Peter Lynn Waterfoil

 

The Waterfoil is a solution to the demands of kite surfing although its just at home on land !!

Features:

Permanent Inflation - the kite has a series of six air valves (inlets ?) on the leading edge which are in fact "tubes" which extend about 300mm into the kite.

All seams are sewn and taped which results in a strong, airtight structure.

There is a small drainage valve at each corner of the trailing edge which lets water out (and air if the pressure inside rises).

The shape is highly curved which aids water-relaunchability.

The bridle is a full crossover type which ensures that the kite remains smooth and responsive in turns (and offers a simple conversion to 2 lines for use with a control bar).

First Impressions:

Firstly the colour scheme is striking - maybe not to everyone's liking but it looks good in the air !! At first glance the construction is good, however on really close examination its nowhere near the standards set by Flexifoil and Quadrifoil. The sewing is not particularly good and there are loose threads where the bobbin has run out halfway down the seam (and the thread is very thin - definitely thinner than usual on good quality kites). Similarly one or two of the edges on each cell are not too straight. Anyway criticisms apart its OK and only time will tell with respect to durability. The tape obviously helps - lets hope it lasts !! I think that PL is having kites made in China so keep a close eye on quality Mr Lynn !!

Flying:

The kite doesn't come with lines or handles, therefore one set of Flexifoil handles and 75' 500/300lb lines later its ready to launch. Once set up as a normal foil with lines attached and the handles staked out the waterfoil simply sits up looking like a secondhand carrier bag gone wrong. Time to walk to the kite and manually pump it forwards and back to get air into the inlets - this works but takes a few minutes. Even with a small volume of air inside the kite can be launched with a firm tug on the top lines and brakes off !! It rises slowly , still looking in bad shape and its almost impossible to fly - it simply hovers a few metres up. Anyway more pumping required on the handles and it begins to take shape - then wow, the power kicks in and it looks like a well proportioned, curved wing !!

Now it responds superbly - even the 5.7 is responsive (although reasonbly slow flying). Static flying is an absolute joy. The Waterfoil is so stable and totally precise - much more so than other foils including Blades and it can be held anywhere in the wind window with confidence. Generally it reponds well to both 2 line control and 4 line control. The 5.7 has been flown in a range of winds. In about 10mph its OK for the buggy and at around 15mph the power is really strong. A few mph above that and its supporting my weight and jumps are coming easily. I guess it will take much more on water !! Overall flying impressions are excellent and I really appreciate the fine control. A couple of times the Waterfoil has overflown - it doesn't really collapse but folds itsself in half which looks odd and its quite difficult to recover unless the handles are pumped - generally not a problem !

Landing is a breeze although it comes down with a bit of a bump since its still highly inflated. After a couple of minutes on the beach the Waterfoil has "sagged" slightly although it obviously has a high volume of air inside. Relaunching proves the point and it takes a few seconds to really fill out the kite.

Overall I'm very impressed with the Waterfoil, particularly the concept, the look and the control. The quality of construction worries me a little but hopefully PL will sort this out and honour any warranty claims. The prices are also interesting to say the least - check out the specs below bearing in mind that the 2.4 performed as good as a Blade 3.3 on the buggy:

 

 

 

Specifications
Model	Wingspan	Surface Area	Price Guide	Fabric
WWF24	2.7m	2.4m²	£170	Chikara
WWF36	3.4m	3.6m²	£230	Chikara
WWF57	4.2m	5.7m²	£300	Chikara