Thought I would take a stab at writing a review. Lots to read about the 9, 12, 14, 16 and 20 Waroos, but let’s not forget about the little one...
Rider profile:
- 68 kg
- 126x37.5 board
- Early intermediate (some smaller jumps, nothing fancy…… YET
)
- Previous kites… owned 5 C style kites in the last 12 months ranging from 9 to 18 metres, Waroo is first bow style kite.
I have had 4 sessions on my new 7m Waroo (with bridle modification). The first 3 were in winds ranging from 16-20 knots and the last with winds gusting to the mid 20’s. Initially, I purchased the kite as my high wind kite but it’s been fun taking it out in lighter wind. I have been surprised with the low end it offers. With a bit of signing I can get it going it 16-17 knots, but it starts to feel more at home after 20 knots.
The main thing that sticks out in my mind at this stage is it’s speed. It’s a little kite, so you would expect it to be fast thru the window, but this thing is REALLY fast. I would say without exaggerating that it feels twice as fast as my 12m Vegas6, which already turns quickly. I guess this feature can be viewed as both a strength and a bit of a weakness. As a rider, you receive immediate feedback from the bar and can generate an enormous amount of power by moving the kite thru the window. However, little mistakes with the bar can easily become big ones, and I found myself skipping across the top of the water on more than one occasion! Even simple directional turns can be a challenge if you don’t take it easy on the bar.
Like other bow style kites, the little Waroo behaves if you let the bar out and depower. This is a great feature when riding in gusty conditions. The chicken loop and rear lines on my Waroo bar have been shortened a bit to avoid riding “poo-stanced”, but even with the depower shorter than the factory settings, the kite still spills almost all power when you let go of the bar. A great safety feature. Having said this, I wouldn’t say the kite (without any bar input on the rider’s part) actually handles the gusts all that well. Quite jerky. One of the things I am a little disappointed about. Perhaps I’m just spoiled from using my super smooth Vegas6 
It’s also difficult, and not fair, to compare a 12m and 7m kite.
So, in summary...
Strengths
- Very good low end. Have not come close to exploring it’s high end. Expect it’s 35, if not more, knots.
- Extremely responsive
- Jumps easily because of the speed you can generate thru the window
- Instant depower
- OK... I’ll say it... "affordable quality"
Weaknesses
- Quite jerky thru the gusts
- Not mentioned above, but very sensitive to over sheeting. Stalls easily if you’re a bit heavy on the bar, especially in lighter wind. Takes a bit of getting used to.
Overall, a great little fun kite. But beware, don’t be deceived by it’s size. It’s a powerful little sucker that will knock you around if you don’t pay your bar some respect...
