 by a 13. The 15 was too slow in my humble opinion to have good fun with. It hurt to skip the 13 too, because of its qualities. With less wind it's possible to stack the Guerilla's. Consider the fact that stacked kites are way less easy to restart and jumping isn't that easy with a stack either. On low wind days I fly a 10-13 stack. It uses 5 to 7 meter long stack lines and the power lines are about 10 cm longer then the steering lines. Availability of the Guerilla is a bit of a problem at the moment. Some sizes have a delivery time of up to a couple of weeks. I hope this problem is solved in the near future. I fly all Guerilla's using a 55 cm bar. The Peter Lynn suggested bar lengths are a bit small if you ask me. Conclusion The Peter Lynn Guerilla is the most stabile kite on the market today. Upwind performance and lift are pretty good and overall quality of the kite is absolutely not less then that of a modern tube kite. The durability and quality of construction of the Guerilla make it a serious contender for the average tube kite. For lots of riders this kite could be even a better choice. Too bad the kitesurf community and market is that much conservative. Recently I met a lad that doesn't kitesurf himself nor did he fly kites at all. He was telling anyone that wanted to hear that ARC's sucked. Because everyone flies tube kites it can never be a good thing he said. This 'legacy talk' is ruining the chances that good kites should get in today's kitesurf marketplace. If Peter Lynn produces more kites of this quality and price and combines it with better marketing then it's prone to get a better market share for sure! Pros: Set-upUpwind performanceFloaty jumpsDurabilityPriceEase of use in high endBroad wind rangeStabilityStackable Cons: Too slow big sizesLittle low-end performanceBig sizes less pop in jumps.Delivery problems (summer 2003)Launching with strong wind. By : Fokke- 4 comments
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Well, I got this kite last February, not having flown a depower before. I took it out in silly conditions on its maiden flight, with winds near 30mph, (for me that’s a lot at about 50 kgs) with someone just helping to keep me on the ground. Although the wind was very erratic, gusty as hell, it behaved how all arcs should; extremely well. Not wanting to annoy the poor fellow holding me on the floor, I put her down, for another day. Over the course of one season with this kite, I have learned a LOT of things; my flying ability has improved immensely, coming from a 3.6 HQ beamer 1. I remember the first time I sent the kite to the zenith, and the sheer amazement on my face when I looked at the people ten foot below me; then forgetting to redirect and landing on my head; my lid saved me on that one hehe, and the kite just went back to the zenith, and stayed there till I pulled my safety and all power was gone. I have gone from trundling along with this kite, to kiteloops (getting spanked most of the time!), board offs (nearly with 360s) and landing things to blind. This kite has taken me from embarrassed newbie, to decent free style landboarder. If you would class yourself as intermediate, being able to board upwind, and are looking for a super stable depower, that jumps BIG in the right conditions, and has the option of hopping onto the water, then this may be the kite you are after. BARS I fly this kite on a 50cm Zero 4 carbon bar, and it does the job. The safety is not the best on the bar because on a number of occasions, the pin that holds the chicken loop together has struck me in my fingers with a lot of force, which isn't well...pleasant. Another thing; when the bar runs up the lines to flag it out, the kite can sometimes get in a tangle; this isn't a problem if you are using it to buggy or landboard, but if this happens out at sea, your in trouble, no one wants to do a deep water pack down in their life... ever! You can put a stopper ball on the safety line, but I would not recommend it, due to the very possible chance of a line snagging on it, sending the kite into 'death spins'. The Zero 7 bar is out now, and looks much better, with OS (Oh Sh**) handles, for the daring people who want to fly on a suicide leash and don't want to run such a risk of being dragged if they miss an aerial handle pass or something (if you don't know what a suicide leash is, you don’t need one...yet; they are very dangerous in the wrong hands, and are more suited to water where the landings are smoother). Also, FINALLY Peter Lynn have put a spinning safety leash on their new bars, making life a LOT easier; rotations and big spins become a lot safer and hassle free. The 07 bars come standard with Peter Lynn Twinskin kites now, and are compatible with any Peter Lynn kite newer than the old S and F Arcs. If you have some cash to spare and