Flysurfer Speed 3 12m 2011 Kitesurfing Review

Flysurfer Speed 3 12m 2011

Reviews / Kites

Flysurfer 19,664

At a Glance

It’s been a while since the test team have been given a Flysurfer, and to say a lot has changed would be an understatement. The Speed 3 is billed as the ultimate flying machine, super efficient and very high performance. It comes in 4 sizes, the 12m, which we have here, a 15m, 19m and a massive 21m. These are the kites you see in the pictures defying the laws of physics. Not a breath of wind and someone kiting, that would be a 21m Speed 3… However it isn’t all about light wind, as the 12m proves. The kite is aimed at riders looking to do big air, old school, racing and cruising, for the more freestyle orientated riders out there Flysurfer offer the Psycho4. In terms of what has changed over the Speed2 which was a very popular design, Flysurfer looked to improve the handling and the bar feedback and pressure of the kite. They also improved the internals to ensure easier relaunch and a more solid and durable canopy.

The Bar

The Infinity bar really sets the kite off, if you haven’t flown a Flysurfer before don’t panic, it is very similar in layout to a normal 4-line kite bar. You certainly won’t be in unfamiliar territory here. The QR works well and is a simple push away design. There’s a mini 5th line design, which allows the kite to totally depower and flag out by tensioning the trailing edge. Above the bar trim straps work just the same as on any other kite. There’s also a clever anti twist system for your chicken loop line and the whole set up is well thought out and functional.

In The Air

The first thing you’ll appreciate with the Speed 3 is the fact you don’t have to inflate it! No pumping here! The launching and landing technique is a little different, get as much air into the canopy as possible before you try and launch, this would be our top tip. With no air in the canopy the kite is very difficult to fly, for obvious reasons! So the longer you keep it on the ground filling with wind the better. Once up in the sky keep it flying overhead until the tips and the entire kite is fully “inflated” this will ensure the best performance right from the off. It only takes a few seconds but it will make a difference to your session. On the water the kite is really smooth, it just glides through the air with a finesse other inflatable kites lack. It’s a totally different sensation to flying an inflatable. Similar in the sense the controls come naturally and are effectively the same. But different because the experience seems altogether more mellow and fluid. Compared to the Flysurfers of the past the Speed 3 is pretty spritely, especially in this its 12m guise. It won’t set the world alight in terms of turning speed but you can loop the kite and steer it very precisely. The bar pressure is quite positive; you can certainly feel where the kite is at all times. And the triple depower means you can dump excess grunt from the kite with just fine adjustments of the bar… The 12m is much quicker through the window than it’s bigger brothers, but the handling is still different to a normal inflatable kite. The Speed3 will obviously suit those riders looking for light wind dominance, and the 12m still has a cracking bottom end, especially for lighter riders. Personally we’d rather have the 19m in our quiver though, the 12m is just too close to inflatable kites in terms of wind range. And with us old habits die-hard. The hangtime and upwind ability is very impressive, the Speed3 delivers some crazy long jumps and you seem to be up in the air for ages! Relaunch was a little tricky at first but once you work it out then it is pretty simple.

For

Huge range, much improved performance over older style foil kites, lightweight and well made. Also these kites have a crazy resale value, if you are sick of losing half the value of your kites the minute you walk out the door then this could be the answer…

Against

You’ll need to take the time to adjust your flying skills, whilst very similar it is slightly different in the way it handles and behaves.

Overall

The Speed3 is leaps and bounds ahead of the foils of old, packed with performance and a stealthy approach to slicing the air it is sure to set some pulses racing.

This review was in Issue 23 of IKSURFMAG.

Related

By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!

Tried this? What did you think?