There are some great deals on new V2 Mantis wings. I've been using V1 and then V2s for the last 18 months and really like them. Wondered if the V3 was that much better than the V2?
I'm waves not freestyle. Anyone had both the V2 and V3?
I've had Mantis V1, V2 and now just received my 1st 2x V3's..
I've only had a quick go on the new 4.5 but I can definitely say the new handles alone are worth the upgrade. They are a bolt-on rigid affair and come with spacers to adjust angles / distance from the strut.. I like the spacers on the front handle and none on the back.. very comfortable grip and a more direct feel than the previous webbing / wide span handles.. epic
My 4.5 feels a bit stiffer with increased bottom end vs V2, to the point where I cancelled my 5m (on back order) as I don't think I'd ever use it. There's thicker twin pipes connecting the LE to the strut and a strut dump valve which makes inflation/ packing up quicker .. the V1 and 2 system never bothered me but I heard people wanted this.. all good
Floats effortlessly behind when waveriding (I think there's increased dihedral) and I'd swear it tacks easier - else I'm just getting better ..
bag is better this year too..
hopefully get to try a 3m tomorrow.. ??
Select to expand quoteSmeee said..
I've had Mantis V1, V2 and now just received my 1st 2x V3's..
I've only had a quick go on the new 4.5 but I can definitely say the new handles alone are worth the upgrade. They are a bolt-on rigid affair and come with spacers to adjust angles / distance from the strut.. I like the spacers on the front handle and none on the back.. very comfortable grip and a more direct feel than the previous webbing / wide span handles.. epic
My 4.5 feels a bit stiffer with increased bottom end vs V2, to the point where I cancelled my 5m (on back order) as I don't think I'd ever use it. There's thicker twin pipes connecting the LE to the strut and a strut dump valve which makes inflation/ packing up quicker .. the V1 and 2 system never bothered me but I heard people wanted this.. all good
Floats effortlessly behind when waveriding (I think there's increased dihedral) and I'd swear it tacks easier - else I'm just getting better ..
bag is better this year too..
hopefully get to try a 3m tomorrow.. ??
Thanks for that. Funny you say about the Tack. I think the V2 struggles a bit in the tack, not sure why. I used a Naish the other day and although I much preferred the Mantis the Naish definitely tacked better.
Mmm, I was hoping you were going to say very little difference so I could bag a bargain .Lol..
I find the v3 handles are too slippery for wetsuit gloves. Was out on the 3.5m v3 the other day and i was cooked after an hour. Other that that its a fantastic wing.
Ive tried the v1 and v3. v1 was excellent for its time, but the v3 is a massive improvement. Lots of canopy tension and frame rigidity. The length of the front handle is great for 1 handed riding. Its an excellent all-around wing.
Check out the Dakine Cyclone as well. Its the same DNA as the Mantis (might be the same wing) and I think its cheaper.
Managed another spin on 4.5 yesterday before my (ironically) underpowered Mrs 'demanded' I swap with her 4m V2.. (turns out 4m was under inflated) ..
good to go back to back tho on v2 and v3..
Mrs says new one is definitely better (!) .. she's still 50/50 on gybes etc but managed "at least 50 gybes in a row" ..
I spent an hour drilling tacks on 4m .. Using Mojoflex's advice of pushing back hand up to bring the wing across to new side (heelside tacks) I was 80% successful .. V2's definitely still work.. ! Re the DaKine Cyclone wing .. The V1 is basically a Mantis V1 with V2 Mantis handles but a little less reinforcement around the central LE where the flag handle attaches .. Great wings..
V2 Cyclone wings are from the same camp as the new V3 Mantis .. bolt-on handles and extra high LE pressure which lies somewhere between Mantis and Apex ..
I had the V2 for 9 months and switched to a 4+5 V3 in feb and yes its worth the upgrade.I love the handles, disnt had any issues with riding them wearing neoprene gloves what was with the V2 near impossible.With the V2 I missed dump valve or a 2th deflate tube...now I got both!To me it feels a tad more soft and comfortable as the V2 and surfs+tacks better. Low end of the 5 is as good as the 5.5 Dlab from last year that I have as well (i Know weird to have a 5.5 Dlab and a 5m Cab Mantis) Overall really happy with them in the most used sizes but bought a 3m in V2 because that is for me a size I barely use and got a great deal on these.
Select to expand quoteSmeee said..
Managed another spin on 4.5 yesterday before my (ironically) underpowered Mrs 'demanded' I swap with her 4m V2.. (turns out 4m was under inflated) ..
good to go back to back tho on v2 and v3..
Mrs says new one is definitely better (!) .. she's still 50/50 on gybes etc but managed "at least 50 gybes in a row" ..
