Peter Lynn Swell 9m 2014
Reviews / Kites
7,166
At A Glance
The Peter Lynn Swell is a 3-strut, medium aspect ratio wave kite that has been designed to bridge the gap between wave and wakestyle giving you the best of both worlds. In sizes 5,6,7,9 and 12m, the Swell covers all wind options. The bridle system comes with Ronstan Shock Pulleys that have no moving parts and therefore are not affected by salt water and sand. The ridged 3-strut SLE design on the kite makes the whole frame feel solid, and the struts are directly connected to the leading edge. In terms of construction the Swell is very well put together with high quality Tejin Technoforce T9600 fabric for the canopy, Dacron reinforcements on the wingtips and a double layer of Tejin Technoforce + Bisonyl reinforcing on the trailing edge.
The Bar
The Navigator SL bar is clean, simple and user friendly. It seems to be as simple as possible without losing any comfort or safety. The quick release is an easy ‘squeeze and push away’ system, and the kite has two safety system options either attaching the safety line to both top lines, or just one. The bar and line length package comes in two options, either a Navigator Small or Navigator Large. Both size options come so you can adjust the bar and lines to get the perfect set up for your kite size. The depower trim is located above the bar with an easy to use clam cleat. The lines are all high quality spliced Dyneema.
In The Air
The first thing I noticed when flying the Peter Lynn Swell is the responsiveness to bar input and the stability of the kite, it’s amazing. You can really give credit to the team at Peter Lynn, you are instantly in total control, no matter what the conditions are. The kite has a huge wind range and great depower, the turning speed is fantastic even when sheeting out on the bar. There are two wave riding style settings on the kite; a high bar pressure setting for the more hardcore surfer which gives the kite more power, makes turning sharp and snappy, or the low bar pressure setting for the more relaxed style of surfer. On this lower bar pressure setting there is less power, turning is slightly slower and the kite gains more drifting ability. In both onshore and offshore conditions the kite excels, it’s fast and responsive nature allowing you to crank the kite through the turns in onshore conditions whilst it’s drifting abilities allow it to float down the line when the wind is offshore. It’s an easy kite to fly and one that will suit both beginners and experts alike when it comes to wave riding.
For
Definitely a kite for the dedicated wave rider, due to the two settings it can suit both hardcore and the more relaxed riding styles.
Against
Whilst the kite works in all conditions and can be a freeride machine too if you want, it is really suited to the waves, so grab a surfboard and get out there…
Overall
A fantastic wave kite designed for performance and turning ability. The two wave riding style options make this kite very versatile in the waves, whatever your skill level.
Videos
This review was in Issue 43 of IKSURFMAG.
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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!
