Anyone have any opinions on the best kite for wave riding?
The Cabrinha Revolver is an obvious one, as that is what it is marketed for. What exactly makes it good for wave riding? How does it 'disappear' when you don't need it?
Opinions would be greatly appreciated, cheers
Tom
weeeellll .Its subjective .Anyone who simply writes "brand x " should not be taken seriously .
Do a search here and elsewhere in review sections and see what peoples experiences are .Beware of spin and pimps .If you can try before you buy and decide for yourself .
the funny thing is that I have seen people absolutely ripping in the surf on kites for years bak that people would warn you from ever flying
Don't you hate it when you have typed up a big reply post and just before you post it you press the wrong button and BAMM its gone i hate that shti.
The main thing i was going to say is the Naish Cult rocks in the wave and if you are going to ride waves and get a kite for that purpose then please demo the cult you will not be disappointed.
Jacko
I seen kiters in the surf way over powered, unable to get a rail into the wave, just skipping down the line. this looks kooky. someone told me use something less than a 10m. 
No matter what style, the smaller the kite the better.
Personally, small c-kites eem to work well, power in the turn and direct feel, they also fly the same hooked in or unhooked.
Otherwise a small hybrid(7m) will work well for gusty conditions,
Enjoi
Matt
the best rider for a surf kite is the dude that is in tune with his chosen canopy by putting in the hours and being in sync with it and his board.
................then said rider can make valued judgement on new models if he has an open mind, however different styles have different requirements.
moral. rip first choose later.
a kite that will sit in the window nicely.
wont react to severly to bar movement
a very stable kite
a kite where you can turn on and off the power easily
Rev
Fuel
Rebel
Cult
Helix
well i am pretty much a wave kook, anyone thats seen me kitesurf will attest to that! 
there are so many factors really to what type of kite goes best with choice of style. not just wind strength but wave power is just as important to type of board you prefer to use.
after saying that here's my list of wants in a decent kite for riding fast and powered down the line.
turning power - turn the kite and i want loads of power to pull me into the top turn and the bottom turn. c kites are known to do this the best, but any kite that doesn't pivot and or back stall in its turn, but has a radial turn is also good. on subject of turning speed , i personally find kites with direct lines give me a greater ability to react, non pulleys, low bar pressure, not hard turning pressure. my c kite i find have all these qualities.
how well does the kite fly back into the window, is more important to me than depower of the kite on the wave, if the waves substantial enough to the board your using, *even directionals in double head high sends me wooshing down the waves face yeeeeehaa!!!* then your going to be using the waves power, cranking the kite back the opposite direction as your going up to hit the top section for that extra power i find with a good designed kite it floats back as i ride down the wave face. hard to write in words but the kite lines go slack (i have seen many "popular" kites will simply fall out of the sky with line slackness) to me this is how my kite "disappears when riding it" the kite re-appears when i reengage my rail away from the kite to set up the bottom turn and crank the bar the other way, its all about timing and looking down the line at the next section of the break...i don't always get the timing right or my edge right to set me up for the second or third turn but when i do, its a............. f!!!!k yeah!!!!
i find a high de-power kite is good when ridding slight cross offshore, its a park and ride affair then and the style changes for me as the waves peel slower where i ride cross offshore. fortunately my c kite has about 90 percent bar depower.
kite stability is a big thing. the more stable and able to do as described above, the less i need to worry about relaunching my kite in waves, because of the larger scope to make mistakes and not get punished it gives me more confidence to keep at it.
i find the c kite i ride does what i want to how i ride, i get the biggest stoke on it and ultimately that what matters.. a few of the kites mentioned above i have tried/owned and they don't do what i describe above, but then i have seen guys that rip on them...... no such thing as the best surf kite, just the best for your conditions and how you wish to ride and mostly to what gives you the biggest stoke!
tmiddled, I just bought two new 08 revolvers (9 and 12) and am really pleased with them in regards to surf kites. The kite 'dissapears' when you push the bar all the way out, what this then allows you to do it surf the wave and hold your lines alot better and get in the pocket of the wave easier then what some other kites do.
I demoed a few kites before buying the revolver and found it to suit me quite well (and I got them cheap). The Revs and Rebels are also great kites in the waves due to how well they respond and I have had the opportunity to use both.
I guess everyone has a different opinion on what flying quality is right for the waves.
The best wave set up for me is 20knts + and a 7m NEW O.S.
This size is only 3 struts so it drifts so well. But it is super fast and responsive to tap into the power when you need to make it around closing sections.
Some people will tell you, "yeh mate all small kites are the same etc".
But there is a big difference how responsive your gear is, when the lines are loose and the wave is closing down.
Na thats not a twin tip. Its a specialized custom thruster wave board that goes both ways.
The stance is super wide and the board is fairly long. The dimensions are about the same as my surfboard around the back foot.
Its good cause the board doesnt dance around and get uncontrollable when Im going flat out racing poleboarders for a decent set. 
A very important point which I dont believe anyone has mentioned yet is RELAUNCH-ABILITY.
If you are riding in the surf you will want to be very familiar with the relaunch capabilities of your kite and how to perform such.
My advice based on my experience is to stay away from C kites in the surf. ( I fly both Fuels and Switchblades ) The extra time it CAN SOMETIMES take to relaunch a C kite is enough to see the next set wave catch your kite and destroy it. The beauty of the Switchy is if you stuff up it is usually waiting at the edge of the window or is quickly onto a wingtip and away before the next wave.
This is not a C v's Bow/HYbrid knock I LOVE MY FUELS but IMO the switchy is better for riding in the surf.
On average kites are around $1800 each and big waves and kites dont mix very well so best to get your kite out of the water as fast as you can.
my 2cents
