Advice to choose wave kite... wainman x Park

[Durao]

I have seen many kitewavers using wainman rabbit... I have never flow it.. But I use to ride a Naish Park 10 M and it is really soft and precise, you can ride waves and jump high at the same time.

What is the real diference in feeling between Naish Park x Wainman Rabbit...

would be the Park a kite more suitable to waves and freestyle, and the wainman rabbit a specific kite to waves?

Thanks for the help to everyone

[Durao]

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[Starsky]

Aight, I've only tested em both once each, so take this for what it is.

Have never been a super naish fan, but they had their demo day a couple years back in OBX and I hopped on the 10m park. Was pretty blown away at how it made all of my riding easier. Super light bar pressure, super agile, just really easy with plenty of performance, or at least way more than I can fully take advantage of. Don't get me wrong, Im decent, but more of a guy who can go out in almost anything and have fun than a trickster.

Was pretty set on trying to demo as many kites as I can get my hands on after that, but nothing really has measured up since. Weird too cause I love wainman, the legend, love the original concept on the gear, the all black, the rabbits, I could be down with all of it..... except that bar! I always thought I'd love that thing, but once I got it in hand, it just felt too...... Produced? I guess I just like a short simple bar that is easy to maintain. Again, kinda the naish bar approach as a posed to the cabrinha take on it. The wainman was all I want in a bar pulled off in a way I just didn't like the feel of. Given time on it, I could probably like it, but even the chicken loop was just weird unhooking and having trouble finding it again without looking. I flew the 10.5 was less powered... by a fair bit compared to the perfect conditions I rode the park in. I found it hard to keep track of as its kind of a round ball up there and it turns very much on axis. The park had a little less round shape in the sky and flew accordingly with a little wider arc to the turns that kept you informed as to its direction. Sadly after feeling spoiled by the park, I was not really left wanting to put much follow up efforts into trying the wainman again. For sure I bet I could be easily swayed by an epic day on a smoke, but I wouldn't get a punch over a 10m park. It was weird to see a product so nicely built with all kinds of attention to detail, but you kind of hate that its not one pump! Anyway. not much of a review or anything, but my meagre experiences with both kites within a week of each other. They are both nice, and I highly recommend you try em as I thought they felt very different.

[PAFF]

They feel VERY different.

I dont like the feel in the Waiman, and im also not a fan of the rubber CL.

[Durao]

Thanks guys!

I will try to flow a Puch.. but this is waht you said..
Park make the ride much easier, you just do many tricks so easier..
The fact that is only one pump helps a lot in the choice..
So probably I am going for this!

Cheers!!!

[Saami]

Is there any specific reason why you narrowed down your choice to those two kites?

I have only flown a Naish Park once, and not in waves, so I don't want to comment on that one. What I can say about Wainmans, however, is this:

First off, the Wainman Rabbits are pretty good all-round kites, meaning that they are good at almost everything but not best-in-class at anything. That inclues waveriding - the Wainman Rabbits are good wavekites, but they can't really compete with a pure wavekite such as the Cabrinha Drifters, Ozone Reos, RRD Religions, or Airush Waves, if waveriding is the only thing you are going to do. On the other hand, if you're also going to use the kite for anything else (wakestyle, freestyle) then the Wainmans would be a much better choice than a pure wavekite. So would the Naish Park, I think.

Second, there is a notable difference (at least to me) between the different sizes of Wainman kites. I don't really like the 10.5 Punch, but the 9m Smoke and the smaller sizes are a joy to fly. I don't know why there is such a notable difference, but I can definitely feel it. From a practical viewpoint, 10.5m is pretty darn big for being a wavekite - with a proper directional board and good technique, you normally shouldn't need a kite much bigger than 9m for waves. So, if I were you I would consider a 9m Smoke over a 10.5m Punch as my biggest wavekite.

Third, the Wainman Rabbit bars do indeed suck - but nowadays, there is really not much reason to buy the kite and the bar from the same company. Just get another four-line bar that you like and that is good (personally I like Airush bars but use whatever you prefer).

Fourth, the virtues of one-pump vs. individually inflated struts has already been debated to death here at kiteforum.com, but it basically boils down to what you find to be least irritating - the extra time required to pump up struts one-by-one versus having marginally decreased safety in terms of flotation and more valves to re-glue when they eventually start to peel off.

Finally, whatever you do, make sure to test any kite before you buy it... If you don't like the feeling of the kite, it doesn't much matter whan other people say about it.

[cleepa]

Third, the Wainman Rabbit bars do indeed suck - but nowadays, there is really not much reason to buy the kite and the bar from the same company. Just get another four-line bar that you like and that is good (personally I like Airush bars but use whatever you prefer).

Bars are definitely a preference thing. Personally, I love the Wainman bar. I think almost everything about it is well thought out. I wrote a list, once. Here it is:
- Simple. No extra dangly stuff getting in the way.
- Above the bar depower so your throw doesn't shrink when you depower.
- Can reach the Y on the front lines for self landing. The front lines have loops in them you can pull on for that.
- Everything passing through the bar is protected by a plastic tube. Prevents wear and tear and reduces tangle opportunities.
- The quick release on the chickenloop. Initially I didn't like the fact that it didn't have a spring in it to keep it shut. However, I got used to that. Now I really appreciate it's simplicity. Very few moving parts - seems like you could fill it full of rubbish and it would still work. Also, no metal joints in there to seize up.
- It's a small thing, but the velcro on the depower strap to stop it flapping around and tangling is nice.
- The newer bar has a ceramic swivel. Nice, but not essential.
- The newer bar has a mini 5th that goes through the bar. Kind of ambivalent about that one. It is convenient, but I like knowing which front line I am attaching my safety to when I launch or land - I want the kite to flag to the direction I am launching or landing.
- Good options for attaching your safety. While you are on the water, it is easy to switch from having your leash clipped into a front line to suicide. It's also nice that there's options for suicide - you can clip in around the plastic tube for a two stage safety release or there's a ring on the chicken loop if you want a one stage release.

As far as I'm concerned, the only thing wrong with the Wainman bar is the short throw. But I've modded mine to solve that problem. I've moved on from flying Wainman kites, but I still use the bars.

[Durao]

I have already flow a Park, and it is just awesome kite...You can get waves and fly high with them..

But the experient kitewavers over here just love the Wainman to waves..
Tomorrow I will try the Smoke 9M in a good sweel..
So my doubt was to know better about the Wainman and decided to get one to ride waves...As I have a Fuel Slingshot, waht is not the best one for waves..