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12M Answer vs. 12M Waroo

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bugaboo
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12M Answer vs. 12M Waroo

Postby bugaboo » Wed May 03, 2006 2:47 am

I had an opportunity to compare my newly purchased Caution Answer 12M against the Best Waroo 12M in the best and worst conditions - Aruba's Fisherman Huts... Probably the gustiest place I can imagine riding. On a tyipcal day, gusts range from 10 - 35 mph. The perfect testing ground with which to test the Answer against the Waroo. I'm just over 200 lbs and was riding a 135cm board with both kites.

You've seen the other reviews comparing the Answer vs. the Ion, Sonic, etc. Here are my observations from flying both the Answer and the Waroo side-by-side for more than an hour each.

Bar pressure -- definitely lighter pressure on the Waroo. I am prone to getting tendonitis and the Waroo had very light bar pressure. Very easy to hold the bar in the power zone with one hand at the center of the bar without arm and hand fatigue. The pressure is almost as light as the Sonic. Certainly lighter than the pully enabled flat kites on the market -- Crossbow, Switchblade, Shockwave, etc. The Answer has bar pressure similar to a C kite but, if riding with the stopper balls completely spread, requires the user to pull the bar 60% in to power up. This can be remedied by adjusting the stopper balls or moving the lines to closer knots on the back lines.

Depowerability -- goes to the Waroo. Both kites dump wind well but in extremely strong gusts where I felt more comfortable having more depower, the Waroo was a better choice. However, the kites dump power differently. The Waroo backwinds slightly and the fabric just beyond the leading edge flutters violently whilst still generating enough pull to keep me on plane. The Answer holds it's shape better but in hard gusts doesn't depower like the Waroo. I was still forced to edge slightly harder to avoid getting pulled off my edge but not like a C kite that has very limited depowerability.

Neutral position flying -- one thing I observed that hasn't been mentioned in previous reviews is how the kites fly in very gusty conditions when directly overhead and the user standing still. My experience with C kites in conditions that fluctuate from 5 or 10 mph to 25-30 mph fluctuations are that, when a gust suddenly stops and the wind speed reaches almost 0, many times C kites will belly up, the lines will slack and kite will fall towards the water upside down where just before it reaches the water line it will power up and if not flown back to neutral, will slame into the water. The Answer, although much less so than a C kite, is still more prone to this behavior than the Waroo if the user is not paying attention and continuing to fly the kite around between 10 and 2 in the wind window. The Waroo, however, did not have this behavior. Instead it would sit back in the wind window until wind speed came back up.

Becuase of this, in my opinion, the Waroo is a much better kite to teach on or for newer kiters because it holds its shape and falls back, away from the user, in the wind window rather than hindenberging out of the sky.

One side bar, I also observed a Crossbow and Waroo flown side by side by separate people and there was one instance in which the Crossbow behaved as if someone swung a bat and batted the kite down, out of the sky. The wind created negative lift and brought the kite slamming down but still right-side-up. While at the same time, the Waroo again sat back in the wind window, the fabric just beyond the leading edge fluttered violently but it maintained it's position in the sky and did not require a relaunch.

Besides the occasional hindenberg in very gusty conditions, I felt the Answer is a better made kite, depowers enough to give you a feeling of complete confidence in even the gustiest conditions and holds it shape/profile better than the Waroo.

I found no problem relaunching either kites. Both rolled over and relaunched with a little swimming towards the kite.

Inverting -- both kites will invert if rolled over by surf. I didn't have a problem with inverting on either kites on the flat water. However, both kites relaunch and fly just as well with lines inverted. It's annoying to look at but the useability of the kites is still good enough to get you back to shore and upwind where you can then fix the issue.