have a Zero 4 bar at the moment, consider the 07 bar; for it is a massive improvement on the bar and at under £120 for any size in the range, it is a bargain; it is the same quality as most 4 line Leading Edge Inflatable kites, but around £100 cheaper. SPARS Peter Lynn Venom 2s come with aluminium spars as standard. If you are familiar with the carbon spars, these are about one inch thicker in circumference, and bend rather than snapping, as the carbon ones tend to do if you’re not careful! I have damaged 2 spars; one by someone stepping on it accidentally, and another which snapped clean in two, because the kite fell out of the window, and a gust hit it and threw it back into the power zone with extreme force. When the first one bent, I bought a new set of two for around £50. When the second one broke, I emailed wind designs and they sorted me out by sending me 2 new aluminium spars, free of charge; but I bought a set of two, one piece carbon rods at £9 for 150cm and cut them down to size myself, just in case I it all goes wrong. If you would like to know which kite shop I got all this from, feel free to PM me. If you look after spars, you should not really ever have to buy anymore, but there are always defected spars, which break all by themselves, (well in flight hehe) which isn't the flyer's fault; in which case Wind Designs will most likely replace the parts free of charge. www.winddesigns.com KITE This kite behaves very well in an array of winds, from 12mph for me, up to 25mph. The stability of this kite is second to none. The amount that can be achieved with this is up to the riders potential really, it can do what all other kites do; kite loops, handle passes, big air, etc. The kite turns at a nice pace, and fairly fast when the wind is nice. The turning is predictable, and will rarely catch you off guard. Unhooked, the kite behaves well, as long as it is trimmed to at least half power before unhooking, otherwise the kite will stall. A lot of unhooked manoeuvres are possible with venom 2, everything that can be done on other kites is pretty much possible on this kite really. The build quality is pretty good; I have been unlucky, having had my both spar pockets tear a little and having to send it to Holland to be fixed up; on the whole though, I am impressed with the build quality. Self launching and landed takes a while to get the hang of, but is not too hard once you get the hang of it. I myself, rarely launch my venom because I’m with other people. If you need any info on self launching and landing, PM me, I can show you the Peter Lynn instructional video. PROS * Very stable * Auto-zenith makes life easy because if you bail, you know you kite will be above your head, waiting for your action; or if you have to take a walk of shame up-wind you can just leave it at the top, turn around and walk (beware, if wind is gusty, do not take your eye off of the kite, it may be stable but it does not fly it self in gusty wind!) * the Twin Skin technology allows you to hop on the water without pumping it up (landing with venom 2s on water can go smoothly and relaunch well, most of the time, other times it does not go so well and can be difficult to relaunch) * Durable: when crashed; they can take one heck of a beating, land, water or snow * Can be modified to your liking without using a needle and thread; they have straps on the inside that make the kite perform in different ways (one inside each of the inflation pockets and one inside the deflation pocket), for example, if the wind is about 15knots and smooth, if I tighten the straps, my kite will give me more power, but this may cause it to stall more in lighter winds. In lighter winds you can loosen the straps to make the kite stall less, although this may not give a lot of power. * The kite spanks you a lot less than C kites and bridled foils when learning new moves * Jumps big in the right hands * Costs a reasonable amount * HAS NO BRIDLES! for all you bridle haters, hehe * Has a very good amount of depower * The bar pressure is not very heavy, I find it just right myself, not too much, not too light. CONS * Is not as fast as C kites or bows (down to personal preference if you want a super fast kite to be honest) * Is not as quick to unpack, and to pack away as fixed bridles (not extremely slow, mind) * The bottom end is not as good as bridled foils or the latest bows/SLEs(bridled bow, supported leading edge)/hybrids * The kite loops are not as crazy as C kites or bows/SLEs/hybrids * The bar pressure is more than on most modern bows/SLEs/hybrids, but not as heavy as most C shaped kites * Self launching and landing can be a pain when learning how to launch and land on your own To summarize, if you want a stable kite, mid aspect, capable of land and water disciplines, look into the Peter Lynn Venom 2. If you