Have had this as my light wind kite for enough sessions to comment.

The new Cab. cloth and workmanship is holding up really well (touch wood). I have tried to break this kite enough to say that the new material seems rip resistant as claimed...almost indestructible! I drag it along beaches with sharp shells, have dropped it on a big pile of sharp sticks and abused it in all sorts of other ways, the kite just hangs in there.

As a Cab. customer for a while now, I am once again impressed with the way this company has addressed the build quality of the product.

For me the kite is fun and perfect for 10-17 knot cruising.

Why you would delibrately try and wreck/break your new kite is beyond me?, or have I read your post wrong?
But I do agree with you in that they have really uped the kite and made it so much better than previous models.

I have the SB3 10 M and must say it flys as fast as a C kite with heaps of grunt , is similar to my old SS Fuel but with the 100% depower , it is without doubt the best kite I have ever flown..........
I will be upgrading my SB2 12M to a 3 as well .....................was lit up today 30 35 knots with some heavy gusts on my 10 pretty good swell too @ mullaloo beach and the kite just handled beautifully.
Good to see they have changed the material on the tips and canopy and put foam over the one pump clips on the struts.
What surprised me the most was the turning speed it was excellent!!!!! and IMO one of the best inproves thus far , one of my gripes about the SB2 was I felt it just wasn't fast enough through the air , but this little puppy is all over the sky great kite in the surf.


try one

Hey thanks for the input on the 10m...I'll have to try one in the surf.

I really don't deliberately set out to try and break my kite....but you know, sometimes you just do stupid crap.....those special days.

haha , no worries , I have since purchased the 12m as well just yet to get it out , it's still in the plastic , just waiting for a lighter wind day here............... sweet ride I've had the 10 out in as light as 17 knts up to 35 so far, thats a great wind range !!!! so do I only bring out the 12 for 10 to 17 days haha

Would have to agree with you both. The SB3 rocks. The additional power makes it the weapon of choice. With the improved bar which no longer catches on the 'punch out' clip, fab. Spewing that everytime I get a new Cab, they always send out crappy colours and your stuck with what you get..

Was out in 25+ knots on it last week at Golden Beach - Sunshine Coast, popping like corn kernels under heat....

hi is the sb3 much faster turning than the sb2 ?

I would say the SB3 is marginally faster compared to the SB2, however some people may not notice the difference and others would say it is way faster. In my opinion the SB3 performs better all round compared to the SB2 and it is noticably more durable (but not indestructable :) ). I feel there is a bit more low end power and a bit less top end depower however I have had some people feel differently in reference to the top end depower. The lack of depower at times is noticeable when wave riding, however pushing through the override assists. I found the SB2 bridles would wear a bit faster than the SB3, especially the one next to the leading edge which I think is due to the angle of the bridle vs pulley. Not that I have tried but has anyone tried the pulley bar on the SB3? Would this assist in providing a bit more depower?

I'm surprised that you mention the depower on these kites not being enough IWB ?
I ride with kite punched out all the time so as to have full control and is great for wave riding and switchbacks due to the complete 100 % depower.
But the sb3 is definatley faster thats without a doubt and is a better kite to fly than last years thats for sure
I think bar pressure is pretty good with these kites it is one of the reasons I purchase them because I have a tennis elbow injusry that hammers me on kite with heap bar pressure like the older style kites used to have.

what bout riding in the surf? does it back stall??
am considering switching from ozone
cheers

Really like the 8m too.........grunty and fast, beaut.....thanks Dan for letting me have a go.

Yeah, I'm the opposite to most and Im not sure why! I brought three SB3's, the 8, 10 and 12 and have had them all stall, invert, bowtie and cause me all types of headaches-To begin with, was because the one way valves were leaking and letting precious pressure out of the kites, allowing them to fold up in all sorts of disturding manors, now Ive got that sorted, I find that when I really load one up, usually when Im wave riding, they invert and bow tie or do something that scares the heck out of me-so, Im not sure on what to think, everytime I say something against these kites I get shut down, so guess after about 5 years of solid riding and teaching as an IKO instructor, I guess I still know nothing! woud love to know if anyone has also had trouble with these kites? Or did I just get 3 dud SB3's?

