Rider: 80 kg, Intermediate
Style: Free ride, Hooked & Unhooked
Weather: 12m in 12-18mph, 9m in 20-30mph
Note: Both kites ridden on lighter bar pressure kite setting attachment points at kite.


Just got the 2010 12m & 9m in last week and got all day session on both of them on back to back days. I have ridden the 07, 08, 09, and now 10 switchblades and like all of them as they do have a similar feel to each other but slightly different qualities and characteristics from each other.

First off kite construction on the 2010 is superb, the materials used look to be of a very high and tough quality, and what is surprising is that even though the material seems to be very durable, I think the 2010 SB overall weight feels lighter than the previous years. Also what you will notice is that the front ronstan pulleys have been replaced with stainless roller less pulleys, so one less set of pulleys to worry about getting sand jammed. The seams and stitching on the kite look bomb proof as usual, at least that's the way the started doing it since the 2008 SB3s. The graphics and colors on the kite don't get the credit they deserve in the color swatches or the pictures, color scheme 2 (White/Green) & 3 (Orange/Grey) look way better in person than in the swatches. Color scheme 2 looks really clean with the white canopy and actually bright green struts and trimmings. Color scheme 3 is definitely noticeable; the orange color actually looks like a torch or beryllium orange, not like the dull orange shown in the swatch. I still like the look of the wildcard scheme especially the black canopy with multi-colored struts, seem hard to get a hold of though. And with the wildcard scheme, the colors will be constantly changing throughout the year, based on what materials will be available, smart money saving concept, and kind of makes it feel like a original or custom touch for each client.

For the IDS bar, honestly I am not too sure yet how I feel about the IDS bar I sort of have mixed feelings about it. I do like that the bar diameter is smaller, which it was also on the 2009, which makes the bar much easier to grip and less of an issue of any type of forearm fatigue from those long 8 hour sessions. The bar materials look of high quality and with the standard red/left & right/black color coding but with an artistic touch. The center dugout seems to be made of a harder metal than the 2008. The on the fly rubber bar stopper for this year is also way better than the old fixed versions from before, which required a Phillips head screwdriver to loosen the set screw to move the stopper position, and which would fall apart and the screws would be lost, and would tear up your fingers if you slid it along the depower line. I don't like that the leash attachment point for the handle pass leash is not centered on the CL, which when unhooked and crashing and dropping the bar will rotate the CL almost to the point of unintentionally popping it out of QR1 and activating QR1 and complete depower of IDS and possibly QR2 which I will later explain and ditching the entire kite. The leash should be just attached like it was for the 2008, on the depower rope/tube, above the CL and below the bar. Attaching it that way will evenly distribute the load and not activate any of the IDS features unexpectedly, and if I need to completely release the kite I just pull the QR on my handle pass leash, again though this issue is only if you ride unhooked. The other thing is the reliability of QR2, which is what you release after QR1 if you need to completely ditch the kite, the problem is the QR2 pin is held down only by a wrap of Velcro, which I had come undone during a minor crash, if unhooked and QR1 accidently releases like I mentioned before I am not sure how reliable QR2 is, I guess we will have to see over time, again though this is only a concern during unhooking. ***But all this being said, the solution is just to attach the handle pass leash above the CL and below the bar on the depower rope/tube if you ride unhooked, no big deal just something to be aware of.*** The concept/design is a good a very safety conscious design and works the way intended.

For performance on the 12m, I feel that it still has the familiar feel of switchblade which distinguishes it from other kites. Bar pressure is light, as in you don't have to apply allot of force to initiate a turn, but it still has that direct feeling so that when you initiate a turn there is not a delay. The kite is pretty stable, it is not figidy and nervous, it does not back stall, it does not overfly to the far edge of the wind window, it sits perfectly in the window, not too far forward which would make you go upwind easy but kill the grunt, not too deep which will would just rip the bar out of your hands when unhooking and make it a struggle to find that nice balance to load up the kite. The canopy stays fairly rigid, even in gusty conditions, no fluttering or bucking. Relaunch however is not as easy as it was on my 2008 SB3, its not super hard or anything and there is no special tricks that you need to do it just takes a tiny bit more effort than my 2008 did, non-empirically speaking maybe about 10% more effort. It's just that the 2008 was just too easy to relaunch, that it was almost a joke, so it's something I noticed when riding the 2010. For unhooking, the 2009 had a little more slack on the line when popping for that brief moment, so you can try a trick and try and pass the bar with less pull, the 2010 feels more like the 2008 in that aspect as it does not have as much slack as the 2009, still more slack than the 2008 though. The low end grunt on the 12 is similar to the 2008, and a little more than the 2009. The high end is about what the 2009 was.

For performance on the 9m, it is pretty much what the 12m was, but what I would like to also say is that again it is not a figidy & nervous kite that dives hard for every little bar input that you induce, which is the case for most kites once you get under the 10m sizes. Still comfortable to unhook without worrying about an unexpected kite dive or loop.

Overall I am happy with my 2010 SB5's and probably would not want to be riding anything else. Personally it is my first choice for a kite quiver, but as always said, try before you buy.

I've been a xbow fan all my life, had every single xbow model from the xbow 1 to the last years IDS.

