First Impressions in Windy Brazil

The Brazilian Brothers are reporting from a very windy Brazil to share their first impressions of the brand-new Slingshot Code NXT V2. The conditions are perfect for testing a big air machine, with the wind blowing 25 knots and gusting up to 30.

Aluula Construction and Design

The Slingshot NXT is a three-strut big air machine featuring Aluula construction. When the NXT first entered the industry a couple of years ago, it was immediately considered a masterpiece. Riders were stoked on the kite because it offered a significant amount of second lift and excellent vertical ability.

Insights from Co-Designer Jeremy Burlando

Jeremy Burlando, a Slingshot Pro Rider and co-designer, has been taking this kite to the next level with design input and testing on the world stage of competitions. Jeremy highlights several upgrades he made for the NXT V2:

• Faster movement in the loop.
• Optimized lift for better performance.
• Better pop in strong winds, ensuring the kite does not rip you off your edge like the V1 sometimes could.
• Improved feedback on the bar, allowing you to feel the kite at all times while in the air.
• Increased hangtime.
• Reduced drag in the air, allowing the kite to float longer.

Jeremy is excited that the kite is performing well and will be his go-to for upcoming competitions. He feels that it's the best kite he has ridden to date.

On-Water Performance and Bar Pressure

While testing the 8-meter NXT V2 in 25 to 30 knots, the bar pressure remained nice and light. You will notice light sheeting pressure and steering pressure, which is a hallmark of the NXT series, though in the previous generation the bar pressure could become heavy once the wind started to crank up. The V2 feels amazing even in high-wind conditions.

Big Air and Looping Characteristics

After coming off the water, Rubens' first impression is that the kite remains a rocket. It delivers a ton of vertical lift, massive hangtime, and that crucial second lift after the loop. This NXT V2 proves to the world that a three-strut kite with Aluula can compete directly against five-strut big air kites.

Technical Looping and Yank

In terms of looping, the kite has become a little more technical. You have to crank the bar to get the kite around, and it provides a decent amount of yank. While you can still get all your loops done, it requires more effort and engagement with the bar to ensure a tight loop. If you do not engage the bar fully, you get a rounder loop that travels further into the power zone. This results in a slower catch, which is excellent for anyone looking for a thrill or riders who have dialed in their rotations and want more style and points in big air competitions.

Ease of Use and Final Verdict

The ease of use remains high; it is an easy kite to go up and to come down. The primary change is the kiteloop, which has become more challenging and rewarding. The NXT V2 is a high-performance tool that continues to push the boundaries of what a three-strut kite can achieve in the big air arena.

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The Evolution of Parawinging

Jeff and Tucker from MACkite dive into a discussion about parawinging, a sport that has taken the wind industry by storm over the last year and a half. Parawinging is following a very similar path to winging. Early on, winging was viewed purely as a wave-focused sport. People just wanted to hold the leading edge and cruise on waves without line tension, and many even doubted if you could effectively ride upwind. Today, winging has evolved into freestyle, freeride, light wind, and jumping.

Parawinging started with that same initial focus: wave riding and downwinding. The appeal was all about pulling yourself into a swell, stashing the wing in one hand or a pouch, and experiencing ultimate freedom on the wave.

The "Aha" Moment: Freeriding and Flat Water

Jeff admits he was getting a little bored with winging after pushing it as far as he could. He jumped on board with parawinging specifically for wave riding. For a while, he had his blinders on, thinking flat water was just for practicing so he could eventually get on a swell. While wave riding with a parawing is an incredible, hands-free experience that tow foilers will immediately recognize, Jeff realized there is much more to the sport.

After showing up at the beach for regular sessions, Jeff found himself actually enjoying just riding around and freeriding. It felt similar to kite foiling with short lines. It was light and playful, with more lift and pull than expected. You can easily jet upwind, come around the other side, and just cruise.

Key Benefits of Parawinging Over Winging

Stepping outside of just wave riding, there are some massive everyday benefits to parawinging:

• Zero Pumping: There is nothing to blow up. You just throw your foil on your shoulder, grab the wing in one hand, walk to the water, and go. The setup is incredibly quick.
• Unobstructed Visibility: A parawing doesn't block your view like a standard wing does. It sits a little higher and further out, so you don't have a massive canopy right in your face.
• Low Maintenance and Durability: There are no bladders to worry about and no Dacron frame to puncture or tear. In a year and a half of heavy sessions, Tucker hasn't had any broken bridles, torn canopies, or lost gear. This is in stark contrast to tearing four or five wings during his first year of winging.
• Travel-Friendly: They pack down tiny. You can fit three or four parawings into a small backpack.
• On-Water Adaptability: Because they pack down so small, you can easily carry an extra size in your bag or pouch while on the water. This allows you to switch sizes and adapt to changing conditions during a downwinder or tour.

Emerging Parawing Disciplines

As the gear progresses, the sport is segmenting into different disciplines beyond just chasing swells.

