I've ridden it twice now, first time in reasonably gusty winds from 25kts down to less than 10 and the second nicely powered in 25-30kts so I've had it in most of its full range.
Starting with the bag, this is again of a high standard with a new zip which now doesn't jam and you still get the comfy back padding, chest straps and padded hip straps. Tougher materials also seem to have been used and will certainly take years and years of abuse and neglect at the beach! Again the bags are spacious and if you pack well you can fit two kites in one bag.
The new bar is the biggest upgrade with the 2.0 series with tweaks made to most aspects of it. The bar was always well known for being clean and simple with no complex parts to fail or get gritty. The diameter/grip of the bar is a bit chunkier now and the bar ends are made of a tough foam, so you can smack your head on the end when reaching for a grab and you won't get concussed. The depower line now has a plastic sheath so gone are the days of replacing the DP line every season. The chicken loop is now a bit more rigid and half encased in the same tough foam so will float if it comes off. It also now locks into the bar so will remain horizontal for hooking back in. The suicide attachment has now moved away from the CL itself and is now above it, stopping the leash from getting in the way of the spreader bar.
The safety remains on the front line but passes through the depower line sheath and you clip onto it above the CL, mini 5th style, again making everything cleaner. The donkey dick is now velcro removeable so you dont need to carry 2 CLs around with you. Finally, one of the best new features is the self-spinning front line attachment (its a very nice smooth bearing) which actually works but make sure you try and keep the sand off. Oh and the right and left lines are green and orange and look pimp!
To the kite! Those of you who have already seen pictures will see that Wainman have stuck with their trusted low aspect ratio design but there have been adjustments. When flying the kite seems to be a tad gruntier developing a lot of power through turns and with a bit more input required for turning (when set to standard factory setting). The canopy also seems to be tighter with less flutter when really depowering the kite. Again the kite gives consistently powerful pop when unhooking and back flies very well with good slack in the lines. Relaunch is again super easy and quick with the near semi-circle shaped leading edge.
The kite seems very well built again with a lot of dacron used to keep the kite as tough as old boots. It seems that the leading edge diameter has been reduced slightly keep the flow over the kite nice and clean = more power!
The kite loops very well and pivots less than the old Gypsy, generating good power all the way through the loop. And because there's no misbehaviour or stalling, if you dont time the loop right there's no hint of stalling.
Overall the kite is so easy and friendly to fly giving you all the power you need when you want it. The kite is great for beginners to pro's, especially for wake and waves (will do another short wave review after a few more sessions).
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