Yeah, I'm the opposite to most and Im not sure why! I brought three SB3's, the 8, 10 and 12 and have had them all stall, invert, bowtie and cause me all types of headaches-To begin with, was because the one way valves were leaking and letting precious pressure out of the kites, allowing them to fold up in all sorts of disturding manors, now Ive got that sorted, I find that when I really load one up, usually when Im wave riding, they invert and bow tie or do something that scares the heck out of me-so, Im not sure on what to think, everytime I say something against these kites I get shut down, so guess after about 5 years of solid riding and teaching as an IKO instructor, I guess I still know nothing! woud love to know if anyone has also had trouble with these kites? Or did I just get 3 dud SB3's?

Sorry to hear about your problems with the SB3 there Robe. Was the problem with the leaking valve just a simple case of sand being under the rubber washer or was there something more drastic? I know on a rare occassion my kite will leak and in every case it has been due to a build up of sand under the large rubber Oring/washer which takes about 30 seconds to clean.
Are the kites folding up when you chase the kite down on a wave? I see that Cabrinhas team rider (Andre P) uses the Switchblade for unhooked riding which is encouraging to see. Are you riding hooked or unhooked on the wave? I just recently tried the Revolver and prefered it for hooked in wave riding over the SB3 which I am guessing is due to the fact that the Revolver has been designed for wave riding, unlike the SB3 which is more focused on everything else.
Fortunately I have not had the same problems as you in respect to the kite twisting and folding etc. Do these symptoms only happen when wave riding or do they happen in regular freeriding?

Again sorry to hear you are not pleased with the way your kites are performing... Hopefully it might be something that can be corrected.

Select to expand quote

Robe said...

Yeah, I'm the opposite to most and Im not sure why! I brought three SB3's, the 8, 10 and 12 and have had them all stall, invert, bowtie and cause me all types of headaches-To begin with, was because the one way valves were leaking and letting precious pressure out of the kites, allowing them to fold up in all sorts of disturding manors, now Ive got that sorted, I find that when I really load one up, usually when Im wave riding, they invert and bow tie or do something that scares the heck out of me-so, Im not sure on what to think, everytime I say something against these kites I get shut down, so guess after about 5 years of solid riding and teaching as an IKO instructor, I guess I still know nothing! woud love to know if anyone has also had trouble with these kites? Or did I just get 3 dud SB3's?

Robe, something very strange is happening with your kites, we have sold lots of these puppies and no-one has experienced what you say you have???

Stalling - check front line lenghths, all 4 should be equal length, and make sure you are not pulling on the bar at the bottom of a turn, always be feeding the bar out to these kites.

Invert - hard to do on the SB3, you have to crash and ride towards it making all the lines slack, never seen one invert in the air while flying. make sure it is paumped up firm and clip off the strut one pump tubes.

Bowtie - Once again really hard to do, only seen it once or twice both times it was caused by riding the kite is super overpowered conditions way beyond the wind range, the kite was crashed and the rider rode towards the kite, lines were slack enough to allow a partial relaunch, the tip in the water dragged and the upper tip flicked around. Releasing to one line sorts it.

If you ride towards the kite (any kite) when you are on a wave, and really slack off the lines, really disturbing things are going to happen, but I guess you know that with 5 years experience under your belt.

Take them back to your dealer, Cabrinha stand behind their product 100%

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

one thing with the bows and sb3 and pretty much any kite now days pump it up really solid my test is to bend the leading edge and if it doesnt flex thats much its perfect had no problems since i have done that, because of the flatter profile they need a lot more pressure that a standard c kite, then u'll be as happy as .

hope this helps