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North Dice impressions

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markchatwin
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North Dice impressions

Postby markchatwin » Wed Oct 09, 2013 1:04 pm

Got a whole day in on the new North Dice 10m. In a SSE 18-22 mph wind this kite was in it's perfect range for my weight (75kg) and style which is strapless surfing... I rode on the Quad 24m lines bar. I was sound side so no real waves. But there was enough small stuff to test the drift and wind to test the jumping capability.

Overall I love this kite and will seriously consider buying it. I'm revamping my quiver after a 5 year run with the 2009 Slingshot Revs. In that 5 year span I have had a good amount of experience on 2011-2012 Cabrinha Switchblades and 2013-2014 Slingshot Rallys. For 3 strut kites I have tried the 2010 Naish Park and the 2013 Switch Element.

This kite was very sensitive to gusts and lulls. At the launch it would buck and ebb with the holes in the wind due to the wind shadow in the slightly offshore conditions. This foreshadowed it's impressive drift capability. As I got further out in clean wind I said "Oh yeh - now we're talking"! On my 5'11" Doc Lausch strapless I loved ripping up some speed and then peeling off downwind on various little waves. This kite is almost invisible when you drive towards it. Bar pressure is medium and virtually non existent when you sheet out. This is in opposition to the Rallys which maintain a more even bar pressure throughout the sheeting range. So yeh great drift...

The "slight delay" I have read about is there on the initiation of the turn. It appears that it is due to the 3-strut design. I really made a point to observe this delay by watching what the kite did when I yanked on it. There is a "bend" between the wing tip and the center of the LE when the line pulls on the wingtip. Since the kite is not as rigid as the Rally, it has a little bit of a "spongy" thing that happens at the turn. But it is a delay that does not matter for me since the kite in the 10m size turns quickly enough.

I experienced none of that deformation that another rider spoke of on the Seabreeze forum when high wind buckled his kite. I rode this kite in it's perfect wind range. There were some strong puffs though and this kite remained a champ.

Session 2 was with my TT and yes this kite can jump. It swoops from low to high with impressive speed and up you go. I would argue that compared to the Rallys this jumps higher but has less hang time. But you do not drop out of the sky. I was let down nicely and quite impressed with it's jumping capability. It's such a light kite in weight and feel that you feel like you can do anything quickly.

I'm not nuts about the North bar. Even though depower is above the bar it can be hard to pull under load... I did not experience the dangle problem with the trim rope. When you depower there is excess line that visually becomes apparent between the bar and the Y. I wish that wasn't there... But the bar is simple and effective and light unlike the SS which is heavier and more substantial. The Rally seems like a Cadillac compared to this Audi turbo of a kite.

I would assume unhooking would be great because of all this weightlessness I'm talking about. But I did not unhook...

Thanks to Dan at North for hooking me up with Brian, Danny and Dane at Ocean Air in Avon. I was thankful to try the only Dice on the East Coast! This kite is a contender!

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Re: North Dice impressions

Postby boyceduke » Wed Oct 09, 2013 3:52 pm

Hi, very interesting read, I had the 10m out in similar conditions maybe slightly more, admittedly I have 20kg's on you (before u say it, I know fat bastard) anyway I didn't think this kite boosted that well compared to say the Vegas, rpm, rally, park etc , I tried various techniques but couldn't get any substantial height, apart from that I agree with the rest of your opinion, I really liked the kite and as a wave kite I think it is great but they state it is also aimed at the freestyle market and personally I'm not convinced. Just my opinion.

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Dan-at-Duotone
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Re: North Dice impressions

Postby Dan-at-Duotone » Wed Oct 09, 2013 5:03 pm

Glad it worked out for you and that you liked the kite. Thanks for posting your review on here. Very thorough and insightful.

-Dan

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Re: North Dice impressions

Postby dankite » Wed Oct 09, 2013 6:00 pm

I hope Dice is nice because until now I ride only Vegas 5 lines and I was awaiting for the decision of North to decide to make a very good kite like rebel or vegas with only 4 lines ! So I gave all my 2013 Vegas Quiver to my Shop to have a new Dice quiver 2014 !

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Re: North Dice impressions

Postby Westozzy » Thu Oct 10, 2013 3:15 am

Well I have had a good 30 sessions now on the dice. Flat water to triple head high waves through the bottom end and top end of a 12, 11, 9 and 8m.

Waves. Well by the end we were all 800m offshore in a very isolated spot on an outer reef taking triple head high waves with confidence I have never had in a kite apart from a reo. No seconds chance out there and down the line riding is just immaculate. You honestly don't even look at this kite after a while. Forget stalling it it is near nigh impossible. Everyone talks about drift and a lot of kites do drift now but this wing drifts to a point you just never panick as you drop hard and fast into the pit of a monster wanting to eat and spit you out.

