Rider: 71kg, intermediate
Style: Mostly Freeriding, some jumps and waves, strapless
Weather: 12-30 knots
Build Quality: 10/10
Satisfaction: 9/10
Disclosure: not associated with BRM.
I received my 7m c2 about a month and a half ago (beginning of June) and took her for a ride at river delta as well as in San Francisco bay.
I am amazed by this kite, depower, turning speed and staying in place at downwind riding are unbelievable, awesome upwind.
I know there are a lot of reviews for the bigger clouds, but this 7m shares the same pros, but due to the size it results in being great wave/all around kite for the riders who do not mind it's fast turning speed.
First impression - is is packed in standard USPS flat rate medium box, which is really small.
As per kiteforum.com comments, people was able to pack 17m, 12m and 9m into bag from regular 9m.
Kite is much super lite, I never measured 7m, but 17m c2 is just 2.75kg.
Because of strutless pumping is really fast.
Build quality is awesome, great attention to details:
1. Single inflate/deflate valve (afaik same as new cabrinha valve)
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2. You can change connection points to be either knots or pigtails, no need to deal with extensions.
3. No pulleys, just simple short bridle
Personal impressions:
1. Kite is blazing fast, it can be lopped on a dime
2. Depower is just 10 cm away from sweet spot, which is awesome to handle gusts, but requires some getting used to
3. When depowered too much kite will not respond. This is good for walking on a beach, while riding just keep it at sweet spot
4. Kite is sensitive to the bar tuning, bar should not have stretched lines
5. When depowered, shape will deform a little which moves the kite lower into the window instead of outflying you. This is great for wave riding, kite will sit lower and wait for command
6. Kite will not drop when riding downwind, it will sit lower and lower and with minimal movement you can control the speed
7. I was impressed that there are no problems with relaunch, on the minimal wind and with line tension it immediately fills.
Conclusions:
1. A lot of power
2. Great upwind
3. Kite stays in air in minimal wind speeds
4. Easy to control gusts
5. Great when you need to wide towards it (wave and straight downwind)
6. Nice feedback from the kite, easy to spot when depowered by deforming canopy, with overpower pull will increase on back lines
7. Greg Drexler (designer of this kite) personally handles emails, He answering all concerns and questions
Cons:
1. Based on the differences in handling it requires some time to adjust, especially in jumping I spent few sessions to figure how to do proper load and pop with it
2. In a heavy wind (>30kts for 7m) getting tired a little as cannot really fast drop speed by turning downwind
Also, I picked up BRM Paipo board and with bigger board I had enough wind to stay upwind in 12kts, but working the kite out of course. That is really amazing for 7m, while in such winds I still use my bigger kites, but I found out that I either on my 12m Wainman or 7m cloud, which rendered my 9m f-one redundant.
Here is video from my 4th and 3rd session on 7m Cloud c2.
My bottom line is I will most likely replace my F-One 9m with cloud c2 9m and might in a future replace Wainman Boss 12m as well once I can convince my second half to sped a money ))
Official website: boardridingmaui.com/index.html
Send me one to test in Aussie conditions so we can have a non-bias opinion.
C'mon, if the kites that good it shouldnt be a problem to send out a demo or 2 to Aussie crew??? yeah??
If not, well , I guess we will know their just another strutless gimmick
Whats the top end? is it overpowered in 30 knots?
Can you get it fold under load? What about solo launch and water relaunch?
Do you have to pump the bejesus out of it?
does it bow tie?
how heavy is the bar pressure?
can it be used on a standard 4 line bar? is it a flag out safety. How does it boost?
how about getting washed with head to double head waves?
I picked up a BRM Paipo board from Mr Maui and it is really good fun.
Ordered online and delivered to Sydney in 5 days.
Super light. Goes upwind really well. And likes the waves. But don't push to hard with the back leg or it will slide out.
Select to expand quotekiteboy dave said..
I would take all of that much more seriously if it wasn't your first post...
and he is still learning toeside 
Select to expand quoteRails said..kiteboy dave said..
I would take all of that much more seriously if it wasn't your first post...
and he is still learning toeside Select to expand quotebigtone667 said..
I picked up a BRM Paipo board from Mr Maui and it is really good fun.
Ordered online and delivered to Sydney in 5 days.
Super light. Goes upwind really well. And likes the waves. But don't push to hard with the back leg or it will slide out.
Just to answer a few questions above (I have a 17 and a 12 meter) for Plummet:
Inflation pressure: I pump it to a firm pressure, as I do other kites, nothing unusual high.
