The mako wide is the single most amazing board i've ever been on.
i'm 90 kg, 4 years kiting.
i've bought or demoed so many boards. i think i've tried almost every brand. i wanted to try the mako wide in la ventana in late january at the kite expo but didn't get a chance so i sorta bought it on a whim without ever trying it, based on some trustworthy sources.
i had been bouncing from board to board for a while but had finally settled on the Nobile 666 132x41 and the nobile shinn 130x40 and thought i had the best board quiver ever. both 07's, sold the other 9 boards cluttering up my garage. . and then i tried the mako. goodbye spray in the face. i felt like a super hero on this thing. i have never used a piece of equipment that made me a better kiter so fast. it is so nice to buy a piece of equipment that makes me a better kiter,,,i thought the 666 also made me better, but not on the scale of the mako.
the shinn was my favorite but it didn't get me going in lighter winds as well as the 666. i loved the 666 as it was a true one board quiver,,my goto board in lightwind, but it beats me up in any conditions other than flat water,,and i am almost always in chop. i really loved these 2 boards cause they would both fit in the trunk of my little car, along with 2 kites and other gear.
so this mako has really upset my life because since it is now my favorite all time board, i have to put it in my back seat which clutters up the inside of my car and i have to take the baby seat out more often. i guess i could put the baby in the trunk.
it does everything my 666 does, except the pop has a narrower range, it didn't matter what i did with the 666, the pop was there.
it took me about an hour to figure out that the mako has almost the same pop, but the timing is crucial. also,,,the mako needs to be ridden on the rail while the 666 needed a lot of back foot pressure. and landing jumps with the mako seems different,,it was like you had to almost land on the rail or land it flatter instead of on the tail. anyway, i've been jumping higher with the mako than the 666, probably because it is the most comfortable and controllable board i have ever been on.
and as a 43 year old guy,,,any old guys out there like me, trust me, get this board, it will make your knees and legs smile and make your sessions longer.
so this board does everything my 666 132x41 did,,,and so much more. i thought as a 150 cm it would be hard to turn or spin but the opposite was true. i was so shocked, it turned and carved faster and better than my shinn 130.
it was almost like riding a snowboard in many ways, not that i want a snowboard on water, that is just what it reminded me of. it also really reminded me of riding a directional, except i can always ride heelside if i want. i still think the nobile 666 139x46 would have the edge in light wind, although i haven't tried it yet.
thanks to the guy who designed this board,,,i can't believe i let it sit in my garage for a month or so until i finally figured i would give it a try, although it was cold also.
anyway, totally jazzed about the coming season with this board, mostly because i am so surprised how great it is,,i really haven gotten so cynical reading all the hype on this forum about every new 12m kite that will supposedly work in 9mph that i forgot that there are real people on this forum.