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Sizes Available: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.5m
Sizes Tested: 9, 11, 13.5m

Core Says:

Hitting the best waves is challenging. Especially with variable wind or swell direction. But, it also makes us better wave warriors when we trust our gear. Improve your odds of catching and smashing the cleanest waves on the Section 3, a thoroughbred wave machine with CIT Modes. Select your preferred CIT mode (onshore, offshore or allround) and ride the pocket like Willow.

A great surf kite is one that gets you to the best waves and keeps you on them without a fuss. It needs excellent drift and quick loops to stay afloat in onshore wind conditions with big, fast waves. Offshore conditions require a fast kite with huge depower to stay in front of the window. The Section 3 ticks all the boxes with its new and expanded wind and steering settings. Wedges. Monsters. And mush. #hf!

If you’re looking for effortless surfing and the right amount of pull, the new Section 3 will get you upwind and onto the cleanest waves.

Visit for more info: https://corekites.com/us/kites/section-3

Our Testers Say:

“Like driving a high-performance sports car, turns fast, yet very smooth, stays ahead of you with good relaunch and medium bar pressure.” // Dan Lerer

“Steady and easy to control with reliable on/off power, you tend to know where this kite is at all times. Easy to steer, less drift than I expected but quality build, great option for surf or foil kite.” // Brad Poulos

“Surprisingly fast through the sizes, crisp feel, middle of the road drift and power, stays where you want it, seems perfect for wave/foiling.” // Pierce Martin

Meet Our Testers

TKB Says:

This year Core has released the Section 3 with a medium aspect 3-strut canopy, sweptback leading edge and an overall classic surf kite airframe. The Section 3 features Core’s proprietary inflation valve that requires a normal size pump hose without an attachment on the end to be inserted into the valve and needs to be rotated to lock. With the large size aperture, the kite inflates very quickly and the valve stays closed until you put a 2.5″ plastic finger (hidden in a pocket of the center strut and attached by a small tether) into the valve to allow the air to deflate. New for this version, the Section rocks a triple setting front bridle that utilizes two pulleys and a slider to control the angle of attack. You can choose from ‘Onshore, Allround, Offshore,’ to dial in the kite’s behavior. The front bridle pigtail ends with a larks head loop and the wingtip pigtail attachment points end in three knots to tune for power. The wingtips offer three attachment points to adjust between ‘Medium, Easy, and “Super Easy’ sheeting settings with the stock position in the middle ‘Easy’ location. The Section has less dacron than the XR in the wingtip and uses a slightly smaller double ripstop trailing edge with no battens.

The Section features medium bar pressure, a hair bit more than the XR, and the power delivery along the bar’s throw isn’t quite as progressive or sheet and go as the XR. The Section seems to want a little more active kite flying to line up the power while giving you an excellent balance between depower and pull, both of which can be dialed in with the three settings on the leading edge bridle. The Section does deliver a dependable power instead of the peakier lift you get with the XR. When you edge against this kite you can control the power even when the kite is fully sheeted in because it just doesn’t overwhelm you the way some of the other high lift performance freeride kites do. The steering response is on par with the wave segment with snappy steering initiation because turning is everything for surf. The Section offers a fairly tight turning arc and scored solid marks in the drift department. This canopy seemed to want to eat up any line slack as you drive down the line. The Section doesn’t give you the same high lift boosting power you find in performance freeride kites, but it’s also not entirely too shabby when powered up and in capable hands; it is not the XR, ie the Section won’t deliver you to the moon, yet it can be fun to jump with its precision steering nonetheless. The Section’s relaunch was found to be really reliable; with just a little bit of bar input, the kite will flip from a nose-down position at the bottom of the window and immediately pop back into the air, with the kind of relaunch you want from a surf kite. The ideal Section customer is the surf-minded kiter that requires a precision turning kite that has flexible power control that turns on and off when you need it. While the ideal pairing would be a surfboard, the Section would also prove a suitable crossover into the foiling realm and can still be quite fun on a twin tip.

The Core line of bars is incredibly diverse, starting with the Sensor 2, Sensor 2S, and Sensor 2S Pro. We tested the Sensor 2S and Sensor 2S Pro; the main difference between the two is the Pro takes the standard titanium chassis and wraps it with carbon for lower weight and uses Tectanium flying lines for lower drag/windage (for the ultimate lightweight bar check out Core’s new Foil bar featured in the Xlite review).

Both the Sensor 2S and 2S Pro are dual adjustable length bars (46/52 cm) designed to control all size kites with the center lines ending in knots and the outside lines in loops. Both versions of this bar come with four line-length extension options for those that want to vary their line lengths (choose between 18/20/22/24m by removing extensions). The throw/power line utilizes two PU-coated tectanium lines (one of them is the safety depower), a replaceable plastic insert, no sliding stopper and a non-removable donkey dick. The double throw/power lines offer incredible durability and also auto-untwists the center lines when you sheet in the bar. The single centerline safety depower system utilizes a high V, and routes through the power lines for a very clean design. These bars also offer an above bar depower and a custom clam cleat with a Velcro tuning handle to keep the depower control toggle from tangling.

Core bars have long been known for their twisting quick release with auto swivel ”˜S-System’ that doubles as a quick-release guard and integrates ceramic bearings for longevity. As we have said before, it’s an effective system if you practice with it and is less prone to accidental releases. Yet, it is immensely important that riders new to the system should dial in some muscle memory so they’re ready to address any problems in a pinch. The length of sheeting/throw can be adjusted for varying arm lengths of kiters or the type of riding. The non-molded foam floats are connected to the bar ends with the tips of the bar being hard. While the outside leader lines allow riders to adjust the length of the outside lines for stretch or tuning (by choosing between two knots), the bar ends are easily swapped between 46/52cm by changing to a separate knot on the bar end. The bar’s center insert has a Core logo on one side and a stop logo on the other to prevent you from grabbing the bar backward, which is a nice safety feature. One of the most noticeable aspects of this control bar is that it weighs virtually nothing yet you get all these features. The grip is a medium plush stamped grip with a fairly narrow diameter and small but sufficient bar end winders with non-retractable bungees. The purists on our testing team gave top marks for the Sensor’s streamlined lightweight feel and overall simplicity while incorporating the major features.

Visit for more info on the bar: www.corekites.com/us/bars/range


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