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Dice vs Dice SLS

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Dice vs Dice SLS

Postby dracop » Mon Sep 20, 2021 7:29 pm

Anyone had a chance to try a Dice and compare it to the new Dice SLS?

Love my 10m 2021, considering the upgrade to Dice SLS 2022 in 10m/12m

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Re: Dice vs Dice SLS

Postby pikovsg » Sat Sep 25, 2021 4:12 am

Getting the new 9m SLS next week, will write a vs. my 2021 Dice later next week

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Re: Dice vs Dice SLS

Postby Sun » Mon Nov 01, 2021 10:37 pm

Slight revival. Seen some Dice SLS kites here in Brazil now. Any hands-on reviews? And idea what the normal 2022 Dice looks like? The SLS colors kind of suck.

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Re: Dice vs Dice SLS

Postby DIALS » Mon Nov 01, 2021 11:48 pm

Here's my new Sls 10m Dice, didn't get to try it yet but waiting anxiously to compair to my old 2019 Dice..
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20211027_154513.jpg

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Re: Dice vs Dice SLS

Postby Sun » Tue Nov 02, 2021 4:27 pm

2022 Dice is out. Two colors. “Coral” and “Mint”

https://www.duotonesports.com/kiteboarding/kites/dice/
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Re: Dice vs Dice SLS

Postby Dan-at-Duotone » Tue Nov 02, 2021 5:14 pm

I'm as biased as it gets, I work for Duotone, but I've ridden Dice for years and I consider myself a pretty honest reviewer. Last year I switched to Neo SLS in part because I'm riding park and kitelooping less (getting old sucks) and spending more time on a surfboard, but mostly because the SLS Neo was everything I wanted. I got sample Dice SLS a couple months ago and am back on them pretty regularly now, happy with either the Neo SLS or Dice SLS as a daily driver. The weight loss of the Dice SLS vs older Dice makes a huge difference in performance, low end is noticeably better as the kite climbs more quickly. Jumps are more aggressive for the same reason. Hooked-in kiteloops are quicker to get around for same reason. I like how the SLS kites in general are less prone to 'sagging' at the edge of the window when the kite is low if you know what I mean, you don't have to pay attention to them to keep them off the water.

More noticeable to me for the Dice SLS is the added feel/performance from the stiffer LE... When it was introduced in 2014, I immediately loved the dice, but I felt it had stability issues at the high-end; when you were really lit the kite would deform and flap and performance would suffer. Every year since, the stability and high end has improved, but with more and more marginal improvements in stability each year. The SLS treatment in my opinion is a giant step forward again. High end is improved and the kite feels crisper and more responsive in all conditions. I read another review of an SLS kite, think it was the 2021 Evo, where people said they felt the gusts more, in a negative way. I haven't particularly noticed that, however it's possible that this reviewer and I are noticing the same thing and I describe it positively as 'crisp' and they disliked it and therefore describe it negatively as 'too much feedback from gusts'. I've found that most beginner riders prefer lighter bar-pressure while more experienced riders tend to like more feedback to let them know what a kite is doing at all times. This jives with how our design team seems to generally be designing SLS kites with more feedback and aiming it towards experienced riders while the original construction design (at least for the Evo) is aimed towards being the 'every-man's' kite with lighter bar pressure and less feedback. I guess we consider it a tradeoff between comfort and performance, if that makes sense, with the SLS version being tweaked more towards maximizing performance. Don't get me wrong, I am far more comfortable on a higher-feedback kite, I hate when I can't feel what the kite is doing, just letting you know what I'm seeing from the market and how our designers appear to be approaching the differences in construction. Also note that I haven't gotten this info from the designers, just what I hear from customers and see from our newer designs, meaning I could be dead wrong and I reserve the right to change my opinion going forward... I have not tested the 2022 Neo, Dice, Evo, or Evo SLS at this point, only the Neo SLS and Dice SLS.

Therefore, as always, I recommend you try to demo any kite before you buy if possible. If it is not possible then I hope this review helps. Anyone else with experience on these kites please chime in, I don't mind at all being disagreed with and like hearing more opinions, especially since Covid has kept me from normal demo events the past few years.

