TKB Review: Underwave Imperial Harness
Underwave is a company new to the US and Bay Area Kitesurf, the North American distributors, sent us the Underwave Imperial to try out.
Category: Gear Reviews
TKB Review: X3 Kite Compression Bags
The X3 Kite Compression Kit includes three large vacuum bags and an adapter that allows you to use your kite pump to suck the air out of the bags to shrink your kites, making them easier to pack. The bags are made out of a heavier material than we’ve seen on consumer vacuum bags made for traveling and feature a large one-way valve.
TKB Review: Heated Wetsuits Thermalution
Designed to keep you warm while you are on/under the water for 1.5 to 3 hours, the product consists of a traditional short sleeve lycra modified to accommodate Thermalution’s waterproof battery system with non-metallic Heating Wire Technology and temperature controller.
TKB Review: Spex Amphibian Eyeware
My first impression after opening the box was that they looked kind of goofy as they look like a combination of sunglasses and goggles. Once I adjusted the headband to fit my extra large head I was blown away with the colors of the water. The Spex I tested came with polarized gray (smoke) lenses. The frame fit my face nicely and was very comfortable, but they might be too big for smaller faces and children.
Liquid Force 2011 Envy Analyze This Kite Review
The Envy is a three-strut one-pump kite with a bridle that features one pulley per side. The rear section of the bridle can be adjusted to change the turning speed of the kite.
GK 2011 Trix Analyze This Kite Review
The 2011 GK Trix looks very similar to last year’s model. This is a five-strut one-pump kite with a unique and very adjustable bridle.
Wainman Gambler Analyze This Board Review
The Gambler features a very wide outline, double to single concave bottom with molded channels, and a single bump swallow tail. For a wide 5’10”, it’s a lightweight board.
North 2011 Fuse Analyze This Kite Review
Overall, the Fuse looks very similar to the North Rebel with the addition of a bridle. This is a five-strut one-pump kite with a unique floating center strut.
Epic 2011 Renegade Infinity Analyze This Kite Review
Epic has not disclosed the actual size of the Infinity, so we were curious to see just how large it is. When compared to other large kites, our best guess puts the size at around 15m.
Best 2011 Nemesis HP V3 Analyze This Kite Review
The Nemesis HP is back in Best’s kite line after a year-long hiatus and it shares the same unique Best-exclusive Cuben Fiber leading edge with the previous Nemesis. About half of the leading edge is made of the strong material and the leading edge of the Nemesis is very skinny compared to other kites.
Slingshot 2011 Turbine Analyze This Kite Review
The Turbine is Slingshot’s new light wind specific kite and it looks very similar to Slingshot’s popular Rally. The Turbine features Splitstrut, which means that the ribs are built into the canopy as opposed to being attached to the underside of it.
Flexifoil 2011 ION Analyze This Kite Review
The first thing we noticed about the 2011 Ion is its heavy duty construction. Every possible area of the kite seems to be beefed up to take abuse and even the fabric that makes up the kite feels more sturdy than normal.
RRD 2011 Vision Analyze This Kite Review
The Vision is a brand new kite from RRD and we were able to get our hands on the first Visions to land in North America at the 2011 La Ventana Classic. According to RRD, the Vision is supposed to fill the gap between the RRD Obsession (freestyle) and the Religion (waves).
Wainman Blunt 2 Analyze This Board Review
We continue to be impressed with the attention to detail on products from Wainman HI. Boards come with all hardware, a board bag, and even a screwdriver to put everything together.
Caution 2011 Spitfire Analyze This Kite Review
Our first impression when unrolling the Spitfire is that this kite is built to take a beating. It’s a five-strut one pump kite with a compact bridle. Both the front and rear bridles use one pulley per side, but Caution uses a unique molded block with no moving parts.
F-One 2011 Bandit 4 (B4) Analyze This Kite Review
The F-One Bandit, the original Delta kite, is now in its fourth generation and it has undergone a major redesign for 2011. It is now a three-strut one pump kite with square wingtips.
Slingshot 2011 RPM Analyze This Kite Review
For 2011, the largest change to the Slingshot RPM is the addition of Spitstrut, which means that the struts are now integrated into the canopy as opposed to being attached to the bottom of it.
North 2011 Evo Analyze This Kite Review
The Evo is a five-strut one pump kite that shows North’s usual attention to details. This is a bridled four-line kite (it can also be flown as a five-line) with a very compact and simple bridle.
F-One 2011 Trax Analyze This Board Review
Once up and riding, the F-One Trax is a fast board that feels light and responsive underfoot. As you edge harder, the Trax feels like it locks in and never gave us any signs that the edge was about to slip or chatter.
Litewave 2011 Wing Analyze This Board Review
We tested the big boy of the 2011 Litewave Wings, the 161. This is a light wind specific board and it stands out when compared to other twin tips. The board features wide tips, a reverse sidecut outline, and a very deep tip to tip single concave. There are two fins on the heel edge and two near the tips of the board close to the centerline. This board has more rocker than last year’s model and is fairly flexible.
RRD 2011 Obsession Analyze This Kite Review
The 2011 RRD Obsession looks similar to last year’s model, but there are a few obvious differences. The trailing edge is now all Dacron and the graphics are actually made of fabric sewn onto the kite as opposed to being screened on, a feature that RRD claims adds more rigidity to the canopy.
Nobile 2011 NHP Analyze This Board Review
The first thing our testers noticed was how easily driven the NHP is. It takes little power to get going and shoots upwind almost effortlessly.
Wainman 2011 Joke Analyze This Board Review
The middle of the bottom of the board is actually convex in the middle (like a bubble) and flows into a double concave out the tips.
North 2011 Rebel Analyze This Kite Review
Even though the 2011 Rebel looks much like the 2010, its handling has definitely been improved.
Genetrix 2010 Hydra Analyze This Kite Review
If you want to get noticed at the beach, you might want to buy a Hydra as this kite looks like nothing else we’ve ever tested.
Wainman Hawaii Gypsy Analyze This Kite Review
The Gypsy is a great all-around kite, performing equally well in the waves, unhooked, and for big air jumps.
RRD 2010/2011 Religion Analyze This Kite Review
The Religion is RRD’s surf-specific kite, and its construction details show that it’s meant to take a beating.
Nobile 2010 T5 Analyze This Kite Review
According to our testers, the T5 was well-behaved and never did anything unexpected.
North 2010 Rebel Analyze This Kite Review
Right out of the bag, the first thing we noticed about the Rebel was the attention to detail on the kite.
Naish 2010 Charger Analyze This Kite Review
When we first started flying the Charger, we were surprised by how well it flew in light wind. It never hinted towards stalling, and even in light wind it turned with ease.
