Thinking about trading up my 12m 2014 Switchblade for a 12m 2016 Naish Pivot. I'm 105kgs (6'2), have one season of riding experience under my belt and toggle between Botany Bay (Brighton/Dolls/Kurnell) and occasional small surf.

Any thoughts or tips would be much appreciated?

Only other consideration is while I've a 2014 Kite, only recently dropped a chunk of cash upgrading to 2016 Cabrinha 1x overdrive bar. The plan was to buy new or runout switchie next season. Is existing Cabrinha bar usable with the Pivot or would I also need Naish Bar/lines?

I believe the Cabrinha bar is 4 line with single line safety and a rather low V. That will work with the Pivot. You might have to use extra pigtails to attach the lines. Naish has knots on the back lines and loops on the front lines.
I have not ridden current Switchblades but I believe you will gain faster turning with the Pivot. It is a great freeride kite.

I use my 2015 cab bar on a pivot with no problem, you just need to convert pigtails front to back as already said.
Pivot is a faster turning kite with lighter bar pressure and better drift but less of the switchy grunt.
As a bigger rider switchy might be better suited to you, just my semi educated opinion.
I prefer the pivots but as always try before u buy!

Not sure how powerful the SB are compared the the pivots or parks but when I swapped from parks to pivots I went from a 12m to an 11m and 9m to an 8m. The pivots have great low end. The reason I mention this is that a lot of people told me the 2015 12m pivot was a huge step slower than the 11m. Not sure if that's the case with the 2016 12m.

Am slowly coming off the idea, for now. Really love my Switchblade, and I've got way more progression in it before I need to worry about faster turns.
At this stage low end power is so important to my enjoyment of a session. 100kg plus is not just weight, but a big frame dragging through the water to pull out.
Was only ever tempted to rush an upgrade due to a Naish pivot cause of a guy local to me was selling a package of all his 2016 (used twice) gear on eBay this weekend. Was keener on the Cabrinha Ace 139cm more than Naish kite, but cause a package had to think on it..

One very appealing trait of the pivot is the drift when surfing a wave. Will worry about that once I've dialed in directional riding....

Seriously thanks for picking up the thread and taking time to reply...

I'd be looking at the cabrinah fx too

Do they still sell new cabrinha kites i didnt think they were popular theses days

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lucy5 said..
Do they still sell new cabrinha kites i didnt think they were popular theses days

Yep, they grow on trees.

Ha

I am about the same size as you. Have both 12m SB (2013) and 12m Pivot 2015.

Pivot was meant to replace SB but it is a much more powerful kite. Need 17 kn on SB Pivot goes from 15 kn but it also maxes out at 20 kn (SB is good to 24 kn or so). This is why I ended up keeping both.

Pivot is great for downwinders and waves (much faster turning) but pulls like a truck and does not go too well upwind (the angle between your travel direction and the lines giong to the kite is bigger than that for SB). Need a bigger board to edge effectively. Have not tried it, but was told that 10m Pivot has the same wind range as 12m SB (I can believe this).

I find the bar pressure on Pivot very strong (even though it is rigged for the lightest bar pressure). I have trouble holding on to the bar after one hour of kiting but can last 3 hrs on SB.

All in all I would use 12m Pivot as a low wind wave kite (good for jumps too, quite floaty) but staying upwind is a struggle on this size (maybe smaller ones are better). I can't believe that manufacturer says it has 'great upwind performance' - certainly not the 12m size. Btw checked my lines, they are all same length (i.e. Not a rigging problem).

I have a 12m pivot i thought it goes up wind extremely well

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Swavek said..
I am about the same size as you. Have both 12m SB (2013) and 12m Pivot 2015.

Pivot was meant to replace SB but it is a much more powerful kite. Need 17 kn on SB Pivot goes from 15 kn but it also maxes out at 20 kn (SB is good to 24 kn or so). This is why I ended up keeping both.

Pivot is great for downwinders and waves (much faster turning) but pulls like a truck and does not go too well upwind (the angle between your travel direction and the lines giong to the kite is bigger than that for SB). Need a bigger board to edge effectively. Have not tried it, but was told that 10m Pivot has the same wind range as 12m SB (I can believe this).

I find the bar pressure on Pivot very strong (even though it is rigged for the lightest bar pressure). I have trouble holding on to the bar after one hour of kiting but can last 3 hrs on SB.

All in all I would use 12m Pivot as a low wind wave kite (good for jumps too, quite floaty) but staying upwind is a struggle on this size (maybe smaller ones are better). I can't believe that manufacturer says it has 'great upwind performance' - certainly not the 12m size. Btw checked my lines, they are all same length (i.e. Not a rigging problem).

So your saying the pivot bar pressure is higher than the switchblade.WTF.
I would not buy a pivot for that reason alone.
That goes against everything I have read.
But you have both.Anyone feel the same way?

Hey Rod, I thought Pivot bar pressure was pretty good and you have seen how they go upwind. Maybe he just needs to edge a little less and let the bar out or the kite is just too big. I dunno?? Steve

Yes, I know they go upwind well.
Thats because I struggle to keep up with you on your 9.
Always looking out for kites with a featherlight feel.

I know what I say goes against everything I read about this kite before I bought it.

Don’t consider myself a kitesurfing expert but tried /had a few kites: Ozone Reo, Zephyr, Catalyst, Cabrinha Switchblade, Wainman Smoke, Blade Trigger, Airush Lithium, have no problem going upwind on any of them but Pivot. Don’t’ get me wrong, I stay upwind, but with one ‘out and in’ tack I can be 150m upwind on other kites without trying too hard but only 50m upwind on Pivot being constantly aware that I need to go upwind.

None of my other kites/ kites I tried have as strong bar pressure as my 12m Pivot.

I recently started kiting with a group of people and another fellow has 12m Pivot (he likes it). Next time we go out together we will swap the kites – maybe there is something wrong with mine? (can’t think of what it could be).

My Pivots go upwind extremely well (6m 2015, 8m 2016, 11m 2015). But maybe it's the 12m size. Bar pressure is really light. I tried a friend´s 8m Ozone Enduro the other day and thought that kite had more bar pressure than my 8m Pivot although it still felt nice.

I have 2015 8,11 and 14 pivots,all go up wind well but 8 in its wind range hauls arse up wind

Fair enough,
I agree you can't believe everything you read.

If there was a problem my bet would be your over sheeted , steering lines to short.

Which could give poorer upwind, heavier bar pressure and backstall if bar pulled all the way in.

Nothing wrong with the 12 for upwind performance good as