OK, up front, I am not affiliated with any kite manufacturer, nor do I sell kites so this is an honest pimp free assessment. Plus I would not call myself an experienced kiter (2 years) so apologies if this is a bit short on detail for some.

I got the chance to fly a 9M Eclipse Nano over the last weekend and was very impressed with the whole deal.

Build quality: The kite certainly appears to be bomb proof, the quality of the fabric appeared (and felt) to be really tough and durable. The stitching seemed to be strong with no loose threads or unclosed sections (noticeable on other brands). Just looking at the kite’s build gives you the confidence that you can give it a damn good thrashing and that it’s going to hold together.

Lines: Completely novice proof colour coded lines, simple connection to the bridal and you are away. I can honestly say that someone who has never set up a kite before could rig the Nano up without any problems. There are plenty of settings on the bridal to trim the kite, although I did not get a chance to play with this feature it appears that there is enough flexibility to trim to your own style and requirements.

Depower: The adjustment threw me at first as, on most kites I have flown, the depower is in black and the power in red. With the Nano this is reversed, can’t think why, but the confusion ends pretty fast when you see the big MORE or LESS printed on the straps!!!

Bar: The bar set up is simple and functional. The bar has RIGHT WAY / WRONG WAY written on it which could be overkill but if I was an instructor I would take a serious look at this set up as it is idiot proof.

Quick Release: Like so much else on this kite its simplicity to operate really hides the cleaver and practical design. No tearing at Velcro strips or searching around for loops to grab, it’s just right there in front and reacts instantaneously.

There are just so many little touches on this kite that show how well thought out the design is, even down to the ball and stopper connection with the pump and the leading edge. It’s the attention to detail that gives the impression that there have been no afterthoughts in the design process.

Flying: The wind was ranging from 15Kts up to about 25. The kite was very stable with reasonable bar pressure. Unlike many other brands I did not feel that the kite was going to do anything unexpected on me the second I took my eyes off it. What I found very surprising was the low end grunt, there is no way a 9M kite should haul my ass so well in 15Kts, my Tribal would have left me struggling to get back to shore but with the Nano I was lit. Relaunch was fantastic, just sit there in the water and let the kite do all the work for you, no more poncing around with fifth lines!

In summary I would recommend this kite to anybody who was thinking of taking up kiting as it’s a simple set up and is a very stable and forgiving kite. I am sure that instructors and kite schools are going to love it as it really is the most hassle free and well built kite I have seen. In so far as wave riding and high end kiting is concerned I am not there yet but I have heard that it’s awesome in the surf but ill let others attest to that.

So if you are looking for a new kite soon then at least give this baby a demo, you wont regret it.

Cheers

J

Hey J,

How was the turning speed and the upwind ability of the Nano, did it fly fast to the edge of the window?

What setting did you have it on, I think their is 3 - beginner, wave and fast?

You said it was quite grunty, compariable to a 12 meter bow?

Is there similar kites on the market that fly similar to the Nano?

there are 3 settings on the kite as in 3 knots to position back line length but only the third is used.
the settings you are referring to were on the 07 kites.
there are now 2 back line attachment points to change turning speed marked with a picture of a tortoise and a Hare.

kites to best compare Nano with would be Rebel, helix, Rev, SB3, waroo.
Bandit is faster but not as fast as Thruster. Alliance is slightly faster but with less pull than Nano.
Nano has more bar pressure than Thruster but I can't notice the difference in it's bar pressure with the other kites mentioned.

turning speed is a lot less than Thruster but has been described as faster than Rebel but this could be a personal thing as kiters tend to vary a lot with the bar input they use in turning.

the first shipment of nanos only just arrived and only 3 9's are left so look for one on a beach near you and ask for a ride and find out for yourself.

nice review juglist, was wondering if you had a chance to ride the Thruster 12m 2008 as it seems the windrange would be similar.

sburio

No chance to check out the Thruster yet. From what I can make out the Thruster is Eclipse's Mega loop, high jump weapon. Not my bag TBH as I am more interested in the surf. However the posted wind range on the manufacturers site does look very similar.

I guess the design of the Nano has so much surface area at the apex of the canopy that the grunt is dialed up in comparison to the Thruster which has more of a traditional C shape rather than a delta shape.

I can say that the 9 Nano delivered almost (but not quite) as much power as my 2006 F.one Tribal 13M. Which leaves me in a bit of a dilemma wether to go with the 12M Nano or 9M as a replacement for the Tribal.

Hopefully (if we get some wind!!!) I will have a chance to demo the 12M Nano soon so will report back on my findings.

Cheers

J

The 12m Thruster gets a bit more bottom end from its extra speed. so does feel to get jumping earlier but with more working of the kite.