When it comes to back country snowkiting single skin kites have changed the game. They are super light and together with the 5th line also quite safe. While the 5th line setup is also available for other snowkites, the light weight is really the main advantage of single skin kites, especially when you have to carry your equipment uphill to your favorite snowkite spot. An earlier comparison between the two major competitors (Flysurfer and Ozone) are posted here and here. So how does the new Flysurfer PEAK5 fly in high winds?
The light weight design of single skin kites comes with some disadvantages, compared to dual skin ram pressure snowkites. One is that they tend to flap, the other is that they can front stall with a collapsing leading edge. The issue of flapping was addressed in iterative design changes. In previous PEAK designs this was addressed by including a hybrid inflating wingtip. A second improvement (starting with PEAK5) was to extend the battens along the entire width of the kite. Both changes significantly reduce any flapping and make the kite super stable in gusty and high winds. In the video above you can see that the flapping is minimal, even when depowered. Conclusion: The PEAK5 really impressed me and was a good investment for my kite lineup 😁.