Review Cabrinha Drifter 2015

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Riding type: Freeride/Wave
Year: 2015
Brand: Cabrinha
Size: 05.5m, 07m, 08m, 09m, 11m, 13m
Type: SLE
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Kite

3 strut surf kite

Designers goals

The Drifter surf kite is a kite with a purpose. This kite is dead set on being there for you when you need it and getting out of the way when you don’t. You see, kite surfing is an act of taking power from the kite when you need it and dumping the power altogether when you don’t. This high depower kite allows the rider to drop in, accelerate, then dump the power completely to snap or carve their turns. It delivers a perfect blend of the best elements of surfing and kitesurfing. The Drifter’s special design allows it to drift downwind and stay aloft even when the lines are slackened. This phenomenon, first developed by Cabrinha is known as drift stability.

Features

 

  • Podium proven surf performance
  • Slack line drift
  • Crazy fast turning speed
  • High depower
  • Moderate arc shape
  • Direct steering
  • Fast relaunch
  • Works in a wide range of conditions

Windrange Cabrnha Drifter 2015

windrange 2015 cabrinha drifter

Characteristics Cabrinha Drifter

characteristics 2015 cabrinha drifter

Overdrive Cabrinha kite Bar

Movie Cabrinha Drifter 2015


Details:

Riding type: Freeride/Wave
Year: 2015
Brand: Cabrinha
Size: 05.5m, 07m, 08m, 09m, 11m, 13m
Type: SLE
One pump: Yes
Bridles: Yes
Number of struts: 3
Colours: Various
Line length: 22m
Bar length: 49cm-57cm
Bar: 4 lines
Depower: Strap
Safety: Push
Swivel: Yes
Variable bar length: Yes
Oh shit handles: No

Kite surfing review Cabrinha Drifter 8m 2015

Test conditions

Wind: 12 - 30 knots

Water:medium wavs

Settings: fabric

Conclusion

The new Cabrinha Drifter possesses all the kite characteristics a wave kite needs. The new Drifter feels like a soft park & ride kitesurf kite. We discovered a better performance in its high end. We loved the Drifter 8m in +20 knots. Great stability without any strange canopy changes. You can aspect a nice controllable kite feel in gusty or overpowered conditions. The Drifter isn't the kite with the shortest turning circle or the fastest kite reaction on the market, Cabrinha made the Drifter for riders who like to position the kite and surf.

Pros

  • Drift
  • Stability
  • High end wind performance
  • Kite relaunch

Cons

  • Pretty heavy bar with rigid bulky bar ends

Scoll down for more details about the kite characteristics

Basics

Kite re-launch

Difficult Easy

Good, with less wind its a bit harder than +18 knots

Windrange

Limited Wide

Low end less performance than in its high end wind range

Safety system

Difficult Easy

works good, bit heavy on the bar with all the details

Kite stability

Unstable Stable

Very good stability in low and high windrange

Oldskool

Lift

Gradual Explosive

less lift is good for a strapless wave kite session

Low-end

Small range Large range

In its low end less kite power, steering action and overall kite performance. great performance its high end

High-end

Small range Large range

Best performance in its high end, good kite control and feedback

Wave

Reaction to steering action

Slow Fast

The Cabrinha drifter is a bit of a park and ride kite. In it's high end the Drifter reacts faster than in light wind conditions

Turning circle

Large radius Small radius

tip turn, again faster with more wind

Feedback at edge of wind window

Minimal Great

Steering with low line tension

Not so good Good

Great in high end, so so in its low end (8m kite under 16 knots

Drift

Poor Good

Really nice kite drift. One of the best kite characteristics we tested

Race

There are 4 reviews on this product:

Cabrinha Drifter 2015 09m
Name:
Tim H 
Weight:
76kg 
Riding style:
wave  
Years of experience:
Personal page:
Water conditions:
small-waves  
Tested Wind Conditions:
From 13 knots up to 18
Number of test sessions:
Kite size:
09m 
Most remarkable characteristics:
drift
 