-Dan

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Re: Dice vs Dice SLS

Postby Soleas » Tue Nov 02, 2021 5:36 pm

Totally unbiased as i ride for another brand ( Epic ). I like to test every kite out there so as soon as i saw a Dice SLS i got some time on it. 11m in size and moving it around/ looping it felt like i was flying a 9m. Really agile kite and super easy to steer and loop. I have noticed much better feedback on the bar than the normal dice, which is nice cause i didnt like the normal dice as much because of the sloppy feedback i felt on it. It definately boosts more aggressive as it wants to go up easier probably because of the less weight and more stiffness of the kite and the hangtime really surprised me for a med aspect kite. Again the dice's shape is not my fav as i like 5 strut higher aspect more open kites but I must say that i enjoyed my time on the Dice SLS. I found the normal Dice a bit boring for my taste but the SLS was fun.

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Re: Dice vs Dice SLS

Postby Dietsdontworkuk » Fri Dec 17, 2021 9:24 pm

I had a couple of hours on the dice at Hayling last week in around 27-30kn with a decent swell running. I’ve been on enduros since they came out and I love them, direct, not too tame but not too aggressive but very connected. This years enduro has a weird cough (if that makes sense) - after a kite loop as the kite comes through the braking loop there’s a sudden luff and loss of power. The 7 does it a bit too.
Anyway I’ve been looking for a bit more boost and hangtine than the enduro but a kite that is still ok to surf here and there but also direct and with a proper kite loop. The dice really was good - nearly all of the saggy feeling from the earlier models has now gone, although it still felt very slightly vague compared to the enduro. Perhaps just more forgiving as opposed to vague. This to me is just the feeling of many high split Y kites. However the build up of power into a jump is sensational and the hang time surprised me. It was very quick and at around 30kn with no depower felt nowhere near its top end. I did get a very occasional bit of flapping in the odd kite loop but it was my first go so perhaps with full sheeting that would be eliminated. I’ve yet to find a more stable canopy than the enduro, you couldn’t get it to flap if you tried. The dice felt like it would have decent drift too for a bit of wave slashing and sat just right in the window. Not too deep like a switchblade or pivot but just right. I may well take a punt on a 8m and live with for a bit before contemplating a full brand change. But it was a fairly sensational session, albeit in sensational conditions that would probably have been amazing on any half decent kite!!
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pikovsg
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Re: Dice vs Dice SLS

Postby pikovsg » Mon Dec 20, 2021 3:01 am

I've been doing foil freestyle with the 9m Dice SLS for the past two months and absolutely in love. It took a bit getting used to, but now after figuring out its timing on the loops compared to what I used prior (BRM Clouds and Cab Drifter) it's a gamechanger. Using it only on a foil, no TT. In a gist, the 9m SLS turns about as fast as a 7m regular Dice with all the same characteristics. 9m SLS drifts noticeably worse than the 7m regular Dice, but that's to be expected I guess. I find to get the best out of the Dice is to ride it slightly powered up. It loops and drifts better this way.

Awesome, awesome kite.

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Re: Dice vs Dice SLS

Postby Hugh2 » Mon Dec 20, 2021 5:48 am

Sorry, cannot compare the two, however for what it is worth I have ridden mostly Naish Pivots for the past five years and love them. My friend here in Cape Town has all Dice SLS kites now, and I must say they are impressive. The rigidity of the kites and their lightness is remarkable. I've only flown his 2021 12m in mild conditions and I don't have a 2021 12m Pivot to compare, but it felt amazing and rode wonderfully, with no hint of backstalling that has been the bane of almost all 12m kites I've owned. BUT, it is a very expensive kite here in South Africa, almost $2000. I really like that they have worked to minimize weight at every turn, even the bridle and steering lines are light weight. I guess it will be interesting to see how they hold up over the years, I am still riding some 2015 Pivots, for example my 7m here in Cape Town and a 9m back home in the US, and they still fly wonderfully.


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