Bar: Can be used with standard 4 equal length line bar. The Cloud bar flags to a single flying line.
Bowtie? Wasn't sure of the expression. Does that mean fold like a taco? If so, it doesn't do that.
Bar pressure is moderate. Gusts are felt more in the bar, rather than the harness. So a quick reaction with moving the bar in response to pressure changes keeps the total pull pretty steady despite surging and dropping wind.
I am not sure how well it boosts....as I am not much of a jumper and am almost always strapless.
Big waves? It flexes and dissipates the stress of getting hit by waves. I have found it to be sturdy in reef and shore breaks 9and trees). We have pretty big waves in Hawaii and it's initial design was focused on being a wave kite (fast turning and drift).
For lotofwind:
Boardriding Maui is really just one guy in Maui. I'll bet the big brands kite companies make a 100 or 1000 kites for every Maui Cloud that is made. I think that factors into not having demo kites sent all over (sending 5% of his inventory out rather than 0.05 like the big guys). I had a friend here on Oahu who had one that I could try. Since I bought two, I have shared it with many riders. I have some bias for sure. The guy is small time and located in Hawaii...so we are a bit proud of that and like to share our enthusiasm for that reason. (as a kid when it came to surf, if it was from Hawaii or Australia...we had a favorable bias towards it..and still do (I have an innovative Aussie to thank for my first thruster and many years later still ride one). And I have purchaser's bias. I bought it, so it would be hard to face not liking it for sure. That being said, the Cloud kite is different. Not better. Not a gimmick. Just different. Like with the thruster, I am glad when someone is willing to try something real different. And it is not for everybody. It is different enough that most of my friends needed to use it more than a couple of times to get used to the difference and see if it suited them. Those who ride Cloud kites find them unusual enough that they like to talk and post about it...like me..excessively. We all have plenty of other kites...and I like all my other kites...but what can I add to a discussion about a naish, rrd, bws or cabrinha that everyone doesn't know already...and know way more than me? Anyway..there seem to be a couple of Clouds scattered around Australia that hopefully get shared. Maybe I can bring mine there next visit. Meanwhile...it's warm here now if I can entice you to come to Hawaii and demo mine.
Aloha
forgot to mention...it solo and water relaunches fine (again...technique is a little different). Self landing is a little trickier sometimes because it wants to be in the air...not sit on the sand....because it is so light.
I've gone to only flying the cloud kites. 7m to 17, I think they're awesome kites. They are different, and not everyone will like them, but the general belief that they are hard to self launch or relaunch is not true. The canopy fills with air and the kite takes off very easily. Generally, the kite is on a wing tip and ready to go before I've got my head back above water. And the idea that the kite will collapse easily with out struts doesn't make since to me, it doesn't collapse. It's got a bridle that supports the leading edge very well. Hopefully Greg will be able to get some kites over there soon.
Select to expand quotewaveslave said..
I love this innovative stuff. ^^^
It makes you think :
When they first designed and made an inflato kite way back when,
why did they even build them with struts in the first place ?
Was it a throw-back to windsurf sails ?
Did they look at the battens on a windsurf sail and simply copy the concept ?
The Legainoux brothers were probably were just happy to get something that worked, based on what was feasible then.
They maybe did consider the windsurf sail for this kite.
Select to expand quotekiteboy dave said..
I would take all of that much more seriously if it wasn't your first post...
Yeah, that's true, it is my first post here, but it is completely my unbiased review, for what it worth. You can compare my observations with a lot of reviews at kiteforum.comSelect to expand quotePlummet said..
Whats the top end? is it overpowered in 30 knots?
Can you get it fold under load? What about solo launch and water relaunch?
Do you have to pump the bejesus out of it?
does it bow tie?
how heavy is the bar pressure?
can it be used on a standard 4 line bar? is it a flag out safety. How does it boost?
how about getting washed with head to double head waves?
At 30kts it is pulling, but manageable.
I only once had it folding, but I had it underpumped. Solo launch and water relaunch is not an issue.
I pump it a bit less then F-One bandit 5 which sates to pump to 10psi in manual.
Bar pressure is medium, not really heavy, but not very light. If you find sweet spot just right it is great, if you try to ride oversheeted, that's where you will feel increased pressure.
Any standard 4 line bar with equal line length.
For the boosting - it is great, but you have to send it loaded, not like lazy undersheeted style. And it kiteloops on a dime:
Select to expand quoteRails said..kiteboy dave said..
