So I just took the jump to the dark side after spending nearly three years on LEI kites, I bought a 10 Metre Flysufer Pulse.

The Pulse is a bridled foil kite with a huge depower range. Not as much depower as the Crossbow but for me that`s a good thing as when I let go of the bar the kite just keeps on flying and I can ride it with the bar on the stopper and have all that power ready to boost..........

I`ve only just had my first couple of sessions on it so I really don`t know the kite very well nor could I comment about what it`s weaknesses may be at this point in time.

The first day on the beach was a gusty 15-20knots with occasional bullets of 25knots. Testing conditions on my LEI kites, I was so keen to get going on the new foil that I did the classic foil newbie thing and got the bar tangled in the bridle.

So......... 20 min later......I launch by myself which even though it was my first time was ridiculously simple and safe feeling.....then.... I`m off on my FLX 132 in about 1-1.5 of messy swell and another one or two foot of chop on top of that.

Couple of runs in and out to feel the kite and all is good. Upwind no problem. Seemed much easier than on my C kites, I think that is probably due to the huge depower range more than anything else.

Pull the trimmer just a tad because I was getting overpowered when going fast even with the bar resting on the stopper.

OK...... next run I try my first jump..... full speed..... hit a three foot chunk of swell, pull the bar and OMG........ I`m up and away, super easy, super nice lift. Not like a high aspect ratio LEI lift but more like a gentle pull skywards that just keeps on pulling up and up.

Problem was I was redirecting with way to much muscle and accidentally nearly kite looped. Ended up in the water flailing around in the impact zone.#12288; Kite gets all bunched up as it is mauled by waves, shake and tug a few lines to try to sort it out and it opens out all by itself LE down. Stoked! Pull on the PSS handle abit and she sails straight the the edge of the window and takes off all by herself. Easiest relaunch ever!

I could feel the power coming on more and more as the kite reinflated fully on its` way up and with water pouring off/out off the kite. SUPER STOKED!

The most surprising thing was that the kite got really hammered by the waves and I know that in those situations my tube kites tend to get tied in knots or at least inverted several times over as they get tossed around by the surf.


Anyway, that was pretty much repeated time and time again throughout the next couple of afternoons with increasing degrees of success with all my jumps and my very limited repertoire of tricks.

Did my smoothest ever aerial transitions and even with a couple stylin` tweaked out grabs because it is so smooth and friendly feeling. I landed my first ever downloop to, although I must admit it was kind of an accident that ended up stickin. 100 points goes to any kite that will let you land a trick you didn`t really plan on doing.

Had lots of crashes because I was trying all sorts of things that I would never even try on my LEI kites because of the time/difficulty of relaunch. Managed to literally bounce the Pulse of the water a few times, ie. crashed at the edge of the window while I`m landing jumps but relaunched it before I even sank into the water, constantly amazed at the easy of relaunch.

The wind dropped and smoothed out alot both days in the hour before dark, maybe 12-15 knots, I could no longer stay upwind on my small board at that strength but both times, I had had enough by then. I have yet to try it with my bigger boards, I think the low wind useage should be really good considering how low it goes with the 132.

Over-all, An amazing couple of sessions!

My first sessions on the Pulse inspired alot of confidence. It has such a huge sweet spot to ride in. It relaunchs if you snarl at it.
It forgives major mistakes. It let me do and try tricks that I`ve never tried before because if I crash the kite I could usually get it off the water in about five seconds. For me at this point in time, it seems like the perfect kite.

I`ll post another update in a month or so when I have had more time to get used to the kite.

quote:

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Originally posted by glaucus atlanticus

So I just took the jump to the dark side after spending nearly three years on LEI kites, I bought a 10 Metre Flysufer Pulse.

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At last! Been window shopping for long enough!

Good news, there's one of these orange babies in the post on the way to ME!

Thought I could hold out and wait for the Psycho3 which should have the same depower in a higher aspect freestyle kite.......maybe later.....


I'll let you know how I get on too, warts n all. I'm expecting it to be a really forgiving kite, it was designed for novice/intermediate but it seems expert guys are loving going huge and working on tricks with it. I'm looking forward to a more relaxing ride than the Speed 10. It's still an awesome kite but can be punishing in the top end, I've learnt to edge really hard to keep it under control, but still get spanked most powered sessions. Speed is awesome in nice conditions, Pulse sounds awesome in chop/surf/gusts. A top end of 25-30 knots should be enough for around here too.
Lookin forward to finding out!

