North Orbit - iksurfmag review

[gabrielius]

The Orbit is an epic kite, I can't believe any Naish junk is even compared to it.

[luca]

Better low end and better high end. Interesting
I rode the 2019 Bandit vs the 2019 Pivot and found the Bandit way better than the Pivot. Pivot has much more lateral pull for example what I don’t like for riding in overpowered conditions if you are not 90 kilos plus.
Have fun with your Pivots. All is good stuff.

Soooooo, I guess 2019 Bandit is better than 2019 Orbit!

Read my content before you quote me. Then you know my comparisons Bandit vs Orbit. Typical basher.
Orbit is better in aspects like looping, jumping, Hangtime, etc. Bandit is better in surf and lightwind foil.

[zloilyoha]

Better low end and better high end. Interesting
I rode the 2019 Bandit vs the 2019 Pivot and found the Bandit way better than the Pivot. Pivot has much more lateral pull for example what I don’t like for riding in overpowered conditions if you are not 90 kilos plus.
Have fun with your Pivots. All is good stuff.

Soooooo, I guess 2019 Bandit is better than 2019 Orbit!

Read my content before you quote me. Then you know my comparisons Bandit vs Orbit. Typical basher.
Orbit is better in aspects like looping, jumping, Hangtime, etc. Bandit is better in surf and lightwind foil.

do not be so strict! it was just a joke

[Ice101]

Few orbits up for sale again already. One has to wonder why though unless people just bought the wrong size.

[mattaiken MYS NKB]

I give North 3 yrs then no more as mystic own North they would be losing money.
Shops don't want them.
Margins are nothing compared to other brands.
As every person is an agent for North not a distributor mystic micromanage all orders etc.
Wrong way to sell kites imo.

I'd like to correct part of this post

The North Technology group (North Sails, Southern Spars) bought Mystic (certainly not the other way around)

With the start of the new kite line Mystic was paired with North Kites under an umbrella called the North Actionsports Group. It's fair to say North Kites and now Mystic has an extraordinary ownership group behind them.

I could take issue with your comments regarding margins, "micromanage" etc but I'll leave it here for now.

[Blackened]

Spent 5-6hrs on a 9m Orbit in 25-35kn yesterday. Little late for the current season, but some people may be getting some on runout deals. Figured I'd write a review that might help a little.

Kite: 2020 North Orbit 9m
Weight: 95kg
Board: 137x42 Trax
Wind: 25-30kn range
Lines: 22m
Skill level: Intermediate
Hard Setting

Bar pressure: Medium-light. Power is from about 2/3-3/4 throw. Progressive feel.
Relaunch: Good.
Low end: Good enough. I could ride in as little as about 20kn on the 9m in flat water, but that's a lot of waving and barely holding ground.
High end: Awesome. Super stable with the 5 struts. I didn't feel the need to trim in 30-35kn and didn't need to fight the kite.
Gusts: Handles tolerably well. It's not a gust eater, but it does okay. It has a tendency to shoot forward dramatically in lull/gust scenarios. If you know it's going to happen it's fine, but surprised me a few times. If it's at zenith, it'll fall out of the sky. Don't leave it at 12.
Lulls: Didn't have many, but didn't fall out of the sky. It's not a light kite, though.
Drift: It's not a wave kite. Better than anticipated though. Messed around on a few waves in an onshore and it stayed with me.
Turning: Overall, very quick. However, there is an extremely weird lag when you first pull the bar, especially if it's an aggressive pull. Nothing happens for about .5s, then it accelerates like a gunshot.
Looping: Power is consistent throughout the entire loop and pretty predictable. Smoothest looping kite I've flown. It's not pivotal and has a bit of a yank, but not compared to a Dice or FX freestyleish kite. The catch is unbelievably reliable.
Jumping: Good lift. Not explosive like a Dice/FX and not leisurely like a Rebel/XR. Similar for the descent. Probably slightly more hangtime than an Evo in powered conditions and less in underpowered conditions. Overall height will be the same as everything else.
Unhooking: I don't unhook.

Overall Thoughts:
1. This kite is not stable at zenith. Major changes in wind and it's coming down (gusts it just flies overhead and lulls it drifts back nicely before catching the wind and shooting overhead). It needs to be actively flown, including during jumps. If you crash with the kite overhead, it's probably coming down as well. Basically, just don't park it at 12. If the kite is at 1/11, there is no issue. The other problem is the turning delay. Again, it doesn't happen if you're actively flying the kite. The moment you stop flying in a jump or pause it near 12, it'll do the delay thing. Almost like it has ADHD and got distracted by the Zenith. "Oh shit! Right! Turning! *ZOOOM!!*" I think the best way of describing the Zenith performance is the response of a 12m but the turning speed of an 8m on a 9m kite. However, both of these are extremely predictable. Once you're accustomed to it, it likely won't be as much of a problem.

