Ive had my 2016 9m out for two days now whilst on holiday here in Sri Lanka. Im an intermediate rider, 95kgs with a 140cm board. The wind has been around 20-25 knots.

The wind range is great. Ive been up to low 30 knots with 5 inches of depower and still feeling good, and down to mid to high teens and still able to hold my direction. Optimal wind for my weight is in the 20-30 knots.

There's lots to love. Medium bar pressure with great response, huge wind range, exceptional speed as you build up apparent wind. Good boost and hang time (not quite as much as my switchblade) and you do need to fly the kite more when up high. The turns are great with less powered loops which is why i think a lot of people feel more confident to try tricks. If i stuffed up a loop on my Switchy id be 40m downwind, bouncing on the water like a rag doll waiting for it to stop. Halve that distance and skipping on the pivot!

We have quite gusty conditions here and the pivot is able to soak them up well. The extended bar throw helps too. Im not an unhooker nor a wave rider so i cant comment on these aspects sorry.

My only negative feedback so far is the inflate valve which i find is situated too far under the leading edge and the valve connector is still a tube you have to poke in which can come out whilst inflating.

Ive read the 2015s were prone to back stalling. I havent experienced that however the kite will not stay at 12 unassisted for more than a second.

Im very happy with the purchase overall. Given it to a few friends to fly and they loved it too

I should add a quick bit on the bar. Line colour changed to red. Above bar depower, waxy lines for easy running. Semi-effective swival that is too high to reach and manually adjust if it gets jammed. North and cabrinah much better in this aspect.

Comfy grip, soft bar ends, tiny chicken loop but rigid. It would be the perfect bar if it had a below bar swivel in my humble opinion.

Got the first pivots, never once has any size back stalled, not even a hint of it! Amazing kite!

Yeah rarely back stall havnt heard that one before

maybe i'm just cranky because i had my kite gear in car yesterday but didn't get out there due to work and other commitments, buuuuuut - how the hell can 20-30kn be an optimal wind range??? i can tell you that 18-20kn is pretty bangon on my 12m for boost, 22-25 is sweet on my 9m for waves but can hang on til about 28 if boosting too, and 30 is the sweet spot on my 6m and i'm 90kg too.

so either you're just full of beans because you're kiting everyday, or you are talking shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiizen
optimal wind is not just a usable wind range.
pivot seems to be the new neo on the forums... the thing can do EVERYTHING!!! until a few more balanced comments come in

rant over... f&*king work.... baaaaaaaaaaaaah

I am enjoying my pivots too...

2015 - 12 m with a great low end

2015 - 10 m with a great wind range: 17-27 knots. With 30+ knots it is a beast

2016 - 7m flying from 20 to 30+ knots extremely fast

Thinking about changing my 12m to a 14m but I had not heard of anyone using that kite.

I tried out the 12m today. Obviously its not as nimble as the 9m but it still can loop quite easily. Big boost and good hang time. Much more bar pressure but i did fly it into the mid 20s.

I heard its better to buy a proper light wind kite than the 14m as the bar pressure can be a bit much and some bigger kites can apparently turn quicker? I cant speak from experience.

To the other negative guy. I indicated the overall kiteable range, i gave an optimal wind range but if you want to know the sweet spot for the 9m at my weight, then it is around 23-28 knots.

I dont have any negative comments, my c-kite friend said the bar pressure was too light and the lines too long and it sat too high in the zennex.

Gave it to a learner yesterdsy who was flying a Rebel and could not go up wind. She had to be boat rescued 3 x. Her first lap on the pivot and she went up wind. Big smiles until i took my kite back!

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Macster said...

To the other negative guy. I indicated the overall kiteable range, i gave an optimal wind range but if you want to know the sweet spot for the 9m at my weight, then it is around 23-28 knots.

Fair enough
Got a little fix today so feeling better.

If anyone I know ends up with a couple this summer I'll give it a whirl. Good winds to you sir

New Bar Looks Good shame about below the bar swivel...

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HappyG said...
New Bar Looks Good shame about below the bar swivel...

Where is the swivel? I cannot see anything that represents one?

No swivel at all on this bar just front roll or back roll to fix line up.
Other then missing swivel it may be the best bar i have used so fare.

A swivel needs to be retrofitted on the 2016 above bar depower Bars whereas the below bar depower comes with a swivel.

I have no idea why...

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Macster said..

I heard its better to buy a proper light wind kite than the 14m as the bar pressure can be a bit much and some bigger kites can apparently turn quicker? I cant speak from experience.

Obviously a light wind specific kite should be better if it has less struts and can fly in less.
We do have a couple of locals who switched from bigger kites down to 14m Pivots though.
Bar pressure is light for a 14m.

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skywalker3d said..
No swivel at all on this bar just front roll or back roll to fix line up.
Other then missing swivel it may be the best bar i have used so fare.

Ill give you a ride of my slingshot bar next time your out... actually I just want to demo you 2016 pivot

Yeh best bar every without a swivel...wtf. Oxymoron of the year.

