Pros cons? Flying characteristics? What do you think of this kite?

As soon as I get some useable wind I will be happy to share my thoughts.

Here Knolee this is basicly my review that I emailed Angus about my experience at Tugg Hill with the NEO2

"First of I have to say I absolutely love the new Neo2 even though it tested my patience on
Friday. It may have been my fault I'm not sure if I accidentally
passed the bar through the bridle but when I first took it out at the
field it was such a mess I had to disconnect all the lines. Saturday
was a much better day and I got a really good feel for the Neo2. It is
a really huge improvement over the original design. The first Neo I
was never able to fill on launch. The Neo2 does not have a problem
with doing this, the larger inlets really work well. I also love the
fifth line system when setting up. I have a boot leash on snowboard
that I attached to the fifth line ring. Setting the board at an angle
in the snow against the kite the Neo2 will sit there in the shape of a
McDonald's M (when not fully inflated like in the video, when inflated
it will fully taco) on the ground fully anchored. When I want to
launch I transfer the fifth line to my leash, put on my board, pull
the fifth line in, hook in to the chicken loop, then release the fifth
line out through the bar. The kite will then launch pretty much by
itself and your off riding.

The flying characteristics on the Neo2 are very forgiving for kite
with awesome raw power. I found it to be extremely stable, easy to
fly, and able to absorb most gusts. Because of the Neo2 safety system
I didn't feel afraid of this kite at all. I knew if I got into
trouble, which I did a few times, I could dump that power instantly
and when I was ready it was easy to relaunch using the method I
described above. I have to say I am totally sold on fifth line safety.
I had no issues yet with it unlike the Tophat on my Montana III which
seems to either bowtie and tangle when the safety is engaged or get
tripped accidentally on launch by catching on my board edge. Anyways I
progressed to being able to ride in both directions with the
confidence the Neo2 gave me.

The only negative I can think of is that it doesn't turn very fast but
on second thought once I got used to it it wasn't an issue for the
type of riding I like to do. Which is basically stay on the ground and
go fast."

Hey, hey guys, more of this^^^.

Thanks Frathouse, good review.:smug:
I do question the turning speed, especially since I'm going to be looking for some airtime once I really get going.

Yeah I not sure about tricks with this kite. I know snobdr got launched just because it such a powerful kite. I am sure jumping is possible but it may take a little more finesse and timing than say a Montana which can turn super fast.

Regarding turning speed, does it turn slower than the Neo 1? I find my 11m to be pretty sluggish at times but maybe this is due to tuning?

Looking at purchasing a Neo 2, 11 meter. I know it will work great for all land activies, but how about water, with me being 220lbs and winds at 10-15mph? I realize board size also matters, but what may be the general consensus. Would a 14 meter be more suitable for someone of my weight?

Frathouse that is awesome man! Do you have any pics or video of her yet? I see your in MD and my home town is Cumberland in western MD, Ive got to get down there and see that bad boy fly!!

You were considering getting a neo weren't you pigryder? I'd like to try one myself, just not as many people have them as arcs and open cell and LEIs.

Quote:

Originally posted by power You were considering getting a neo weren't you pigryder? I'd like to try one myself, just not as many people have them as arcs and open cell and LEIs.

I think the main reason for this is they have only been out one year. Give them some time I think you will be seeing more and more.

A teen kiteboarder I was talking to liked the Neo 2 he tried. He said it's much improved and he thought he could keep up w his friend's flysurfer.

I own an 11 and a 14, [NEO 1] brought them to do land water snow.
I was new to foils, but not a novice. When you invest a lot of money into new gear, you get a bit one eyed when it comes to seeking and giving advice.
I was a fan in the beginning, but as i primarily used them in a water environment, over time [10+ sessions] they proved to be crap. Im just coming to terms with that.
The things they have changed for the "2" version correct I assume the shortcomings in the "1", namely bar, chickenloop, TDS safety, and leash, as well as inflate.
The build quality of the actual kite itself with bridal is acceptable. The bar and fittings are utter junk and failed repeatedly. I assume that as it was in a water enviroment this enhanced the wear of these high use items.
Moral of the story is never buy the first of anything and marketing hype is just that, hype and unfortunately bull-sh.t.
The manufacturer no doubt has addressed these issues. What really pisses me off is that they rushed this kite to market with inferior and substandard bar setup, It is so bad that i will not sell these kites to any one - they would make me embarrassed to do so. This is an unsafe kite.
Consequently they are in storage. The new bar and fittings are not retro fitable. To my mind bull-sh.t again.
I love the hype - the new improved NEO2. To be honest the market is too small to get away with it.............