want a high aspect Twin Skin, more suited to land and not water, consider the Peter Lynn Phantom or wait for the Scorpion, and read someone's review on that. All in all, for performance, I rate the kite 7.8/10 because it has taught me a lot, but there is more to learn that may be suited to another kite for me. For build quality I rate this venom 2 13m, 7/10 because on the whole, it has been good, but for unknown reasons, I have damaged my kite, when it has not been entirely my fault. I rate this kite for safety 8.4/10, if you want shed-loads of depower, this kite has it, and if you want the power to disappear, pull the safety, and all is gone! Bar and lines (zero 4) get an 8/10; no lines have snapped, nothing has gone wrong with the bar...the 07 is better though. Author : sym170
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I recently had the pleasure of flying a 3.5m Peter Lynn Pepper. Unlike many of the pepper reviews here, this is not my first kite, and being that I own a shop, I have flown just about everything to come across the market in the US for the last 3 years. Initial thoughts Bag - Well, its a drawstring sac. Much to be expected from a kite in this price range. I see no problems here as when you have many kites, rucksacks just tend to take up more room. The bag does have the sizes on the front with one marked. This will be useful if you have more than one. Lines - Great lineset. They are sleeved and knotted, but seem to be pre-stretched and equal in length. They are not stitched, but thats okay. Means you can re-equalize them later if you need to. I really dont see this as a problem though. Handles - Metal with hard foam like material where your hands go. Very comfortable, and seem sturdy. Kite - Build quality is exactly what you expect from Peter Lynn. It really doesnt need to be discussed because its good. the bridles on the kite again are knotted. This seems to be okay too. With a kite in this price, you have to give somewhere. Flight Right off the bat Im impressed. Very stable, predictable pull. Seems to move along quite well. I would have to say not as fast as a Buster, but definitely lighter. The low-end grunt of the kite is quite impressive. I really cant say I have flown a small beginner kite that has this type of pull. Not to say that it pulls harder, just has more torque... Seems the best way I can describe it. When the wind builds, its still silky smooth, and just pulls harder. Its probably not the fastest, or the best turning beginner kite on the market, but seems a perfect balance of all. Most impressive was the kite's lift. I have not experienced lift like this from any other beginner kite. Not just dynamic lift, but creates some static lift as well. This translates nicely to lateral pull at the edge of the window. Conclusion Im going to put this in the same category as the following kites- Hq Beamer IIPkd BusterEolo Radsail I would recommend this kite over all other beginners kites. It just has it where it counts. Having flown begos, blades, samis, bullets, riots, and just about everything else, I would say this kite sits at the top of the beginners kites, and just under the higher performance kites. I real winner. Great job Peter! By : Scoopy
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I started snowkite with the first generation ARC kites from Peter Lynn. Superfast and very predictable kites with huge power and lot of userfriendliness. From snowkite I moved to kiteboarding and different types of LEI. Mostly size 12, 14 and 9. Somehow I thought there was something missing when flying the tubekites. One day I got my hands on the G2 9m, went out in 25-30 kts and had the time of my life. The feeling I had missed with LEI's was suddenly back. I am talking about the feeling of full controll of the power. Suddenly I was total confident and secure in all matters. No more luff, overflying and dangerous exits through the power zone. There was guys with 7 and 8 m LEI's not riding that day. When you don't want the G2 to produce power it does not. It hangs there in the sky and wait for your command. When you fly the kite for generating power then you get more than enough of it. The kite turn really fast. No problem to do a continuing dobbel loop with this one. In really gusty wind with difference at 10 kts the kite sometimes want to stall out a little bit just in the secuence when the wind dropped. I found out that it was possible to compensate by being more aware of the fligth speed and to feel when the wind was about to drop after the burst. Then no problem at all. The kite can be flown with long acceleration paths within the power zone. If you dare do that and accelerate the kite to the sky from the watersurface you get a vertical lift so high and long that you scare yourself. However the landing curve is really smooth. The