Kite Foilers and Cruisers

Kite foilers will love the effortless lift, pull, and the ability to just zoom around. It's perfect for light wind cruising, practicing tacks and jibes, and doing fun little loops.

Shore Break and Small Waves

You don't need massive swells to have fun. Jeff has been having a blast playing in small shore break. You can stash the wing, ride a little wave, redeploy, and speed right back out.

Racing and Speed

Parawings are fast. Tucker sees a future in the race side of things, using kite technology to create high-aspect parawings. A 9m or 10m parawing on a double pull could easily turn this into a legitimate sailing and racing sport.

What About Jumping?

Tucker isn't seeing jumping with parawings becoming a thing just yet because kites and wings are still so much better suited for it. Jeff agrees, though he admits he's definitely thought about it since he loves boosting on kites.

Power, Sizing, and Pumping

When it comes to light wind and larger sizes, there are some trade-offs. Jeff was on a 6m wing in light wind, but it felt big, bulky, and heavy. While he'd almost rather be on a big parawing than a big standard wing, you can't manipulate and pump a parawing for power the same way you can a wing. If you pump it too hard, it collapses and stalls on itself. You have to let the parawing fly until you generate enough lift to pop up. Because of this, you can't get as much raw power out of a large parawing as you can a large wing.

Who Is Parawinging For?

If you come from a winging background, parawinging is a natural progression that you can learn fairly quickly. If you are a kite foiler, you will also pick it up easily. You already have the muscle memory of flying a kite, switching feet, and riding with both feet forward. A parawing is essentially a kite on short lines.

However, if you are not an experienced winger or kite foiler, be prepared for a steep learning curve. It is not like learning to kiteboard where the kite can help lift you and support your weight. When learning to parawing, you need a board that can actually hold your weight, and you cannot cheat the wind. If you can learn to wing first, you're going to gain a huge head start on parawinging.

To learn successfully, you need the ideal setup: 15 to 22 knots of wind, the flattest water you can find, and the right board and foil to support your progression. Don't force it in the wrong conditions, or it will just set you back with frustration. Take it slow, take a breath, and enjoy the process.

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First Impressions of the Ozone Afterburner V1

Tucker from MACkiteboarding brings a first look at the hot new Ozone Afterburner V1 6.5m parawing. After just one mind-blowing session, he breaks down the highlights of this highly anticipated release. This wing is a completely new model designed from the ground up to be the fastest parawing with the best upwind, best VMG, and best total range possible with a single skin.

Note: If you're not familiar with VMG, it's a sailing term (Velocity Made Good) that refers to the best combination of speed and angle relative to your desired direction of travel. For example, if you're trying to go upwind, the more into the wind you travel, the slower you'll go. You can go faster the more you angle to one side, but you won't make as much upwind progress and will have to make more zig-zags. VMG is that sweet spot where your speed and angle let you make the fastest overall progress, and the right gear can help you keep your speed up at a more direct angle.

The Downwind Bag

The Afterburner comes with a new bag that borrows the outline and chest and shoulder straps from the Mission pack, just without the pockets. It is a super lightweight, basic, but highly functional downwind pack. It features dual chest straps for comfort and adjustability. It is vented, so if you are in the water a lot or using it as a spare pack, your wing will remain wet, but it gets the job done perfectly for downwind runs.

Redesigned Carbon Bar and Harness Loop

The bar is completely redesigned and features a crazy light carbon construction. Tucker notes it is probably one of the lightest parawing bars he has ever seen. It includes a 25-centimeter harness loop, which is on the shorter side but works great. There is a front nub for your fingers, giving you excellent pitch control when flying one-handed or off-center.

The lines thread through the ends, so if you prefer a two-point harness line attachment for a locked-in feel on long reaches and upwind riding, you can unthread it and connect it for a seamless two-point setup. The grip is soft and grippy, but not too squishy, offering a really direct feel so you know exactly what the wing is doing. It also features color-coding and carbon-molded end caps. Using a grippy material instead of a molded shape is a nice touch because the bridles fall off easily if they get wrapped around the bar.

Bridle Layout and Aerodynamics

The bridle system uses a yoke with four stages of lines, utilizing high-performance flying lines to maximize efficiency.

• A-Lines: Off the red A-lines, there is a center line split for stowing, which is the easiest way to stow right up those lines. They are spliced, woven in, and super smooth with a thicker diameter.
• Upper Lines: Once you get to the last little bit near the canopy, the lines transition to a finer, more aerodynamic line. They are still smooth and spliced but can be a bit more aggressive on the hands because they are so thin. However, by that point in the stow, there isn't much power left in the wing.

This transition from thicker to thinner lines is part of the magic that makes the wing so fast and efficient, boosting VMG, speed, and top-end range while reducing drag. The bridle layout isn't overly complicated, and the lines manage themselves nicely without complicated tangles.

Line Length and Stowing

The lines are a bit longer than what you will find on the Pocket Rocket or PowerPack. This is necessitated by the higher aspect canopy, which needs more line length to properly splay out. Because this is a massive 6.5m wing, a full stow is going to be a little beyond reach for most riders. At 6'3", Tucker can get a full stow in one stroke with an extra poke of the bar end to extend his reach, but riders with shorter arms will likely need to double-tug it. Fortunately, the wing is very stable and well-behaved, so it doesn't spiral out of control or get chaotic during the stow.