I have no idea how the Neo2 will do out on the water but it was great out on the snow. It definitely turns better than the Neo1 I had for a short time. Cheddarhead I am also 220 and on snow I was riding in 10-20 with my neo2 11m while ragden was on his 15m speed3. I think he was trimmed in while I was fully powered up.

Ragden posted photos of the weekend at tugg hill here


Friday: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=michael.d.marcha...
Saturday: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=michael.d.marcha...
Sunday: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=michael.d.marcha...

Sunday has the most pics of the NEO2.

And its briefly in this newscast I got interviewed for.


http://www.wwnytv.com/news/local/81936082.html

phantom,
Maybe HQ needs to run Neo 2 ads like the new pizzahut ones that essentially say: now that we changed, we freely admit our stuff was total crap!
:embarrased:

Lad thats Dominos pizza! Pizza Hut stuffed crust kicks ass!

Quote:

Originally posted by _thephantom_ I own an 11 and a 14, [NEO 1] brought them to do land water snow. I was new to foils, but not a novice. When you invest a lot of money into new gear, you get a bit one eyed when it comes to seeking and giving advice. I was a fan in the beginning, but as i primarily used them in a water environment, over time [10+ sessions] they proved to be crap. Im just coming to terms with that. The things they have changed for the "2" version correct I assume the shortcomings in the "1", namely bar, chickenloop, TDS safety, and leash, as well as inflate. The build quality of the actual kite itself with bridal is acceptable. The bar and fittings are utter junk and failed repeatedly. I assume that as it was in a water enviroment this enhanced the wear of these high use items. Moral of the story is never buy the first of anything and marketing hype is just that, hype and unfortunately bull-sh.t. The manufacturer no doubt has addressed these issues. What really pisses me off is that they rushed this kite to market with inferior and substandard bar setup, It is so bad that i will not sell these kites to any one - they would make me embarrassed to do so. This is an unsafe kite. Consequently they are in storage. The new bar and fittings are not retro fitable. To my mind bull-sh.t again. I love the hype - the new improved NEO2. To be honest the market is too small to get away with it.............

Phantom

Thanks for a straight review, not too often people admit they bought crappy gear (and make a point not to pass around the garbage)..

Have you tried them with a different kind of bar/lines setup? Would you bother?

Thanks

AV

Quote:

Originally posted by Ataud.Verde Phantom Thanks for a straight review, not too often people admit they bought crappy gear (and make a point not to pass around the garbage).. Have you tried them with a different kind of bar/lines setup? Would you bother? Thanks AV

Hi AV,

i changed the chicken loop, the original was soft and is held together using velcro, this simply just let go when pressure came on, useless.

The top hat safety system as supplied, deployed at the sight of wind, by then all the ropes were frayed, knots stretched, all stopper balls had gone [ cracked and fell off]. The depower cam cleat worked, except the rope was now so frayed and stretched thin it did not hold.

The bar rubber had all but worn off, the reset loops [when top hat deployed you are supposed to be able to reset by looping them on the bar ends, effectively keeping the brakes on] were too small and would not slip over the bar ends, thus you have the situation of top hat continually deploying, the chicken loop letting go and the reset mechanism not working, along with no ability to depower.

When it was used and you deployed top hat it never depowered instead acting like a sail at ground level requiring, enormous strength to control - except that is when it would deploy after a trick and the bar is rotated, it would then never release and death spiral towing you wherever.

The foil itself is useable and works, no complaints.

The control system is total junk and whilst it works say for an open foil on land - a closed cell foil on water requires something a bit more robust and workable. When i purchased i actually asked about the saftey top hat system, i know this had long ago been abandoned by flysurfer and was assured that it was state of the art as designed by OZONE and copied by HQ.

