Advance Kaiman 2008

Advance is a kiteboarding brand which makes kites since 1996. Although it is not yet widely known, the odd shape of the kite (inverted naish helix ;-p) will ensure that the brand will stick out from the crowd.

Advance produces the Advance Kondor (C-kite Freestyle) and the Advance Kaiman.This review will go indepth with the Kaiman.

Lets see how the bar of the Advance Kaiman will go down in ‘kiteboarding history’: everything works, the bar’s safety works easily and effectively, the kite has a 5th line so when you release the Kaiman, your kite is not immediately lost. The safety is easy to use and we all know thats important foor both beginners and advanced riders. The strap needs some getting used to considering the power and depowerstrap are virtually the same.

The Advance Kaiman kite
The Advance Kaiman looks good and each stitching is extra strengthend. The Advance Kaiman is really built to last. The only thing you miss with this kite is onepump, but we all know here what the advantages and disadvantages are of the onepump system. Peculiar to me though is that every strut has a inflate and a deflate valve. Not very useful beacause I imagine you are always busy with the setup of your kite, closing everything and then opening it up. Good advice: leave the valves open when stored away because if they are closed it slowly stretches the material and later you might risk leakage. Furthermore the Kaiman has a really large bridle system. Something that strikes me as a problem when crashing hard or when getting caught in waves. If you have other experiences pleas drop us a line in the comments.

(subconclusion: If you want more freestyle then try to buy to the Advance Kondor 2.)

The 8.5 Advance Kaiman is really powerfull in light winds. The flipside is that the depower is not that good while the steering tends to get faster when the steering lines have been given some more slack.. The Advance Kaiman is pretty stable all the way though the windscales but, as mentioned, for depower abilities you must look a little further. Jumping is like bungy jumping, you plumet in the air and drop slowly downwards again making it perfect for oldskool tricks, or waveriding. For waverinding the Advance Kaiman kite is also adequate, although I think that something is lacking in speed throughout the kite to make quick turns. But when the kite is up to speed it generates power with which you can quickly come off the wave and you would pull it off.

Advance Kaiman  2008: stable, waveriding kite

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.