genuin stability this kite gives makes you a better rider in short time. Did i tell you about how high I could ride up against the wind? Superior! Sometimes I was clumsy when trying to stick the landing after a jump and thumbled around in the water. I quicly learned to then let go of the bar and the kite simply stoppet in the position it was and waited for me to get the head over the water, put on my board and go again. From similare situations with LEI's i am used to the fact that they fly themselfs into the water. I have to say that sometimes I chrashed the kite in the water also. The water relaunch had a tendency to be remarkable quicker and easier than with LEI's. Even for LEI with a 5 line. But I have also experienced full chrash, tangled lines and swimming to the beach again with the G2. Guess it has to do with the individual skills for relaunching. Anyway, the kite floats like a cork. Be patient and wait for the wind to affect the kite when in the water and it relaunch really quick. If you are impatient, pull the lines to quicly and try to force the kite, then you create a problem for your self. This kite does not want anything else than to fly, give it a chance and it does. G2 has a tremendous depower range. This combined with rapid reaction from the barpressure and a really quick turning speed and acceleration makes it possible to produce good power even in the low end of the wind range. Self launch and landing is as easy and safe as the constructor says. The setup and packing activities are both so easy and effortless that no other manufacture are close to this features. No pump needed. The lines and the bar has good color code marking and is easy to set up. The fact that you place the kite paralell with the wind, open the inflate zipper and walk out the lines in a 45 degree angle to the kite makes less hands on activities during setup and thereby shorter time before you are ready to launch. The fabric seems to be very solid due to the fact that I by one ocation chrashed the kite so severly into some bushes that i was sure it would penetrate the fabric and crack all the sawings. After a very close inspection no damage was found. Maybe i was lucky. Packing down is a three minutes operation. Open deflatezipper. Detach and wind the lines on the bar. Simply roll toghether the kite, but it in the smart G2 back pack and go home. When I flew the first generation ARC kites the critics was against the speed. The kite was to fast. Now the same camp says the ARC kites are to slow. Well, from my experience I would say it is insufficient differences if none between G2 9 and similare LEI's. For the snow season 2004/2005 the G2 9 will be my favorite when snowkiting. Talk about crossfunctionality? The G2 9 is a really confident friend. No fear for the control in strong wind anymore. Stelundg By : stelundg
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As a complete an utter beginner this review may be of some help to people thinking about starting up kiting because i know Racekites was a great help to me when i was looking into starting power kiting. My experience so far consists of two outings with my kite both of which were quite eventful!!! The Kite I bought the kite from a shop in leicstershire via the internet and phone. The guy that i spoke to was a real help he advised me that a Peter Lynn pepper was a good starter kite and what i needed to get going. He also offered to tie the foil to the lines for me to save hassle of which i accepted of course. The kite came the very next day complete with a set of flexifoil kite killers and a ground stake. The kite comes in a white sack (Best way to describe it!) which i know from other reviews people haven't been complimentary about but at the end of the day you can put this in your pocket whilst kiting. The foil seems to be well made, i have no issues with it but then again this is my first kite so i have nothing to compare it too. It is very handy that the lines are colour co-ordinated ie brake lines red, power lines grey. I read on this web sites that not all kites come with this and believe me when you are in a tangle it helps no end. My Experiences Right, my first outing with my kite... i roped the mrs into coming along to watch and help. After untangling lines for around 10 mins i was off. I launched the kite and up it flew to the zenith. The wind was blustery and unpredictable but i was oblivious as i was having a blast just getting dragged along by the kites power. About an hour in i dropped the kite down into the power area of the wind window as i had been doing and a gust of wind took me off my feet and flying forwards. Of course because you are hanging on to the lines and being dragged along you do not have hands to put down in front of you and hence my face was the first thing to hit the ground. Ouch. My