Wing Design and Canopy Construction

Ozone tested double skins but found this single skin achieves top-tier performance without the downsides of extra material, trapped water, or slower pack-down and inflation. It is designed to compete directly with the double-skin and hybrid skins on the market.

The canopy material is an extremely lightweight but tough and stiff 2x2 ripstop that remains very packable. You will notice more ribs on this canopy than most single skins. These ribs help shape the canopy, distribute the load, and provide stability and directional drive by channeling the wind. It locks in and rips, but remains very responsive. Where you point it, it wants to fly forward and react, rather than just sitting back in the window and pivoting on itself.

The leading edge profile is shaped by the stiffening battens. They're fairly long and deep, and they do a nice job of not only supporting the wing, but also help it to unfurl quickly and smoothly when you throw the wing out. When packing it up, be sure to pull them together, like closing an accordion. It packs down small enough to fit nicely in most stow pouches, including the Mission pack, Ozone stow pouches, or custom Lera B pouches. If you have a really small tube-style slide-in pouch, you might need a slightly bigger one for the 6.5m due to the extra cells and battens.

Flight Performance and Handling

Tucker pushed the 6.5m on the top end higher than he ever has on a 6m parawing, and it handled it in stride. Within seconds of getting it in the air, you realize there is something really special going on. It is the first wing to take a massive leap forward into high-performance race gear while remaining incredibly user-friendly. Almost anybody can fly this wing.

When you push it hard into the wind at high speeds, it doesn't flap, collapse, or accordion like some first-generation wings do in chaotic conditions. It goes insane upwind. It feels like a dual-skin kiteboarding kite driving upwind, and it actually lifts you through the tack.

The behind-the-back jibe is a bit harder. The wing wants to stick to the water a little more and drive forward, so you have to get through the jibe faster and give it a hard punch to get it flying again, otherwise it wants to drive into the water.

Price and Overall Value

This is not a cheap wing. Ozone always builds to the top standard for quality materials, design, and R&D, and you have to pay for that level of high-performance gear. However, it covers so much wind range that you can arguably cover twice the range of a normal single skin. If you can handle riding powered, you can ride this in 8 to 10 knots higher wind than you would expect. When you divide the price by the miles per hour of range it offers, it is actually a better value than most wings currently on the market.

Conclusion

Tucker would definitely pick this wing for his personal quiver. We can only guess at whether the exclusive MACkite colorway of purple, emerald, and lime influenced his enthusiasm at all, but there is no doubt that the Afterburner is a big step forward in parawing design. Tucker's excited to get some more sessions on it with Jeff so that they can do a more in-depth review together.

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The Brazilian Brothers are back home in Prea with a full-length review of the 2026 Cabrinha Moto Apex. They took the kite out in a wide range of conditions in Brazil to deliver a final verdict on its performance and help you decide whether it's deserving of a place in your quiver.

Overcoming the Moto's Past

To be completely honest, when Cabrinha first sent this kite, the Brazilian Brothers were not overly stoked. For many years the Moto was a closed, almost C-shaped kite that simply did not perform well. While the previous generation, the Moto X, was a step in the right direction, it still did not quite hit the mark for big air and jumping.

The 2026 Moto Apex is a completely different beast. It features Aluula material on the struts, and the entire kite is better overall. If you have not had a great experience with previous versions of the Moto, the brothers highly recommend trying this year's because it is a complete redesign. In fact, they felt Cabrinha could have named it something else entirely.

Intuitive Feel and Stability

When you first put the Moto Apex in the sky, you immediately notice how intuitive it is. It has good feedback on the bar and you know where the kite is at all times. It is a very direct kite, and any input on the bar immediately translates into the kite moving. It is a rapid kite, and the Brothers were surprised by how stable it is in the sky. They could not frontstall or backstall the kite no matter how hard they tried.

In terms of bar pressure, it is moderate. It is not overly light or stiff. It sits in a sweet spot right down the middle, which gives you enough feedback without being fatiguing.

Jumping and Vertical Lift

The 2026 Moto Apex has much better vertical lift than previous generations. While it may not jump as high as a five-strut dedicated big air kite like the Rebel D/LAB or a Slingshot NXT, it is an impressive three-strut freeride performance kite. Once you sheet that bar, you are going to go up, even if you do not hit the sweet spot perfectly. It is easy to gain height.

Regarding hangtime, the brothers were pleasantly surprised for a freeride kite. However, it is a more technical kite when it comes to coming down softly. Because it is such a fast kite, you need to nail your heli-loops and downloops to land smoothly. If you are looking for a kite with easy hangtime that is simple to downloop and land, you should look at the Switchblade. The Moto is a more versatile and faster kite than the Switchblade, but the downside is that it is harder to land your tricks because of that speed.

