Cabrinha Mantis Apex 2023
Reviews / Wings
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Dive into our overview below, and be sure to return for the complete review soon.
The Cabrinha Mantis Apex is the first high-performance alternate construction methodology wing to hit the market from the brand. Whilst the Apex shares part of its name with the Mantis, and the brand describes it as an evolution from the original Mantis, it is a noticeably different beast! It does intend to meet the exact design requirements of the Mantis (an all-around performer). Still, this one is designed to be the highest possible performance all-rounder that is lighter and stronger, thanks to its ULTRA HP construction.
At a Glance
First, I don’t think I’ve ever looked down to plug in my pump to the inflating nozzle of a wing to see a recommended inflation pressure of 13.5 psi! If you are going to get your hands on the new Apex, you’d better budget for a pump with it unless you’ve got an iSUP pump on hand already! The super high inflation pressure is possible thanks to the new ULTRA HP airframe. Both the leading edge and the strut use a new lightweight laminate material that is extremely strong. This high-strength airframe allows for increased inflation pressures, which allows for reduced diameter leading edge and strut. In this case, it is approximately 20% smaller. The leader edge diameter reduction is very noticeable.
Cabrinha’s ULTRA HP material has a very distinctive look and feel, which is quite satisfying. It shares the same efficient leading edge segment seam protection layout as the regular Mantis. These are very streamlined and only placed closer to the wingtip on the critical segment seams to reduce unnecessary weight addition. The canopy layout is similar to load path seam placements and the load distribution layout near the tail of the strut. The Mantis Apex features more significant trailing edge reinforcement, as it features a combination of EVA TE battens and traditional rigid composite battens.
The Apex has all of the new feature upgrades that were released with the ‘03’ wing collection including, the wingspan anti-twist handles, the 2x sprint one pump inflation system, the pure impulse front handle and the refined window layout.
Sizes: 4m, 5m, 6m
On the water
The Mantis Apex feels very different from the regular Mantis. I’d definitely bet my paycheck that I'd pass the blind test comparing these two. If you were to only increase the inflation pressure of any wing, it would increase its airframe's rigidity. Likewise, if you were to reduce the diameter of the leading edge and strut, you would reduce the rigidity of its airframe. In this instance, both have been done at the same time so that the net result could have gone either way. To me, the airframe of the Apex feels stiffer than the regular Mantis, and the handling and power delivery are sharper. The response to input feels faster, and the wing feels lighter in the hands. This will be felt as a positive for the majority of riders, except perhaps beginners and those still finding it difficult to pilot both the wing whilst concentrating on the foil as it’ll get away from you that bit quicker.
When pumping the wing to get up onto foil, the canopy is very tight, and power is delivered in short but strong bursts with each pump. The wing feels small from the perspective of it feeling light in the hands. The delay between one pump and the next as you push the wing away from you, ready to re-engage tension on the handles, is reduced. This results in a naturally faster cadence of pumping required to get the most out of the Apex.
In reviews of the rest of the ‘03’ collection, I’ve praised the new composite widespan handles. They felt just as comfortable and assured as they have done in the past, and I think they came
into their own with the Apex. The composite construction of the handle features an angled section close to the strut connection which is made from some sort of stiff polymer and features strategically placed cutouts. This allows for a very slight amount of flex when under serious loads, and it looks and feels as though this provides a slight damping property between the very stiff Apex frame and the user.
The Mantis Apex performs even better than the regular version in the waves. There is a serious weight saving from the ULTRA HP airframe, and this reduced inertia is noticeable during rail-to-rail direction changes. It feels lighter, and there is even less of a tug on the neutral handle, so there is very little to upset your balance on foil. There is also significantly less drag when riding into the wind, which makes riding in crossshore and offshore conditions more enjoyable as it is easier to maintain speed.
The reduced drag also assists with tacking manoeuvres. Not only is speed maintained through the tack, but the instantaneous response of the Apex makes it very easy to get the wing through the wind window and leading you in the other direction, which is so important for success.
Overall
The Mantis Apex is an impressive offering from Cabrinha, showing what is possible with their new ULTRA HP material and construction methodology. It delivers the performance upgrade you’d expect from a lighter and stiffer airframe that gets pumped up to 13.5 psi! It feels lighter, responds quickly to inputs and everything happens that bit quicker and the reduced diameter leading edge reduces drag, which enhances its luffing and tacking abilities. If budget isn’t a limiting factor, I’d recommend every potential Mantis customer (except perhaps those beginners mentioned previously) try the two back-to-back to see if they prefer the sportier feel of the Apex; I did.
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This review was in Issue 18 of Tonic Mag.
For more information visit CabrinhaRelated
By Tonic Mag