In summary, I would choose the Waroo for beginners that want a more predictable kite in gusty conditions and the Answer for more advanced riders that are looking for characterstics of a C kite with added depowerability and safety features.
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Kiteradam
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Postby Kiteradam » Wed May 03, 2006 1:43 pm

HI did you try out the diffrence when jumping the waroo and the answer

thanks adam

nyckiteboarder
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Postby nyckiteboarder » Wed May 03, 2006 2:42 pm

Thanks for a good review. I recently rode a 12m Answer side by side with a 12m Waroo. It was averaging low 20's with gusts to high 20's & low around 20. Not sure if i agree with the bar pressure. I rode them both on the same day (blowing 20-30) & had a hard time deciding which had less bar pressure. The Waroo may have felt less due to more depower.Personally, i would also count the Waroo depower as a negative. I think it has too much & personally i would install a stopper ball if i bought a Waroo to it to decrease the depower. I agreee that the Answer has more overall performance, it certainly turns faster than the Waroo but i still think it has ample depower & user friendliness for a begginer. I'd have to disagree & say either kite would be great for beginners. There wasn't anything that the Answer did that would make it inappropriate for a beginner. I'm not sure too much depower is even a good thing for a beginner except maybe on the first 3-4 days of riding. The Answer has enough to circumvent any potentially nasty situations & cerainly a ton more depower than any 'c' kite has ever had.Maybe your analysis was due to the intense testing situation you were under? Very gusty.

One big thing i did notice was that the Answer had way more power through the bottom turn in the surf than the Waroo had. If you love to kite-surf this is a HUGE plus. The Waroo was good in the waves but i couldn't get the kite to pull me through the bottom turn with enough power to smack the lip the way i wanted to. The Caution/Santa Cruz guys are notorious for being the best wave riders out there so it makes sense that they made a kite that works better in the waves. At the same time the Answer also kite looped much more smoothly & quickly than the Waroo making kite looks stupidly easy, maybe even too easy.

On inverting. I dropped the kite twice in heavy surf near the shore & it did not invert on me but that analyisis has too many variables to properly measure. I couldn't believe i could relaunch the Answer in such heavy surf though. It was blowing pretty hard though which is an advantage for relaunching but i'm not sure if i could have relaunch a 'c' kite under the same conditions. Probably not.

I didn't notice any hindenberging on the Asnwer what so ever but you were riding in much gustier conditions so that could have played a factor. I kept looking at the Waroo beside me & it didn't seem to hold it's shape as well as the Answer during the stronger gusts. Maybe due to have less struts? The Aswer's bridle is also smaller & less complex than the Waroo which may be a good thing after hours of riding & wear & tear but that remains to be seen.

My only other comment is on kite build. The Answer is clearly much better made than the Waroo despite Best's claim's of building kites as strong as they 'need' to be made. Not that the Waroo is badly made (this isn't a knock at Best) it's just that the Answer is much better made. To me this would be another reason for a begginer to go with the Answer as begginer's tend to beat up kites more than advanced riders.

In the end i was on the fence between the two but went with the Answer for a few reasons;performance qualities suited me better, better build, better looking kite & the price was only slightly higher but i felt worth it for a better kite overall. They're both great kites though!

bugaboo
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Postby bugaboo » Thu May 04, 2006 3:25 am

I thought both kites jumped about the same.

nyckiteboarder
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Update on The 12M Answer

