I'm going to sell a few kites and boards and maybe get a 2015 Reo or Neo, but I'm not sure on the sizing and what would suit me. I will try and look for a demo on both but I'd like to hear your thoughts.

I normally go out in anything from 15-30 knots I weigh 85kgs and use a strapless 5'8" surfboard. I'd like one kite (if possible) to work well from 15 to 30 knots in the surf.

I currently have a 2013 8m Reo but I find I need a good 20 knots to get out and it's a bit twitchy in 30+ winds, also the relaunch is a bit slow, has this been improved on the 2015 Reo's? I've been looking at the Neos and a few guys have said the low end grunt is good but in higher winds it doesn't perform as well.

Would a 9m Reo suit me from 15-30 knots?

Any other kite suggestions? Looking for a pure surf kite.

Im 82kg. and ride the 9m most of the time. For that range id probably go the 10m. Reo.

See my review of the new Takoon Log. 9m is good from 15-25 but you would go down to a 7m over 25 knots. From my experience relaunch is easy and they are great in the surf.

I rode Reo a couple of years ago but have not had any experience with the current models, but the guys I know that have them can't speak highly enough of them. You wouldn't go wrong with one I am sure, but I think you are stretching it a bit to have a 9m work from 15 up to 30 knots. You would be way overpowered on a 9 and on a surfboard in 30 knots.

Neo and Reo are very different kites to fly handling wise but the power range with this years crop seems fairly similar to me. I've been on thIs years Neo for a while now and am pretty happy with them. Riding strapless I like to err on the side of underpowered rather than over, will take the 9 out in anything up to about 18 kts and the 7 for everything else.

i found the top end hard to get used to at first but once you've had time with the kite there is no issue taking a 9 out in 25-30. If it was my only kite I'd probably change the depower settings depending on the conditions. As it is I ride them both on the short depower setting and just change kites. Im about your dimensions riding a 6'1" board.

Love the Reo just don't dig the bar.

reo flies half window and turns faster than neo
neo flies more forward and needs more time to change direction
reo seem has a softer bar handling and in fact it is compared to neo that is little harder
but is softer when depowered,when is fully powered the kite is a truck so on gusty places some hard to find good setting .
neo has more constant power delivery, much more power size to size and better navigation but looses something on rapid turning .
on a 40 minutes wave session reo wins ,,,,but once you get little tired or the wind changes strenght fun is over ...
neo gives more time on the water easier upwind and wins on a 1,50 hour base ,more suitable on gusty places with strong current
more radical ,good shape,faster turning ,focus inside the wave maybe reo
everything else consider neo
7 meter neo 2014 has power of reo 10 2013 ....some more power on newer reo .....the gap is one meter at least
power , power delivery,upwind neo wins
turning in the wave reo wins
jumping both a ****

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piccio said..
reo flies half window and turns faster than neo
neo flies more forward and needs more time to change direction
reo seem has a softer bar handling and in fact it is compared to neo that is little harder
but is softer when depowered,when is fully powered the kite is a truck so on gusty places some hard to find good setting .
neo has more constant power delivery, much more power size to size and better navigation but looses something on rapid turning .
on a 40 minutes wave session reo wins ,,,,but once you get little tired or the wind changes strenght fun is over ...
neo gives more time on the water easier upwind and wins on a 1,50 hour base ,more suitable on gusty places with strong current
more radical ,good shape,faster turning ,focus inside the wave maybe reo
everything else consider neo
7 meter neo 2014 has power of reo 10 2013 ....some more power on newer reo .....the gap is one meter at least
power , power delivery,upwind neo wins
turning in the wave reo wins
jumping both a ****

one of best kite vs kite i had chance to read ever. better then some topics on two pages

