Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

Contra 2014 Reviews

Forum for kitesurfers
User avatar
davesails7
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2220
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:36 pm
Kiting since: 2006
Weight: 75 kg
Local Beach: Virginia Beach
Style: Race
Gear: ML B3
R1V2 11. VMG 13, 15, 18
OR Mako 130x35
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 22 times

Re: Contra 2014 Reviews

Postby davesails7 » Mon Oct 21, 2013 4:41 pm

donohu90 wrote:The Contra's bar isn't totally compatible with Cabrinha's other kites. It needs the bigger 1XL for the safety system to work. The other kites, excluding the velocity, all use the 1X bar. So does the 15m Contra perform that well that it justifies spending $500 on it's very own bar, when you could go with a 14m Switchblade and use it's bar on almost every other Cabrinha kite? I currently have a 9 Switchblade and a 12 Vector. If I got a 17 Contra I think there would be a gap between that and the 12. It seems like just pairing a 14m kite with a directional makes the most sense. I think I just answered my own question.
I don't think this is true about the bar. I'm pretty sure all of the 2014 Cabrinha bars leash to a single front line. Last year's bar leashed to 2 front lines so you needed to get the special bar for the Velocity, but this year they are all single front line bars. The 1XL is just longer.

I rode the Contra 15m on the regular Cabrinha bar and it was fine.

heinzbush
Medium Poster
Posts: 191
Joined: Sat Mar 02, 2013 3:59 pm
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Contra 2014 Reviews

Postby heinzbush » Mon Oct 21, 2013 5:18 pm

Yeah, Cabrinha says that you need the "longer" bar for the Contra and my understanding is that its because of the stopper ball placement so that the kite can flag properly... e.g. the 17 needs more space to slide than your 9 for example...

I guess three options:
1. You could ride the Switchies with the longer bar since the "narrow setting" of the longer bar equals the "long setting" of the narrower bar
2. You ride the Contra with the smaller Switchie bar... and run the risk it doesnt flag out completely
3. I am fairly sure you could adjust the stopper ball on the Switchie bar so you can ride your Contra with it...

I would speak to a competent Cab shop to get a better idea whether 3 is feasible...

P.S.:
My lightwind quiver is 12 Rebel and 17 Contra (still waiting to arrive)--> since the Rebel should be easily ridable starting at around 15 knots and I assume the 17 Contra can be flown without issues until upper teens or even 20, there should not be a gap... I am heavy though and I guessed if I spend money on lightwind, I can as well go for the big one :)

OceanAdventures
Frequent Poster
Posts: 319
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:23 pm
Local Beach: Leeside park - Fort Walton Beach
Gear: Wainman Hawaii
Brand Affiliation: Wainman Hawaii
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Contra 2014 Reviews

Postby OceanAdventures » Mon Oct 21, 2013 7:29 pm

I have tested the Contras on the regular 2014 bar, and there is nothing that will change except the bigger contra bar will speed the kite steering up.

The safety system functions just fine with the Contra and the 1X bar (Yes I have activated it). The only reason you need the 1XL bar is to gain kite speed.

experienced1
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 930
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2003 5:32 pm
Gear: Cabrinha
Brand Affiliation: Cabrinha
Location: Cabrinha Old Guy
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Contra 2014 Reviews

Postby experienced1 » Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:41 pm

OceanAdventuures:
RU sure about that? have you measured the flaging line on the 1x and the 1xl bars? R they the same?
steve

donohu90
Rare Poster
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2013 11:03 pm
Local Beach: Ocean City, NJ
Gear: Cabrinha Switchblade, Vector, Custom
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Contra 2014 Reviews

Postby donohu90 » Mon Oct 21, 2013 9:51 pm

experienced1 wrote:OceanAdventuures:
RU sure about that? have you measured the flaging line on the 1x and the 1xl bars? R they the same?
steve
In some thread on this forum there was a very detailed technical explanation on the compatibility of the two bars. I can't find it unfortunately, but basically it boiled down to what you just said. Since the Contra's are bigger kites, they require a longer flagging line, which the 1XL bar has.