2. I suspect this kite is designed to fly overpowered in high winds for megaloops. It is an absolute dream to loop, even in gusty crap. Overpowered, the 5 struts really hold it together and it's super predictable. For how much this kite stalls doing other things, it doesn't when it's climbing. It never once failed to catch me. It climbs so quickly that you can swing out underneath it on even smaller 8m jumps. What a phenomenal feeling of reliability. Fucking up a loop doesn't total you like a freestyle kite either. I just love this kite for looping. It's intuitive and effortless.

3. It flies different than any other kite and takes some time getting used to. The bar feeling is also slightly different that's hard to explain. Initial impressions were complete rubbish until I looped it. You need to spend a bit of time on it and it'll come alive. I would definitely not recommend this kite to a beginner. You need to know what you're doing to get results. Riders who spend a lot of time in the water will absolutely hate it.

If you're in the market as an intermediate+ freerider, have a go on one of these - especially if you're interested in looping. It's just so easy.

[Robsw6]

Spent 5-6hrs on a 9m Orbit in 25-35kn yesterday. Little late for the current season, but some people may be getting some on runout deals. Figured I'd write a review that might help a little.

Kite: 2020 North Orbit 9m
Weight: 95kg
Board: 137x42 Trax
Wind: 25-30kn range
Lines: 22m
Skill level: Intermediate
Hard Setting

Bar pressure: Medium-light. Power is from about 2/3-3/4 throw. Progressive feel.
Relaunch: Good.
Low end: Good enough. I could ride in as little as about 20kn on the 9m in flat water, but that's a lot of waving and barely holding ground.
High end: Awesome. Super stable with the 5 struts. I didn't feel the need to trim in 30-35kn and didn't need to fight the kite.
Gusts: Handles tolerably well. It's not a gust eater, but it does okay. It has a tendency to shoot forward dramatically in lull/gust scenarios. If you know it's going to happen it's fine, but surprised me a few times. If it's at zenith, it'll fall out of the sky. Don't leave it at 12.
Lulls: Didn't have many, but didn't fall out of the sky. It's not a light kite, though.
Drift: It's not a wave kite. Better than anticipated though. Messed around on a few waves in an onshore and it stayed with me.
Turning: Overall, very quick. However, there is an extremely weird lag when you first pull the bar, especially if it's an aggressive pull. Nothing happens for about .5s, then it accelerates like a gunshot.
Looping: Power is consistent throughout the entire loop and pretty predictable. Smoothest looping kite I've flown. It's not pivotal and has a bit of a yank, but not compared to a Dice or FX freestyleish kite. The catch is unbelievably reliable.
Jumping: Good lift. Not explosive like a Dice/FX and not leisurely like a Rebel/XR. Similar for the descent. Probably slightly more hangtime than an Evo in powered conditions and less in underpowered conditions. Overall height will be the same as everything else.
Unhooking: I don't unhook.

Overall Thoughts:
1. This kite is not stable at zenith. Major changes in wind and it's coming down (gusts it just flies overhead and lulls it drifts back nicely before catching the wind and shooting overhead). It needs to be actively flown, including during jumps. If you crash with the kite overhead, it's probably coming down as well. Basically, just don't park it at 12. If the kite is at 1/11, there is no issue. The other problem is the turning delay. Again, it doesn't happen if you're actively flying the kite. The moment you stop flying in a jump or pause it near 12, it'll do the delay thing. Almost like it has ADHD and got distracted by the Zenith. "Oh shit! Right! Turning! *ZOOOM!!*" I think the best way of describing the Zenith performance is the response of a 12m but the turning speed of an 8m on a 9m kite. However, both of these are extremely predictable. Once you're accustomed to it, it likely won't be as much of a problem.

2. I suspect this kite is designed to fly overpowered in high winds for megaloops. It is an absolute dream to loop, even in gusty crap. Overpowered, the 5 struts really hold it together and it's super predictable. For how much this kite stalls doing other things, it doesn't when it's climbing. It never once failed to catch me. It climbs so quickly that you can swing out underneath it on even smaller 8m jumps. What a phenomenal feeling of reliability. Fucking up a loop doesn't total you like a freestyle kite either. I just love this kite for looping. It's intuitive and effortless.

3. It flies different than any other kite and takes some time getting used to. The bar feeling is also slightly different that's hard to explain. Initial impressions were complete rubbish until I looped it. You need to spend a bit of time on it and it'll come alive. I would definitely not recommend this kite to a beginner. You need to know what you're doing to get results. Riders who spend a lot of time in the water will absolutely hate it.

If you're in the market as an intermediate+ freerider, have a go on one of these - especially if you're interested in looping. It's just so easy.

V good review & distils what I thought, having had no more than 15mins on a 8m in v powered conditions... particularly "bar feeling is also slightly different that's hard to explain".