Looping Performance

The looping performance of the Moto Apex is a highlight. The kite is fast, and although it has moderate sheeting pressure, it has decently light steering pressure, which makes kiteloops easy. It travels across the window quickly and recovers on a dime. One of the brothers was performing multiple one-handed kiteloops almost immediately because the kite felt comfortable, even in strong conditions. It is a high contender for looping, performing more consistently and with less yank than the NXT or the Rebel, making it excellent for riders looking to progress through kiteloops.

Ease of Use and Versatility

The Moto Apex is easy to use with a big sweet spot for jumping. It provides the confidence to pull boogie loops almost immediately. The only drawback in ease of use is the descent from big jumps, which requires good kite control. If you are still working on your downloops and heliloops, the Switchblade might suit your needs better. However, for those who have those skills dialed, the Moto Apex is a massive upgrade.

Brazilian Brothers Unfiltered

So, what's the Brothers' honest option of the 2026 Moto Apex? This is a much better kite than any previous version of the Moto. It offers:

• Much better vertical lift.
• A wider wind range on the high end.
• An intuitive bar feel that is easy through the loops.

Where It Shines

• Looping performance.
• Bar feedback.

Where It Should Improve

• Consistency of lift on landings (it is not as easy to come down softly as a Switchblade).

Overall, the 2026 Cabrinha Moto Apex is an amazing freeride kite for anyone primarily riding a twintip who also wants to dip their toes into foiling or strapless riding. It is a massive upgrade from Cabrinha that the Brazilian Brothers thoroughly enjoyed.

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The Easiest Foil to Learn Dock Starting

This edition of Foil Fridays is a combination tip and product review. Tucker and Ryan from MACkiteboarding are back to talk about what they found to be the absolute easiest foil to learn to dock start so far. Whether you are using a dedicated dockstart board or a Foil Scoot, this setup was the clear standout from all the testers at their recent Dock-a-Palooza event.

Across the board, everybody listed the Code Kanga 1870 as their easiest dockstart foil. The testing pool ranged from first-time riders hopping off the dock to experts like Hunter, who has thousands of hours of practice and foil testing under his belt. Tucker and Ryan sit somewhere in between as a good representation of the average Joe, and they found this setup to be the ultimate cheat code for a sport that can honestly be pretty difficult to master.

After testing regular dockstart boards, Foil Scoots, skinny starts, and running starts, the undisputed winner was the Code Foils 1870 Kanga front wing.

Tail and Fuselage Setups

While the 1870 Kanga front wing is the star of the show, making adjustments to your fuselage and tail wing according to your ability, weight, and athleticism will lead you in the right direction. Some of the favorite setups among the testers included the small fuselage, the medium fuselage, and the R-series tails. These options provide a really nice balance of efficiency, ease of use, and stability, allowing you to get out there and rip without much consequence.

• Heavier Riders: If you are a heavier rider, the 151R tail and a medium fuselage is a great choice.
• Lighter or Experienced Riders: If you are a lighter rider or more experienced, you can jump down into something smaller like the 135R and a small fuselage. You can even go smaller than that if you want a little less drag and less stability.

Switching the fuselage and the stabilizer definitely makes a difference in the pump cadence and what feels easier depending on your specific skill level. The test range for the day included riders from 145 pounds up to over 200 pounds, with varying levels of skill and athleticism, and the 1870 Kanga was the standout across the board.

Mast Selection

When it comes to the Code line, you can pick almost any mast, but stiffness is incredibly important. If you are a heavier rider—over 170 pounds—you are going to want the Plus mast (carbon), the aluminum Code mast, or the Project Cedrus universal mast. All three of those tested really well. You can pick out of those based on your budget, what you want in terms of durability versus lightweight sleekness, and where else you plan on taking the foil.

If you are also a winger or a downwinger, the lower drag of the Plus mast might give you an additional advantage. But if you are strictly a dockstarter looking for something durable and affordable, the Code aluminum and the Cedrus are great choices with no real compromise in the setup.

Choosing the Right Mast Size

For mast size, 75cm to 80cm is a really good place to be. You could go a little longer or shorter depending on your personal situation and the specific dock you are using.

• Taller Docks and Versatility: If you have a really tall dock, a slightly taller mast is helpful. A taller mast is also more versatile for other boardsports like winging, kite foiling, or wake foiling where you might be moving faster through chop. It gives you more forgiveness.
• Shorter Docks and Nimbleness: On the flip side, shorter masts are a little stiffer and more nimble. The responsiveness of the foil is amplified with a shorter mast because it transfers energy faster, has less drag, and acts as less ballast. If you have a really shallow dock or need to stay above the weeds, a 75cm mast is a great choice.

Ryan's personal favorite is the 80cm because it offers the most versatility for all conditions, allowing for a great crossover into other foil sports. Tucker agrees that the 75cm to 85cm range is the sweet spot for most riders.