life flashed in front of my eyes, i was waiting for the pain to kick in as it really should have hurt but luckily it never did. With a broken neck narrowly averted i lye on the grass gathering myself. My girlfriend then alerted me to the fact that a landboarder was just about to run over my kite. Without thinking i pulled the line to try and get it out of the way and my kite was off again flying up and completely wiping out the land boarder in my lines. (If you're reading this i am sorry!!!). Luckily the guy was a nice bloke and let me off (Probably because i had just picked my self up off the floor from the original accident!) Dont let this put you off Power Kiting because my experience of the sport so far has been great fun and exhilarating. By : Tallpaul23
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Introduction… Yes they're getting old now, but there's no denying the power behind these things. I 'did' have a C-QUAD 3.2m but I have to say, I found the cons outweighed the pros by far. Let me explain: Firstly, the kite comes in a HUGE bag which is quite possibly one of the worst I've seen for packing and transporting. [if you're not in the know, it comes in a flat round bag (much like a fizzy UFO sweet), due to the carbon fibre rod in the kite]. Trying to wrestle the bag alone onto a green to fly is a bitch! Especially, I suspect, for those of us who felt the bigger version was an even better idea. What's more, there's no handles/straps or anything on the bag. So once you've found a spot you're happy with, you have a big bag to pin down. Getting out the kite… Getting the kite out can go any one of 3 ways. 2 of which are bad so you got to concentrate! You break the rod in the kite getting it out – major anger!The kite springs when you get it out, losing the bag in the process because the wind also caught the kite and you're busy running after it.You didn't break the rod, lose the bag or spring the kite before time and everything is ok. See the problem? If you don't have more then 4 hands you'll find this design difficult. The reason the rod is so prone to breaking is because of the way you have to bend it to fit it into the HUGE bag. And the way in which you have to let it spring when you get it out. To put it away you have to bend the kite into a circle making sure to include all the struts. Once you have done this you then need to twist it into a figure of 8. Then take opposite ends and fold over into a smaller circle! Confused? Add that to a situation where you’re cold, tired, the rain is coming in and you thought you just heard a “SNAP!”. You can imagine the whole experience suddenly losing its appeal. By the by. The trick is to bend the rod whilst letting it revolve inside the kite lining. This way you don’t break the rod in a sheering fashion. Flying… So you've mastered getting the kite out. From here in it's pretty simple. You attach your four lines, get it up in the air, marvel at its site and then wonder why the controls are so unusual. The reason? Well, Peter Lynn decided to make this kite with controls that include the breaks. I know you’re thinking “But you control most kites with the breaks!” This one is different. You need to use the break lines as part of your steering – more so then most other kites. Not a huge thing in itself but it means you wrists get tired very quickly. Things also become more complicated - adding to the chance of a rough landing or crash. Not the crime of the century you might say, but the rod forming the leading edge doesn't need much to break. If this happens you're looking at at least 1 hour getting the broken one out, and another hour to put a new one in. At around £16 each, not including labour (if you're lazy), it's an expensive mistake to make; particularly if you need to send away for it. Flying (cont)… When you’ve got her in the air she looks good. The sections bellow out nicely and there’s a real sense of potential as the winds sing over the lines and the lift is felt from the apex above you. If you can get around manoeuvring her she’ll pull you for miles. The turns are good – near on the spot. And the break line steering enables easy hover literally anywhere you want her (she even goes backwards!). With regard to a 3.2m I’d say you get a good response from a 10mph wind. That should enable you to get a few low jumps and plenty of skids. For buggying I’d say it would be great – you can get buoyancy aids for them too. I just used it for jumping, which it did ok for. Conclusion… Audience – Intermediate/AdvanceValue for money – Good (If you can put up with all the cons)Power – Very goodManoeuvrability – Very tiring and complicatedBuild quality – GoodMaterials – Perfectly adequateRecommend? – Not really After selling my C-QUAD I went for a Eolo Radsails Pro 6m. No comparison! Soft foil all the way!
