North Kiteboarding Dice 9m 2015
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
The North Dice exploded onto the scene last year and quickly garnered a large fan base around the world. Aimed at the rider looking to ‘do it all’, it was billed as a great kite for the waves, but also wakestyle and freestyle riding too. Tom Court used it as his kite of choice for the year and it suits his riding style perfectly.
At its core the Dice is a three-strut C-shape style kite, the bridle is fairly short and has been updated for 2015. The new front bridle is designed to make the profile more stable throughout the wind range. The design team have also tried to improve the low-end of the kite from last year by tweaking the profile of the canopy. It can be flown on either the 4-line Trust Bar or the 5th Element system, but the kite ships as a 4-line set-up.
The 9-13m sizes also have a different profile shape to the smaller sizes in the range for 2015 to further improve the low-end for the kites used when the wind is lighter. The tips have also been tweaked along with the bridle position to tighten up the feeling at the bar.
As usual the build quality on the North kites for 2015 is exceedingly good, the fast inflation system has been improved to make it even easier to use and there is plenty of reinforcement to ensure the kite can handle some abuse. Technoforce D2 fabric is used for the main canopy to ensure longevity and to reduce stretch and wear.
The Bar
The North Quad Control Trust Bar has been at the pinnacle of kite bar design for some time; there have been a few tweaks from last year resulting in the new 2015 version. The whole set-up is of a very high standard, clean and uncluttered and using quality Teufelberger lines.
It is very comfortable to hold due to the ergonomic bar grip and the chicken loop slots into the bar well when unhooked, preventing the lines from twisting. Safety is one of the key aspects this bar boasts about and it is for good reason, the Iron Heart Quick Release is probably one of the best on the market.
This year you can buy the bar with different line length options, giving you the choice to opt for shorter lines and more handling/less power or longer lines and less handling/more power. The bar ends themselves are integrated into the floats like last year giving a clean finish, and you can also make the bar shorter or wider by unclipping and twisting the bar ends around.
North have improved the internals in this system for 2015 so it should prove more durable. You can also now easily tune your back line lengths by removing the red plastic covers, which gives you access to the rear lines. It is really easy to trim them and a nice tidy feature.
The mini 5th line safety system works exceedingly well at dumping power from the kite very quickly. The depower trim is catered for with an above-the-bar cleat system that allows you to tune the amount of depower throw you have on the kite. If you have small arms simply move the cleat further down towards the bar to make it easier to reach. It is a very well polished set-up, and we like the bold new colours for 2015 too.
In The Air
Last year we really enjoyed riding the Dice, but it was affected by a lack of low-end power and really came alive when powered up. This year we were keen to see if the design team had dealt with that issue and to find out what the second incarnation of the Dice would be like.
It’s definitely a more tuned kite this year; the low-end has improved markedly, although as a C-shaped style machine the low-end isn’t as impressive as the Evo in the range. The handling on the Dice is still fantastic, the kite is very quick to respond to rider input and the bar pressure feels just about perfect. You get good feedback as to where the kite is, but it doesn’t tire you out on the water.
Upwind is excellent and the kite flies forwards in the window very well, if you are into freestyle in particular, then the unhooked characteristics will definitely appeal. While it doesn’t offer as much “slack line” as the Vegas, there is a definite a loss off pull after you pop. This allows you to go for your moves with confidence and makes progressing on the Dice easier.
In the waves the responsive handling really makes a difference, the Dice will turn on a dime when you need it too, but also drift down the line with ease. Jumps are great and you get a good pull off the water with decent hangtime. The more powered the kite the more alive it feels when jumping, and the top-end range on the 9m is huge. It is definitely a kite to take out overpowered every once in a while and have some mega-blasting fun on.
Relaunch on the Dice is also very good, while it is a C-Shape kite it relaunches much more like a Bow style kite. This comes in handy when you are learning new tricks and crashing a lot. It’s definitely suited to the intermediate or advanced rider looking for a versatile kite they can progress on.
"Versatile and fun to ride with dynamic handling and a real turn of pace."
For
Fantastic build quality and great bar set-up, fast and responsive with excellent unhooked capabilities. Handy in the waves and really good fun to jump on when powered up.
Against
No real complaints here, especially as the low-end has improved this year.
Overall
The 2015 Dice is a definite improvement on what was a great kite last year, simple and easy to fly, with top-end performance in both the waves and when unhooked. It is versatile and fun with dynamic steering response and great control for the rider.
Videos
This review was in Issue 49 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit North KiteboardingRelated
By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!
