Manufacturer:

Advance

Model:

Diablo

Sizes:

8.5m, 11.5m

Type Of Kite:

De-Powerable, Water Re-launchable Foil

Introduction:

I can only comment on some aspects of the test regime as being a valved foil, it has its quirks. These will be covered in the full review once I get a few more hours under this kite. The first flight was a static one in 18mph on land. I was apprehensive to say the least and sent the kite up carefully to the top corner of the window.
The kite went up after approx 10 secs inflation on the ground and filled very slowly, most reassuring given the size and the wind. the kite took a further 10 secs to fully inflate, allowing me to set the trimmer. fully trimmed in she pulls like a 7.3 frenzy, being light on the bar (but not as light as a frenzy) and turning at a respectable rate. the kite did not overfly at all and pulling in the bar resulted in some nice little hops down the field.
The hardest part that day was getting the air out of the kite, take a good stake with you (i use an anchor) as the kite doesn't depower 100% as it retains some air when under pressure.

Packaging, Style + Construction:

This foil is a work of art. understandably I was I bit dubious about shelling out this amount of cash for an unknown (over here) foil but you can see where the moneys went. the lightest, thinnest fabric I've seen on a kite (it weighs as much as my 7.3 frenzy), like silk to the touch but tough and durable like the frenzy's. all the stitching is internal, beautifully executed and finished (when she inflates there's not a crease in her - have to see how long that lasts) and is glued and taped to prevent water absorption. i needn't have panicked as i've discovered pop off valves in the tips to stop crash damage (i haven't put these to the test yet) as well as water drainage channels and mylar reinforcement on the leading and trailing edges. there's v shaped ribs and plenty of cross bracing in the kite as well. regarding the bar, its about 80cm long with a natty QR system. The depower line threads through a loop which is sealed with a loop of thinner line. this threads through a hole on the QR into a plastic pin. this looks flimsy as hell but is effective and very quick to reset (you try resetting the frenzy's system in the waves in 2 minutes) the bars' carbon, and is very nicely made with nice touches like covers for your winders, stopper balls on the lines and colour coded ends.

Jumping:

Later that day i sneaked a go in while instructing at the uni club, this time throwing in the board for good measure. the grass was a bit wet, so holding an edge was a bit of a 'mare to say the least. on the move the kite livens up a bit, like a blade 3 10.5, but responds best when powered up a bit, which suits my flying style just fine. send her back, sheet in (just a little today) and up you go. and stay there. spectators reckoned i got 100m of glide off a 4ft jump, and this was using the kite very gently. upwind isn't an issue, you go where ever you want to go.

Flying:

Several things are apparent, even at this early stage of testing: power delivery is very linear compared to a frenzy. On that kite the power really kicks in on the last 1/3rd on the bar, with the diablo its a very flat power curve. this gives it a very different feel on the bar, though they become more alike the more you power up the kite. the bar has a very long travel. This means a lot of depower and trim but its a bit of a struggle to use the full range of travel. The kite rides out gusts very well but suffers some of the same problems as other depowerable foils in lumpy air, more on this later. The kite is a less stable around zenith than the frenzy but flys noticeably further forward in the window and turns at a pace comparable to a kite a size smaller. It's a step up in skill compared to a frenzy but the rewards are there for the taking.
On the water I was in awe of its power. I was up on the plane in the min wind speed (10mph) with only a slight dive of the kite. working in small sines built up impressive power, i was having an easier time than the lei boys keeping out the drink. Regarding relaunching, i need to work on this a bit (I'm contacting my supplier on this) but put it this way, it relaunched after spending 3 hours on the water in waves when i did get it right side up no problem. I could visibly see the amount of water in the kite but it drained off in the space of 5 minutes. handling is very sluggish until this occurs however.

Final Summary:

The kite seems to be a bit of a weapon, but i'm going to have to raise my game to meet the challenge.

More soon.

Reviewer:

Bushflyer