Flysurfer Speed 17 Review
Subtitle: A “tubiesâ€

These Fsurfer speed`s must be 1 of the best lightwind kite`s going..

I`ve seen somebody out on a 10m in 8-10knts with a flydoor..

Thanks for sharing your experiences, a couple of things:

the glue isn't included due to being banned from air travel after 9/11, apparently it contains materials capable of being used as explosives, outside of FS's control unfortunately but you should be able to buy it at any kite shop/sailmakers/paragliding shop...

the steering settings make a big difference to turning speed, soft steering will make the kite redirect much faster but you will have to be careful not to pull the bar in too far and hold it, causing the kite to choke, time and patience will make this part easier.

jumping is tricky with the 17m, when you send the 13m and smaller kites you can really huck it like a tube and still get it together for landing, the 17m requires some restraint, send it less aggressively and you'll not lose control mid air, assuing thats's the problem, most people have it during their first sessions on FS kites. also lots of entry speed and pop will get you higher, then like you say you just float

like you say riding a fast board in light winds is essential, also having a smooth riding style will squeeze extra knots out of the low end

if you are in a confined space you can launch the kite at the edge of the window with no dragging, the technique is described in the manual and also on http://www.foilzone.com

aside from those points have fun on the kite, although i'd say it sounds like you're already doing that

I was getting jumps on the 10m in underpowered conditions this way:
1) build speed
2) from down low, crank the bar hard and send the kite straight up (not back) and push out the bar
3) when the kite is at the right spot on the way up (2/3?), pop and pull in the bar.

There was just barely enough wind to get going and stay upwind, small gusts were enough to get fairly decent jumps considering how underpowered I was.

The 17m doesn't respond nearly as fast as the 10m, so I don't know if that will do it or not - haven't had a light-wind session on the 17m since I figured out the 10m...

With a flat/fast board, you should get another couple mph on the bottom end.

That jumping technique will also work for the 17. Usually I fly the kite back from 10 to 12 (not even that agressive), edge hard and then pull in the bar and pop just after that. You will have huge jumps with only little winds, it is truely spectacular! It takes a while before you have the timing exactly right.

Thx for the tips.

@Tom: I (read: my wife) really don't want to know how that 10 is..

Arjan

Welcome to the highly exclusive Speed owners club

What a place to be.

You really don't... I mean you REALLY REALLY don't...

BTW: nice review (forgot to say that in my previous post).

This is how the ten is:

Hot day, no wind, or a rat's fart worth anyways.

UPS man (santiclaus) delivers new speed 10

WTF, too much work and no play, might as well go see if it

can fly in a rat's you-know-the-rest wind.

Ya right, I'm out on my boat, all dressed to kill, 15 extra pounds of 7mm wetsuit, fins, helmut, booties, harness, extra tampons, equals= 90 kg or around 195pds.

heavy, in other words. Too heavy for a ten meter kite and 8-10 knots of wind.

A few caps here and there.

If I had my old Psycho2-21 I MIGHT be able to stay upwind but it'd be touch-and-go.

Throw it in the water, drifts away slowlyyyyyyyyy because there was hardly enough to inflate it in the first place.

Lines get tight, bang. The god damn thing pops out of the water like nothing at all.

And then it justs sits at zenith looking at me like a well trained dog asking me "what would you like next, master?" To go upwind and have a right fucking time, that's what dickhead but there's no tension on the lines that I know about.

And guess what, I did. Go upwind, very much so during the gusts in fact.

Now I have to ask myself, what if I had the 17 speed instead of the 10?

hmmmmmmmm, guess my jumps would have been 20 feet instead of 10.

you know the rest......................................

Justy an update...
I enjoy the Flysurfer Speed17 so much (now on full soft steering, and getting into the air is no problem anymore) so i replaced all my tubes for foils... yes a Speed 10 and 7
Will put a review after a few water sessions.

Arjan