I've driven a WRX, but I'll just have to imagine what a Ferrari's like

Doesn't launching straight downwind freak tubies out!

How's self landing BTW, I know you are not used to landing previous flysurfers and Pulse is different again.

The other thing I've heard is the steering isn't great when really depowered, comments?

Thanks for your first impressions, Glaucus. Very interesting.

Tobes, I would be very interested in a quick comparison between the Speed 10 m and the Pulse 10 m (when you will have the opportunity to play with it).

I am planning to acquire the 10m version of the Speed as soon as I have got the budget.

Thank you.

Fred

Hi Tobes,

Thank you for the exhaustive response from your brief test.

For information, I did quickly try the 10 m Pulse and my impressions generally corroborate yours:
- the Pulse felt like a very easy kite to fly;
- the power-depower ratio was significantly greater to that of my Extacy and Speed (different sizes). I fully agree with the "throttle" analogy you made.

I am looking for speed and big air rather than easy flying characteristics, and my Speed 13 m meets perfectly these two criteria (as you said). That is why I am tempted with the Speed 10 m.

Glaucus/Tobes, could you please comment further about the water relauching characteristics of the Pulse when you have further input?

Thanks a lot you both!

Fred

quote:

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Originally posted by glaucus atlanticus

So I just took the jump to the dark side after spending nearly three years on LEI kites, I bought a 10 Metre Flysufer Pulse.

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Glaucus A.,

without any will of starting a debate between LEI and foil fanatics, I am wondering what main reason made you chose a foil?

My main reason was probably the safe self launching/landing possibilities, as I wanted to kite by myself as soon as I felt confident enough.

Thanks.

Fred

Finally got a bit more wind!
Another session in a southerly at a local point break. Sooo good!
Pulse 10 just inspires confidence. I had great fun playing around in the waves, the depower really lets you slow down and ride the wave. Toeside is easier than ever before, and unlike most bows, riding with one hand is no problem because the bar pressure is so light. Gonna have a go on the strapped surfboard next time. It was probably the bottom end of the windrange again, the local BOM reported 12-18 knots, jumps were nothing like the Speed, above 20 knots though I can tell this kite could get some big air. Made plenty of mistakes that would have caused trouble with the Speed, Pulse is very forgiving.
Oh yeah, managed to crash it twice, relaunched nearly instantly just by pulling the bar in and steering to one side, it just slides around and up you go. One of them I was surprised by a good wave coming, quickly downlooped to catch it, fluffed the loop and crashed LE down, pulled in the bar, relaunched and still managed to catch the wave!
Overall one of the most fun and relaxing kiting sessions ever, topped off with dolphins at the beach when I arrived, oh yeah, the new FLX 128 is pretty sweet too!

Hi funky foil dudes, the pulse sounds like a nice kite, am looking at a second hand 5 meter pulse for high wind days, I am about 70 kilos, what would the 5 meter low end (holding ground) be do you think with a board about 43cm wide and what would be the high end with say a wave orientated direction board that’s about 160 long by 38cm wide... finding my 9 meter bow overpowered (i.e. dragged down the beach while fully sheeted out kind of overpower) sometimes in the cold front 25 knot +++plus winds and since I have always had a keen interest in the foil kites I would ideally like to use one as my high wind kite. Would the 5 meter be ok in 25 knots to say 35 knot gusty cool winds?

I know it’s stated on flysurfer site – 14 up to 42 knots but learning my kite skills on a 3 meter foil I also know the amount of pull a foil can give.... so anyhow any ideas and advice would be appreciated!

Damm those double posts.........

Hi Glaucus!

I use 4.5 m + 7 m Extacy (ancestors ) and 10m + 13 m Speed. I quickly tried the Pulse.

Further to your last message, and assuming that the Speed2 will be an improved descendant of the Speed1, I would like to warn you that the Speed's are high aspect ratio kites whose power is not as easy to control as for the Pulse. Also, although you should not have any relaunching difficulties when using the proper technic, relaunching is likely to be more difficult than the Pulse (because of the high AR of the Speed).

Speeds excel in speed and high jumps!!!. The bigger Speeds excel in light wind.

Just some words of wisdom so that you are not deceived by a kite that does not fit your kiting profile...

I looooove my Ferraris!!!! Errrrr, my Speeds!!! I am now dribbling in front of the Psycho3 and Speed2
Fred