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Cabrinha Contra vs. Core XR5 15 m

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MataLeao
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Cabrinha Contra vs. Core XR5 15 m

Postby MataLeao » Thu Jul 19, 2018 11:06 am

I am a low intermediate twintip rider, 75 kg. My lightwind kite is a 2016 15 m Contra with the overdrive 1x recoil bar. Somehow, I have never really fallen in love with this kite. It feels pretty slow, and the bar feels big and heavy.
My other kites are North Evos, and I find myself rigging the next biggest kite (12 m) whenever possible to avoid the Cabrinha.
I have tested the Core Free 15 m several times, which to me is a lot more fun to fly than the Contra, behaving more like a smaller kite. I had the impression that the online opinion is that the Contra is an awesome kite, so
I'm asking myself what it is that makes me not like it very much, and if other riders can understand where I am coming from here? Now I am seriously considering changing to a Core XR5 15 m. What is your opinion on the Contra vs the XR5 15 m?

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Re: Cabrinha Contra vs. Core XR5 15 m

Postby SaltWaterDog » Thu Jul 19, 2018 11:16 am

Never flown the Contra, but you echo what criticism I’ve heard from others when taking about its weak points.

I’m 85-88kg and after a demo on the 19 XR5 late last summer I was sold. Turns better than most 17s I’ve tried out and like all the XR sizes the range and depower available is what impresses the most. If you do go for the XR I would suggest you consider buying the Sensor bar as well. It’s a quality piece of kit and I’ve had some great sessions on the 19 this summer where it’s been baking hot in DK and with very little wind.

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Re: Cabrinha Contra vs. Core XR5 15 m

Postby matth » Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:54 pm

I have flown most of the big light wind kites on the market...…..they all suck, big , slow, and boring. Sorry but there is no magic kite IMO. A few years ago they got me excited, now I would rather wait for the wind to hit 13/14 mph and I can start having fun on my 12m flite. That being said, the best big kite I ever flew was the 17m flite.

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Re: Cabrinha Contra vs. Core XR5 15 m

Postby grigorib » Thu Jul 19, 2018 5:34 pm

MataLeao wrote:
Thu Jul 19, 2018 11:06 am
I am a low intermediate twintip rider, 75 kg. My lightwind kite is a 2016 15 m Contra with the overdrive 1x recoil bar. Somehow, I have never really fallen in love with this kite. It feels pretty slow, and the bar feels big and heavy.
My other kites are North Evos, and I find myself rigging the next biggest kite (12 m) whenever possible to avoid the Cabrinha.
I have tested the Core Free 15 m several times, which to me is a lot more fun to fly than the Contra, behaving more like a smaller kite. I had the impression that the online opinion is that the Contra is an awesome kite, so
I'm asking myself what it is that makes me not like it very much, and if other riders can understand where I am coming from here? Now I am seriously considering changing to a Core XR5 15 m. What is your opinion on the Contra vs the XR5 15 m?
I think 15m size is right for you to ride LW on a twintip and it'll get you riding when most of others can't. The Core XR LW is pretty awesome kite but at your weight 10m is probably your "regular" size and everything bigger will feel slow.
After foiling under small kites my 11m feels slow now.

So I think any large kite would not be overly great. I can suggest to get 10m extension lines for your 12m and with a door it might get you covered in 9-10 knots winds.

My solution was to sell my 15m and just foil under smaller sizes

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Re: Cabrinha Contra vs. Core XR5 15 m

Postby PullStrings » Thu Jul 19, 2018 9:35 pm

SaltWaterDog wrote:
Thu Jul 19, 2018 11:16 am


I’m 85-88kg and after a demo on the 19 XR5 late last summer I was sold. Turns better than most 17s I’ve tried out and like all the XR sizes the range and depower available is what impresses the most. If you do go for the XR I would suggest you consider buying the Sensor bar as well. It’s a quality piece of kit and I’ve had some great sessions on the 19 this summer where it’s been baking hot in DK and with very little wind.
What he says is correct
I did demo the XR5 LW 15 & 17 and liked the 17 better
I am 10 kg less than him
The 15 just did not fly as easily when the wind got low

The 17 was a gem ...at 7kn it just stayed at zenith
During my 3hr test the wind came up gradually and went close to 20 knots and it was still very controllable.

**Like he said get their bar**..to me whose used to 17m kites ..for transitions it kitelooped and downlooped on a dime..plenty fast turning kite...great design.

I did not try the Contra

Going from a 12 to a 17 is more significant to get most out of lightwind than 12 to 15

The sweetest spot of the XR5 17 was near the middle of its wind range (7-20 kn) at 13 knots

On a twin tip that is medium to wide width at your weigth in 9 knots you should be powered to keep a straight line back and forth and 10 knots start tracking upwind.

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Re: Cabrinha Contra vs. Core XR5 15 m

Postby SaltWaterDog » Thu Jul 19, 2018 11:43 pm

Completely agree with PullStrings. Worth looking at the 17 as well. Most of the hype around the XR has been boosting related but what I like the most is how forgiving it is. It can go way above indicated wind ranges and it doesn’t feel like you’re being taken for a ride. It’s super chilled but you never feel like it’s cumbersome and slow either. Just a great all-rounder. I’m not an insider but I suspect one of the reasons Core has dropped the Free is because the XR made it redundant. So rather plug the gap for freestyle/wave riders with something like the Nexus.

With respect to being down on LW kites, I don’t get that opinion. Take this summer, where it’s basically been 25C or above every day since mid May, I’ve had 18 sessions thanks to my 19 and everyone I know who can’t be bothered with LW kites can count on one hand the times they’ve been out on a 13 or 12. That I can get a dozen more sessions out of my summer days so far is huge! There are definitely some terrible LW kites out there but I’m never bored on LW days. Sure it’s not thrilling in the way a 9 in 26 knots puts a smile on your face, but I see LW kiting as a different kiting discipline. Kind of like being on the practice court with a ball machine instead of playing a tennis match. Only improves your technique and helps you learn how better to read subtle changes in conditions. That trickles down to when you’re flying smaller sizes on windier days. Plus, there’s less traffic. Bonus!

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Re: Cabrinha Contra vs. Core XR5 15 m

Postby yomotha » Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:35 am

How about a GTS5 15M? It'll be faster than the XR5.

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Re: Cabrinha Contra vs. Core XR5 15 m

Postby iriejohn » Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:45 am

While we're on the subject of light wind kites, has anyone flown the Switch Helium 3 and either the Contra or XR LW and can therefore compare?

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Re: Cabrinha Contra vs. Core XR5 15 m

Postby pmaggie » Fri Jul 20, 2018 9:03 am

I own a Core XR 15 but it's an XR2, so take the opinion for what it's worth. I originally bought the 17, than I switched to the 15 because on our lakes it's often gusty and I felt the 17 really frightening sometimes. There's a difference in the very low range between the two (maybe one knot), but when it's really light there's no story with both these kites, only my Speed 21 works fine. Also, I found the 15 more reactive than the 15. All this speaking about XR2, never tested a younger big XR. Let me say that my XR4 in comparison with my previous XR1 is slightly faster and for sure better in all departments but about the wind range there's not a big difference so I suppose it's quite the same for bigger sizes.

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Re: Cabrinha Contra vs. Core XR5 15 m

Postby TomW » Fri Jul 20, 2018 9:19 am

I had a XR2 17 LW a long time. I put a lot of sessions on it like Saltwater dog says. I probably used it 40% of my sessions. I'm 75kg. And it was fun from 11 knots.
I could loop it.
Then I started hydrofoiling and sold it last year as I'll only foil in wind under 20 knots now.


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