I agree with you on the float(13m Speed is an absolute floating beast), but in my own first hand experience, wringing out the max height from large super high aspect flat kites can be harder to achieve than from a better handling more moderate aspect kite.

I used to own a 7m and 13m Speed1 (before and since all my kites have been inflatables), and the 13m had some amazing float, but I found it ponderous in the turn and in moderate conditions, was getting more height from just aggressively sending a North Vegas 14m(a benchmark allrounder of a kite). The whole sending phase took longer to initiate and go through on the flysurfer, and I FELT that I lost more momentum than your calcs suggest JS.

The 7m Speed was small enough and used in high enough winds that it's flat arc and high aspect ratio didn't affect the turning really, relatively speaking, and was an absolute jumping monster, but a real handful in the conditions oftentimes.

I am sure the subsequent Speeds have come further in stability and sheeting range, but for my money, it is easier to get high with a great SLE kite like a recent Ozone Edge(a smooth elevator upwards and onwards). Prior great high jumping kites that I also owned back in their day were the original Best Waroo(had some niggling other issues though) and the Naish Raven3(simply a delightful and exciting jump machine).

Anway that is my 2c from practical experience, which also doesn't go against any of the theory imho. Kites with different trait blends can require subtle differences in technique to get the best out of them, I don't think anyone would really dispute this.

Big depowerable foils will have immense hangtime, yes.

But I also find and think that medium aspect "allround" SLE kites are performing best regarding jumping

Some C kites can also jump extremely high - because they have a very efficient turn and redirect, so higher acceleration/shorter ascent, leading to smaller "loss" - thus really high jumps

But more difficult, and it requires more steady wind conditions.

With an allround SLE it will be way easier to make consistent high jumps

Although, IMO, never higher than with a C kite when everything matches.

You get a considerable amount less hangtime with the C, true - but maybe the highest jumps.

Low aspect SLE kites are IMO not good for jumping high, but will have "float" (hangtime) if a deep profile and delta, as they have too much vortex loss when ascending, compared to a bit higher AR kite.

Really high AR SLE kites will be a bit too slow for giving the best "kick" and not as efficient redirect - so there is a limit - and I think that medium or even a bit above medium AR (not low AR) kites jump the highest

Above is only valid for quite big kites (10-14m2 f.ex), and not the small ones, where you could go higher in AR if you wanted, because turning/redirecting is no longer the same issue.

But because the small kites have so little loss as they are not "forced" into a turn the same way - we usually want the smaller ones to be lower AR, so we get a more stable and less "over"sensitive kite.

So for max jump height ANY not too low nor too high AR kite will work IMO.

For max hangtime - depowerable foils and depowerable bow kites outperform everything else by a huge margin - but jump height can be a problem if large kites.

So the "moderate" AR SLE kite with some camber but not too much, has a bit of everything - a quite effective turn and relatively fast ascent, and one is still able to hold and control quite a large size in more wind - giving even more hangtime

Just my take on the best jumping kite for both height and hangtime

Peter

Agree that smaller kites jumps higher than bigger ones for same brand of kites in most location.

I.E, You'll get higher on a 50% depower Speed3 12m then you can with the Speed3 15m...

But there are some exceptions. There is a place near where I live that sometimes have some sort of updraft in the wind (near the cliff) and I have done my biggest jumps on a steady 29kts gusting 31 kts with the 15m Speed3 and the Spleene Door last year. My depower line was 95% depower and the bar was fully out, (yes I did have safety release in mind but wind was so steady for a long time this is why I stayed on that setup). Anyway, I never been able to jump as high with the 12m.

Obviously every other places I can jump higher with the 12m, but when updraft wind is present I think that you'll jump higher with a bigger kite than a smaller one. Hopefully we will get more strong steady updraft/lifty wind here so I can test it on the 12m to make sure this statement is right.
(it is right so far, did had some session with 50% depower on the 12m, but never been able to re jump as high as I did with the 15m that day, would like to test the 12m 95% depower though, maybe it will jump higher)

Very impressed by the height big kites can bring you when you get the timing right and when you are way overpower and can hold lots in the water.

Is the Speed3 considered a high AR?
Going to receive 11m Ozone Edge, cant wait to compare jump height with the Speed3.