Peter Lynn Escape 9m 2015
Reviews / Kites
7,166
At A Glance
This is the third generation of Escape kites from Peter Lynn, each incarnation has seen tweaks to the design rather than radical changes and the latest version is no different. The team have sought to improve the overall performance of the kite by adjusting the shape and profile, whilst still retaining the kite’s legendary user friendliness.
It’s a four strut design with the traditional middle strut absent which helps it to deliver excellent low-end power. There are trim options to help you tune the bar pressure and handling of the kite. The kite is aimed to appeal to a wide variety of riders, but with a firm focus on user friendliness and ease of use it should definitely get the less experienced riders out there excited!
The wing tips have also been tuned this year to be lighter and also more efficient, this has been done to improve the kite handling. A new “efficient” inflate valve has been added to speed up the process of pumping up and Ronstan Shock Block pulleys, which have no moving parts, have been used on the simple bridle.
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 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 and there is an adjustable stopper ball so you can bust out the old school moves too. The depower loop is free spinning and you can untwist it just above the chicken loop.
In The Air
As soon as you launch the Peter Lynn you’ll be struck by how easy it is to fly, it’s a very forgiving and stable kite and there are no nasty surprises. When you start to throw some moves and tricks the kite is exceedingly well behaved and it inspired lots of confidence very quickly amongst each of the test team when we flew it. The latest version is noticeably quicker than the previous one, although not by so much that it loses those stable characteristics. The bar pressure is hardly noticeable and you’ll very quickly adapt to the Escape’s precise handling.
Relaunch is very good too, the leading edge doesn’t stick too much and the kite is quite happy to roll to one side when you pull on a rear line. An area that was particularly impressive was jumping, when you send the kite back aggressively you get a real boost vertically and then the large power zone in the middle of the kite gives you plenty of float on your way down. The wind range is great on the Escape also, there is plenty of low-end power and as the wind gets up the kite depowers really well whilst still maintaining good handling.
Overall
Once again the Escape shines as a very user friendly and forgiving freeride kite. It’s got bags of performance for the more advanced riders, but at the same time it is easy enough to use for beginners to get a lot out of it. If you want a kite that is easy to use and will improve your riding whilst giving you lots of confidence the Escape should definitely be on your shopping list.
Videos
This review was in Issue 47 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit Peter LynnRelated
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!
