Rider weight: 170lbs (77kg)
Board: 2008 Skywalker 131 x 40
Conditions: 20mph / light chop

Had a chance to try a 12m Cabrinha Switchblade IDS yesterday for about an hour. I found it to be a very friendly kite to fly. It simply wants to stay in the air. While it's not the fastest turning 12m kite I've flown it is one of the most stable and forgiving. On several occasions I would over spin or miss my landing and the kite would just stay in the air. I could see how its smooth linear power and stability really make the SB a great kite for wakestyle/unhooked riding. Additionally I think it would really allow a rider to gain confidence when trying new tricks since the kite isn't "twitchy" like some others out there.

It flies quite a bit differently than my current kites and I would definitely need some more time on it to get the timing down, but I found jumping with the SB to be really fun. I don't think it's a kite for huge high jumps, but it does keep you floating in the air for a long time. Actually, the float kind of took me by surprise since it was so long. You kind of just stick in the air which is cool.

The bar is pretty nice and I like the no nonsense chicken loop assembly. I think the sliding stopper/override could be refined in future generations. I found the black and red bungees easy to grab and adjust. It would be cool if there was a way for the IDS line to not get twisted around the center lines after numbers spins or loops.

Overall fun and stable kite.

Hi fassn8. I wanted to say that the IDS still works even if you have 10 spins in the lines. Also, with a little more time on the kite, you would realize that the SB is one of the best, if not the best, jumping kites on the market. Thanks for your review, even if you are a gator...

Have fun this upcoming season in the Bay.