If you only only need to do a back or front roll you are not going hard enough in any discipline.

No no swivel what a crock of crap.

Shhhhh eppo. Must not be negative nor knock the holy grail that is the pivot!

No problem with the pivot (although wasn't my cup of tea), got a problem with above bar swivels and an even bigger problem with no bloody swivel at all.

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eppo said..
No problem with the pivot (although wasn't my cup of tea), got a problem with above bar swivels and an even bigger problem with no bloody swivel at all.

Agreed except for the LF and Wainman swivels which actually work 100% of the time because they're ceramic (the SS one for instance seizes up and requires a lot of care to keep it working). The fact that they don't have a swivel on that bar is jaw dropping. I don't miss 2004 at all.

I still had no luck with the wainmen swivel eventually but best out there for sure. Would always rather have control below the bar of my front line twists. Core, Flysurfer option is also okay but I find the double depower running through the bar separated by that thin metal sheath gives a relatively corse feel when sheeting in and out.

Yeh no swivel, crazy unless you are kook mowing the lawn doing an occasional back roll or down loop. But then again maybe it's more physiological. I just like to have my
Front lines untwisted at all times. Gives me something to do when mowing the lawn with the rest of them getting ready for the next move.

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suniboy21 said..

skywalker3d said..
No swivel at all on this bar just front roll or back roll to fix line up.
Other then missing swivel it may be the best bar i have used so fare.

Ill give you a ride of my slingshot bar next time your out... actually I just want to demo you 2016 pivot

Yeah cool sounds like a plan.

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eppo said..
Yeh best bar every without a swivel...wtf. Oxymoron of the year.

If you only only need to do a back or front roll you are not going hard enough in any discipline.

No no swivel what a crock of crap.

What's wrong buddy to retarded to work out witch way to un spin the lines with out a swivel to do it for you. You hard core rider you

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eppo said...
Yeh best bar every without a swivel...wtf. Oxymoron of the year.

If you only only need to do a back or front roll you are not going hard enough in any discipline.

Some riders can even untwist the lines while cruising! O.M.G! What is this sport turning into!??

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eppo said...
I still had no luck with the wainmen swivel eventually but best out there for sure.

Don't like the swivel but it's the best bar anyway... Oxymoron of the year?

The best swivel I meant.

If you fcktards think that paying top price for a bar without means to swivel out the front lines then go right ahead.

but I suspect you are like most on here, keyboard heroes with fckall kite skills. The naish bar is a dog, but hey go right ahead And support such a piss poor design as you probably wouldn't no sh1t from clay anyway.

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eppo said..
The best swivel I meant.

If you fcktards think that paying top price for a bar without means to swivel out the front lines then go right ahead.

but I suspect you are like most on here, keyboard heroes with fckall kite skills. The naish bar is a dog, but hey go right ahead And support such a piss poor design as you probably wouldn't no sh1t from clay anyway.

Sounds to me you are the key board hero on here as your the one that's started the hero typing. Or just a forum junky with no life... Loser!!
If you have nothing nice to say don't comment and just go and self abuse yourself.

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eppo said...
fcktards

???

Who do you think you are that you think it's ok to call people names for having an opinion? You teach your kids words like that too?

Dude you need to lighten the up. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Personally, the North is my bar of choice, go on, ridicule the short girl just so you can feel like a big man.

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RideLikeAGirl said..

eppo said...
fcktards

???

Who do you think you are that you think it's ok to call people names for having an opinion? You teach your kids words like that too?

Dude you need to lighten the up. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Personally, the North is my bar of choice, go on, ridicule the short girl just so you can feel like a big man.

Sounds like thats his thing you just made his day offering him a smal girl to call name.
But your right everyone can have a opinion on gear but to directly attack a person for there opinion on a forum is not on. Man up eppo!!

Sounds like eppo needs a snickers!

The new bar with below bar depower still has a swivel though doesnt it.But yeah why would you make a new bar with mo swivel good point

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apepene43 said..
The new bar with below bar depower still has a swivel though doesnt it.But yeah why would you make a new bar with mo swivel good point

It is a little crazy to not put a swivel on it i agree. But i thought i would try it before i raced out to get a swivel and i find im not sure weather i need one yet. Most of my trick involve kite loops also so they do twist but i then do reverse trick or kite loop to unswivel. It seems to be working ok so fare.

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skywalker3d said..

apepene43 said..
The new bar with below bar depower still has a swivel though doesnt it.But yeah why would you make a new bar with mo swivel good point

It is a little crazy to not put a swivel on it i agree. But i thought i would try it before i raced out to get a swivel and i find im not sure weather i need one yet. Most of my trick involve kite loops also so they do twist but i then do reverse trick or kite loop to unswivel. It seems to be working ok so fare.

So that explains why at every transition there's either a Loop with a trick or a trick with a loop!

Your going to froth over the fuel when you get a burn!