I spent an hour drilling tacks on 4m .. Using Mojoflex's advice of pushing back hand up to bring the wing across to new side (heelside tacks) I was 80% successful .. V2's definitely still work.. ! Re the DaKine Cyclone wing .. The V1 is basically a Mantis V1 with V2 Mantis handles but a little less reinforcement around the central LE where the flag handle attaches .. Great wings..
V2 Cyclone wings are from the same camp as the new V3 Mantis .. bolt-on handles and extra high LE pressure which lies somewhere between Mantis and Apex ..
Sorry for going off topic but I just wanted to second you on support for push tacks. I watched this video then went out and did my own just the other day (change subtitles to English):
I demoed a 4.0 v3 Mantis today in 20kt winds (me 90kgs, Armie HA1125/ 195, 80L board). This was the first Cabrinha wing I've tried. Had been thinking of getting a Manits for a while now. I currently ride North Nova v2 and Mode. Had other wings in the past and ridden even more that I didn't own.
Handles are thin and flimsy, the rubber coating was already coming off on some spots. Coming from North's excellent handles, Mantis ones felt like prototypes.
Grunty wing with good power, but a bit of a beast. Reminded me of the V1 Armstrong A-wing. I had to do lots of micro adjustments with both front and back arms to keep the power flowing. Needed to be more downwind to catch wind, on my Mode I usually just veer a tad downwind to find power to get on foil, the Mantis needed several more degrees downwind to really feel powered up.
Good upwind, but not from the normal stance. Had to really hike my okole out to crank upwind. The Mantis locked into the wind well so I felt comfortable leaning out so much.
It was a bit "Duotone flippy", about 50% of the time when it ended up on the water after ("unscheduled sudden de-boarding events") the wing was up upside down. When it got hit by side winds, it flipped!
Overall, I was not impressed at all. Sad to say, had to cross it off my shopping list. The Manis felt like a V1.5 or V2 wing, not the polished V3 wings from several brands that are on the market today. Just felt like it was a generation behind.
I think it is a lot about personal preference and getting used to stuff. I tried the Mode 5.5+4.2 and Nova3 4m and prefered the Mantis V3.To me the Mode felt great riding back and forth and one of the best upwind wings, but was not my cup of tea in surfing flipping over a lot. The Nova V3 was okay, but too much raw power/tiring and unsettled when flagged (reminding me a lot to the overpowered Units).
I think it must be close to impossible to build a wing that suits everybody. Makes demoing stuff when possible even more important.
Select to expand quoteJeroensurf said..
I think it is a lot about personal preference and getting used to stuff. I tried the Mode 5.5+4.2 and Nova3 4m and prefered the Mantis V3.To me the Mode felt great riding back and forth and one of the best upwind wings, but was not my cup of tea in surfing flipping over a lot. The Nova V3 was okay, but too much raw power/tiring and unsettled when flagged (reminding me a lot to the overpowered Units).
I think it must be close to impossible to build a wing that suits everybody. Makes demoing stuff when possible even more important.
I agree, wings are very personal. You get used to using a wing and other brands feel "weird". I was looking for a light wind wing and tried the Fone Cwc which everyone raves about and I thought it was awful. I also didn't like the normal Strike or Swing. Takoon, Mantis and PPC have been my favourites to date.
Totally agree that wing preference is very subjective. I really wanted to like the Mantis. Been waiting forever to get my hands on one. For me it was a total miss. So disappointing. I actually wanted to return it after the first run, but had to force myself to ride it longer to try to be fair. Normally I am very "gear insensitive" I can ride most things and have a good time. I mount my foil in the wrong spot and don't notice or grab the wrong wing and just go.
I am not a fan of the beachball dump valve so that was a let down before I even got in the water. I was very impressed by the bag, that screamed quality.
Oh well, to each their own as they say.
Their macro, you can't reach the straps, they are mounted to far fwd...or mast track too far back.
I've got the 2.5m, 3.0m and 3.5m V3s. Had them for about 5 months now and heaps of use with no issues. They are great all rounders. They really excel on a wave, super stable flagged out and the rigid handles are great for holding the wing up when riding straight down wind. Front luff handle is the best I've used, rigid enough to provide great control yet super comfortable to hold.
Speed wise they are no slouch either, capable of 25-26 knots according to my GPS.
I was able to drop 0.5m coming off a '22 4m Dlab Unit and keep the same bottom end, these new wings are really grunty and reward pumping. If you pump them up to the recommended PSI they are rock solid, I usually run mine 0.5-1 psi lower if it's windy or gusty. Makes them a lot more comfortable to use.
Love them in jumps and rotations, plenty of boost and hang but depower nicely in rotations so they don't pull you off centre. Here's a little clip from last week of the 3.0m in action.
www.instagram.com/reel/CtWNqhHRNtb/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
