airwave KOALA User manual
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Version 1.0 July 2020
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KOALA Owner’s Manual
Foil kite
Welcome to Airwave
Airwave has a long history of designing airsports equipment. Starting with domination in hang gliding from 1986,
going on to winning paraglider designs, and windsurfs. Airwave Kites is the latest incarnation of the Airwave family.
Airwave is owned and managed by Bruce Goldsmith Design, a leading manufacturer of quality paragliders and
paragliding equipment. Bruce Goldsmith was a founding member of Airwave Paragliders, and has been designing
paragliders for more than thirty years. He heads up the young and dynamic Airwave kite design team who are based
in the south of France. Their aerodynamics and engineering expertise is combined with a passion for kiting that drives
them to create cutting-edge kites that we love to y. Airwave kites are manufactured in Sri Lanka, and distributed
from our warehouse in Austria.
Congratulations on your purchase of the Airwave KOALA
At Airwave we are passionate about kiting, and our goal is to make the best kites we can – kites that we love to y in
all seasons, on all terrains.
The Koala is our rst product. It’s a stable, lightweight tubeless foil kite offering great performance and versatility for
kitesurng, snowkiting and landkiting. The Koala is fantastic for jumping, with twice the hang time of a tube kite, that
means more time for tricks!
The Koala generates a lot of power for its size, and has excellent upwind performance. Because each size performs
well in a wide range of wind strengths, it’s very versatile. If you’re travelling or limited for space, one size can work for
Welcome
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a range of conditions. Closed cells and low-porosity fabrics mean it takes several minutes before the kite becomes
waterlogged, so it can be relaunched easily, without assistance, up to about ve minutes after a water landing.
This manual has been prepared to give you information and advice about your kite. Please read it carefully, before
heading out and having fun!
More information and replacement parts are available through our extensive network of dealers. You can nd your
nearest supplier on airwave.aero.
Welcome
35
TWINTIP
WIND SPEED (knots)
SIZE
5m2
8m2
10m2
12m2
15m2
5 10 15 20 25 30
TWINTIP
TWINTIP
TWINTIP
TWINTIP
FOIL/LAND
FOIL/LAND
FOIL/LAND
FOIL/LAND
FOIL/LAND TWINTIP
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Safety
Kite ying can be dangerous, both for the person ying the kite and those around them. You are responsible for the
safety of yourself and those around you when using this product.
Please read this manual before ying your kite. If you are under 18, please ask your legal guardian to read it. You
should not use this product unless you are under proper guidance and supervision.
Before using this product, you should have undergone training with a certied instructor or school.
Only use this product if you are in good physical health, and are not under the inuence of alcohol or drugs.
Practise launching, landing and self-rescue techniques in light winds before using this product near water and in
strong winds.
It is advisable to have an assistant to help launching and landing your kite.
Always use a safety leash system. An uncontrolled kite is a danger to those downwind of it.
This product should be used with a kite-specic harness, and a helmet, wetsuit, gloves, shoes and protective eyewear
We strongly recommend to use only the Airwave bar with this product.
Always carefully inspect all of your equipment before using it. Knots in the lines reduce their strength, so should be
removed before using the kite; a line breaking under tension is dangerous.
Test your quick-release device regularly, and rinse it in fresh water after every session to maximise its lifespan.
Safety
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Check any safety systems regularly for signs of wear. The mechanical quick release trim loop must be changed after
250 hours of kiting. The wearing of your quick-release devices is not considered a warranty issue.
You should not attempt to y with this kite – it is not tested or licensed as an aircraft.
This product is not designed for riders weighing more than 120kg.
Always inspect a new location before kiting there. It’s a good idea to speak to any locals who kite there and nd out
about and stick to any local rules and regulations; you should also identify any potential hazards including obstacles,
shallows or currents on water; rocks and avalanches in the mountains. Is the location accessible to rescue crews in the
event of an emergency?
Always y in weather conditions that are appropriate for your skill level and kite size, and never during thunderstorms
or in offshore winds. Only very experienced riders should be kiting in winds stronger than 25 knots on the water.