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This is a review of the Peter Lynn Pepper 5.5m which I purchased quite recently. The packaging is reasonable although the kite and its accessories doesnt come in a comfortable rucksack which is a big disappointment. The kite comes with the kite,colour coordinated lines and handles but no kite killers.I would recommend you get some given the size of the kite. The main kite is white with red and is well designed. With light wind conditions I decided to fly the kite.Setting up the lines is easy although I would check that the lines are of equal length and are on the right side of corresponding bridles.This will improve performance. The handles are well made although they dont look as comfortable as the flexifoil type that come with the bullet range. Launching the kite is very easy and it shot up into the air with ease.It didnt reach zenith due to the lack of wind.Controlling the kite is very easy. It is very like a dual line kite but the brake lines allow the kite to be slowed down in midair and launched and landed respectively. The amount of power generated by this kite given the conditions was enourmous.I had to employ my skills to control this.At times I was pulled along floor at times.This kite is definitely for advanced users.Landing and launching is very easy. The kite overall is a good traction kite.The efficient shape allows it perform to expectations and will not disappoint.The performance is outstanding and has control features to match. The price is well worth it.I would recommend this to anyone who wants a kite with excellent performance but with financial limitations.I hope you will go out and buy one ! By : JRamrattan
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I had my eye on this kite for quite a while, before buying one second hand. I was looking for something to work up from my 3m Firebee, which would be more friendly, bigger and more fun than the luff-machine First Impressions: I really liked the bag. It is a standard backpack built with heavy-duty material, two mesh side pockets which are perfect for ground stake and handles, and a lovely big front pocket for lines, gloves, windsock,etc. I found the kite fitted well into the bag, and I have now put my 2m Firebee in the bag as well, both fit fine. The kite retails as ready to fly, and I got it in that state. The lines appeared good quality, but I have never used them (much prefer my C line) The handles are lovely, comfy and strong as well as being a nice handful, not too small in diameter. The kite does not come with kitekillers, however, so I fitted my own. The main drawback with the handles is the lack of parking loops - very irritating ! The kite was very easy to set up, took me about 10 minutes to set up and get into the air. It needed a little tinkering, however, that would be expected from any kite. Static flying - it's great fun. Zenith's cleanly and quickly, and will stay stable at the zenith for hours. Unlike other kites, it has no tendency to dive itself into the powerzone unless asked. Once in the powerzone, it is great fun for body-dragging. Even better - it is lifty A little bit of wiggling in the zenith and I was getting some pretty respectable jumps (but I'm not really into kite-jumping) I think the highest I've got would be 6ft, when I parked the kite in the zenith and stopped paying attention to it. buggying - this is my main kiting "thing" and what I really wanted to use the kite for, finding that the 3m didnt have the power to pull me along. It is easy to zenith whilst getting in, and produces solid, consistant pull when flown through the zone. It's not an uber-race kite by any measure, but it does get you going. However, it can lift, and I have been lifted out of the bug a couple of times by it. It's worth getting it out of the zenith as soon as you get in the bug, or you could be lofted out. I would not recommend it as a first buggy kite, as it is lifty and could result in pain! However, for an all-round kite, it represents great value for money and is another fantastic kite from the godfather of kiting By : tiny_clanger
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After developing my skills (or should I say nerve) from my old Beamer II, through my first depower (FS Cool) to bigger things (Ozone Frenzy) I decided to fall for the hype and go for an arc and while I'm at it, go for one much bigger than I really should!! Which led my to a certain poster on this site who had a PL Guerilla II 13m (and an 18m for my mate) for sale. After arranging to meet up at a very bleak, very windy Hoylake as a half way point, the kite was set up and was demonstrated. Decided there and then not to take it out in 25mph winds for a while. Anyway, on with the review. In true RaceKites style... The Bag Well designed extendable bag allowing you to put the G away without taking out the spars. Loads of compression straps and all sorts of dangling things to hang things from! No danger of getting the kite material snagged. All in all, very good. The Kite Apart from it's immense size, fairly unremarkable! As it is second hand, there were a couple of repairs but looked good quality. Obvoiusly being an arc, there are no bridles to worry about. Haven't really inspected the carbon spars yet. There are different connection points to alter the steering pressure. Inflation and deflation point is in the centre of the kite, which doesn't seem to be the best design but I beleive PL have resolved this by putting the inflation point at the wingtip. There are 3 one-way vents on the front - more about that later. Inflation and Launching On the first flight, the wind was about 12-15mph so the kite took about 2 minutes to pre-inflate. I'd imagine in