Yep, the Prolimit 2013 harness range have finally arrived, including the very limited edition Stuntman colour!

Click on the image below to view the range:

So, the North NEO 2013.
Not particularly well known through the kitesurf community, we think the 2013 North NEO is one of North’s best kept secrets, and so enjoyed being able to get on the water with this kite for a blast last week.

For test this time was the 8m NEO, a new size for 2013, which we think will go well with the 6m NEO for a nice surf combo quiver. A simple 3 strut sconfiguration, the NEO is marketed more towards beginner kiters and surfboard riders.

So what’s new on the 2013 Neo? Well a tiny bit more low end, but the kite still loops really well, and still doesn’t get all out of shape or start yanking, even if you mess up. From having that little extra bit of power at the low end, makes the kite easier to jump with, though, lets face it, its not really meant for that, but does help those kiters who don’t always want to ride a surfboard, or for the slightly more aprehensive riders who want the softness, but still a bit of performance. Bar feedback is good, and steering is still possible even when sheeted out which makes it great for positioning when wave riding.

The kite sits well, and backs of nicely, which is a strict requirement for riding surf in the dead onshore wind conditions often had here. The only kite we’ve ever had close to good manners of the NEO in the past was the Liquid Force Envy which also makes a great contender for those more surf orientated riders.

Build quality is typically North, the NEO has all the features of the rest of the range of North’s Kites, and is built to last (we saw 2004 Rhino’s out here last week, what other company can you name that still has people riding it’s kites almost 10 years later).

Click on the image for more North Neo info:

We have some of the limited edition North Mugs in stock now, and with it being a little colder than usual at the moment, it’s the perfect opportunity to throw on the kettle after a session and have a hot brew!

Click on the image below for more info!

If you are really feeling the cold, also check out our ebay site for some cracking prolimit wetsuit deals

Check out this amazing deal on LiquidForce kite surfboards, with upto 40% brand new surfboards, and you get a free surfboard bag worth over £70 too! Amazing!

All in stock ready to ship, or come and pick one up.

Click on the image below for more info on this great deal:

Check out the latest range of 2013 Mystic Harness, just click on the image:

The GoPro 3 Black editions are now in stock, with Free Shipping too!
Click image below for more info:

So its been a while since hitting the water for a proper session, and after the madness of summer, it was nice to be able to get out yesterday, even if the conditions weren’t particularly inspiring at first.

Its always hard after looking through kite magazines and seeing all these lucious sunny locations, to put on your winter wetsuit and rig up in the horizontal rain! And i must confess to being like this myself, pulling on the 4.5mm suit, grabbing the beanie and boots as i walked out the door, my only benefit was that i’d be taking out the new 2013 Liquid force surfboard for a mash up in the confused seas (can’t really call them waves yesterday!).

Pumping the kite in the rain wasn’t great, but hit the water, head out through the mush and suddenly everything is forgotten. An hour flies by and i’m still toasty warm, even getting changed in the open helped out by my Poncho makes it ok.

I guess my point to this little scribe is that its all to easy to look at the window and think, nahh I’ll go next week, but do it now, don’t put it off, because you know when your out in those winter sessions, all toasty in your suit, with just a couple of other kiters around, that you’ll have a cracking session, and everyone else is missing out!

Want to get the most out of this winter? Check out our massive range of wetsuits, gloves, boots, beanies and socks!
Just click on the image below or head to http://www.brackleshamboardriders.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=15

So, lets get this straight from the start. We’re not riding waves like “one eye”, nor do we have Maui style waves here at the local spot in Bracklesham. What we do have is typical British weather and wave conditions – Perfect for finding out the best and worst from wave kiting gear!

Today, the first day after a flat calm weekend, we had a lumpy 25 knots dead onshore, and lumpy sea conditions to match. Down on the beach and rigging up the Cabo you notice straight away the amount of Dacron in the wing tip area and the use of the double ripstop cloth. This kite is built surf-strong.

Out on the water, using a wave board of course, the 7m Cabo kite behaves exactly how you’d expect any wave kite to behave. At the upper end of bar pressure compared to its rivals, the Cabo sits back nicely and will happily loop all day long, the size of those loops is easy to control – both the power and speed is constant throughout the loop – whilst the bar is comfy in the hand.

Power was as expected from the 7m, but an extra couple of knots really makes the difference allowing much faster changes of direction, with the kite going surprising far round (for a deep canopy design) when sending it before hitting the top of the wave.

The steering response does deteriorate when line tension is reduced, but the Cabo is happy hooked or unhooked, and will steer easily one handed. Nothing will keep it down in the water when bailing. In fact the relaunch is so spectacular, you wonder if the kite is allergic to water, and so good that we literally couldn’t keep the kite down!
We changed the settings on the back lines, moving up a knot to see if power really did increase, and it did a bit, but the extra bar pressure wasn’t worth it, and the kite behaved much better when allowed to “breathe”, rather than choking it. Jumping is possible, but again, it’s a wave kite not a super booster, so don’t expect to be winning any big air competitions on it

The Best Bar has also been redesigned this year and features a newer style quick release system, chicken loop and donkey stick, that are nicely produced. The sacrificial insert is still there and even one handed riding is comfy, with no annoying “bar pinch” with fingers either side of the depower rope. The depower strap will be familiar to all best riders and still works well, and the stopper (if you do use one) is still effective.

It has to be said that the 2013 Best Kite boarding gear closely resembles the 2012 North Kiteboarding range – it’s no bad thing. The chicken loop and donkey stick are virtually identical to North (though the quick release mech’s are completely different), the lines used are very similar, the cloth is a double ripstop (although we think it is different to the North D2 as it feels different to the touch), the new one-pump clips on the valves are similar to North’s old ones, even the canopy colours are similar to last years North Range. The price this year is also similar, but that point is for another day.

The Cabo is the kite from the Best Kiteboarding range for riding a wave board, and is preferred over others in their 2013 lineup. It can be used with older bars and so kiters wishing to add to their quiver can do so with ease. If you fancy moving across to the growing side of surf kiting, the Cabo will help, if unsure then stick to the Kahoona.

Kite Tested: 7m Cabo 2013
Board used: WAM 5’10
Rider Weight: 85kg
Wind: 23-28 knots

The big delivery of the North 2013 today, new rebel 2013, new trust bars and the new board range!
Call us to get yours!

The North Rebel 2013 Kitesurf Kite is now available!
New from North Kiteboarding, the 2013 Rebel is the biggest selling kite worldwide and it’s not hard to see why!
Click the on the image for more information -