I have got my Rhino 6s for the 2005/06 season; 9MT, 12MT and 16MT. Green/yellow, blue/black and red/orange, respectively.
Once received, I notice the redesigned bags, square, larger and now they have a zip. They look more durable and spacey, BUT watch for that zip (especially with big kites).
As I unrolled the kite, I noticed the canopy battens (“Cam Bat”), only small and flexible, spaced about 400mm from each other and extending for the full length of the leading edge. They are removable and replaceable; some spare are provided with the kites.
As I rolled it over to inflate it, I saw that the Rhino 6, unlike its predecessor, has only 5 struts and not 7 and that the have a sharp angle about 300 mm from the canopy (”Vertex Ribs). This design allows the battens to work at their best as the struts are kept off the canopy. In fact, the canopy has now a smooth consistent shape from tip to tip due to the battens.
The strut stitching has been increased as well as in the “fusion rib” (i.e. the point of attachment of the leading edge with the struts) which has now 4 sets of double stitches. The 5th line attachment on the leading edge has also been reinforced and the nose line has now 2 positions (for more or less tension on the 5th line) while the pigtails looked unchanged. All the struts have a stop-valve and a release pin that work perfectly.
The aspect ratio looks unchanged from the Rhino 5 (mid-to-high). The bar is also packed with new features. The chicken loop has now a stainless steel quick release spring system (Iron Heart); it spins around keeping the 5th line clear at all time during back-rolls etc.; it work well whether riding hooked in or unhooked, and the safety leash has a new safety release.
The depower system comes now with a variable cleat. This, combined with a one-in-all adjustable front lines, allows riders to set up the bar stop at any desire distance, with minimum effort, for different riding styles or when swapping gear. The cleat work well, however you MUST tie an extra knot at the end of the depower rope or you may find difficult to pull the stop-knob to depower the kite (especially when you are overpower and need it the most). This new depower setup represents a significant improvement respect to the Rhino 5.
Unchanged is the “micro-loop” on the bar which allows the bar to remain fully sheeted-in without bar pressure. Whilst I find this feature very practical and convenient, the micro-loop breaks easily (it is easily and economically replaceable, though).
The 5th line comes now without the bunjee section but still goes through the central line “o” rings (personally I do not like that and keep the two lines separate) and the “Y’ connector. Once I went through all the new features, I pumped it up very quickly and got ready for a launch.
As it got up in the air, I noticed that the new Rhino 6 is extremely stable. It just stays there without any bar pressure. As I dived it in the power, the Rhino 6 reminded me of my old Rhino 2: you get that instant pull, no mucking around. However, as I edged on my board, very smoothly the Rhino 6 generated a great consistent power and my board speed and my upwindability progressively increased but without leaving a 2MT spray behind or getting off the rail (unlike the Rhino 2).
The Rhino 6 has much more low-end than the Rhino5 but more high-end than the Rhino 2.
Once sailing, the Rhino 6 sits just where you put it, you can forget about the kite a concentrate on board tricks. Although stable in the air, the Rhino 6 response rate is nothing like its predecessors. It turns with no effort (note: the new bars are one size fits all and only about 500mm wide) producing a continuous pull through the turns that I have not experience before. You can zigzag from toe to hill side, as you do on a snowboard, chucking that kite everywhere like a toy. This immediate response rate of the Rhino 6 gives the rider a sense of direct connection with the kite because you feel any bar pressure variation which tells where the kite is and what it does without ever looking at it.
When the first gust hit me, I got ready for the first jump. Speed increased gradually without need of sheeting out, I was edging hard without much hill pressure, everything felt so easy and comfortable so off I went; I pull slightly the bar back and the Rhino 6 responded almost immediately. As it pull me off the water, it felt so gentle that at first it seems to be an ordinary jump, but as I looked down I realised that I was still going up. The Rhino 6 does not rip you off the water like the Rhino 2 (and often miles downwind); its lift is progressive, smooth and long, definitely more vertical than any other Rhino and perhaps as high as the Rhino 2 (which is a big call).
As I got to the top, I noticed that the hanging is better than the Rhino 5, but not as good as the Rhino 2. During floating, the Rhino 6 sits just over you without any bar adjustment, making jumping and landing really easy.
In a nut-shell, what impressed me the most is the direct connection that you have with the kite, the smooth increase of power, the continuous pull in the turns, and the vertical and progressive lift of the new Rhino 6. I hope this can help someone out there.
For further information or demonstration please feel free to contact me.