HardSoft
kite reaction
 
SlowQuick
up wind
 
HardEasy
low end
 
Small rangeLarge range
kite feedback
 
MinimalGreat
boost
 
SoftStrong
lift
 
GradualExplosive
slack line steering
 
SlowQuick
bar pressure
 
HeavyLight
kitefinder.com - 16.02.2015 at 00:01 hour
Comments:
Only used it once and loved it. The perfect wave machine. I ride occasionally on a TT and mostly on an S-Quad 6'1 unstrapped. This kite really progressed my wave riding in one session - coming from Rebels which work for powered wave riding, where as the Drifter allowed me to focus on the wave.
There was a slight lag in turning - so you need to give it a good yank, however this rewards you with on-a-dime turning (literally turning on it's tip). I suspect the new bar helps with this. Turning with slack lines is slower.
Loved the bar and lines - depower - the lot.
The day was somewhat under powered conditions mostly around 16 knots, then died off to around 13 knots which is really the bottom end for this 9m.
Highly recommended to new and experienced wave kiters- and anyone looking for a super easy to use freeride kite.
Incidentally, when I demo'ed a 9m 2014 in 28knot gusts - pulled off my 2nd biggest/longest jump (9 seconds from apex to landing). So given enough wind these kites do boost very well - I suspect due to their huge glide phase.
 
3 kudos - +

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Cabrinha Drifter 2015 08m
Name:
Stefarius 
Weight:
90 
Riding style:
allround  
Years of experience:
15 
Personal page:
Water conditions:
small-waves  
Tested Wind Conditions:
From 18 knots up to 30
Number of test sessions:
Kite size:
08m 
Most remarkable characteristics:
kite stability
 
UnstableStable
drift
 
HardSoft
kite relaunch
 
DifficultEasy
high end
 
Small rangeLarge range
kite reaction
 
SlowQuick
slack line steering
 
SlowQuick
kite feedback
 
MinimalGreat
windrange
 
LimitedWide
lift
 
GradualExplosive
bar pressure
 
HeavyLight
kitefinder.com - 07.12.2014 at 21:12 hour
Comments:
I already tested the new Drifter 8m under 18 knots. Last week I rode the kite also in its higher wind range and there lies the Drifter its comfort zone. It's faster, direct, soft with great drift. If you buy a drifter, think about the average wind on your home spot and if its 18 knots or more the 8m can be your size. 
0 kudos - +

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Cabrinha Drifter 2015 08m
Name:
matthijs 
Weight:
84 
Riding style:
allround, wave  
Years of experience:
15 
Personal page:
Water conditions:
small-waves  
Tested Wind Conditions:
From 16 knots up to 22
Number of test sessions:
Kite size:
08m 
Most remarkable characteristics:
drift
 
HardSoft
kite stability
 
UnstableStable
high end
 
Small rangeLarge range
windrange
 
LimitedWide
bar pressure
 
HeavyLight
low end
 
Small rangeLarge range
kite reaction
 
SlowQuick
lift
 
GradualExplosive
slack line steering
 
SlowQuick
kitefinder.com - 15.10.2014 at 10:28 hour
Comments:
As the 'Drifter' implicates, it probably has one of the best Drift abilities of all kites in the market. We tested the kite twice, and what separates the Drifter; it doesn't seek a side when you ride the waves and let it stay at 1 or 11. Even when no-handed wave riding, the kite will sit and stay.
There are some things we noticed though. The drifter is a real park and fly kite, so you shouldn't expect fast steering or direct pressure build up in its flight line. In the loop the pressure release is at its end, which you have to get used to.
The best characteristics really stand out when flown in its high end. Stability, drift and riding upwind are some key points shown when you have some wind. In its low end however the kite doesn't react quite fast, and is hard to steer with slack lines.

Most wave kites are best ridden one size smaller then all the others on the water, I don't think this is the case here, so take a normal size park it somewhere high and focus & enjoy the waves. 
4 kudos - +

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Cabrinha Drifter 2015 08m
Name:
Stefarius 
Weight:
91 
Riding style:
allround, wave  
Years of experience:
15 
Personal page:
Water conditions:
small-waves  
Tested Wind Conditions:
From 12 knots up to 18
Number of test sessions:
Kite size:
08m 
Most remarkable characteristics:
kite stability
 
UnstableStable
drift
 
HardSoft
kite relaunch
 
DifficultEasy
low end
 
Small rangeLarge range
windrange
 
LimitedWide
kite reaction
 
SlowQuick
boost
 
SoftStrong
kitefinder.com - 26.09.2014 at 22:33 hour
Comments:
Tested the new Cabrinha Drifter 8m 2015 next to the Cabrinha Switchblade 8m 2015. This new wave kite has more grunt than the 2015 Switchblade, but not a better low end. The Switchblade generates faster and more power in the flight lines than the Drifter. That gives this special wave kite a smaller wind range to do its job. Because the Drifter is a special wave kite with excellent drift & stability combined with sheet and go power. No stability worries while down the line surfing only react 1 second sooner to get the kite in the right position. This delay is for me a thing, but other wave riders easily give up playfulness for the better stability and drift characteristic. 
1 kudos - +

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