I would take all of that much more seriously if it wasn't your first post...
and he is still learning toeside
Yes, this is my first season (started in March). I don't know if my progress is fast or slow, but I'm kiting on average 2-3 times a week, mostly strapless on Paipo for the last 3 weeks. And yes, toeside in fakie not that smooth as in normal stance, so I was working on it.
I made decision to share this info, 'cause usually only 12, 14.5 and 17m gets most attention in reviews as strutless=lightweight=good lightwind performers. But I wanted to share my opinion on small size cloud.
I based this review comparing with my F-One 9m Bandit 5 '12, Wainman Boss 12m '12 and kites that I started on: Cabrinha Switchbladed '10, LF Envy 9m and 12m 2011. So, yes, I can not directly compare boost to dedicated freestyle c-kites or down the line riding to dedicated wave kites, but clouds for me just all around kites and not a specialized weapon that compromises everything else.
And I just sold my F-One and Wainman last Sat, and received BRM Cloud c2 9m yesterday and tested it immediately. I had a blast on both TT from 5:15-6:30 and then on Paipo 6:45-7:30 in the following conditions:
There was a discussion on these kites a while back, and several big kite brands now offer one in their range. I saw one in Maui last year and it appeared to go really well.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/General/Strutless-kite-video-maui/
www.airush.com/2013/kites/lithium-zero/http://2013-mid-season.catalogs.naishkites.com/#page/21
My strut less 12m Aussie design will arrive here in 2 days. From the 10m tests the strut less kites have good potential as a light wind massive wind range kite. But I dont see them replacing strutted kites. The 10m strut less kite i have been using in 14 to 25 knots, gusty conditions, boosts floats drifts turns great. Not making struts reduces the cost of the kite by about 20%, and weight and size 30%. The LE size is the same as strutted kites. I dont know why but in light winds the strutles kites have alot more power, for the crappy light winds the 12m will come in very handy. For the 5m to 9m I will be keeping the struts ( for now ). I am hoping the 12m will have the power of a 13, turn like a 10.5, inflate like a 10, pack like a 9, and weigh as much as a 9 ( yeah i know it sounds silly )
Select to expand quoteKiteDesigner said..
My strut less 12m Aussie design will arrive here in 2 days. From the 10m tests the strut less kites have good potential as a light wind massive wind range kite. But I dont see them replacing strutted kites. The 10m strut less kite i have been using in 14 to 25 knots, gusty conditions, boosts floats drifts turns great. Not making struts reduces the cost of the kite by about 20%, and weight and size 30%. The LE size is the same as strutted kites. I dont know why but in light winds the strutles kites have alot more power, for the crappy light winds the 12m will come in very handy. For the 5m to 9m I will be keeping the struts ( for now ). I am hoping the 12m will have the power of a 13, turn like a 10.5, inflate like a 10, pack like a 9, and weigh as much as a 9 ( yeah i know it sounds silly )
My 12m Maui cloud is half the weight of a normal 12m, turns like a 9M, pulls like a 14m and packs up in a third of the space and has light bar pressure.
Select to expand quoteKiteDesigner said..
My strut less 12m Aussie design will arrive here in 2 days. From the 10m tests the strut less kites have good potential as a light wind massive wind range kite. But I dont see them replacing strutted kites. The 10m strut less kite i have been using in 14 to 25 knots, gusty conditions, boosts floats drifts turns great. Not making struts reduces the cost of the kite by about 20%, and weight and size 30%. The LE size is the same as strutted kites. I dont know why but in light winds the strutles kites have alot more power, for the crappy light winds the 12m will come in very handy. For the 5m to 9m I will be keeping the struts ( for now ). I am hoping the 12m will have the power of a 13, turn like a 10.5, inflate like a 10, pack like a 9, and weigh as much as a 9 ( yeah i know it sounds silly )
My 12m Maui cloud is half the weight of a normal 12m, turns like a 9M, pulls like a 14m and packs up in a third of the space and has light bar pressure.
Select to expand quotedejavugraham said..
My 12m Maui cloud is half the weight of a normal 12m, turns like a 9M, pulls like a 14m and packs up in a third of the space and has light bar pressure.
That's what I had hoped/thought the 12m would be like, I only had 4 to 8 knots beach flying tests so far, but it packs up smaller than my 8m, has alot of power and agility, flys in no wind because its so light, I could do a beach kite lesson in 3-4 knots with easy self relaunch and stable in air flying, a strutted kite would not be as stable in light winds. I am looking forward to some 11+ knot wind days coming up for a good trial. I am hoping this will be my light wind 11-12 to 15+ knots go to kite