lighter winds, pre-inflation would either take forever or not happen at all! With the kite at about 70% inflation. I adjusted the strap to full power (if you knew me that would not surprise), pushed the bar away and took a step back to lauch. The kite got to about 45 degrees and with a bit of flying for a couple of minutes fully inflated. The Fun Bit - Flying Once the kite was at full inflation, it sat directly at the zenith and required absolutely no input to keep it there. I haven't progressed to boarding/surfing but can already see that this would be a god send. Dropping the kite into the power led to a fairly meaty scud (well run as I had my walking boots on), taking it back to the zenith and pulling in the bar gave a really smooth lift and flight. A small gust caught the kite and I was lifted again but never felt 'out-of'-control'. With a bit more confidence (and skill with turning a much larger kite than I'm used to) I attempted my first pendulum jump. OMG as the kids say. Up, up and away with a lovely soft landing! Compared with 'normal' foils, the handling is different and perhaps not quite so direct. But due to the fact that it doesn't luff and is relatively unaffected by gusts, I was impressed with my new purchase. Summary As it's my first real experience using an arc I'm in no real position to compare it with the other PL twinskins, but due to it's stability, amazing lift and ease of control I'm looking forward to mastering the art of boarding with this beast. Time will tell if it becomes my favourite over the Frenzy in steady beach breezes, but signs are pointing that it will! By : davekermito
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This was my first power kite as i asked the local kiters which kite would best suite a beginner to the sport and after hearing great reviews of the kite i bought one for myself. Over all this kite has great build quality and great looks(looking past the drawstring bag). My first use of the kite was with an adult experienced kiter in a good 15kt wind. The kite easy flew straight up to the zenieth with the experienced kiter sliding at least 4-5 feet, after a quick run-down of what to do the controls were passed to me. After getting use to the powerfull pull of the kite and the small levitating boost off the ground i decieded to see what the kite can do and with a gentle pull and the handles the kite made a swift swoop through the power zone and i let out a silent scream when i found my-self getting hammered with sand as i got dragged down the beach. After owning the kite for around 8 months i have taken it out in winds around the 30kt mark, i weigh 50kg and in 30kts was jumping over 6feet in the air(30kts might be a bit to strong for the kite.....but it is AWESOME fun). Over all this kite is great fun for the beginner kiter in light to moderate winds but can still give the intermediate kiter a white knuckle ride into the air and along the beach in 25kts+, i have tried this kite in a buggy and it goes great with good speed and is very forgiving it can also be used for landboarding and bodysurfing(it isn't water re-lauchable). It is great value for money and great fun....highly recomended!!!!. By : dicko
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i brought this kite a couple of days ago as i only had a cheapo 3m for playing about with. it came in a stuff sack as most seem to nowadays but was well packed with a decent set of prestretched and coated sk75 lines red and grey to make it easier the kite itself is mainly yellow with blue and the bridle system seems to be well thought out the only thing i can say i was a little dissapointed with was the handles. they seemed small compared to other handles i own and are wrapped in foam which although comfy i tend to find are a pain if and when they get wet as i found out today so i swapped them for some HQ handles and bobs your uncle much better took it up staddy for its first fly yesterday evening and to be honest i wouldnt say its R2F as stated it needed some brake line tweeking to get it stable as it overflew and didnt sit at the zenith very well (maybe just me being a little green) but all in all after a little tweek it flew very well and i was extemely impressed i must say it has plenty of pull and had me scudding around the field with a massive grin. after taking it out to my local field today to play a bit more (and some fine tuning) its finally set up how i want it and flies very well across the window and is very controllable at that i managed to get a football field scud out of it (much to the supprise of a few dog walkers who thought i was having some difficulties with it and come across to offer some help) plus a 4ft jump and a play about on my board before it finnaly rained to hard to continue but i left with a massive grin and a feeling of money well spent overall i would say its a great kite for the money and handles very well once you have tweeked it a little (of course not all will want to tweek it and may find it flies well as it is from the bag) as for value for money well im impressed and would say its well worth it for all though begginers out there that want to try there hand at buggying or boarding or even just getting dragged about hope this helps potential buyers of this kite i myself love it and look forward to buying the next size up come payday LT By : LT-FS