I could fly it on my BEST Bar, but the bar itself is too short to get any turning from the kite, I thought about buying another bar set up - but i was pissed about spending more money. I enquired about getting the bar upgraded from where i purchased, but was told that the two systems are not compatible given the change and that it was not retrofittable.

The depower bar of the best works except you flag to 1 line, so your days are done once you do so, and you loose the ability to easily relaunch useing the brake between the two back lines. You overcame this by pulling equally on the best left and right brake lines, but it was hard to get the leverage.

And all said and done - do i really need to do all this for brand new 2009 kites. Whats the point?

I think people buy products based on hype reviews and what not [i know i purchased based on users on this forum and others]. I note that the ones who push them now on this forum and others are dealers and the people who were users who had them earlier have quietly sold them and moved on without comment.

Im not like that I can not sell my junk to others smile say its a good kite and live with it. It does not sit right.

The kite's are ok, unfortunately you can not use this kite on the water with the supplied systems - rendering it useless.

I am sure if they were land and snow use only no water, it probably works as the start pressure is less. If you plan to do all three - forget it.

Given that then you end up with a kite for land and 1 for water.

I wanted a land kite as well, so I could i guess use them for that and have a water kite, but you know what, i cant be assed doing that, even as a land kite they are inferior to the open cell as they still have that horrible problem of the "rest- pull".

It needs to be said that they were cheaper [a lot cheaper] than other foils on the market, but if they dont work then free is even too expensive.

To actually answer your question, yes i tried, but why bother.

And to those who quietly pass on the rubbish.... the industry will improve dramatically if people actually told it as it is.

And yes the NEO 2 is probably a better kite, but why bother.

Im not.

PS: to be fair to HQ, the dealer offered to look after me and replace all the parts with new ones [of the old design] so no complaints with the back up and ethic. I just have moved on.

thephantom I am very curious to know the amount of use you put this equipment through. It sounds like it totally broke down. Are we talking a dozen sessions or couple hundred? and salt water i assume? I am in no way criticizing and I am very sorry to hear you did not like the kite. I would just like to know what it took to get your equipment to this stage.

the NEO 14 metre had been used exclusively in salt water for 14 sessions [never on land], the problems, being over time, the final problem being total failure of the chicken loop.

The 11 metre has 6 sessions on it, 2 on land and 4 on water. The wear on the bar is reflected in the use.


the numbers as recorded in my diary on facebook.

If the 11 was used more i am sure it would end up the same condition - unuseable.

These sessions are over a 4 month period, therefore total kiting days 20 sessions in 120 days approx.

I also in the end were reverting more and more back to tube kites as the problems kept coming. I put up with it for awhile simply by saying to myself its a foil kite and its different. No it is a foil kite, different but the same.

Simply put continuous use in saltwater is ok for the kite #@%$#! for the bar and systems.

My story is slightly different with the Neo - I have had an 11 and 6m for a year.
I agree about the safety ball thru the bar - HQ recommended removing this which I did at first flight. Have not had a prob with the top hat release. I like the cam cleat (like my Ozone) easy to use and has not slipped. No frayed ropes yet. Hated the original chicken loop and replaced it with Ozone Megatron which are great.
Only use the 11m in (salt) water (once or twice on land) and the 6 on land. Bar is ok but the bungy grooves are too shallow but otherwise the bar works fine and I don't find it them worse than my Access bars.
Very lifty and if you fly them fast they have plenty of grunt.

Always a risk with the first model of anything - and the Neo concept was unproven for HQ - but I am not unhappy with my original choice. ( Neo 2 sounds great - just as the new Ozone Access sounds better than by 08/9 models)

Kites are still in great condition and appear well made. (mind you I am fussy about drying and packing all my kites)
Only damage is when I landed it on a post and stupidly tried to pull it free and ended up with a small seam rip.

More to above re the Neo
Salt water does not seem to have effected the bar or safety system - still work as new with the replacement chicken loop - but I do wash the sand and crap off after every session (which I do with any kite).