Why the 1870 Kanga is the Top Pick

The biggest advantage for beginners is the sheer stability off the dock. Whether you are doing a running start at speed or a drop start right off the dock, landing on the 1870 Kanga provides immediate stability. It is the easiest foil to feel stable on right from the get-go. You aren't dealing with the board "tacoing" or leaning weirdly when you land on it.

It has a highly forgiving sweet spot for where your feet land and where you are pumping. One of the testers gave the best quote of the day: "Whoa, it's like landing on a concrete sidewalk." You just jump, land on your feet, and you are good to go for a couple of seconds while it glides out before you even need to start pumping. That excellent glide and low stall speed are massive differentiating factors.

Another huge benefit is that it isn't overly stable. When you compare it to some of the massive glider wings on the market (like the Code 2220 or other brands' wide wingspans), those can be so stable that if you get a little off balance, there is no coming back. The 1870 is still maneuverable. You can wing out with it, and you can even comfortably bring it behind a wakeboat on the second or third wake to cruise around.

Finally, for a wing this large, it has a surprisingly good speed range. If you are dying down, coming close to the water, and need to save your run, you can get some speed going and actually pump it back up to the top. A lot of wings with low-speed lift and stability just stay at that low speed and feel like you are about to stall the entire time. The 1870 Kanga has the efficiency to let you push it, gain speed, and recover.

The Code Foils Ecosystem

One additional benefit of choosing this foil is that the Code system is incredibly robust and well-built. It isn't just for dockstarting. If you progress into wake foiling, winging, prone foiling, Foil Drive, or downwinding, Code has an option for you. It is top-tier gear that is reliable and durable, providing a great ecosystem to buy into so you'll be happy without having to buy an entirely new kit down the line.

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The Brazilian Brothers are on the beach in Mykonos with 15-year-old North rider Maxwell Dahl to get the inside scoop on the latest gear. Maxwell has been killing it on the GKA World Championship circuit, and today he is breaking down the massive updates to the North control bars and twintip range.

The New 2027 Navigator Control Bar

The 2027 Navigator has undergone a massive redesign. North is stepping more toward the pro side of things with this update. Key features include:

• An improved bearing system.
• The same quick-release system found on the Pro bar.
• An overall better grip for the rider.
• Improved lines for a better feel.

It is a whole new bar that is suitable for everyone, offering a refined experience compared to previous models that hadn't seen an update in a couple of years.

The Navigator Pro Bar

If you are looking for the top-tier experience, the Navigator Pro bar brings even more to the table. Maxwell notes that while it may look similar to the standard version, it is significantly improved in several ways:

• Improved Grip: It is soft, comfortable, and provides a better connection to the kite.
• New Lines: These are smoother, more reactive, and provide a better feel on the water.
• Weight and Durability: The bar is 20% lighter while being more durable at the same time.
• Auto-Untwist: The Pro bar features an excellent auto-untwist mechanism for your center lines, which is one of the biggest differences between the two models.

Who is each bar for?

While the Pro bar is a great choice for any rider, your specific style might dictate which one you choose. If you are looking for a more budget-friendly option and you are a casual rider who doesn't do many rotations, the standard Navigator will definitely suit you. However, if you are pushing into kiteloops, rotations, and extreme heights where you need that auto-unswivel feature, you should definitely go for the Navigator Pro.

The 2027 Twintip Lineup

North is notorious for making some of the best-looking boards on the market, and the 2027 lineup continues that trend. Maxwell and the Brazilian Brothers walked through the three main models to see how they compare.

The Astra

The Astra is designed with the lighter rider in mind. It is a bit smaller and narrower than the other boards in the fleet. Because it is more flexible, it is very forgiving on the water. It is perfect for anyone who wants a fun, easy freeride session. While it is often used by lighter riders, its flex and performance make it a great option for anyone looking for that specific feel.

The Atmos

The classic Atmos is a bit wider and larger than the Astra. It features a construction that includes a little bit of carbon to make it stiffer, yet it remains forgiving. This is the go-to board if you are riding in chop or less-than-ideal conditions. It allows you to cruise over the chop and break through it easily, making it a very versatile board for general conditions.

The Atmos Pro

The Atmos Pro is Maxwell's personal board of choice. This year, North added a new 134 size, which is a welcome addition to the range. The Atmos Pro features:

• Full Carbon Construction: This makes the board very stiff and light.
• Maximum Pop: It is perfect for flat water conditions where you want to get the most out of your loading and takeoffs.
• Solid Landings: The construction helps you stick those high-performance moves.

This is the board for the hardcore rider who wants to maximize their performance, especially in "nuclear" conditions where you need the most pop and control possible.

Whether you are looking for the high-performance Atmos Pro or the redesigned Navigator bars, the 2027 North gear is looking epic. Stay tuned for more reviews as this gear hits the water.

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Jeff and Tucker are excited to break down Cabrinha's new Swift V3. This is the third version of the Swift, and they dive into what has changed, what this board is used for, the ideal buyer in the market, and their impressions after riding it.

Construction and Features

The Swift is a certified mid-length board from Cabrinha featuring their new construction. It's quite solid and fairly lightweight: lighter than average, but not so feather-light that you'd worry about breaking it on any given day. It strikes a really nice balance of durability and lightweight design.