Postby nyckiteboarder » Sun May 07, 2006 9:56 pm

Finally got to ride the 12m Answer in flat water. It was the end of day & i should have rigged the 16M as it was blowing an average of 15mph gusts in the high teens & lulls in the low teens. I weigh around 200lbs & was on my 132cm 05' Underground. With all my other crap on i must have weighed wet around 207lbs. My buddy who was on a 16M Waroo weighs 50lbs less than me & was on the same board. He is an intermediate rider who has no problem staying upwind or doing solid jumps. The crazy thing is though is that i was able to stay upwind no problem & was going much further & faster upwind than he was. This isn't a comment about the Waroo which i believe is a great kite but i was totally blown away that i was killing it on the 12M Answer with no probs going upwind & hucking big long jumps for such a small kite relative to the wind speed. I would start counting 'one thousand,two thousand, three thousand' & then land powered but nice & smooth. For someone my size those are decent jumps for such a small kite. Meanwhile my other friend was on an 05' Vegas & the same board as me. He weighs about 160lbs & was having a hell of a time holding it upwind & wasn't having half as much fun. This isn't a comment about the 05' Vegas as i have spent lots of time on those kites & always loved them. This is a comment though about how friggin stoked i am with this kite. The only issue is one more based on user error than anything i think. The kite is not as forgiving as the Waroo if you allow slack in the lines while jumping as it does sit much further forward in the window & will can drop if you do not pay careful attention to maintaining pressure in the lines. The kite turns faster & smoother than any 12m i have ever ridden. It is so much fun to ride & has even better range than i though possible. It generates a ton of apparent wind in the lulls & handles the gusts easily. I've said this before but i think it bares repeating. Caution have found the prefect balance in the right ammount of depower & the perfect balance in the feel of this kite. It just feels like the perfect 'c' kite but with all the benefits of a bow kite. Don't take my word for though try & demo one. Anyone in the NY,NJ area is welcome to try mine. I hope this info is helpful.[/u]

nyckiteboarder
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Update on The 12M Answer

Postby nyckiteboarder » Sun May 07, 2006 10:08 pm

Finally got to ride the 12m Answer in flat water. It was the end of day & i should have rigged the 16M as it was blowing an average of 15mph gusts in the high teens & lulls in the low teens. I weigh around 200lbs & was on my 132cm 05' Underground. With all my other crap on i must have weighed wet around 207lbs. My buddy who was on a 16M Waroo weighs 50lbs less than me & was on the same board. He is an intermediate rider who has no problem staying upwind or doing solid jumps. The crazy thing is that i was able to stay upwind no problem & was going much further & faster upwind than he was. This isn't a comment about the Waroo which i believe is a great kite but i was totally blown away that i was killing it on the 12M Answer with no probs going upwind & hucking big long jumps for such a small kite relative to the wind speed. I would start counting 'one thousand,two thousand, three thousand' & then land powered but nice & smooth. For someone my size those are decent jumps for such a small kite. Meanwhile my other friend was on an 05' Vegas & the same board as me. He weighs about 160lbs & was having a hell of a time holding it upwind & wasn't having half as much fun. This isn't a comment about the 05' Vegas as i have spent lots of time on those kites & always loved them. This is a comment though about how friggin stoked i am with this kite. The only issue is one more based on user error than anything i think. The kite is not as forgiving as the Waroo which tends to sit further back in the window. If you do not pay careful attention to maintaining pressure in the lines while jumping then the kite may 'hindenburg'. That said, it didn't on this session & i think it was just something i had to get used to (i.e riding better)! The kite turns faster & smoother than any 12m i have ever ridden including the Waroo. It is so much fun to ride & has even better range than i thought possible. It generates a ton of apparent wind in the lulls & handles the gusts easily. I've said this before but i think it bares repeating. Caution have found the prefect balance in the right ammount of depower & the perfect balance in the feel of this kite. It just feels like the perfect 'c' kite but with all the benefits of a bow kite. Don't take my word for though try & demo one. Anyone in the NY,NJ area is welcome to try mine. I hope this info is helpful! (fyi i am in no was afiliated with Caution. This is the first time i've ever bought one of their prodects)

HJ11
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Postby HJ11 » Mon May 08, 2006 3:58 am

What kind of kite do you like more........
Switchblade/assault (something with trollies) or the waroo/answer

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Postby Petter » Mon May 08, 2006 10:34 am

Hey NYC, thank's for the info!

I've got a question however about the Answer 12. Is this a kite that would make my Spitfire II 16m2 obsolete ( :wink: ) for those lightwind days?

I've been thinking about going from 3 kites and 1 board to a quiver of 1 kite and 2 boards, and the Answer seems to be a kite that would be suitable for the job.

