BRM Ka'a vs Duotone Stash: Ultra-Light Specialist vs Global Mainstream

The BRM Ka’a and Duotone Stash V2 are built for different riders by different kinds of companies. BRM is a small Hawaiian brand that created parawingfoiling. The Ka’a is their surf and quick-stow specialist: ultralight, fast to deploy and pack, designed for wave riding and downwind sessions where you switch between powered and unpowered foiling. Duotone is one of the biggest water sports brands in the world. The Stash V2 is their mainstream parawing: stable, well-supported, and available from dealers everywhere.

If your priority is the lightest, most packable wing for surf-style riding, the Ka’a is purpose-built for that. If you want an easy-to-find, well-supported wing with excellent stability, the Stash delivers.

Specs at a Glance

	BRM Ka’a	Duotone Stash V2
Sizes	8 (1.7m to 6.0m)	6 (2.2m to 5.6m)
Mid-size weight	486g (4.2m)	693g (4.0m)
Bar	25cm carbon	35cm carbon
Construction	Single-skin	Hybrid single-skin/double-skin tips
Bridle	Yoke system	Three-way colour-coded, sheathed lines
Wind ranges	Not published	Published
Price	~$890–$1,070	$886–$999
Ships from	Hawaii	Global dealer network

Weight and Packability

This is the Ka’a’s defining advantage. A 4.2m Ka’a weighs 486g. A 4.0m Stash V2 weighs 693g. That’s over 200g of difference, and paired with BRM’s compact 25cm carbon bar, the Ka’a packs into a space roughly the size of a water bottle.

For surf sessions (where you deploy the wing to get out, stow it to ride waves, and redeploy to get back), the Ka’a’s weight and pack size make the stow-deploy cycle faster and less intrusive. For travel, hiking, and multiday trips where every gram matters, BRM is unmatched.

The Stash is lighter than most premium competitors but heavier than the Ka’a. The 35cm carbon bar is a good size but doesn’t pack as compact as BRM’s 25cm.

Verdict: Ka’a wins decisively. If pack size and weight are priorities, no other brand competes with BRM.

Stability

The Stash V2 has a distinct stability advantage, and the reason is its hybrid construction. The double-skin wingtips add lateral stability that pure single-skin designs don’t have. In gusty, shifting wind, the Stash stays settled and predictable. The sheathed lines resist tangling, and the segmented stabilised leading edge maintains shape consistency.

The Ka’a is stable for its weight class (BRM wings are known for going quiet when overpowered rather than surging), but it’s a pure single-skin design without the Stash’s hybrid tip reinforcement. In messy conditions, the Stash’s stability advantage becomes more apparent.

Verdict: Stash wins on stability, especially in gusty or messy conditions.

Surf and Stow/Deploy Performance

The Ka’a was designed specifically for this use case. The name comes from a surf spot in Maui. The ultra-light construction and compact pack size make the stow/deploy cycle fast: pull the wing in, bundle it, stash it, surf the wave, then redeploy when you need power. The 25cm bar and minimal canopy weight mean the stowed bundle barely interferes with your foiling.

The Stash works for stow/deploy riding (the name is literally “Stash”), but the extra weight and size of the stowed bundle is more noticeable. The sheathed lines help with quick redeployment because they resist tangling during stow, which is a genuine advantage.

Verdict: Ka’a wins for surf-focused stow/deploy riding. Stash’s anti-tangle lines are a useful consolation.

Duotone Stash rider foiling at aerial drone perspective, two riders on deep blue ocean

Ease of Setup and Tangle Management

The Stash V2 has a clear advantage in daily usability. Duotone’s three-way colour coding (canopy, leading edge panels, and line rows) makes visual verification of correct rigging fast. The upgraded sheathed lines with low-tangle coating measurably reduce mid-session tangles. After a crash, sorting the Stash’s lines is faster than sorting most competitors’.

The Ka’a uses BRM’s yoke bridling system without colour coding. Line management requires more attention, and post-crash untangling takes longer. BRM riders develop efficient line-sorting habits, but there’s a learning curve that the Stash avoids.

Verdict: Stash wins on ease of use and tangle management.

Dealer Access and Support

This comparison isn’t even close. Duotone is one of the biggest water sports brands globally. The Stash is available from dealers in virtually every water sports market. Local support, warranty claims, and demo opportunities are all significantly easier with Duotone.

BRM ships from Hawaii. US buyers benefit from free domestic shipping, but everyone else faces international shipping, customs duties, and limited local support options. BRM’s community is dedicated and the founder is accessible, but the practical logistics of buying and supporting a BRM wing are more complex.

Verdict: Stash wins on accessibility and support. Significantly.

Pricing

Pricing is similar. The Ka’a ranges from ~$890 to $1,070. The Stash V2 ranges from $886 to $999. On paper, the Stash is slightly cheaper per wing.

However, the Ka’a’s effective cost for UK/EU buyers is higher once shipping and import duties from Hawaii are factored in. For US buyers, pricing is comparable.

Verdict: Similar pricing in the US. Stash is often cheaper delivered for UK/EU buyers.

Size Range

The Ka’a offers 8 sizes from 1.7m to 6.0m, covering a wider range than the Stash’s 6 sizes (2.2m to 5.6m). The Ka’a’s 1.7m option provides a dedicated high-wind wing that the Stash doesn’t match, and the 6.0m extends slightly further into light wind.

Verdict: Ka’a offers a wider size range.

The Verdict

Choose the BRM Ka’a if:

Weight and packability are your non-negotiable priorities
You ride surf-style: deploy, ride waves, stow, redeploy
You travel with your gear and every gram counts
You want the widest size range (8 sizes)
You’re an experienced rider comfortable managing BRM’s bridle system
You value the heritage of the brand that created the sport

Choose the Duotone Stash V2 if:

You want stable, predictable handling in all conditions
Easy setup and low-tangle lines matter for your enjoyment
You value local dealer access, warranty support, and demo availability
You ride in gusty, messy conditions where stability is more important than minimum weight
You want a mainstream brand with comprehensive support
You’re buying from outside the US and want straightforward purchasing

The Ka’a is the specialist’s choice: ultralight, minimal, purpose-built for surf and stow/deploy. The Stash is the practical choice: stable, well-supported, and easy to live with. What you prioritise will make the decision clear.