Airush Ultra V2 10m 2018
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
Airush have been at the forefront of the kite industry for many years now producing some brilliant market leading designs and technologies. This issue we are going to be taking a look at the new Ultra V2.
The 2019 Airush Ultra V2 is a single strut, lightweight SLE that is targeting not only the light wind foiling market, but has the cross-over ability of freeride and wave riding too. Single strut kites have certainly become more popular since kite foiling has boomed. These kites fly in less wind, have tons of depower and provide very little horizontal pull when looping.
The Ultra V2 comes with some of Airush’s key features which enable the kite to be light yet also stable, responsive and durable, such as the Load Frame V4, Webtech and V3.2 bridle system. The Ultra V2 comes with a 250gm bag and a three kite foiling quiver weighs only 6.07kgs! 23kg travel allowance = no problem.
The Ultra V2 is compatible with all of the 4-line bars in the Airush line up, with pull-pull or cleat depower options in the mix. Available in three colorways and a bundle of sizes (including some new additions) the Ultra V2 has options to suit every rider.
Sizes: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 17m
The Bar
We headed out with the Airush Core Bar w/ Pull-Pull depower system. The bar features a PU center line, Modus adjustable bar ends, 24m adjustable lines (can be used as 21m or 24m), Brain Quick release 3.0 and more.
When you cast your eyes over the bar you will see that it looks super neat and tidy and visually looks smart too. The grip is very comfortable and the small diameter fits well in the hands. There is a large center line which is PU wrapped and runs smoothly between the fingers. The safety line runs externally here. The pull-pull depower system runs freely, doesn’t slip and is easy to operate and reach.
There’s a single line re-ride safety system, running through the low Y connection system, this coupled with the Brain 3.0 quick release means you are always confident on the water. The Brain 3.0 releases easily and is simple to reset. A below-the-bar swivel is featured which makes untwisting those centre lines effortless.
“a 3-kite foiling quiver weighs only 6.07kgs!”
In The Air
Upon launching the Ultra V2 it becomes apparent just how well this kite flies in light wind. I headed out on the 10m in sub 12 knots for a foil, and the kite remained stable at all times with no tendency to stall, even in the lulls.
The kite feels very solid overhead and through the bar. Some single strut kites can occasionally be a bit wishy-washy, however the Ultra V2 is responsive through the bar and the feedback is good enough to keep tabs on where the kite is without much effort. The bar pressure found on this kite and bar combo is very light. Turning speed of the kite is fast, it’s very pivotal and easy to whip around. Riding on the foil and when out in the waves you can chuck it into turns last minute which makes for a fun session. Don’t let this put you off though if you are in the earlier stages of your kiting career and are looking at this kite as a light wind freeride option, it is very manageable and easy to fly.
Power in the kite is ample, but comes as a ‘lifty’ manageable pull rather than that we see in some downwind-pull power houses. The range of power adjustment on the kite is huge, you can ride it with a solid amount of power with the bar fully in, push the bar even half way and most of the power is lost, fully let the bar go and it almost feels as if you are surf foiling, a very free riding experience. Looping the Ultra V2 is brilliant, for foiling it is ideal, it’s light, pivotal, fast and manageable with such a huge range of depower, you can really dump power and chuck it into a loop while turning and barely notice any increase in power. Of course, if you’re looking for this increase in power then chuck it into a loop with the bar pulled in and you are shot out of your maneuver.
Upwind ability with the Ultra is brilliant, the kite sits far round on the edge of the wind window. Power delivery from the Ultra is smooth and the kite handles gusts well even on those windier days. The Ultra V2 isn’t made for huge boosting capabilities, there’s other kites in Airush’s range for this, however it does provide a quick yet smooth jumping experience which suits strapless wave riding, freeride foiling and general freeriding.
The relaunch of the Ultra V2 is excellent, even in some super light lulls after stacking it out on the foil I was able to get the kite back up rocking again without any major panics of an upcoming swim.
For
The Ultra V2 is a fantastic bit of equipment that is super lightweight (flies exceedingly well in light conditions), it’s simple to fly, relaunches easily in light winds and has a ton of depower available.
Against
There wasn’t anything I didn’t like about the Ultra V2, there is however some flap in the wing tips as expected with this style of kite, so don’t be alarmed. When dumping power and looping the kite it’s noticed most, but the benefit of being able to chuck the kite into loops while foiling and not having to worry about being propelled over the front cancels the flap out in my eyes.
Overall
The 2019 Airush Ultra V2 was brilliant, for foiling with a LEI it’s up there at the top, for me. I personally think it stands out most in this discipline, however it does fly very well in a variety of conditions, suiting anything from beginners through to strapless wave riding and some freeriding. The build quality is going to let this kite see many a session and the technology put into the kite give it some seriously great flying characteristics.
Videos
This review was in Issue 70 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit AirushRelated
By Robin and Sukie
With years of kite sport experience combined, you can be sure you’ll be receiving the highest quality of knowledge on the best equipment the industry has to offer.
