Generally, my top leaders are out by 8" to 9", plus the extra 2" of stretch in most of my top lines.So John,, how much brake do you fly with?
Bear in mind though, it usually requires a specialized technique to use this extreme of a setting in light to medium wind.
It works VERY well for me, and the teammates I've taught on iQuad... Most folks seem to prefer the 6" to 7" range.
As for holding an upright hover, we use a technique of "teasing" the top lines, either with soft full forward strokes (kite in one place) or using the thumbs or index fingers to put extra tension on the top lines as needed.
No problems with it to speak of, but again, we've developed our own techniques to milk what we feel is the maximum potential performance out of the kite... It takes a little more effort and arm movement, but damn, our kites jump for us on the settings we use.