A lot of mid-length boards omit certain items to save weight, but the Swift keeps all the bells and whistles. It still features a handle, long tracks, and front and rear strap mounts.

Sizes and Shape

The Swift comes in sizes ranging from 60L all the way up to 124L. Jeff and Tucker tested the 86L, which measures 6'0" long by 20.25" wide and 5.375" thick.

Looking at the construction and shape, the bottom is quite flat with a lot of surface area throughout the whole board from rail to rail. There's a very small, vertical chine, leaving a lot of meat out at the rail that's great for stability. It's a very simple shape with a flat rocker and a bit more flip up in the nose.

There's a lot of volume packed into this fairly small shape. At 86 liters in a mid-length, boards are often longer than 6 feet or wider than 20 inches. Cabrinha has really packed a lot of foam under the feet, in the rocker line, and in the side profile to give you more float. That works exceptionally well as a one-board quiver when you might need that extra float on a lighter day.

Deck, Pad, and Strap Options

The top of the board is pretty flat without much concave, featuring a slight dug-out and a little extra nose volume. It also includes a self-venting plug in the back.

The three-color corduroy pad is a standout feature. It serves as a great reference point when you're riding — you can find the sweet spot and look down to see exactly where your feet are. Your back foot finds its place easily, your front foot lands somewhere in the white, and the intermediate color gives you a sense of where the center of the board is. The pad is comfortable and doesn't feel slippery at all.

For strap options, you can put straps on the front and the rear:

• Front strap: Features a unique bolt pattern meant for an angled single strap. You can also set it up with a V-strap, although the spacing is relatively short, so you're a bit more limited on options there.
• Rear strap: The back has angle adjustments, but the front-to-back orientation is not adjustable. There's only one setup there.

You're a little more limited on strap options, but this design choice does help keep the overall weight down.

Aesthetics and Build Quality

Jeff and Tucker really like the fit and finish. The white design with the carbon reveal on the logo and the rails gives it a cool look, complemented by the distressed, white-sanded paint. It's a modern look that exudes quality.

For the price, the construction-to-weight ratio is nailed perfectly. This is a high-level build that gives you a lot of performance immediately and will take you a long way into the future without taking too much out of your wallet.

Who Is This Board For?

The market is currently flooding with boards, transitioning from short and wide shapes to these long, narrow designs. Out of the gate, this board is perfect for someone who has learned to foil and is looking for their second board.

The reason it stands out for that rider is its unmatched stability. It has a massive amount of surface area underneath, providing a lot of contact with the water. When you get up on this board and transition from your knees to your feet, it's incredibly stable. For riders where stability is highly important, this is probably one of the most stable boards on the water in this category.

The weight and distribution of the board feel very even and well-balanced. When setting up your foot stance on this 6-foot board, the front foot sits just forward of center, making it feel equally balanced for the most part.

Cabrinha built this board to be versatile. You can certainly wing it, and it's also built for parawinging. The mid-length category stretches what you can use them for, making it great for the fast-growing segment of parawinging (though they wouldn't suggest it for Foil Drive).

If you're a winger looking for a second board for stability, or wanting a one-board quiver, this is a premier fit. It's perfect for the rider coming off a larger, fatter board who wants something more modern, sleek, and fun, but still needs it to cover a wide range of conditions.

Trade-Offs and Light Wind Performance

As a downside, the Swift isn't necessarily your high-end, peak-performer mid-length. It doesn't really deliver in ultra-light winds. This has a lot to do with the more compact shape, the more abrupt rocker line in the nose, and the flat bottom, all of those things detract a little from its ultra-light wind ability.

It requires a little more effort, speed, power, and a larger foil to launch off the water. It's not one of those ultra-efficient mid-lengths that'll build speed and lift off on its own. You don't get that extra stability and volume packed into a smaller machine without making those compromises. It might not be the ultimate high-performance board for an advanced rider in high winds, but it's the perfect fit as that next board out of the beginner progression.

Don't be scared of the width. You should treat this board like it's an inch wider because of how it feels. It doesn't feel side-to-side shaky or unstable at all. Once you're up and riding, it doesn't feel "gunny" or narrow. If you want a longer board that works better for light wind, you'll probably need to size up. Because it's such a "chunky monkey," you need that length to draw out the rocker line to create that efficiency.

Bonus: Included Custom Day Bag

A super bonus on the Swift is that it comes with an included custom day bag. It's a high-quality bag that will save you about $150 to $180, and you don't need to go hunting for the perfect fit—it comes right in the box. That's a huge added value built into the board, ensuring your gear isn't getting beat up in your car over the next year or two.

The MACkite Take

The Cabrinha Swift V3 packs serious volume into a compact mid-length shape, and that design choice puts stability above ultra-light-wind efficiency. It's the ideal step-up board for someone who's learned to foil and wants something modern, stable, and versatile across wing and parawing without going all-in on a specialty performance shape.

