Duotone Neo Line Length

[Jwoo]

After mulling over several different Kites, I just bought a Duotone Neo 12. Duotone recommends the 22m lines for surfing, so that's what I bought. I'm used to 19m lines, but i can get used to the 22m lines. Question is: Anyone know if there Is there a reason they recommend 22m? Better drifting, handling or whatever? Anyone use 19m lines on a Neo and notice any lack of performance compared to 22m? I'd like to go shorter for faster turning if it doesn't affect the kites other aspects other than a little power loss.

[Da Yoda]

Duotone recommends the 22m lines since the kite is a 12m. Generally kites 12m+ will benefit from slightly longer lines, but what really counts is your personal preference. Duotone does offer a 19m line-set. Put that on a M/L Trust bar or M Click bar and you'll get the FASTEST turning (stock) set-up!

Going with 19m lines will translate to mostly a loss in power, but an increase in turning reaction. I think Duotone sums it up pretty well...

19 M - 70% HANDLING / 30% POWER
Fast and reactive turning
For extreme Freestyle, Wakestyle and waves
Tight, super fast and hard kite loops

22 M - 60% HANDLING / 40% POWER
Reactive turning
Fast kite loops
Favourite set up of our Freestyle riders
Best choice for wavering

I've personally not noticed a change in the performance or drifting properties when going with shorter lines on the Neo. Only a change in the handling which to me is the faster turning/reaction. I mostly use the 22m lines, but I've noticed the power change when going up/down from 24m lines. I think 19m lines would be pushing it for me, but I'm a bit curious to try them out.

[Da Yoda]

Duotone does offer a 19m line-set. Put that on a M/L Trust bar or M Click bar and you'll get the FASTEST turning (stock) set-up!

I should mention to set the Trust bar at the widest setting to maximize the turning reaction of the kite...
M/L Trust bar set @ 53cm

[Jwoo]

Thanks for the info. I assumed a 12 would come with the larger 46/53 bar, but I received a 42/49. I found out that if you order lines 22m or shorter it comes with a 42/49 bar. If you order lines longer than 22m it comes with a 46/53 bar. You can't get a 45/53 bar with 22m lines or less. A little disappointing. My other kites I use a 53cm bar with 19m lines. I think I'll stick with the 22m lines on the Neo though, I'm comparing to another brand kite, but with the 22m lines on the Neo, it seems to turn only slightly slower. Nothing I can't get used to. I'm sure when I get a 10 and 8, they will be much more responsive.

[Da Yoda]

Thanks for the info. I assumed a 12 would come with the larger 46/53 bar, but I received a 42/49.

That's a bummer that you got it with the S/M bar. The seller should have known better. Just set the bar to the widest setting and then get their (a) 19m line-set. Or hack your lines down to 19m and get 3m extensions for more range options.

I wish Duotone didn't "force" their line length options in relation to their bar sizes. They could just simply offer their S/M and M/L bars with 19m lines and 3m & 5m extensions to cover their entire range of kites and/or one's length preferences. Or they could spec just the M/L bar towards use with their bigger kites and offer it with 22m lines and 2m & 3m extensions.

Hopefully they make some strides like that for 2020. Having 2 bar sizes and 4 lines sizes doesn't make sense imo. From an inventory perspective it's quite frustrating.

[Matteo V]

One of my "cheats" to look/feel like a better kiter is to use one line length from 3.5m to 13.5m on a planing board. To me, the benefits of this far out-weigh the loss of power at the low end (big kites) and any percieved depower on the top end (small kites).

Here are what I see as benefits to one line length:

1. Keeps launch/landing placement consistent.

2. Safe distances from objects and other kiters do not need to be adjusted.

3. Speed across the window increases in more of a straight line for the entire kite size range.

4. Tempo related to kite speed across the window is increased with bigger kites on shorter than "recommended" lines, and decreased with smaller kites on longer than recommended lines.


Number 4 is the big one for kite control. MFG's recommending short lines with small kites and long lines with big kites are essentially putting a super fast tiny kite on a short lineset, which decreases the already short time the kite takes to cross the window. Putting a huge slow kite on long lines increases the already lengthy time that it takes to cross the window. This means that with short lines on small kites/long lines on big kites, the kiter is making a tiny kite go 4 times as fast across the window (in total crossing time) and making a big kite go 4 times as slow across the window. Any looping with a small kite becomes too fast and twitchy, and any looping on a large kite takes too long to be useful.

When I settled in on this idea and applied it to myself, I started watching other kiters on days when multiple kite sizes were used. 9 out of 10 mistakes that I noted seemed very likely due to timing when switching down in size (and line length), or going up in size (and line length). Kiters that used the same length lines seemed to make many times less catastrophic mistakes. And that is where I am at with my theory on kite line length.

I will say that hydrofoil, or snowkite, kind of changes things from water planing boards. And in those cases, different line lengths (though keeping them consistent inside of each discipline) is does not cause any issues.

Regardless of whether I am right or wrong on this, it would still be nice to just have MFG's provide extensions with all bar sizes. I should also note that my next "cheat to look/feel like a better kiter" is to use one size bar across all kite sizes (largest).