Cabrinha Drifter 7m 2024
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
The Drifter is Cabrinha's dedicated wave kite, designed to "drift" (the clue is in the name) down the line and allow you to concentrate on riding the wave. It's a firm favourite with the team here at the mag, and it's a great kite to ride. The kite is a three-strut, moderate aspect ratio hybrid design with a simple short pulley-less bridle system. The large wingtips are a nod to its wave pedigree and help to improve the turning speed and control. The kite has been designed for wave riding, but it's also got the capabilities to perform for strapless riding too; it's worth noting this is the first kite ever to do a triple kiteloop too, so don't underestimate the Drifter's ability to perform in the air as well as on the waves.
For 2024, it's in the Lite Series range from Cabrinha; this range features a High Tenacity Dacron - Lite, it weighs less and improves stiffness and response, the canopy design has been further refined to reduce weight, and the struts all use a lighter material too. Cabrinha's proprietary Nano Ripstop Canopy material is used as well, and this light, micro ripstop material further enhances the performance of the kite. There are durable TPU bumpers on the leading edge, although even these are lighter and used only where necessary. Finally, the Sprint 3.0 inflation system uses straight and angled valves with a larger tube to improve airflow and eliminate any kinking when setting up.
While the build is light, Cabrinha has designed this kite for the waves and as such, it's tough, with reinforced seams and high quality materials and workmanship used throughout to ensure the longevity of the kite. We were really impressed with the build quality, and while it feels "simple" this adds to the performance in terms of reduced weight, and it's also really fast to set up and pack down, giving you more time on the water. We should also give a nod to the new bag for 2024, this year it's an expandable roll-style bag; the roll is on the long edge to make it easy to get your kite in, and you can easily fit two kites in, so it's perfect for taking on adventures!
Sizes: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12m
In The Air
The Drifter feels really light in the air, the three-strut design, HTD-Lite and the Nano Ripstop material all working to reduce the weight. This lightness is instantly noticeable when you start to fly the kite; it is incredibly responsive to small inputs at the bar. The turning speed is rapid, and this makes timing your moves on the wave very easy. I very quickly just forgot about controlling the kite as it felt so natural in my hands, this allowed me to just focus on the wave, which is just what you want from a wave kite.
The kite has a very direct feel through the bar and a good amount of feedback to let you know where it is at all times. The drift is, as you would expect, excellent. You can park the kite at the edge of the window and ride down the wave without the kite affecting your line at all. It's an impressive characteristic and one that has been honed over the years. Perhaps most impressive when riding onshore conditions usually I avoid these types of sessions as kites often struggle with slack lines and the kites falling from the sky, but the 7m Drifter made onshore riding really fun, and I enjoyed sessions again rather than driving elsewhere looking for a different angle.
The kite is also very stable; even when the wind gets gusty, it doesn't tend to misbehave; the range on the 7m is good, too, with a decent low end but a really impressive top end that I never really found the limits of. I rode it in a variety of conditions, and sometimes I was super overpowered but the kite handled it really well. Relaunch is excellent, too, and the Drifter is very forgiving should you get caught out in the waves. As a wave kite, it ticks all the boxes, and it's also great for foiling, where the lightweight nature of the design comes into its own. I'm no expert at strapless tricks, but on the boosts I did send, the kite had good lift, and the impeccable handling gave me lots of control too.
One thing I really liked was the simplicity of the design; with no battens or extra bits, it's so easy to pack down and put in the bag. The single-point inflation with the Sprint 3.0 valve system makes it super fast to pump up.
Overall
If you're a wave rider or a foil fanatic looking for a light kite with incredible drift and excellent manoeuvrability, then the Drifter should be on your radar. The build quality is fantastic, and the materials used all ooze quality; most of all though, the Drifter is a lot of fun to ride. Simple in design and light in the air, it's a no-fuss kite that does exactly what you want it to.
Videos
For more information visit Cabrinha
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By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!
