Beginner kite: Core XR5 or Naish Pivot

[CaptainCore]

I used to sell harnesses, 5000 annually, mostly waist, why? It's mainly a vanity thing, everyone thinks waists look cooler, but seats are more comfortable. Personally I use the DaKine Nitrous shorts but with a variety of bars depending on what I'm doing, wind or kite surfing, leisure or racing. Unless the measurement around your chest in the armpit area is bigger than the measurement around your waist, don't even consider waist, they will ride up. These shell style harnesses currently the rage? Mostly Bullshit.
The original shell harness, made by the original Ride Engine company was a custom fit, actually made to measure these latest types professing to use only three size scu's can't possibly do the job for everyone. Prior to them probably the best harness company, Dakine, made 5 sizes and used three spreader bar widths. Some might use a small harness with a 12 inch bar, or a medium harness with a 10 inch, there were lots of combinations that would assist fit. The current trend of trying to fit all body shapes in only three size offerings is BS, so you have to try around, as many harness types and brands as you can, to find a decent fit. We are all different.
The other thing that is important with the two different genres, waist and seat is hook height, with a seat harness the centre of effort is generally lower than the centre of gravity so you might find controlling your position in the air a tad more difficult than with a waist harness which has a higher hook position above your centre of gravity which means the area below the hook is heavier than that above so airborne manoeuvres and tricks are easier to control and land. But, you can have seat harnesses like the Nitrous shorts with a high hook and they don't look to bad in warm water locations just riding in them and a rash. Don't be afraid to experiment, Other than your kite and board, the harness is the most important buying decision you'll make.

[Hugh2]

By now you have gathered that there are lots of opinions on almost every topic in kitesurfing, some vehemently held. I’ve worn a seat harness for 12 years, hate waist harnesses and gave mine away. Still love my Pivots!

[tautologies]

By now you have gathered that there are lots of opinions on almost every topic in kitesurfing, some vehemently held. I’ve worn a seat harness for 12 years, hate waist harnesses and gave mine away. Still love my Pivots!

I gotta say it's all about the feel on the harness, nothing to do with beginner or not... the pivot is just the best kite, so nothing to worry about that.

[Chicken-loop]

LL2017,

I rode my new Pivot for 3 hours yesterday on a North Nugget (strapless) and even though they are different sizes I can say that the Pivot is a lot more wave orientated than the XR5.

The Pivot was a very easy to ride kite. I really liked it at first but I need more time on it to give more info. It took a while to get use to it's flying characteristics as I was on 16m Airush One the day before and I haven't flown a small kites for 7 months. The pivot is easier to keep in the air than the XR5 and requires less attention as the XR5 tends to want to nose dive when at the edge of the window.

If you want pure Freeride, go the XR5...If you want Freeride/Wave go the Pivot, However I would probably go a Boxer 14/16 and a Pivot 10/11 if I chose to go Naish.

I really like both the Pivot & XR5 for different reasons.

Cheers,

Chicken-loop

[CaptainCore]

LL2017,

I rode my new Pivot for 3 hours yesterday on a North Nugget (strapless) and even though they are different sizes I can say that the Pivot is a lot more wave orientated than the XR5.

The Pivot was a very easy to ride kite. I really liked it at first but I need more time on it to give more info. It took a while to get use to it's flying characteristics as I was on 16m Airush One the day before and I haven't flown a small kites for 7 months. The pivot is easier to keep in the air than the XR5 and requires less attention as the XR5 tends to want to nose dive when at the edge of the window.

If you want pure Freeride, go the XR5...If you want Freeride/Wave go the Pivot, However I would probably go a Boxer 14/16 and a Pivot 10/11 if I chose to go Naish.

I really like both the Pivot & XR5 for different reasons.

Cheers,

Chicken-loop

Or you could go for Gold, and try a Nexus, the kite Core aim at Freestyle Wave.

