Local Beach: Naska Beach - Kanaha - Maui, HI USA Waipuliani Park - Kihei - Maui, HI USA South Point - Hawaii, HI USA A-Bay - Hawaii, HI USA
Favorite Beaches: _ Kanaha - Maui, HI Kihei - Maui, HI South Point - Hawaii Island Kite Beach - Cabarete, Dominican Republic Tableview - Cape Town, South Africa
Like the approach to testing, please do not waste time on bag unwrappings.
I have an 8m Evo 2020 I have taken out in wild gusty winds 35-45kts, it seriously stresses the frame altho the kite holds up. In those conditions the SLS stiffer frame would help alot. In light winds foiling in butter, just an unnecessary expense. Overall that 2020 Evo feels like the designer was pushing the limits of the classic dacron/ripstop combo and needed steonger materials to work with, so SLS a natural fit.
I just received my 8m evo sls. I can only comment on weight for now
2020 8m evo 2.78 kg
2021 8m evo sls 2.35 kg
I did fly a 9m neo sls, felt like the old neo to me. Still felt a bit heavy on the bar but solid kite.
I also flew a 10m roam aluula. Loved the drift, turned well, but not blazing fast, good for a 10m. Did not like the bar feel. Could not get locked in on it.
So the evo sls is coming in a bit less then the specs on duotone’s website.
Unlike the video review above, I believe the leading edge is smaller even in the tips but it is only a few millimeters in circumference difference.
The flex struts don’t look like to me they flex more. They are attached with less reinforcement to the leading edge,
The center sls strut is a lot more rigid in twist and bending.
The regular evo is a good upwind kite that like to fly the evo sls is even more so.
It is not a grunty kite. It likes to move either from sining or from board speed.
The 10m seems ok for a 10m but I’ll be honest I haven’t flown a 10m in years. I got this one for light wind waves.
The 8m is surprisingly quick. When it is in the middle of its wind range it comes around quick on a turn. I flew my normal 6m evo on a previous day and the next day my 8m evo sls and it still took me awhile to adjust my timing in turns. The 8m really comes around quick and goes through the window.