• Ideal buyer: your second board after learning to foil. Massive surface area and hidden volume make this one of the most stable mid-lengths on the market when getting up from your knees and finding your stance. Perfect for riders coming off a bigger, fatter beginner board who want something more modern without losing stability.
• 86L in a 6'0" x 20.25" shape is unusually dense. Most 86L mid-lengths are longer or wider. Cabrinha packed the foam under the feet, in the rocker line, and in the side profile, so you get one-board-quiver float without the length or width penalty.
• The three-color corduroy pad is a real functional design. Not just aesthetic — your back foot lands on one color, front foot on white, center marked by the intermediate color. Visual foot placement reference every time you set up.
• Great wing and parawing board—but explicitly not for Foil Drive. Cabrinha built the mid-length category into this shape intentionally, so if you're doing either discipline (especially the fast-growing parawing side), the Swift crosses over cleanly.
• The trade-off is ultra-light wind, and the fix is sizing up. Compact shape + flat bottom + abrupt nose rocker means the Swift needs more speed and power to release than a dedicated light-wind mid-length. If your local spot is often marginal, size up to draw out the rocker line. Bonus: the custom day bag is a $150 to $180 value built into the price.

KT Foiling Kit Overview

Tucker brings a review of a new foil setup that turned out to be surprisingly good and is now close to his heart: the KT Solus front wing, Atom tail, and Apex mast. If you're interested in a downwind or a glider foil with a great speed range and efficiency, this kit fits the bill perfectly.

The KT Apex Mast

Starting with the mast, Tucker looks at the 85cm KT Apex. It's a new addition for this year and is a phenomenal, stiff, incredibly streamlined, and efficient mast. Tucker debated between the 85cm and the 77cm sizes, but the 85cm was available first and turned out to be a great all-around choice. The profile is thickest in the first two-thirds, making it a really fast profile that almost acts like a higher aspect design than it actually is. It tapers off the back and is thicker near the baseplate, tapering toward the top to maximize stiffness.

The 85cm length is especially nice for wider span wings like the 930. It ensures you don't ventilate the tips when ripping turns or flying through breaking swell and chop. You can ventilate 10 to 12 inches of the tip and keep going, but ventilating the whole wing is a problem, so the extra length here is a huge benefit.

The KT Solus Front Wing

The Solus is pitched as a downwind foil, but it's also excellent for winging or parawinging in the smaller sizes when you want more speed and glide. It's a race-optimized glider. In fact, the 775 size is what Kane de Wilde rode to win the M2O last year. Every size has been independently designed and adjusted for the attributes needed at those specific riding speeds.

Performance Light Wind with the 930

The 930 size has been an absolute lifesaver for Tucker this summer. He never thought a foil of this size could do so well in light wind. It acts as a "performance light wind" foil; you aren't just getting up and mowing the lawn near stall speed. This wing builds apparent wind and momentum on top of momentum, making it incredibly fun to ride in mediocre conditions. It offers the glide efficiency to get you through the lulls and the pumpability to ride small wakes and wind swell.

Tucker and Jeff even did an 8-mile downwinder in shin-high waves, and the 930 kept them gliding and connecting waves despite being a smaller foil than Tucker would typically use for those conditions. Once you get up, it's like putting on rocket boosters. It feels like riding in good wind because you build so much apparent wind, and it reacts beautifully to pumping.

The KT Fuselage

The kit features an aluminum KT fuselage. Tucker shows off the longer 65cm version, though they also make a 53cm option. For most riders, the 65cm is the easier choice if you don't need that next-level turning ability and pitchy attitude. If your board is over six feet long, the longer fuse is the way to go. If you're on a board under six feet and want aggressive rail-to-rail riding with a quick pump, the shorter fuse is phenomenal and really livens up the pitch.

The KT Atom Tail

The Atom tail is KT's efficient surf tail. It has a medium aspect but features a really unique foil section similar to the Solus. They pair exceptionally well if you're looking for a surfy glider rather than just a downwind pump machine. It provides turning performance and stability while you push through challenging conditions.

After talking with the KT rep, Tucker found that while he normally prefers surfier tails for agility, the Atom tail is super fast, efficient, and playful. It gives you stability and pumpability on the low end without having to overpower the stabilizer, and it provides great drive in turns. Even at a larger 161 size, it feels incredibly fast and loose, especially when paired with the shorter fuselage.

Hardware and the Shim System

Everything is generally bought a la carte, but MACkiteboarding offers combo kits on the website to make piecing it together simple. The components come with high-quality covers that feature a neat velcro system to slap your wing sets together. The kit includes a baseplate shim (which Tucker finds he doesn't need on most boards) and a nice plastic carrying case for the hardware. The fasteners are high-quality and even have the sizes marked right on the screw heads.

Dialing in the Shims

KT takes the guesswork out of tuning with their included shim kit, which features five different shims for negative and positive increments. The standard out-of-the-box setup is simple:

• Baseplate is at 0.0
• Front wing is at -1
• Drop the -1 shim onto the stabilizer

It rides fantastic right away. From there, you can tweak it. Tucker personally prefers removing half a degree of negative angle (bringing it to -0.5). On the longer 65cm fuselage, this gives a bit more agility and a tighter turning radius, rounding out the turn faster for a more surfy feel while maintaining stability.