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Peter Lynn Bomba 13m So one minute I'm quite happy tootling up and down the beach with my small but adequate quiver of fixed bridle kites, the next minute one of our happy band of kiters arrives with a shiny new bag wrapped around a 15m Phantom. Extolling the virtues of twin skins, he impresses us all with the ease of handling and the auto-zenith. So it was perhaps inevitable that more arcs would soon be cluttering up our beach. First impressions: One Ebay bargain later and I was the owner of a 13m Bomba, being the cautious sort I didn't want to be with something high AR like a Phantom. Unpacking it in the garden the only impression was the size of the beast, it seems to go on for miles. ASAP it was off to the beach for a maiden flight, nephew in tow to provide help, ballast or whatever. First Flight. Instruction DVD thoroughly memorised, we inflated the kite, attached the lines, attached safety to harness and I tentatively lifted the downwind tip, the wind caught it, forming the arc shape and the kite lifted along the edge of the window to the zenith. I hooked into my harness, pumped the centre lines a bit to fully inflate the canopy, then unsheeted the depower loop about half way, the wind was probably about 12 mph but I wasn't taking any chances. The next hour or two were spent flying the kite through the window, getting some impressive scuds and the occasional small jump. Such a relaxing way of flying after being used to fixed bridles. Want a drink? No problem let the kite auto-zenith and chug away. Brilliant. Landing was equally straightforward, sheet the kite in, lower it at the edge of the window, unhook from harness, let go of bar and seconds later the kite is laid flat on the beach. In Use. Since that first flight, I reckon the Bomba has been used for 95% of my kiting, staying in the bag only when the wind is truly ballistic or conversely when it's sub-10 mph. On the landboard there is a world of difference between the Bomba and fixed bridles, it's so easy to lock the Bomba into position and cruise. Pull the bar in for a bit of boost or, if the wind gets too strong, sheet in the depower strap and carry on. Upwind performance is phenomenal, given the right conditions you can almost travel into the wind. I'm not exactly a trick guru but getting some air at the end of runs is so easy, simply redirect the kite to just past the zenith in the opposite to the direction you are travelling, pull down the bar and you've left the beach behind. However briefly. Keep the bar pulled down for a soft landing and be ready to start rolling again when the wheels touch the ground. It's quite possible to fly the Bomba in what would otherwise be scary winds, my current record is 34 knots. I did endure one unintentional lofting on a day of nasty, gusty wind, the type which goes from zero to mental in seconds. Fully depowered, walking backwards up the beach, the next thing I'm looking down at the flotsam and jetsam becoming smaller. Generally however, the kites are gentle giants, with an exemplary safety leash system which will drop the kite from the zenith in strong winds quite easily, certainly without the kite-killer, death-spin sometimes associated with fixed bridle emergency landings. Conclusion Being widely thought of as a beginner's depower does the Bomba a disservice, it's certainly stable and easy to fly, given a reasonable amount of wind it's very grunty with a great deal of traction. Turning is slower than the Phantom but this only seems to be an issue in low wind, most of the time it can easily keep up with its slimmer stable mates. By : terra
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Peter Lynn Pepper 1.5m Once I’d got the 3m and the 5m in my quiver it was time for something to be able to use on the ballistic wind days – something we seem to have more than our fair share of here in the North East. The Pepper fitted the bill price-wise and is well reviewed here and elsewhere so I thought I’d give one a try. First impressions: Although it seems to be becoming de rigour to begin kite reviews with a few lines about the bag, there’s not a lot to be said about the plain, white, drawstring number supplied with this kite. Likewise the handles and lines which are thin but perfectly suited to the size of the kite. No problems with the line lengths either. Unfolding the kite, the first thing which strikes you is the size – it seems tiny, not much bigger than a pillow case, quality wise it’s obviously not up to Flexi or Ozone standard but nicely stitched and well finished off. First Flight. I’ll never forget the day I first flew the Pepper, it was early spring (by the calendar) the wind howling in from the North at a steady 30 mph. The merest tug and we were airborne, zipping through the window like a hanky on a string. Wow, it’s fast, requiring total concentration to prevent kamikaze dives into the sand, even gives a good scud when dipped into the power zone. Unfortunately an unexpected blizzard put an end to the fun because my (gloveless) hands were too cold to feel the handles. In Use. This kite has definitely seen some use (and abuse), boarding and buggying on high wind days; giving assorted children a try on less windy days and generally sharpening up flying skills. It performs adequately when used with a board but requires sineing most of the time, however powerslides are a possibility and I’ve been pulled off (oo’er missus) more than once by this kite. For my novice buggying the little pepper proved ideal, pulling the buggy at the sort of sedate speed conducive to learning the basics. Conclusion I have to keep referring to this kite in the past tense because like Aztec Bars (showing my age here) and Elvis Presley, it’s no longer with us. One nose down crash too many, well two actually, and it succumbed, three cells not so much burst as obliterated, and we had a flying jellyfish, wallowing about in the sky. To be fair to the Pepper, I daresay not many foils would survive two fully-powered up crashes in 40mph wind. Author : terra
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