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piccio said..
reo flies half window and turns faster than neo
neo flies more forward and needs more time to change direction
reo seem has a softer bar handling and in fact it is compared to neo that is little harder
but is softer when depowered,when is fully powered the kite is a truck so on gusty places some hard to find good setting .
neo has more constant power delivery, much more power size to size and better navigation but looses something on rapid turning .
on a 40 minutes wave session reo wins ,,,,but once you get little tired or the wind changes strenght fun is over ...
neo gives more time on the water easier upwind and wins on a 1,50 hour base ,more suitable on gusty places with strong current
more radical ,good shape,faster turning ,focus inside the wave maybe reo
everything else consider neo
7 meter neo 2014 has power of reo 10 2013 ....some more power on newer reo .....the gap is one meter at least
power , power delivery,upwind neo wins
turning in the wave reo wins
jumping both a ****

Was leaning towards the Reo but now i'm thinking a Neo, what's the Neos drift ability like?

do not know what drift ability means.traduction (italian)gives me too many terms anyway do not rely too much on what I felt about those two kites .the more power of neo with higher winds is not very confortable a smaller size is needed ,like the little power of reo with lower winds needs a bigger size .
anycase try first .....hard have fun 15 30 knots with one kite only .....you have to loose up or down .....or you have to loose money buying another .....full bottle and drunk wife we say!
we are a group of amateur here in north sardinia where there are extremely variable conditions .one of these friend (around 82 84 kg) having already 7 9 had to buy a 5 neo for higher ......another friend (same 82 84kg ) with 6 9 reo had to buy 12 for lower.
I am 77kg with 5 7 9 neo and I 'd like a 4 for higher mistral (I wait my wife is drunk).
one kite only kills all these blankets on flying ....the rebel......but the rebel kills you on surfing......we have to loose somewhere!!!!!
ciao

Brohan, test the Airush wave also, I know their is one on demo at the Zu (who also sell the reo) am sure they could offer some insight

I have a NEO 2015 9 meter. I used it most of the time on a big surfboard strapless and strapped from 15 to 30 knots. The de-power works well. I love the kite. Great low end. If you use the original bar no much bar pressure. It turn quick and relaunch very quick. Self landing is very easy. Drifting is great. What I don't like it is when you loop the kite it generates a lot of power. I am looking to try the PIVOT because everyone who wrote about the Pivot kite said you don't get the extra power when you loop the kite and that is good when kite surfing waves.

good luck finding the perfect kite , it is impossible.

cheers

Always demo the kites.

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castill0jf said..
I have a NEO 2015 9 meter. I used it most of the time on a big surfboard strapless and strapped from 15 to 30 knots. The de-power works well. I love the kite. Great low end. If you use the original bar no much bar pressure. It turn quick and relaunch very quick. Self landing is very easy. Drifting is great. What I don't like it is when you loop the kite it generates a lot of power. I am looking to try the PIVOT because everyone who wrote about the Pivot kite said you don't get the extra power when you loop the kite and that is good when kite surfing waves.

good luck finding the perfect kite , it is impossible.

cheers

Have you demoed the Airush Wave ?

not yet but it is in my list .

Got the day off tomorrow and it's looking windy, so I'll try and demo the wave, reo and a neo if I can find one.

I'm quite happy with the boosting capability a of the Neo.I m keen to get some big punts off the lip in July , August and September in colder dense wind at 30 knots on the 7m.The bigger fatter leading edge gives it good stability in the air. The instant power when you want it is great for timing.

I found that from my experience ocean rodeos were very floppy and unstable kites in the sky, definitely go the reo will be worth it in the long term as ocean rodeo have habits of disintegrating

I fly an 8m Neo '15 and a few BWS Noise Pros, depending on conditions.
I believe BWS is studying a quicker turning alternative to its Noise Pro, so am holding off before expanding my Neo quiver. Hope they do manage soon to pull off another line of super simple and high performance surf kites, Neo is nice but this just might be sweeter.

.... Interested to hear from the airush wave guys, how do they compare to the reo and neo????

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marno said..
.... Interested to hear from the airush wave guys, how do they compare to the reo and neo????

Same here, I've been on Waves for 2 seasons now & have not felt the need to try any other kites since I got my 12/9/7 quiver.