This year talking to the guys at the shop they said i wouldn't like the xbow this year as it's a racing kite this year and i should try the SB IDSX...

I gave it a go... and all i can say is: I'M CONVERTED!

My profile:

weight: 84kg
riding: 4 years [intermediate]
style: freeriding/ jumping

I've always been a fan of the xbows because of the heavy bar feeling, last year they dropped the pulleys and made the bar a lot lighter, but still heavier than the SB.

I always thought the SB had a too light bar pressure, but this year they did the same adjustments as the last years Xbow where you can change the pigtail on the kite to make the bar light or lighter...

I'm riding on the Light settings, with a Pro Kit installed, and i can say it feels like the xbow 2009 on the lighter setting... i love it!

It's very stable, and quick, not as grunty as the xbow but very powerful and it turns quicker than the xbow so you can generate more power...

Jumping is very easy and even though everyone says that the xbow jumps higher and floatier last weekend with my new SB i never jumped so high in my life... it got me scared on the first couple of jumps...

Relaunching is very easy, same old cabrinha style pull one line and off it goes...

PRO KIT:

This is the best thing they could have done for it.

I know it's not as safe as the normal IDS system, but like it or not you can always completely de-power your kite but pushing the bar all the way.

With the Pro Kit on you have just a fraction more speed on the turns almost unnoticeable, but you definitely get a smother kite with a better fell on the bar. But the best thing is the swivel on the chicken loop, where you can manually un-twist your centre lines... making it a lot easy to setup the lines and also after loops and rotations... you still get the IDS functionality but now it's trough a manual loop right above the de-power strap.

Overall:

- very smooth and stable kite
- good wind range
- awesome jumping
- fast turning
- powerful but not too grunty
- built is awesome
- bar is lot better than the last years ids [less clutter]
- pro kite is a MUST for experienced riders
- very nice looks [specially the new white and green]
- bag is nice but lack of board straps and bar holder, so you have to put the bar inside with the kite and makes it harder if you are riding a bike as you can't strap the board on the bag anymore.

Yes it's a bow, yes it has depower, the relaunch, the safety bomb proof construction and it's turned into one of the most popular, highly developed high performance bow kites on the market to date.
From croosing around, boosting big floaty jumps and hitting any conditions you feel on the day the SB will deliver.
The Cabrinha Switchblade IDS is most famous through Cabrinha international rider Andre Philip. Therefore the kite has been developed through the years with his input and has turned into one of the best wakestyle kites. Pure clean power delivery while unhooked for hitting obstacles and performing low tricks while having safety and easy relaunch when needed.

But don't be put off, the Switchblade has been marketed towards the wakestyle side of kitesurfing but its a pure easy kite to fly and learn on while giving great performance when needed.
The SB is purley a kite I would happily lend to a beginner in the first stages of learning, or an advanced to pro rider.

Together with the new and improved IDS bar it’s the perfect setup. It’s one of the most clean bars Cabrinha have developed with the intergraded IDS line, it makes it super clean & easy to use. The new diameter makes a perfect grip and the new mounded bar ends offer extra protection and conformability for your hands when unhooking.

Get out and ride, its the year of the rider so make the most of it.
Dan Sweeney
S2AS Team

Rider: 85 kg, Intermediate Mostly Unstrapped Wave
Style: Surf
Weather: 14-18 knots so far
Disclosure: Long time Cabrinha Rider, not sponsored, just have liked the gear and service

Had my first rides on the 8m and 10m Switchblade 5 2010 model in the last week. I have ridden Switchblades for the past 3 years and with the new Nomads coming out my decision was "Why change when you are on a good thing?".

I am really happy with my decision to stay on the Switchblades. I remember thinking that all I really wanted this year improvement-wise is that the kites turn faster. I am happy to report that they do and that Cabrinha have improved what i think has been a great kite for the past few years in the key area that I wanted improvement.

I have ridden with a mate who has been on his 2009 Switchblades so it has been easy to compare the two kites. The 2010 definately flys better and faster.

We both have concluded that the truning speed is the main and best improvement. We would say somewhere between 10-20% faster. Done - I am stoked.

Other areas you may be keen to hear about:

Flight - It does feel more stable and better in the hand
Bottom end - Very similar
Top end - Haven't really maxed it but it feels like it will have more
Build - I have always been a fan of the build and this year is no exception
Bar - Cleaner than last year with IDS line hidden, swilling donkey for unhooking (yay) and a more robust bar grip. There cannot be a better bar on the market.
Pulleys - 3 per side this year instead of, none on the bar
Bag - Bigger and simpler - prob Cabrinha's best bag ever, but that isnt saying much, they have had some shockers
Graphics - Anything is better than a repeat of the last 2 years
Jumping - As I am unstapped most of the time cant really say, but if it turns and flys better and has more top end, I am willing to bet it is better than last year.
Sizes - Bigger range this year as they are making them in 1m increments between 6m and 10m, instead of just the even numbers. As I was happy with 6,8 and 10m last year I am sticking with these.

Big ups to Windsurfing Perth, they probably got my kites in before anyone else in Aust and they did that because I am off to Sumbawa in 2 days (already had the kites over a week). I am not sponsored by them but that is a couple of years in a row they have done that for me and any shop that treats you like that deserves a mention.

Summary - A kite I have been happy with made even better.