Construction and Stiffness

One of the standout features of this setup is the construction. These foils are crazy stiff. When Tucker puts his weight on the assembled foil, there is hardly any flex through the massive high-aspect wing. This insane stiffness allows the foil to respond perfectly to your leverage and control. If this were a lower-level construction, pushing hard on a wide wingspan could feel unnerving, but KT's build quality takes the performance up a notch, allowing you to charge hard with total confidence. It almost sounds like steel when you tap on it.

Conclusion

Tucker is incredibly stoked on this setup, calling it his favorite parawing foil right now after spending time on both the 930 and 630 sizes. It delivers in terms of efficiency, turning performance, and overall fun on the water. The fact that KT took a design meant for downwind racing and injected it into something highly recreational for winging and parawinging makes this a truly special kit.

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Eli walks us through the Fliteboard Flitescooter. Everyone is looking for the easiest way to start eFoiling, and the Flitescooter is probably the easiest option out there right now. Eli got to ride it last year on a demo day with Flite, and it deserves its own video because it sits in a very unique place in the eFoil lineup.

Volume and Stability

The Flitescooter has the most literage in the eFoil lineup across all the brands. It features 237 liters of volume, and that does a couple of things for you:

• It provides a large amount of stability for beginners.
• It creates a large amount of float so you can stay up on top of the water.

It's balanced, floaty, and just a great board for beginners. Eli gets plenty of questions on beginner boards, and this is one of his favorites.

Built-In Scooter Attachment

The board has the added benefit of a built-in scooter attachment. You can take it on and off if you need to, but if you have balance issues or anything else that might make it hard to pop up on the board, this is a great way to start. It uses the standard Flite controls, so you don't need to learn much to hop on.

Safety Features

The coolest safety feature on this board is the magnetic bracelet. It works like a jet ski: if you fall off the board and that bracelet comes disconnected, it will shut the board off. You don't need to worry about the board going haywire. It's a built-in safety feature: if anything happens, the board prevents itself from running the motor.

Who's It For?

If anything might prevent you from popping up on a standard board, or if you're just looking for the most stable entry into the sport, this is a great way to do it. It's super stable and easy to ride.

The MACkite Take

The Fliteboard Flitescooter is a purpose-built entry point into eFoiling for anyone who's found other boards intimidating or physically difficult. Massive volume, a stand-up scooter handle, and jet-ski-style safety features stack the deck in favor of getting up on foil quickly.

Shop Fliteboard

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Eli walks us through the Waydoo Firebox. The Firebox isn't a necessity, but it's something you can use to have some peace of mind. It's designed for a lithium-ion battery, so it's good to have something on hand if you feel you need it.

What Is the Waydoo Firebox?

The Firebox hits all the boxes because it's a big stainless steel or aluminum box with two latches on the front. It comes with two water bags that you fill with water. To use it, you fill one bag up and place it in the bottom, place your battery on top of that, fill the second bag up, place it on top of the battery, and latch the box shut.

How the System Works

The whole idea is that you should never spray a lithium-ion fire with water, and you should never just let it burn out — those cells will pop and go all over the place. To put out a lithium-ion fire, you either fully submerge it and let it sit, or you completely cover it with sand and smother the fire.

Since you don't want your battery getting all sandy and dirty, the next best option is completely submerging it with water. Waydoo was pretty clever with this: they put a bag system together with enough water volume that if anything happens to the battery, it melts through the bag, drops into the water, and then melts through the top bag to be completely submerged, extinguishing the fire.

Peace of Mind for Your eFoil Battery

It's pretty handy if you're worried about that sort of thing. It's a good piece of mind — not necessary, but nice to have on hand if you feel you need it. If you have any questions or concerns about it, give us a call or shoot Eli an email at efoils@mackite.com, and he'll be happy to chat with you about it.

The MACkite Take

The Waydoo Firebox isn't a required accessory, but it's a smart optional layer of safety for anyone storing eFoil batteries at home. Here's what it does and why it matters.

• Never spray water on a lithium-ion fire. This is the safety fundamental most eFoil owners don't know. Water spray makes it worse — cells will pop and spread. The only two effective ways to extinguish a lithium-ion battery fire are full submersion in water or smothering with sand.
• The Firebox is a stainless steel or aluminum containment box with two latches and two water bags. Fill the bottom bag with water, place the battery on top, fill and place the top bag, latch the box shut. Setup is that simple.
• The auto-submersion design is the clever engineering. If a battery goes into thermal runaway, it melts through the bottom bag first and drops into water. Then it melts through the top bag, and the battery is fully submerged, extinguishing the fire automatically.
• Not a required purchase, but real peace of mind. If you store an eFoil battery in a garage, shed, or anywhere with things you don't want damaged, this is one of the better options on the market for lithium-ion containment.

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