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Wave kite dilemma

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Al101
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Wave kite dilemma

Postby Al101 » Thu Feb 21, 2019 3:12 pm

Hi all!

Im about to buy myself new toys, having a big dilemma what to choose.
Looking for s specific wave kites, options are: neo vs drifter vs slash all in 9m (no other kites please:))
A read and googled all reviews but still need some opinion.
Im more of a kind heavy rider (85kg) and mostly on strapless board.
Neo: heard that is powerfull, have 10 from years ago, ok, but bit slow
Drifter: i would like to try, concern about bulky bar and lack of low wind (9 would be my bigest kite..)
Slash: how is its low wind? Lots of diference between 18 and 19 model?

Need some other opinion, tnx a lot.

ciscokitesurfer
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Re: Wave kite dilemma

Postby ciscokitesurfer » Thu Feb 21, 2019 5:40 pm

What type of wind do you have on your local beach? Side off shore or onshore? What do you want of a wave kite? upwind, grunt, drifting or fast kite? I own NEO kites because is a grunty kite and other characteristics. I had a fully quiver of SST Kite and the drifting is better than the NEO. My own opining. There are many posts about this topic on this site and seabreeze.com.au

cheers

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Re: Wave kite dilemma

Postby Laughingman » Thu Feb 21, 2019 5:55 pm

If you are looking for a fast turning wave kite with amazing drift, amazing relaunch and good low end power you should try the Ocean Rodeo Roam.
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Al101
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Re: Wave kite dilemma

Postby Al101 » Thu Feb 21, 2019 6:07 pm

Riding all kind of wind direction, mostly side on.
From a kite i want to react even when the lines are bit loose (i guess good drift..). I would realy like to try drifters or slashs but have concirns about lowend compered to neos. I think i read everything on seebreeze:)
Tnx

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Re: Wave kite dilemma

Postby ap888 » Thu Feb 21, 2019 7:46 pm

Have 5m Neo 2017 and Drifter 8m 2016 the Neo has ridiculous low end 5 feels like a 7...not near as good as the drifter for being a wave kite... Neo is ok...the drifter is the way to go for sure enjoy it way more when riding...the drifter just feels much more refined/Developed and drifts much better also very nice to change the settings before a session if the wind is onshore Neo doesn’t have that...completely changes the drifter for different wind... the drifter is definitely much better :thumb:

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Re: Wave kite dilemma

Postby tautologies » Thu Feb 21, 2019 8:41 pm

Al101 wrote:
Thu Feb 21, 2019 3:12 pm
Hi all!

Im about to buy myself new toys, having a big dilemma what to choose.
Looking for s specific wave kites, options are: neo vs drifter vs slash all in 9m (no other kites please:))
A read and googled all reviews but still need some opinion.
Im more of a kind heavy rider (85kg) and mostly on strapless board.
Neo: heard that is powerfull, have 10 from years ago, ok, but bit slow
Drifter: i would like to try, concern about bulky bar and lack of low wind (9 would be my bigest kite..)
Slash: how is its low wind? Lots of diference between 18 and 19 model?

Need some other opinion, tnx a lot.
Can comment on the slash and the versions of slash. Its got great low end for surfboards (but not as grunty as the pivot). In winds I thought I would have to ride a 9 I often could use my 7 slash. It drfts like no other kite I have ever used...even in super light wind while foiling. The biggest difference between 18 and 19 is the strut and LE thickness. They have improved the material and can therefore make the struts and LE much thiner. It makes the kite feel lighter and more agile. Slash is extremely stable and predictable something I think is ideal for a wave kite. It also doesn't surge as much in gusts, but gives you control.

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Re: Wave kite dilemma

Postby norcom » Fri Feb 22, 2019 2:49 am

Al101 wrote:
Thu Feb 21, 2019 3:12 pm
...neo vs drifter vs slash all in 9m (no other kites please:))...
I can see why you have a dilemma. :lol:

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Re: Wave kite dilemma

Postby longwhitecloud » Fri Feb 22, 2019 9:19 am

i might be wrong but "heard that is powerful" its just looks bigger than it says on the label

i saw a new one the other day on the beach

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Re: Wave kite dilemma

Postby cor » Fri Feb 22, 2019 10:33 am

ap888 wrote:
Thu Feb 21, 2019 7:46 pm
Have 5m Neo 2017 and Drifter 8m 2016 the Neo has ridiculous low end 5 feels like a 7...not near as good as the drifter for being a wave kite... Neo is ok...the drifter is the way to go for sure enjoy it way more when riding...the drifter just feels much more refined/Developed and drifts much better also very nice to change the settings before a session if the wind is onshore Neo doesn’t have that...completely changes the drifter for different wind... the drifter is definitely much better :thumb:
"definitely much better" is quite a strong statement when in reality it all comes down to personal preferences. It's a bit like saying "Bananas are much better than strawberries!".

Neo:
-Powerful and smooth (2019 a bit less btw)
-fly one size smaller which makes it turn better (no it is not just a marketing statement, it is actually true. A 9m drifter feels like a 9m while a 9m Neo feels like a 10m, powerwise)
-Instant depower
-Control

Drifter:
-Less powerful and less low end
-feels a bit more comfortable in gusty situations
-Playful
-Slightly better drift than the Neo (it doesn't make a real different though)
-Different settings for on- and offshore conditions


Both are excellent wave kites and serve different personal preferences. I personally prefer the Neo, not only because of the kite characteristics but also because I don't like the Naish Bar at all.

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Re: Wave kite dilemma

Postby Exal » Fri Feb 22, 2019 10:44 am

I have the 2018 neos and can't really give you a comparison to other kites since that is the first kite I've ever owned. I did a lot of research and always talk to people using different years of the neo. What 2018 and 2019 have in common is great low end. Since you seem to be worried about that. If you like to do quite some freeride on the kite, I'd suggest a 2018 model since they changed the kite a bit for the 2019 model even more towards wave. That is what they state and also what riders confirmed to me, despite some who just say it feels the same and just looks different but you always have those.

2018 model: the turning speed is not the fastest, that is true but it is very smooth and definitely not slow. You can change or maybe even improve it quite a bit if you switch from soft to hard setting. But with that comes a lot more bar pressure, quicker or more like faster initiated turns with more feedback from the kite. Some people say that changing settings doesn't really do much but on the neo it clearly does! I really liked the hard setting but I also needed a couple sessions to get used to it. If you use the drift setting you'll notice the on/off reaction of the kite instantly. Kite just sits there and drifts, it was quite crazy the first time I experienced that but I am still a keen kook. The clickbar is also something pretty nice and I really like it but you have to clean and maintain it.

I am a bit like you probably since I like to make a science out of what to buy next. Please keep in mind that what I wrote here is based on my very limited wave riding experience, testing settings and talking to advanced riders. In the end you probably won't make a bad choice with either of those since it is hard to buy a bad kite and you will adjust to the fine details.


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