The 1X bar on the large setting is the same length as the 1XL on its smaller setting.

You might not need that safety system every time, but I'd want to make sure it works when you need it.

OceanAdventures
Frequent Poster
Posts: 319
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:23 pm
Local Beach: Leeside park - Fort Walton Beach
Gear: Wainman Hawaii
Brand Affiliation: Wainman Hawaii
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Contra 2014 Reviews

Postby OceanAdventures » Mon Oct 21, 2013 11:28 pm

Unfortunately I have not gotten to see the safety on the 1xl bar because they haven't arrived yet, hopefully will get one tomorrow, but it's just a single line flagging system. I've activated it on the 17m and it worked fine. Since it's been asked I'll look at it when we get the bar.

OceanAdventures
Frequent Poster
Posts: 319
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:23 pm
Local Beach: Leeside park - Fort Walton Beach
Gear: Wainman Hawaii
Brand Affiliation: Wainman Hawaii
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Contra 2014 Reviews

Postby OceanAdventures » Tue Oct 22, 2013 9:22 pm

Ok, got my first look at the Contra 1XL bar today, and yes it actually does have a longer throw on the safety system. Now I have activated the safety system and it has worked just fine. The only possibility I can think of is if the wind gets strong enough there might be a little pull on the kite.
Attachments
photo.JPG

markymarc
Medium Poster
Posts: 92
Joined: Sat Aug 24, 2013 11:19 pm
Kiting since: 2009
Weight: 80
Local Beach: Katwijk aan Zee
Favorite Beaches: Big Bay / Dolphin beach
Cabarete
El Cabezo
Zandmotor / Wijk aan Zee
Sprecklesville
Style: freeride boosting big air / big waves
Gear: Duotone Jaime SLS 2022 136 cm
Cabrinha Switchblade 7,9,11 2021
North Whip 2014
Cabrinha Contra 15m 2014
Brand Affiliation: none
Has thanked: 18 times
Been thanked: 7 times

Re: Contra 2014 Reviews

Postby markymarc » Tue Oct 22, 2013 10:15 pm

OceanAdventures wrote:Ok, got my first look at the Contra 1XL bar today, and yes it actually does have a longer throw on the safety system. Now I have activated the safety system and it has worked just fine. The only possibility I can think of is if the wind gets strong enough there might be a little pull on the kite.
Hi do you mean that the 2 bars are not interchangable? Or you can use the 1X Bar on the Contra but the safety system works less effective?

Thanks for your reply...

OceanAdventures
Frequent Poster
Posts: 319
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:23 pm
Local Beach: Leeside park - Fort Walton Beach
Gear: Wainman Hawaii
Brand Affiliation: Wainman Hawaii
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Contra 2014 Reviews

Postby OceanAdventures » Wed Oct 23, 2013 12:31 am

markymarc wrote:
OceanAdventures wrote:Ok, got my first look at the Contra 1XL bar today, and yes it actually does have a longer throw on the safety system. Now I have activated the safety system and it has worked just fine. The only possibility I can think of is if the wind gets strong enough there might be a little pull on the kite.
Hi do you mean that the 2 bars are not interchangable? Or you can use the 1X Bar on the Contra but the safety system works less effective?

Thanks for your reply...
I would say you can use the regular 1x bar, I have not seen it but in heavy conditions the safety system may be less effective. Can't answer completely in the affermative, but I have used the 1x bar to test the contra and have used the safety and it has worked fine in regular and light conditions.

User avatar
davesails7
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2220
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:36 pm
Kiting since: 2006
Weight: 75 kg
Local Beach: Virginia Beach
Style: Race
Gear: ML B3
R1V2 11. VMG 13, 15, 18
OR Mako 130x35
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 22 times

Re: Contra 2014 Reviews

Postby davesails7 » Wed Oct 23, 2013 2:05 am

If the price of the bar is what is holding you back you could just buy a bar from another company with single front line leashing. There are some really good end of season deals for less than half the price of a new Cabrinha bar.


Return to “Kitesurfing”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Blackened, Google [Bot], Majestic-12 [Bot] and 125 guests