As a lot of you know, I have been using big Flysurfer foils on both the snow and water. This winter, my quest for the ultimate snowkite continued.
I started out the season with a demo Manta II 15M and a Speed 2 15M. You would think that there would not be a lot of difference between to foil kites that were the same size, but I found these two kites to handle very differently. Later I added a 15M Silver Arrow 2 which is identical to the Speed 2, but it made with light fabric reducing the weight by half. A few weeks ago, I added a 2008 Waroo 17M.
Manta II 15M - this kite was really at home while landboarding. It is built tough, inflates easy and is very stable. I also like the simple, uncomplicated bridling. Setup was a breeze, just throw and go.
Flysurfer (FS) Speed 2 15M/Silver Arrow 15M - this kite was the bomb on the water - I love the big depower, I rarely had to reach up and pull the strap. I flew this kite a lot at Deer Creek and it was amazing how well it could soak up the gusts. Hangtime is also unreal with the Speed. The other advantage is how direct and responsive the kite feels. I decided to get a Silver Arrow 2 15M for the snow. However, I found that I really didn't need the lighter fabric. I always ended up flying my 19M SA2 when the wind was light, so after a couple months I sold it on ikitesurf.
08 Waroo 17M - I had to give this kite a try after watching how easy Jake was able to loop up the hill at Richardson Flats. I was amazed at how easy it is to loop this kite. It is so much more responsive than an 07 Waroo in this regard. The kite was also much more stable and appears to have better depower with less throw than the 07.
Okay, let's compare the 4 kites:
Lightwind - SA2 15M is clearly the winner as it will fly in 4 mph wind, but it doesn't generate enough power to pull you unless you are are on hardpack (something that we didn't have much of this year
). The Manta II 15M is the runner up due to the open-cell structure and very stable flying characteristics in light wind. Lightwind Grunt - FS kites offered the most due to their complex bridling system and very flat profile (86% efficiency)
Jumping - for hang time the 2 FS kites take first, closely followed by the 17M Waroo. As far as aspect ratio goes, FS is the highest, followed by the Waroo, next comes the Manta II
Kitelooping - Waroo 17M is the clear leader, the 2 FS kites loop faster than the Manta, but they have a higher aspect ratio, so it ends up being about sixes.
Relaunching - The FS and Manta are way easy to relaunch even in super light wind. The SA2 due to the light weight fabric is the clear winner. The Waroo relaunches very well even in light wind unless the LE is down. If the wind is light and the LE is down, it is really tough.
Turning - Waroo wins closely followed by the FS kites. Manta is a little less responsive.
Stability - Waroo is first place with a solid leading edge. The FS kites and the Manta tie.
Depower - Tie between the FS kites and the Waroo. Manta II has significantly less depower.
Folding, falling and other instabilities - Waroo doesn't suffer from the folding issues, but it will fall out of the sky under some conditions (usually operator error). FS kites are prone to tip tangles because they are high aspect ratio. Manta can fold, but it is amazingly stable compared to earlier big Ozone kites.
Setup - Manta is the clear winner - no pumping (Waroo), no spaghetti (FS kites).
Takedown - Manta is way fast, next the Waroo, FS kites are closed-cell, so you have to push the air out. FS put a giant zipper on the back of the kite, but even with the zipper it takes longer and can be a serious pain in high wind conditions.
Most complicated - FS by far with the ability to make a lot of adjustments, Waroo has some simple bridling and pigtail adjustments, Manta is simple and easy.
Least Trouble - Manta II wins comes ready to fly, Waroo is pretty straight forward as well. FS kites - well let's just say, you better be careful how you pack your kite or you may be in for hours of fun unsorting bridles.
Price - Waroo wins, next comes the Manta II, then the Speed 2 15M. The SA2 15M costs more than 2 Waroos, so it is not cheap by any standard.
It has been fun getting to know these 4 kites. As you can see there are aspects about each one that are highly desirable. None are perfect, but all 4 are fun.
