Rider: Weight 85kg,Level Intermediate (I spose???) been riding just over 2 years
Style: Freeriding, Surf
Weather: 15-30 knots over 3 sessions
Build Quality: 10/10
Satisfaction: 10/10
Disclosure: Pay for all my gear.

My Comments:


First of all Thanks to Drew at WA surf for the demo, Once again A1 service.

I will keep this short and sweet and compare to the 2014 Dice. I have been riding the 12,9 and 6M for the last year.

Three sessions on the 2015 9m dice. 17 to 25 gusty winter frontal in some decent swell on a 5'8 surf board (Tuesday, last week). 15 to 18 on a more steady northerly (Friday last week) on a 2014 5'2 north nugget and 14 to near 30 (Tuesday this week) with the wind all over the place at the back end of a front on a pretty big swell on a 135 by 41 TT.

First two sessions ridden back to back with my 9m 2014.

Flies more forward in the window, develops apparent wind more easily Hence has a much more obvious bottom end and as you would Expect you are far more powered at the same top end.

Canopy seems more open and flatter through the middle hence more obvious power. I get the feeling they have moved it further towards the freestyle end of the spectrum with the new neo coming soon and the new Vegas.

Still flies like the first dice, same overall feel but Bigger boosting, more float, better bottom end, slightly faster turning and much less lag, with slightly more bar pressure. These aren't just subtle changes this is really obvious.

Has a weird small Y bridle on the last front line wing tip leading edge connection and I'm wondering if this contributes to more stability in the wingtip in the gusty winds we've had, hence more stable overall. Not sure. Also I think this helps with better relaunch.

It still maintains it's wave riding characteristics at its low to mid range...but it becomes considerably more powerful, flying forward and developing apparent wind in its upper end.

Thanks for reading.

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said..



Has a weird small Y bridle on the last front line wing tip leading edge connection and I'm wondering if this contributes to more stability in the wingtip in the gusty winds we've had, hence more stable overall. Not sure. Also I think this helps with better relaunch.

Yes the primary purpose of this bridle leg shift is to add stability, particularly in the kites top end.

Jas

Hey Spark,

Thanks for the review mate. With your 2014 9m what was your favourite wind range and bottom end on the surfboard?

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Dl33ta said...
Hey Spark,

Thanks for the review mate. With your 2014 9m what was your favourite wind range and bottom end on the surfboard?

Bottom end on my 5"8x18.75 SB would be around 16-17 knots. 19-20 is perfect and around 23-24 it starts to get a little interesting. Not that it's unmanageable, just have to slow it down a bit

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Spark said..

Dl33ta said...
Hey Spark,

Thanks for the review mate. With your 2014 9m what was your favourite wind range and bottom end on the surfboard?

Bottom end on my 5"8x18.75 SB would be around 16-17 knots. 19-20 is perfect and around 23-24 it starts to get a little interesting. Not that it's unmanageable, just have to slow it down a bit

... hey spark, are you familiar with the Rebel's at all? Reason I ask is the Rebels have a bit of a power spike, more noticeable when used on a surfboard and I was wondering if the new dice has now got a little bit of that power spike in it. I felt the 2014 dice didn't have this 'power spike' in it no matter what you did with it but it but sounds like it might depending upon how you swing it around???

Just wondering!

Robbie

^^^^ Sorry big fella never ridden a rebel.

High aspect kites aren't really my thing, I'm more of a compact C kinda guy which is why I'm on the dice

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Spark said..

Dl33ta said...
Hey Spark,

Thanks for the review mate. With your 2014 9m what was your favourite wind range and bottom end on the surfboard?

Bottom end on my 5"8x18.75 SB would be around 16-17 knots. 19-20 is perfect and around 23-24 it starts to get a little interesting. Not that it's unmanageable, just have to slow it down a bit

Cool thanks, I'm about your weight and on slightly bigger boards been trying to get an idea of their power range without having ridden one. looks like I might need to go a Neo if I want to keep the smaller kite size.

when can we see a few pictures

I have ridden the 12 and I also found it more powerful (good!)and heavier on the bar (bad!) than last years. Made it harder to steer with one hand.

