Rider: 90kg, 12 years?
Style: Freeriding, Surf
Weather: 15-20 knots
Build Quality: 8/10 Each
Satisfaction: N/A
Disclosure: None
My Comments:
Hi guys I recently wanted to buy a new kite and ride in the waves 95% of the time, so I was interested in the Airush Wave, Ozone Reo and North Neo. Recent previous kites have been Rebel, BWS, and most recently Cabrinha Nomad.
I demoed the Airush Wave 9m for a couple of hours in a 15 - 20kt southerly at a local point which is cross shore, but ended up buying a 2012 North Neo 10m without a demoing it or the REO because of the runout prices and having insufficient free time to organise demos in Sydney or Newcastle (and it was supposed to be windy this weekend). Thought I might put my thoughts down on both kites as I struggled to find any reviews / comparisons for the North / Airush. A lot of the review I found on the Wave were from team / distributors in England / Europe which are obviously going to have bias. There is heaps of reviews out there proclaiming the Reo as the best wave kite ever.
Airush Wave
------------
Honestly I thought the Airush was a great kite and it actually felt surprisingly familiar and natural. The kite turns very quick and nicely with low bar pressure (ie much nicer than the Rebel / Bow kites). I often found that it would turn beyond vertical and head back in the other direction - which was not a problem because it could turn on a dim back in the right direction. The kite drifted like a champ and was super easy to position in the right spot (ie anywhere in the window you wanted it to be) and was very forgiving. Very easy to fly and position depowered with one hand at the centre of the bar.
The kite had a little flutter in it but I was pushing it to the bottom end of its windrange for my fat arse - it never seemed to effect the flying though. Not even close to the upper limit so its hard to comment on depower or how it performs at the top end.
I could probably just get away with 9m as my main kite on a surfboard but a 10m/11m would be better - I think the 12m would probably be too big for me.
The bar was quite nice and comfy. The width adjustment didnt seem to work maybe there was a hidden screw or it need a thorough rinse out although the standard width was fine. I liked the twin covered depower lines and stopper - the bare rope typically has a tendency to rub my girly desk hands not to mention wear and tear. I don't know if its just me but I really hate it when brands decide to wack a big rubber sticker thing in the middle of the grip ... they pretty much all peel out sooner or later so why not put in on the floats or something?
Also should mention that I flew the Lithium for 20mins after flying the Wave - I didnt like it much - too much bar pressure didnt drift or turn like the Wave. Felt like it would boost well though.
North Neo
---------
I read what review were available watched what videos I could on the web to try and gauge the performance of the kite before buying it but I was expecting something similar to the Wave. I mean both kites have 3-struts, C-shapes and wide tips. I have loved every other North kite I have previously owned and hence assumed that this one would be no different.
To be fair the wind yesterday was a pretty average NEster by anyones standard - up and down with plenty of holes etc. Similarly the direction was probably cross-on -on mostly closing out. Also had been a week since I rode the Wave.
I would say the North was probably a more rigid kite and less prone to flutter but definitely not immune to it. The kite also drifted very well and was very forgiving. The flight characteristic are very different to the Wave - much higher bar pressure (I was using the low bar pressure / quick turning bridle option and the bar was on the wide line setting). A lot more effort was required to position the kite where you wanted it (comparitively that is - the kite was still fine to fly). I could get it to turn quick but it did seem to require a lot more bar effort - hello elbow tendonitis ... I felt the kite charateristics were more at the bowy / sledy end of the scale than the Airush.
I think I got the 2011 bar - dont know if that would be making a difference to the way the kite flys - maybe shorter single centre line before the Y might help - does anyone know if there is a difference between the 2012 and 2011 line / bar setup? (I doubt it would make significant difference). Bar is typical North not too disimilar to my 2007 Rebel bar --> 2 x naked depower lines which no doubt will wear out sooner or later but otherwise feels fine and pretty solid. I like the suicide leash setup which offers the ability to pop the chicken loop and retain the kite if necessary. Having riden the Cabrinha Nomad the last couple of years the CL throw seem short but Im sure it will just take some getting used to.
Summary
-------
Would I have bought the North if I had demoed it first? $ for $ definitely would have gone with the Airush, but given that the North cost me 2/3rds what the Airush would have cost I probably would have had to think a bit more about it... The 9m size is also a little bit of an issue at my size when I really only want to have 2 kites (ie this one and a 6m for when it nuking). Keep in mind that this is my personal preference based on 1 fly on each of these kites - there is atleast someone here who prefered the Neo over the Reo as well so I guess its horses for courses.
It surprises me that there aren't more people flying the Waves and/or glowing reviews out there. It would be really nice to get on both side by side to get a fairer comparison. Similarly it would be nice to compare a Reo at the same time.
So unless you guys at Airush want to wing me a kite to get some (more) exposure im sticking with the North.
Cheers,
Pete.
So you have bought the Neo right?
I know guys who love them, one in particular who has heaps of experience rates it higher than the REO. Really wish I had been on one as I've been on the other two.
I agree a 10m wave would be better, even though I'm lightish at 75kg the 9m would have me underdone a lot where I kite and on a mutant. Surfboard even really.
North, Airush, ozone all have their own feel which runs through all their range. ( I have owned and ridden the rebel and Vegas, owned and ridden VX and lithium, ridden C4 and now own edges). It really depends on what feel you like. North and ozone have a real direct feel, the SLE in the Airush range a little less, but nothing to worry about. This is more apparent in the steering rather than the actual pull of the kite, you can't get past the spongy feel of pulleys. Does the Neo have pulleys though?
All three are very smooth feeling brands, the ozone and Airush have a very refined feel. So do the north but the power is more obvious, their kites are heavier and more structurally engineered and finished off.
he wave and REO are excellent wave kites and what I have heard and read so is the Neo.
If you like and are familiar with the north feel stay with it I say,
...but one aspect I think the wave has is its precision. Like the razor it has a very precise positioning possibility. It seems when I rode it to 'know' where to go. It matched very closely where I wanted it to sit and how much power I wanted. It really is an interesting design and concept. I look forward to see how this design evolves.
Hi Eppo,
Yep I did buy the Neo.
The Neo has 1 pulley per side. I think the Wave had 3 per side (?!?!) certainly didn't seem to effect its feel as much as I thought it would.
BTW I rode the Neo again today, twice, in heavy rain and so so onshore wind from about 12kts to 30kts maybe. I definitely liked it much more today - being saturated seemed to effect is drifting ability though.
Yeh I thought it did hey. Yeh the 6 pulleys had me scratching my head. Don't know how they create such a direct feel with that, but they do. Maybe we should wet down our kites in the surf. Lol
