At a GlanceMark Shinn and Nobile launched their first run of kitesurfing kites last year with the 555 and NHP, the kites were well met by the kitesurfing community and Nobile Kites had a stellar launch year.
The N62 is the first 2009 kite from Nobile this year; they are on a slightly different launch schedule to a lot of brands preferring to release kit in 2009 for 2009 as opposed to 6 months before hand. The Nobile N62 is a bang up to date delta style kite aimed squarely at competing with the revelation that was the Bandit in 2007. The delta style and shape has grown in popularity over the last two years and you should expect to see lots more of these kites hitting the market.
The Nobile offering, as you would expect, reeks of quality. The build quality is as solid as you will find anywhere, and this year the graphics have been improved too, with some well thought out styling on the kite. It is a three strut design edging towards simplicity, the centre strut is quite long giving the kite a deep chord and when laid out flat on the ground you can really see the delta shape.
The Bar
Last year the Nobile Bar set a few heads turning with its innovative chicken loop design, and this year it is back. The chicken loop is made from plastic so it can’t deform with use. The release mechanism is simple too and works really well. There is a pull-pull trim strap above the bar and O-Shit handles for added safety. A stopper ball provides your arms with some respite on those long sessions and there is a front line safety system to be used when you need it.
In the Air
The 11m Nobile N62 has an impressive low-end range to it. The deep chord depth of the kite ensures it has maximum power at the bottom end of the wind range. Even when other riders were out on 12m and 14m kites we found the 11m had enough grunt to get up and riding.
When it is in the air it flies with a very smooth predictable style, characteristic to the delta design. It is very easy to fly and won’t do anything unexpected even if you make the odd mistake with your bar input. The kite will quite happily fly itself all day long leaving you to ride about beneath it and concentrate on your tricks. A word cropped up with the team whenever they flew this kite; ‘easy’! It’s a kite you can pick up and just fly, without having to take time to get adjusted to its characteristics.
While the kite has an impressive low-end range, it also manages to hold its own when the wind picked up. The turning speed of the N62 is impressive. Whilst it is super stable, when you want it to shift you can pull on the bar and get it to really pivot off the wingtip. A few times we landed a trick with it headed for the drink, a quick pull on the bar and what seemed like a sure fire crash was avoided. Kiteloops are also good fun; the kite pulls like a truck with its low aspect shape adding to the power when it dives round the window.
The deep chord depth is what makes this kite so stable and easy to fly, this shape also causes it to sit a little further back in the window which helps give the N62 its grunty low end power. It isn’t the quickest off the blocks upwind at the bottom end of its wind range but it will get you there.
Jumping is good, it takes a little getting used to in order to get the timings right to get some real performance out of it though. The front line safety system also works really well and when engaged leaves the kite dropping from the sky with no power and then when you’re ready, simply pull on the bar and engage the other lines to take off and get started again.
Pros
Awesome build quality and a fantastic bar set up compliment what is a truly easy kitesurfing kite to fly, simply put it in the sky and enjoy the ride from down below. The safety features should be a big pull for the more cautious kiter out there.
Cons
Compared to a higher aspect sleeker style of a kite like the 555 from 2008 the N62 lacks a little in outright performance. But this kite is about ease of use; if you want something that will make you look good and won’t punish your every mistake then the N62 is the kite for that job.
Overall
We loved the N62, yes it doesn’t jump the highest, or get upwind the quickest, but the finish, quality of materials and just the pure simplicity of flying the kite far outweigh any small niggles we may have found.