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Glug said..
I have ridden the 12 and I also found it more powerful (good!)and heavier on the bar (bad!) than last years. Made it harder to steer with one hand.

so with more bottom end does that mean can drop down one kite size say from an 11 to a 10 and have similar bottom end buy better turning than the 2014

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apepene43 said..

Glug said..
I have ridden the 12 and I also found it more powerful (good!)and heavier on the bar (bad!) than last years. Made it harder to steer with one hand.

so with more bottom end does that mean can drop down one kite size say from an 11 to a 10 and have similar bottom end buy better turning than the 2014

Most likely. I'm looking forward to riding my 9m more this summer (I'm 100kg anroundly go to my 9 over 20 knots)

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FlightControl said..
when can we see a few pictures

For pictures you will have to wait until all is revealed online from North. But until then, I'm sure if you drop into your local North dealer they can show you a few sneak peaks

Can't comment on the bottom end, I rode the 9m a couple of times and I definately don't think there is a size difference or anything like that, just that you won't have to work the kite so much at the bottom end. I'd still ride the same size as 2014 in all conditions, however maybe the changeover is a little easier to get right as the kite has a slightly improved wind range.

Drew

Those who've tried the 2015: Is it worth waiting? Can pick up a 2014 right now for 20% off retail.

EDIT: Also.. is the bar worth it? I have a few 4 line bars lying around, not sure if I want to shell out an extra 450+ for the North bar and lines unless its great.

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buckjay said..
Those who've tried the 2015: Is it worth waiting? Can pick up a 2014 right now for 20% off retail.

EDIT: Also.. is the bar worth it? I have a few 4 line bars lying around, not sure if I want to shell out an extra 450+ for the North bar and lines unless its great.

The 2015 is an evolution with a few tweaks and improvements. More trailing edge flutter reinforcement, stiffer and flatter Leading edge arc, more stable in the top end and a little bit more power. The flagging safety has changed on the bar too.

The Dice is designed to fly on a North bar where the front lines split about half way up, not just above the bar so I would suggest flying them on something similar.

Did they improve the turning speed on the dice I felt there was to much delay and there was a need to muscle the kite to get it where you want it quick.

diamond2001 - the turning is definitely improved. Less delay, much more direct. I hadn't ridden the Dice in a few months when I first got out on the 2015 9m back in July.

The things I noticed was it had noticeably more bottom end power, the turning was more direct and the kite is a lot more stable in the air, especially at the top end of the wind range. I felt instantly comfortable on this kite.

The kite still feels like a Dice but with some nice improvements that really make the kite a better performer in both freestyle & waves. It was also boosting really well which was something I found the 2014 Dice took me a few sessions to dial in. Not sure why but on the 2015 I was going pretty high and landing every jump really smoothly straight off the bat.

This post is a blatant pimp but anyone in the market for your hybrid, freestyle/wave kite should definitely consider it.

Drew

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WA Surf said..


diamond2001 - the turning is definitely improved. Less delay, much more direct. I hadn't ridden the Dice in a few months when I first got out on the 2015 9m back in July.

The things I noticed was it had noticeably more bottom end power, the turning was more direct and the kite is a lot more stable in the air, especially at the top end of the wind range. I felt instantly comfortable on this kite.

The kite still feels like a Dice but with some nice improvements that really make the kite a better performer in both freestyle & waves. It was also boosting really well which was something I found the 2014 Dice took me a few sessions to dial in. Not sure why but on the 2015 I was going pretty high and landing every jump really smoothly straight off the bat.

This post is a blatant pimp but anyone in the market for your hybrid, freestyle/wave kite should definitely consider it.

Drew

so ... the dice feels like a dice?

What would you peg its competitors as? that strapless riding is pretty awesome

tomme, I would put it's competitors as all the other "compact c/hybrid c/do-it-all" kites which all claim to be good kites for freestyle and wave riding. A few that spring to mind are the Naish Park, Slingshot RPM, Best TS (?), Ozone Catalyst... I am sure every brand in the world says that have a kite to fit the freestyle/wave crossover category.