Slight delay yeh maybe just but you actually leant to use it with timing which allows some real deep set ups down the line. In the end you just ha e to dial it in.

Jumping. Well it takes a good old fashioned C kite technique something I had forgotten since the bow revolution and it took me a while and the jumping is good, float even better. There are better jumping kites out there even In the all rounders but it suffices and some height near its middle to upper end is unreal considering the wave capabilities of this kite.

Unhook excellent. Not as much slack as a Vegas or a C4 but good enough. This thing is so stable it is stupid. We had 12 to 14 yr veterans to two 11 yr olds and the dice kites made up already 30 percent of the kites on the water. Suites so many riders.

I do miss the boosting of the edge and VX for sure but everything else it dominates. Wonderful little wing try it.

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Re: North Dice impressions

Postby Westozzy » Thu Oct 10, 2013 3:26 am

Westozzy wrote:Well I have had a good 30 sessions now on the dice. Flat water to triple head high waves through the bottom end to the top end of a 12, 11, 9 and 8m.

Waves. Well by the end we were all 800m offshore in a very isolated spot on an outer reef taking triple head high waves with confidence I have never had in a kite apart from a reo. No seconds chance out there and down the line riding is just immaculate. You honestly don't even look at this kite after a while. Forget stalling it it is near nigh impossible. Everyone talks about drift and a lot of kites do drift now but this wing drifts to a point you just never panick as you drop hard and fast into the pit of a monster wanting to eat and spit you out.

Slight delay yeh maybe just but you actually leant to use it with timing which allows some real deep set ups down the line. In the end you just have to dial it in.

Jumping. Well it takes a good old fashioned C kite technique something I had forgotten since the bow revolution and it took me a while and the jumping is good, float even better. There are better jumping kites out there even In the all rounders but it suffices and some height near its middle to upper end is unreal considering the wave capabilities of this kite. One guy who has immaculate jumping technique was really going high and long.

Unhook excellent. Not as much slack as a Vegas or a C4 but good enough. This thing is so stable it is stupid. We had 12 to 14 yr veterans to two 11 yr olds and the dice kites made up already 30 percent of the kites on the water. Suites so many riders.

I do miss the boosting of the edge and VX for sure but everything else it dominates. Wonderful little wing try it.
Upwind to your mark is really impressive if you know how to develop apparent wind well. There is some technique to it.

Look its not a bucking bronco wanting to year you a new nice person but for those just want to kite for lengthy sessions with ease, grace and fun this is a very good option. And top end well I'm only 75 and have had the 11 out in 25 with ease. As I said very stable wing.

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Re: North Dice impressions

Postby recoprianto » Thu Oct 10, 2013 4:23 am

I have a quiver of Vegas and Dice on the way to Maui. I am very curious how these 2 kites compare to each other and will write up a comparison once I have a some time on them...

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Re: North Dice impressions

Postby Stinky » Thu Oct 10, 2013 5:17 am

Lots of sessions in on a 10m Dice now and I love it. Mostly a surfboard guy, so.... Amazing drift, great down the line, completely intuitive fly and follow, bare bones bridle, and no 5th line clearly, but a surprisingly good direct, connected feel, lightning fast like a c-kite but plenty of grunt through the turn and really fun to fly. Three strut, four line simplicity, pumps in seconds with the new Air Port valve. Looks amazing, great graphics, and the canopy profile is badass like a C but with more beef in the hands. Rode overpowered and in bigger (lake) waves, as well as really gusty Great Lakes wind to see how it behaves and with a twin tip, it's a champ, tho can't comment on unhooking at this point. Had a couple of sessions underpowered too and the kite has surprisingly good low end.

Both adaptive tip settings work as advertised, all good, of course love the wave setting. Another friend took her out on and he's another North guy (all Rebels), loved it, called it "fun to fly" and a "great jumper".... alluded to it having less power than the same size Rebel which he's been on for years, tho the Rebel has ridiculously great low end as a major strength, so that's no surprise. Last season I flew all Rebel & Vegas, so that's where I'm coming from.

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Re: North Dice impressions

Postby longwhitecloud » Thu Oct 10, 2013 8:00 am

does it have the elasticated bridle to help stop wing tip wrap death loops?

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Re: North Dice impressions

Postby FabsPH » Thu Oct 10, 2013 1:08 pm

I ordered the 10 Dice to replace my 9m Evo012,.....
Also, I don't fly it with North bar,... crap...but with Nash bar....
Anyway, guess I made the right choice not getting the 9m.
Either way, sounds like you guys are stoked. And yes, Evo and Dice are diff, but for what I need it for, sounds like a good decision. And what I hear, the Evo 2014 is going to be a totally new kite. New everything,... hey, rumors maybe...not mine..


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