Cabrinha MANTIS 3.5 2025
Reviews / Wings
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At A Glance
The Mantis is Cabrinha’s all-around freeride, wave and big air wing. It’s undergone quite a lot of upgrades over the last year’s model and looks set to be the wing of choice for those riders who aren’t into freestyle but love everything else winging offers. In addition to a new profile and shape, there are also some new materials and features that bring the wing bang up to date and help make it one of the better wings on the market today.
The wing’s draft has been moved forward, which helps increase the power and balance of the wing, equalising the pressure on the arms. The new wing tips also feature a progressive twist, helping with power delivery when sheeting in. Teijin D2 Ripstop Canopy material is now being used on the Mantis; it is industry-leading and proven, reducing the wing’s stretch and improving its responsiveness.
There is also a new lightweight graduated trailing edge distribution panel and carbon composite battens, both of which combine to improve performance and air flow and reduce flutter. High-tenacity Dacron is used for the leading edge and strut, which is again a convex design to improve stiffness and trailing edge canopy support. The handles are moulded composite with an indexing mounting surface, so you always get a solid connection and can’t set them up wrong.
The design features a low dihedral for maximising the projected surface area while offering good control when flying on the front handle. Available in a huge range of sizes from 2 - 6m with half sizes in between, there should be a wing here that is perfect for you.
Sizes
2, 2,5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5 and 6m
In The Air
We had a 3.5m Mantis on test last year and enjoyed it, but we did feel it needed a lot of wind to get the most performance out of it. When the new version arrived this year, I was keen to see the developments it had undergone and what changes had been made. Visually, it looks quite similar, but many new features are built into this wing. I was keen to see how they would feel on the water.
First up, the wing feels perfectly balanced. It’s a dream to hold in your hands and offers equal pressure with perhaps just a tad more on the front arm. It’s great at driving forward through the window. There is also a lot more power in this size. Last year’s 3m only came out when it was totally bonkers, and I never felt overpowered on it, but with this new 3.5m, it was comfortable to use and get foiling in a lot less wind.
Cabrinha put the range at between 17-36 knots, but I think the top end is more than that for an average weight rider and with a big foil and buoyant board, you can get going earlier too. It has a fantastic range with much improved bottom end. I can see this wing being a regular in the van and even more regular out of the van and on the water: the forward draft and lower dihedral combine to give it more power.
The canopy is pretty tight, and this helps reduce flutter when riding, even when you are overpowered and sheeting out. It also helps the wing really cut up into the wind, and the Mantis flies upwind. On the wave, the control is right there and responds well to input on the semi-rigid front handle. It’s balanced enough that you don’t have to think about it too much, and you can focus on making your turns as you ride down the line.
Handling is a joy, and it is easy to manoeuvre through gybes and tacks, it’s relatively light for a wing in this class, and that makes it a joy to throw around above your head. As you carve into tacks, it is easy to pull up and over your head, too. Many riders will enjoy this wing; it’s a great all-rounder with plenty of speed and performance, but more importantly, power, compared to last year’s model.
Overall
A good improvement over last year’s model, I’m a big fan of wings with a bit of power. After all, no one likes dogging around trying to get going, and this certainly has plenty of guts to it. It’s fast, easy to handle, and flutter is minimal; it’s a big step forward and is one of our favourite wings for 2025.
Videos
This review was in Issue 24 of Tonic Mag.
For more information visit CabrinhaRelated
By Rou Chater
Rou Chater has been kitesurfing for over twenty years, paddleboarding for the last six years, and was there testing the first wingsurfer from Naish in Tarifa when it arrived on the continent. He is passionate about riding waves and exploring new places. As the publishing editor, he oversees everything at Tonic but also our sister magazines IKSURFMAG and IMB. He's been on the water since he was born and has never looked back, in the winter you'll find him chasing swells in the Caribbean and during the summer he can be found all over Europe at various SUP, Kitesurf and Mountain Bike events getting features for the magazines.
