My Personal Kite Gear
Cabrinha Drifter
I started flying Cabrinha kites when I joined Dakine Wind in January 2023. The timing couldn’t have worked out better, since the Drifter was just redesigned for this year’s 03 release! The new “A” setting has a light feeling, low bar-pressure setup, while the “B” setting will feel very familiar to past Drifter users, with increased bar pressure and more feedback from the kite. I’m still experimenting with the settings, but for now I’m using the A setting in side/side-off conditions and the B setting for side-on/onshore. It’s their dedicated wave model and I own 6, 8 and 10m sizes. This surf-specific kite offers fast steering, quick relaunch, full depower when sheeted out and incredible drift while riding waves. These characteristics also make for an ideal setup for kite foiling. The most recent versions of these kites feature Cabrinha’s latest materials which are lighter and stronger than ever before. I am 6’1”, weigh 175 lbs and my most commonly-used kites are the 8 & 10m Drifter. Paired with a strapless surfboard, my approximate wind ranges for each kite are: 17-22 kts for 10m Drifter, 22-27 kts for 8m Drifter and 25-32 kts for 6m Drifter.
Cabrinha Flare & Phantom Kite Surfboards
I’ve been riding Cabrinha kite surfboards since January 2023 and the Phantom and Flare (top right) are my favorite models. I started with the 5’6” Phantom (bottom right) and will add the 5’9” to my quiver by late 2023. I prefer the 5’6” for waves overhead or smaller, and can’t wait to ride the 5’9” in larger surf! The 5’6” Phantom is my go-to travel board and I’ll use it regularly in Chile and Puerto Rico, both of which feature steep and powerful point breaks. The narrow profile and thin rails allow the Phantom to handle the higher speeds of kitesurfing, and generous rocker results in excellent top-to-bottom turn performance. I ride the Phantom with a thruster fin setup, most often with large Quobba fins on left & right and a medium fin in the center. It seems that this setup gives me as much hold and control as I need, while still being able to blow out the tail easily on top turns. The Phantom has 5 fin boxes and I plan to experiment with a quad fin setup soon.
The Flare 5’1” has been so much fun to ride in smaller waves, and also for training strapless freestyle. The Flare also has 5 fin boxes and I like to ride it with a quad setup. The included Dakine full-length modular traction pad features a comfortable texture and waxing the pads improves grip. I have been experimenting with different fin setups and am currently running stock Cabrinha fins on my Flare 5’1” and large/medium Quobba fins on my Phantom 5’6”. The Quobba fins seem to increase speed and drive, while the stock Cabrinha fins are very flexible and give the Flare a fun, loose feel. I’d like to try a proper “nub” center fin on the Phantom 5’6” and also plan on buying another set of quad fins for the Flare, keeping the rear fins as small as possible for a loose feel.
Dakine Pyro
I believe Dakine harnesses are the best in the industry and the Pyro is my preferred model. The Pyro harness has great lumbar support but is soft around the edges and I feel like it’s a perfect balance between comfort and support. This harness is able to twist with your body while remaining stiff around the lower back contact point. The Connect spreader bar locks into your harness and prevents it from riding up on your torso. I use the Connect Slider Spreader Bar and it has a sliding rope connection for a more natural feel while riding toe-side. It also features a smaller loop for situations where you’d prefer a fixed connection, such as doing aerials. All newer Dakine Connect spreader bars have a locking lever to close the harness, which means you don’t have to adjust the webbing straps once you’ve dialed in your fit. I have a 32 inch waist and am very comfortable in a medium harness with medium spreader bar (25 cm).
Cabrinha Operating System
Cabrinha’s new Operating System control bar has all the latest features and is intuitive to use. I started using this bar with my first Cabrinha kites in January 2023 and have already logged over 100 hours on the water. There are two different bar sizes that correlate to each kite size: S/M (42-50cm) / M/L (47-55cm). I feel that the simplicity of the Trimlite stainless steel cleat system results in lower chances of failure compared to more complex depower systems. I most often use the S/M bar with 22m lines, which steer and loop faster compared to standard 24m lines. The slightly shorter lines are ideal for wave riding and kite foiling, both of which involve quick direction changes with the kite. I like to remove the 2m extensions and run 20m lines with my 6m Drifter. 20m lines loop and steer even faster and help smaller size kites feel less “twitchy” in the sky.
