Cabrinha Radar

The Radar is a fantastic example of how far the sport has come on in the last few years. The fact that you can have a kite from Cabrinha that looks comparable in the air to the FX or the Drifter but that comes with a different skillset is proof that this three strut platform is the most versatile and adaptable that we have.

The Radar has benefited from upgrades that you can see across the Cabrinha range this year such as the Low Stretch Bridle lines and Sprint Airlock (which eliminates that annoying tendency for the strut connector tubes to twist and improves pump up time) as well as flying with the Fireball system which we have covered in a lot of detail in previous issues, suffice to say that we are big fans. In the air and before you even get to the water the Radar shows its ‘safe and accessible’ colors – it sits comfortably up above you with no twitchiness, and is just the kind of kite you’d want if you were introducing one of your mates to the sport.

Once you’re up and going, the Radar’s lower aspect sees it sit nicely back in the window – there are no unexpected bumps or surprises and the Radar continues to ensure a predictable experience. Power delivery is very smooth and the range is excellent – we rode the Radar fully stacked and it was still very usable. The Radar is a popular kite with schools and for learning so as you’d expect there has been some focus on the relaunch. We expected this to be good and it really was… Even with very little wind the Radar still rolled over and popped up easily. So this is a great kite for beginners but the qualities that make it good in this department also make it a great kite for foiling and also for waveriding where its predictable behavior and excellent depower ensure that it is no slouch in these departments. And the main thing: it is just a very fun kite to fly!

In a sentence: A light and accessible kite which is perfect for starting out but also offers solid and predictable behavior for intermediates and can hold its own in the surf or on a foil.