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assualt/switchblade

Postby nyckiteboarder » Mon May 08, 2006 1:46 pm

The Assault has slightly less bar pressure than the Swicthblade & has their 'Spider system' (one pump) which is nice. I have spent limited time on both of these kites with more time spent on the switchblade. My friends who have Switchblades like them but one has developed bad tendenitis & has to sell it. The Switchblade has way, way too much bar pressure for me but if you come from windsurfing that won't bother you unless, of course, you're prone to getting tendenitis. Both Kites have great depower though. My buddy who rides for Cabrinha has assured me that everyone will be blown away by the 07' Switchblades & Crossbow which don't come out untli July or August. They have done away with most of the bar pressure according to him but he wasn't allowed to release any more info than that. If you are die-hard Cabrinha rider you might want to pick up one of thier kites second hand now & wait it out for the 07's.

Personally though, my fav this year is the Answer & that's why i bought them. It definitely has more peformance than the Waroo but i would have to say the Waroo is more stable. The Answer however turns faster, loops better, goes upwind better & hold more power through turns. They also look way cooler (better colors ect) if you care about that. Those are things that i love about the Answer but if you are a mellower rider & want more predictability then maybe you should go for either the Waroo or the Felixfoil Ion both of which are more stable,& lower aspect ratio. The other thing i didn't like about the Waroo was the extent of the depower. Too much depower, if you are an experienced rider is not a good thing. You could, however install a stopper ball on the Waroo bar to adjust to depower. I have a friend who is a total beginner besides good experience with stunt kites. He watch me ride the Waroo, then the Answer & decided to get the Answer even though i suggested that he get a Waroo or the Ion. He thought the kite performanced that much better so go figure. Best advice is to try them all side bu side if you can!

Tough call though. The Answer, The Ion, or The Waroo? I think all three of these kites are much better than any of the Cabrinha's or the Assault. For me i went with the Answer but you'll be happy with any of these. By the way... just to confuse you guys more... i have one friend who already has the new Ozone Instinct & swears by it! It has a fifth line which is a mixed blessing though. As soon as i ride it i'll post my comments as compared to the Answer here.

nyckiteboarder
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The Answer 12M For Light Wind

Postby nyckiteboarder » Mon May 08, 2006 2:16 pm

Hey Petter, i can't fully answer your question as i haven't been out on the Asnwer in light wind (8-14mph) yet. I just noticed that it worked insanely well in conditons where i should have been on a 16M Answer. That said, i know that Daryl & Pat at oceanextremesports.com have been on them in very light wind so maybe check out their review or call & get their impressions. I am not affilaited with them but do buy gear there because i find them the least biased of all dealers as they sell all brands and generally offer good deals. Both of these guys are insane riders & great guys too so it reassures me to buy from someone who actually kites better than i do!

I know a lot of guys this year are going for the two kite, two board quiver. Some friends are doing a 9M & a 16M (Answer, Waroo, Ion, Crossbow etc.) & a 132cm board for normal wind plus a good light wind board. Try Underground's new light wind board, Slingshot's Glide or wait about two weeks for Agression's new light wind board. The Underground has a bit less low end than the Glide but you can still stay on it when it blows up to 19mph. It is also much better made than the Glide but if you weigh over 185lbs you might want to stay with the Glide or wait for Agressions' new light wind board. Both the Underground & the Agression are also lower in price than the Glide in addition to being made stronger.

In terms of replacing your 16M Spitefire II with The Answer i'd suggest a 9M & 16M to extend your wind range even more. You will be blown away by how fast the 16M & 9M turn compared to the 'c' kites! If you weigh 150 or less, then yes, you probabaly could replace the 16M Spitfire II but again i'd go for the 9m, the 16M & a light wind board on top of your normal board for enormous wind range. I'd say this advice holds for all the bow kites out there for guys who are riding ,or want to ride other brands. It's a good year for new kites!

I hope this helps you but believe me you will have the biggest smile on your face after you ride The Answer!


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