Rider: 95kgs, intermediate.
Board: 2008 141 Aboard Z series.
Weather: 25 - 30 knots
Build Quality: 9/10
Satisfaction: 5/10
Disclosure: I have no affiliation and usually fly Naish Cults and Boxers.
My Comments:
This is an 07 kite that I was able to demo for a while. Thnks to Jamie and Tim for the chance to fly it. I posted a review under another topic of the kite in 5-7 knots. It was incredible. I was up and planing, boosting about 5 ft (not huge). When you pull the bar on you speed up, let it off and you slow down. Relaunch was easy even in the light conditions. It was probably the best light wind kite I have flown.
In 25 - 30 knots it was exactly the same ? I rode it for a while and it boosted about the same as my 08 12m Cult in the same conditions. It handled the gusts and I had no need to even think about reaching for the depower. I was able to go upwind almost into the wind. A mate flew it (75kgs, advanced, 129 ? board). He didn't have to pull on any depower either and was as comfortable on it as he was on his 9m atom in the same conditions.
It is a good kite but, and heres the but. We both found it so stable and predictable that we got bored riding it. It may have been that we didn't know how to get the most out of it or we are used to flying overpowered or small kites but it just didn't do it for us.
I can confirm the wind range the guys are claiming. I had no problems and neither did the light weight little badger. This kite is a real speed/course racing machine. If your a newbie it would give you a one kite quiver and you feel comfortable and in control of it. I decided to buy a 2010 9m Torch instead if that give an idea of the kind of kite I want to fly, the badger is getting an Ozone C4.
Hope that gives those interested some info without any crap. The 2010 Hydra is undoubtedly better but I don't know because I haven't demoed it.