Jvwesemael wrote: ↑Wed May 15, 2019 8:01 amHi All,
I am really anxious to hear your thoughts on how these kites compare and then especially wave capability vs freeride capabilty. I read on the forum that the Pivot is very powerfull and that is what I read in the NEO as well. Although the NEO is put as a wave specific kite it needs to tailor to the strapless freestyle needs of pro riders as well. So are these kites a real close match, or are there clear differences?
Does the pivot cater the freeride more [more boost and hangtime] and the neo a bit less but better drifting and less powerfull?
Thanks a lot!
Jeroen.
I've ridden both. They are very different kites.
Neo vs Pivot(a comparison with Neo in Freeride setting, light bar pressure. Pivot in Medium bar pressure)
Power Generation -
Neo - More Power at lower moving speeds, More sheet and go, More bottom end at zero speed
Pivot - Less grunt, less sheet and go, more apparent wind speed generation required for speed
Boosting -
I have higher jumps on my Neo, but WAY less glide.
The pivot is like a gentle paper airplane going up and down. Neo goes up than down quite quickly I find, probably by design so the strapless freestyle guys can keep the board to their feet.
Window -
Pivot is far more forward in the window, better upwind as such.
Neo sits deeper and requires more thoughtful edge control when going upwind. The pivot seems to have more top end range and less affected by gusts.
Backstall and drift -
The pivot is significantly more prone to backstall and does not drift nearly as well as the neo. Like surprisingly so. I can't believe how different the kits are here
The Neo is WAY more fun to play around carving and going around on wind waves because how much easier and less work it takes to keep aloft. Its basically keep your mind off the neo and enjoy playing. The pivot is overflown easier and requires more work and thought.
Turning -
Pivot is a tighter, less powerful turn
Neo is a more controlled turn making linear power during the turn
Bar pressure-
Pivots got less
If I were to sum it up, the Pivot is freeride kite, upwind, softer boosting and softer glide on way down kite. I'm surprised how more prone it is to backstall and its less driftability.
I have more fun on the neo, i can do more with it, playing around on waves, going downwind, boosts high, works great strapless.
Specifically to answer some questions -
PIvot- yes its more freeridey. It sits between the neo and the rebel.
The neo for me actually jumps higher, its just more violent tbh. Its not less powerful, it just is different power. Its power is created by sheeting in and out and needs a size down probably. The Neo has WAY more drift and won't bakstall nearly as much. The Pivot creates its own power the faster you go.