My Personal Kite Gear
Cabrinha Drifter Apex
Cabrinha’s entire lineup took a big step forward in 2025 with stronger, lighter Apex construction spreading to all models! The new Drifter keeps the same feel from past years, while featuring faster steering, more precise power delivery, increased drift and improved depowered/slack-line steering compared to past models.
The newer (since ‘23) “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. 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. I am 6’1”, weigh 175 lbs and my most commonly-used kites are the 7 & 9m Drifter. Paired with a strapless surfboard, my approximate wind ranges for each kite are: 17-22 kts for 11m Drifter, 20-27 kts for 9m Drifter and 25-32 kts for 7m Drifter.
The Drifter is only offered in 4 sizes for 2025 (5, 7, 9, 11m), but the wind range for each size has increased with the new Apex materials. After splitting most of the past two seasons in Puerto Rico between 8 and 10m Drifters, I was totally happy riding the 9m Drifter Apex for over 90% of my kite sessions this year! The stiff airframe on Apex kites provides increased power for lighter conditions, while the kite’s rigidity in gusts keeps things smooth and manageable if you find yourself overpowered.
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. 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 Cabrinha’s quad fin setup for most sessions, and thruster (3-fin) in the larger surf. The quad fins usually give me as much hold and control as I need, while still being able to blow out the tail easily on top turns. If the wave height is well beyond overhead, or the surface is a little bumpy, I’ll ride a thruster/3-fin setup for more control.
The Flare 5’1” has been so much fun to ride in everyday conditons, training strapless freestyle, and I’ve been surprised by how well it handles chest- to head-high waves!. 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.Cabrinha Flare Cabrinha Phantom
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 options that are popular across the industry! I started using this bar with my first Cabrinha kite in January 2023 and have already logged over 200 days 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.