[Blackened]

V good review & distils what I thought, having had no more than 15mins on a 8m in v powered conditions... particularly "bar feeling is also slightly different that's hard to explain".

Thanks. I assume the forward speed / zenith instability have something to do with why it's so good at catching you. Someone with a bit more knowledge of kite design will need to fill in here and probably tell me I have no idea what I'm talking about .

[mattaiken MYS NKB]

Thanks for the comments Blackened and for taking the time to write a full review on the kite. I haven't personally spent that much time on the Orbit, I mostly use Carves and Reaches so I passed this to our rep in Hood River for some thoughts. Here's what he came back with

"Thanks for the review, Blackened. Sounds like you had some good action on the 9m and really got to see the Orbit shine in the loops. To offer some feedback on your other comments:

The instability at 12 o’clock is the result of how far forward the kite is designed to fly (combination of the thinner diameter of the LE, aspect ratio of the kite, and bridle tuning) – Putting a little tension on the back lines when it wants to overfly the window will stop the kite and keep it stable and happy. This will unlock the potential of the Orbit and all it has to offer -- ridiculous upwind drive, insane boosting along with the looping you’ve already experienced. There’s a reason this kite performed so well in ‘King of the Air’ conditions and why those pros prefer this style of kite.

Your comment “hard to explain, rubbish feel” is kind of interesting. I agree with you on your thoughts about the kite having a smooth progressive feel with medium bar pressure and being super predictable. This is kind of opposite to having a "rubbish feel".

As for any delayed turning, the pulley-less bridles deliver immediate direct response steering, so I struggle to understand what you mean by “ADHD delay thing.” Possibly your same issue of lack of outside line pressure, if you were riding the 9m in legit 30-35 knots I'd have to think the back lines were slacked and this explains your comments on feel?"

Thanks again for taking the time to review the kite we appreciate your thoughts and comments.

[Blackened]

Thanks for the comments Blackened and for taking the time to write a full review on the kite. I haven't personally spent that much time on the Orbit, I mostly use Carves and Reaches so I passed this to our rep in Hood River for some thoughts. Here's what he came back with

"Thanks for the review, Blackened. Sounds like you had some good action on the 9m and really got to see the Orbit shine in the loops. To offer some feedback on your other comments:

The instability at 12 o’clock is the result of how far forward the kite is designed to fly (combination of the thinner diameter of the LE, aspect ratio of the kite, and bridle tuning) – Putting a little tension on the back lines when it wants to overfly the window will stop the kite and keep it stable and happy. This will unlock the potential of the Orbit and all it has to offer -- ridiculous upwind drive, insane boosting along with the looping you’ve already experienced. There’s a reason this kite performed so well in ‘King of the Air’ conditions and why those pros prefer this style of kite.

Your comment “hard to explain, rubbish feel” is kind of interesting. I agree with you on your thoughts about the kite having a smooth progressive feel with medium bar pressure and being super predictable. This is kind of opposite to having a "rubbish feel".

As for any delayed turning, the pulley-less bridles deliver immediate direct response steering, so I struggle to understand what you mean by “ADHD delay thing.” Possibly your same issue of lack of outside line pressure, if you were riding the 9m in legit 30-35 knots I'd have to think the back lines were slacked and this explains your comments on feel?"

Thanks again for taking the time to review the kite we appreciate your thoughts and comments.

Thanks for replying! It's always nice to hear back from a company.

I assumed the overflying was purposely designed as it is extremely predictable. It happened every time in the same scenario. I'm definitely not used to it and I'm not really fond of it currently, but if that's why it loops the way it does - great. Don't change it. It may just be an F1 car in the hands of a track day driver. I'll need to get accustomed to not parking it at 12 when I'm faffing about on the beach or trying to compose myself after a crash.

As for the turning delay, a few others I ride with have the same problem. To clarify, there is an immediate response, but the acceleration of the turn is not linear. It's like 0-10kph is two seconds and 10-100kph is also two seconds. I actually made fun of a mate for always pulling his loops so late, but then I tried it myself. If the kite is already turning slightly and you increase that turn, this problem doesn't exist. The use the above analogy, it's already going 10kph, so it zooms around. This exists if you're sitting in the water or megalooping. If you watch the Mackiting Orbit First Look video, you can see what I'm talking about in some of the clips. There's a side by side example at the 2.26 mark on the Red vs Yellow kites.

Sorry, I didn't mean the barfeel was rubbish - I meant on first impression the entire kite was rubbish . The barfeel is just different and it's hard to explain what's different about it. There's nothing bad about it at all. As your rep indicated, it may be that it flies heavily on the front lines and I'm not used to it feels. I can't imagine the back lines really ever being slack when I ride . If they are, I'm not sure what's causing it.

This isn't meant as a criticism but a, "if you're looking for a kite, this was my experience with them." Would I recommend the kite to people? If they were looping or getting into looping, absolutely 100%.