[Ice101]

As a newbie you won’t be able to hold the power in a large kite for that long until you gain a good bit of experience. Getting a 12 and 16 or 15 especially if looking at core Kites whichare one of the most expensive good as they may be, you are looking at an arm and a leg. Do your self a huge favour and your bank balance. If you want New Kites shop around and buy last years Kites brand new at 30-50 percent off (closer to their actual value!) in the sales rather than waste literally hundreds on the current new release which will have changed very little! You can get pivot 2018’s cheap at the moment if you look around. You won’t find cores like that and it really isn’t worth paying the hundreds on the difference as being new it will be months maybe years before you are good enough to know that difference.
If you get a 12m or an 11m I would get a smaller kite as rather than a bigger one (big Kites cost the most so huge expense) as again being new you will get overpowered quickly and won’t be able to kite in winds of mid 20’s. If you want to be out in the lighter stuff when people are using 18m Kites simply buy a door board to go with your normal board and use the said 12m or 11m. You will find you can still kite equally powered as those on their bigger Kites n the same lighter winds with a bigger board and still have just as much fun if not more. Big Kites turn slower and are much heavier. Large boards cost couple hundred. Large Kites grand plus New. I use an 11m bandit and spleene door when people are on zephyers and large Kites and am still one of the last off the water. I did it the way you are being advised over the last ten years. I had the big Kites, I have wasted thousands, I gradually discovered over the years and sold the Kites off on realising the door board is the real power house and saviour (now having lost its crown to the foil board which are even more efficient and better for light stuff) and the 11m being quicker is nicer and more fun. Be smart! Smile lots learning without wasting unnecessary hard earned cash!

[sonny2727]

@ 170lbs I think a 15/12 combo would be too close. @ 220lbs I can get going on my 12m XR5 in 15knots on a largish twintip with small jumps. My next biggest kite I a 16m Airush One which gets get going on two knots earlier on the same board.

If I use my North Nugget I can going a little bit earlier on both kites.

I believe that single strut kites have the low wind advantage with their ability to hang in the air in the lulls and turn quicker in low wind conditions.

true....LW kites ...no one buys them anymore ...single struts way better
BUT second hand LW kites sooo cheap...
....get a cheap door and sell it if u don't like

[k2thiago]

I've using Cores XR5 s for about a year, i got them even being a beginer.They are powerful, but easy to fly and you "get the feeling" very quick. Good wind range also. My quiver is a 8m and a 12m, and its working well. The bar is the weak point, I have the sensor pro and apart from the lines, the bar itself isn't that good. Make sure that you really understand the gear, whichever you choose. You can actually find good deals on Demo kites, I've bought my 12 with 30% discount. But don't overlook smaller brands like switch kites or not so small crazyfly. Nowadays i would buy any of those after have tried, specially because they have some nice deals from last year models.

[Chicken-loop]

So LL2017.. what did you end up getting?

So far I am impressed with the Pivot. Used it today and yesterday, and I used the XR5 on Friday. I can honestly say you will not be disappointed with either of these kites. I still stand bye what I have previously said with some more opinions...

The XR5 is easier to fly and access power in the bottom end of it's wind range.
The XR5 is easier to self land in overpowered conditions due to the bridle set up and the ability just to walk hand over hand up the lines to the kite.
The Pivot is easier to relaunch.
The Pivot goes upwind deceptively well, so well that you can often edge too hard against it causing it to come out of the power zone.

If Core had a bar with soft ends, integrated floats, push away Q/R and longer depower throw they would be a clear winner for me.

My next kite purchase is a 10m, so it is a toss up between a Nexus, XR5 or Pivot.

Cheers,

Chicken-loop

[Chicken-loop]

In the last 10 days I have had 3 sessions on my XR5 12m and 4 sessions on my Pivot 8m and I am having to say that I am preferring the Pivot ATM just because of it's ability in the waves. If I could have bought a 10m Pivot today I would have.

What I would like to see though, is that same ExoTex Dacron used on the Naish as used on the Cores.

Cheers,

Chicken-loop