If you have a doubt it is always recommended to use a smaller size or wait for a lighter day. In the mountains this
product should not be used in more than 15 knots.
Ensure you have a clear area downwind and both sides of your launch area, and keep a safety margin of at least two
line-lengths downwind of you.
Do not kite near people or obstacles. Kiting near powerlines, roads, airports, cliffs, etc. is extremely dangerous. Never
let anyone, including yourself, get between the kite and the control handles when using the product.
Safety
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Overview – the KOALA
Closed cells
Trailing edge Leading edge
Overview
Top sail
Lower sail
Wing tip
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The KOALA control bar
Safety line (red)
Chicken loop
Flag-out system
Overview
Chicken dick
Quick release
Cam cleat
Depower line
Depower handle
DEPOWER SYSTEM
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Quick-Release Systems
Chicken loop
Leash quick-release
Harness
Leash Safety line (red)
Overview
Chicken dick
Quick Release
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Setting Up
!Always secure your kite properly even if the wind is light. A runaway kite can be a serious danger to people or
animals downwind.
! Do not leave the kite apping in the wind and sun for long periods as this will shorten its lifespan.
Setting Up
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Unrolling and securing the kite
Take your kite into the launch zone and check the wind direction.
Unroll the kite parallel to the wind: Grab the upwind tip and let the kite naturally ow out downwind.
When the kite is completely unrolled, lay the second tip on the ground.
Use sand to weigh the upwind tip down to stop the kite from blowing away. The bar bag can be lled with sand and
used as a sandbag for this purpose.
Setting Up
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Untangling the bridle
Before attaching the control bar to the kite, it is important to check there are no tangles in the lines.
Start at the kite end, and take one of the middle lines. Run along the line towards the bar, removing any knots or twists
and clearing any lines which have passed over it. Freeing the central lines should result in all the lines on that side being
cleared. Repeat on the second side.
Setting Up
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Untangling the bar / rigging the kite
When your kite is unfolded and secured and your bridle is untangled, unwind the lines from the control bar and
connect to the kite’s lines.
Start from the kite end, and unwind the lines from the bar while walking crosswind away from the kite.
The red side of the bar goes to the left side of the kite. Untangle and separate the lines from the control bar, by fol-
lowing them along from the bar towards the kite.
Connect the lines together with a lark’s head knot; red to red, green to green and the two middle lines.
Setting Up
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Lark’s Head Knot
! Always double-check the lines are correctly attached. Wrongly attached lines could mean the kite does not y
correctly, which could put you and others in danger.
Setting Up
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Inating the kite
Before ying the kite, it needs to be inated. This is done by closing the two deation valves in the middle of the
trailing edge, and then holding the leading edge openings into the wind.
Setting Up
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Attatching the kite to the harness
With the kite secure and all the lines correctly rigged, you can connect the leash to the ag-out system, then hook the
chicken loop onto your harness and pass the chicken dick through the hook.
Setting Up
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Launching
!Always check the wind and weather conditions, and your equipment, especially the safety system before
launching. Do not use any kite in winds stronger than its recommended upper wind range.
Launching a foil kite requires a special training. practice the launch a few times in light winds.
With the kite laid out parallel to the wind ow, walk away from it to tension the lines. Apply pressure to the side of the
bar connected to the downwind end of the kite, then slowly walk back and upwind until the sail starts to catch the
wind. Continue walking until the kite is completely off the ground.
! Do a nal check for crossed lines or other problems before committing to using the kite. If there is a problem,
land the kite or release and rectify it.
Launching
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The depower handle
Pull the depower handle towards you to depower the kite; to release, pull it sharply towards you again then let go. It
will return to the neutral position.
Neutral position Depower activated
The depower handle
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Landing
We recommend having a helper for landing the kite.
Fly the kite to the edge of the window and lower it gently. When it is low enough, your helper should grab the tip.
Run towards your helper to untension the lines. The kite will then ap downwind, and your helper can secure it on the
beach.
Setting Up
Landing
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Quick-Release Systems
Flagging out
To depower the kite so that it ags out, simply push the red release handle away from you. The kite will instantly lose
power, and will ag out and fall to the ground.
Quick-Release Systems
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