Sun wrote: ↑Mon Apr 19, 2021 4:25 pm
brighamj wrote: ↑Mon Apr 19, 2021 3:46 pm
Would you mind elaborating a bit? I fly Evos now and have been considering adding a smaller Dice to my mix. Thanks!
As rStorms has indicated, the Dice feels very different from the Evo. Before I get too far in to this, let me start by saying this is an opinion and a personal bias. I prefer the way the Dice feels, so my description will highlight the aspects that I prefer. Some people may well prefer the Evo.
The Dice feels incredibly solid in the sky, and the turning feels extremely precise. I think this is primarily because it turns around a wingtip and pulls through the turn. That is, as you provide a steering input the Dice sweeps though an arc that rotates around the inside wingtip. This provides clear and direct feedback about the position in the sky, and it makes turning the kite feel more engaging. You will want to fly the kite. The kite probably pulls harder through the turns because the Dice sits deeper in the wind window. This in turn makes it more stable, as kites that sit deeper in the window are less likely to front stall and tend to drift well instead of overfly.
The Evo, while not a bad kite, feels less precise to me. Primary this is because it turns differently. While the Dice rotates around a wingtip, the Evo pivots about the center strut. Turning is less a sweep through the window and more pointing the kite in a new direction. Technically this makes the Evo turn faster, since you simply point it in a new direction and off it goes. The Dice has to spend time arcing through the air. Evo also sits a bit further forward in the window, so as you turn it the kite feels less powerful. But the Evo will pull you upwind better than the Dice.
Basically, to me the Dice feels like a kite that I want to fly. It encourages and rewards input. The Evo is a more relaxed and efficient kite. It will absolutely suit a rider that parks the kite and rides along. Probably works better for “pure” surfboard riding where all you want is a kite to tow you in and disappear while riding the wave, since the Evo can redirect more quickly without pulling you off your chosen line. Evo will also get you upwind faster to hit the waves again.
I love the Dice. But I can see why people love Evos as well.
rStorms wrote: ↑Mon Apr 19, 2021 4:02 pm
I was thinking smaller kites for wave/foil and bigger kites for twin tips. Also I am sharing the kites with my gf, so sometimes it might happen that I ride the 8m in Waves and she goes with the 10m with a Twintip. But I am pretty torn between the Neo SLS and the Dice, especially because I wont have a change in the near future to fly a NEO as there are no test events.
It think that having a consistent size difference is easier to navigate than jumping between models, and I also think that having a consistently behaving kite does wonders for progression. It always takes some time to adjust to a different kite. Don’t forget though that in years past North/Duotone really stressed the Dice as a Freestyle/Surf kite. While the marketing has changed a little over the years to stress the Big Air side, the Dice has not changed as much. Dice was and is still a good wave kite for powered, carving riding. I truly believe you will prefer the Dice to the Neo. If you starting riding surfboard and foil boards exclusively, then drop the Dice. But with 70% TT, keep the Dice.
I say this because you like the way the Dice flies. The Neo may be the better foil/surf kite, but that is not what you will be using it for primarily, and the Neo feels more like the Evo than the Dice.