Out of those, the only 2014 or 2015 versions I have ridden are the Park & Dice so I can't really compare the new Dice to the rest, sorry.

Drew

I think ill have to have a demo,

Tom court doesnt exactly sell it in the clip "yeah its good....." i guess you can read any amount of hype (invented by north) but ultimatley comes down to personal feel..

Ill have a crack and submit my kook review.

T

Just keep in mind that a kite cannot excel at both waves and freestyle, don't let the marketing get to you too much. That goes for the brands my shop sells as well. Slack and drift are opposite characteristics in a kite. A wave kite goes with you as your momentum travels towards it (on a wave or during a trick) where as a freestyle kite has a quick power surge then luffs to allow for a pass. Personally, having ridden freestyle for 11 years, I can really feel when a kite slacks properly and the Dice does not. Nor does an RPM or a Park or a Catalyst. They are all great kites but they are great kites for doing a bit of everything. You can get away with freestyle on these kites and you can also dabble in waves but if you have decided that you want to be more than 60/40 waves to freestyle or vice versa then get a dedicated kite.

As a side note, having watched videos from Tom for years, his riding is noticeably worse in the dice videos. Watch a few and you'll see the difference.

What size of Dices 2014/15 would I need to replace my 12 and 8m 2011 Ozone C4's. I used to have 11 and 8 C4's but went 12 for more bottom end.

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Totally agree.......you can see in the video that in freestyle move the kite clearly pull all the time !

A freestyle kite will stall "in control" that will give you slack ! A wake kite is engineered exactly for never stalling !



Drury said..

Just keep in mind that a kite cannot excel at both waves and freestyle, don't let the marketing get to you too much. That goes for the brands my shop sells as well. Slack and drift are opposite characteristics in a kite. A wave kite goes with you as your momentum travels towards it (on a wave or during a trick) where as a freestyle kite has a quick power surge then luffs to allow for a pass. Personally, having ridden freestyle for 11 years, I can really feel when a kite slacks properly and the Dice does not. Nor does an RPM or a Park or a Catalyst. They are all great kites but they are great kites for doing a bit of everything. You can get away with freestyle on these kites and you can also dabble in waves but if you have decided that you want to be more than 60/40 waves to freestyle or vice versa then get a dedicated kite.

As a side note, having watched videos from Tom for years, his riding is noticeably worse in the dice videos. Watch a few and you'll see the difference.

Hi I'm looking at getting 10 dice just wondering if to get the 24m lines or shorter thanks

Get 22m lines for sure. 24m is too long for a 10m.

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Drury said..
Get 22m lines for sure. 24m is too long for a 10m.

what the noose are you on about? 24 is totally fine for a 10m...

Totally agree with your comments about brands claiming to have a wave/freestyle kite. That **** annoys me more than anything, its as contradictory as a racing/freestyle kite, which no-one would ever believe, so why believe this?

24m lines are just **** in general. 20-22m are the best but it's all preference!

Jewan, Naish Park for the last few years? Prreeeeeeetty sure that's always been a freestyle/wave kite but I digress.

No one said that the Dice/Park/RPM etc are the ducks nuts when it comes to freestyle or wave. Sure some marketing hype will but of course it'll say that. Personally if I was riding these kites I would be riding the Park for freestyle and the Dice for wave riding. They definately have their strengths and weaknesses.

Sorry Drury but I disagree 100%. 24m will be absolutely fine on the 10m. We have been running the Dice on 19/22/24m lines both Quad & 5th Element over the past 12 months and depending on your riding style, conditions, preferred feel and personal preference, will depend on which length you go.

We generally push the 24m lines towards riders who have the 10m as their one kite as it gives good all round performance. The 22m lines I find more fun when it comes to unhooking and wave riding as there is a little less lag to the steering and a bit more of a direct feel on the bar. But that's just me. It's also nicer to throw the kite around in the waves on shorter lines as there is less wind window for the kite to fly through as you throw it from side to side.
10m & under the 22m lines and 11m + up go the 24m.

hello
has someone also testet the new bandit8 from f-one and can compare it to the dice? i am between those two to choice...
danks rapha