North Launches The Reach

[madis_and_kite]

I am really impressed what the new North and the team launched within the first year. awesome quality and performance. My stuff is really hard used and it is still in perfect conditions in comparison to my F-One and Duotone stuff I had before. F-One kites after 1 saison are totally rocked down, Duotone Bar looked like my lines are 10 years old... and I am changing my stuff every saison.

1. No surprise there, North = rebranded Cabrinha and they were always known for top quality.
2. New North have only been around for few months so no real feedback on durability but should be good if like Cabrinha.
3. F-One and Duotone make top stuff (apart from Duotone lines/new F-One lines are excellent). I ride 200+ days per year and no durability issue with either and I don't change all my equipment every season.

Very interesting to read.

My shop is selling Eleveight and Cabrinha. The amount of warranty cases with Cabrinha is just insane. We probably sell 10% Cabrinha and 90% Eleveight, but we have much more trouble with Cabrinha kites and lines.

I also repair kites and are often surprised about people talking how good quality is F-One. For about 2 years now big part of repairing is changing Bandits cracked valves. On some kites I have already changed 3 valves. And every year they still have the same valves with the same material. Local dealer, I think, can't handle the warranty cases anymore so it's easier for people to pay me for quick valve change. I keep good stock of F-One valves because of that. F-One also has problems with lines.

Cheers.

[mattaiken MYS NKB]

I am really impressed what the new North and the team launched within the first year. awesome quality and performance. My stuff is really hard used and it is still in perfect conditions in comparison to my F-One and Duotone stuff I had before. F-One kites after 1 saison are totally rocked down, Duotone Bar looked like my lines are 10 years old... and I am changing my stuff every saison.

1. No surprise there, North = rebranded Cabrinha and they were always known for top quality.
2. New North have only been around for few months so no real feedback on durability but should be good if like Cabrinha.
3. F-One and Duotone make top stuff (apart from Duotone lines/new F-One lines are excellent). I ride 200+ days per year and no durability issue with either and I don't change all my equipment every season.

Very interesting to read.

My shop is selling Eleveight and Cabrinha. The amount of warranty cases with Cabrinha is just insane. We probably sell 10% Cabrinha and 90% Eleveight, but we have much more trouble with Cabrinha kites and lines.

Please note that the new North kites are not made in the same facility (or even country) as Cabrinha. North had a completely blank slate to start with and sourced the materials they wanted to use and built or developed the parts you'll see in the new line.

It's a bit dated now but there's some great insight into NKB's design on this podcast:
http://kitesurf365.com/pat-goodman-episode-105

[Toby]

Why was it moved Matt ?

[Kamikuza]

Why was it moved Matt ?

Cabrinha gear is (was?) made exclusively in Neil Pryde factories.

[mattaiken MYS NKB]

Why was it moved Matt ?

Cabrinha gear is (was?) made exclusively in Neil Pryde factories.

North chose what they deemed to be the best place for them to make kites and landed on a facility in Sri Lanka. This facility has a history of making kites and builds for some other well-know brands. North Sails also has a long history of making products in Sri Lanka and also has "boots on the ground" in Sri Lanka so this is a good fit for the brand. It's not fair for me to suggest one facility or country is better than the other I'd just like it to be clear that from a materials and manufacturing perspective North kites were started new/fresh/whatever and there's no connection with other brands' production.

[Youtch]

Eleveight is also producing in Sri Lanka in the same sailor factory potentially.

[mattaiken MYS NKB]

Eleveight is also producing in Sri Lanka in the same sailor factory potentially.

I can neither confirm or deny this.

[Youtch]

Well. How many old school boat sails fabricant doing kite there must be in Sri Lanka...

[mattaiken MYS NKB]

Well. How many old school boat sails fabricant doing kite there must be in Sri Lanka...

It's fair to say there's not many kite manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka

[caduo]

think it s the same factory that also duotone is using.cabrinha is using neil pryde factory that produce only cabrinha kites,using their own material and not teijin cloth and as far as I know that's why they faced some financial problems,cause is probably hard for a factory to survive producing only for one brand,but i may be wrong.
never had and know nothing about f one but I am quite surprise to hear that cabrinha has so many warranty issues,I think even never read something like that in any forum,can you be more specific to know what to expect from my kites?