North Neo on 5 or 4 lines

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LostDog
LostDog
WA
445 posts
WA, 445 posts
3 Nov 2015 7:19am
Recently got a great deal from my local kite shop on a brand new 2015 Neo.
Have flown Norths for a while and decided to use the 5 line option, because a have a few bars.

I've only used this kite a couple of times, but already love it. Bought it to try to ride directionals this season, and am absolutely gob-smacked by how this kite drifts. I am excited about where this season might end!

Anyway, a question I never really asked was why one would choose to use the 4 line bar over a 5 line, or vice versa.
Any one have a good explanation? (I suppose the obvious one is that it was designed as a predominately 4-line kite)

Thanks in advance.
Matt988
Matt988
WA
154 posts
WA, 154 posts
3 Nov 2015 10:35am
My 2c worth is just from a safety point of view I have a 2013 Neo and they were a dual front line flag on the 4 line bar and the bloody thing use to stay in the air if you pulled the safety. The 5 line would give total depower on the 2013s. The 15s are single flag now so not sure what the advantages would be for either bar
KiteBud
KiteBud
WA
1615 posts
WA, 1615 posts
3 Nov 2015 10:58am
If you have the 2015 North Bar as well, it should have a single front line safety system, which wasn't the case on 4 line North bars prior to that (If I'm not mistaken all 2014 and older 4-line North bars were on dual front lines). In terms of safety, there won't be much difference between a single front line vs the 5th line, so I wouldn't worry about it. 5th lines have the advantage of flagging your kite symmetrically, in other words as if your kite was secured on the beach, which is ideal in any emergency situation.

5th lines sometimes have the (rare) disadvantage of flagging your kite as pictured below. 5th lines can also wrap around your kite when you invert it for example.





As Matt says dual front line safety are not always flagging your kite out when activated, hence when the 5th line option was a greater safety alternative.

Apart from the Rebel, the 5th line isn't loaded on the other North kites, so has no impact on the flying characteristics of the kite.

Christian
Dave Whettingsteel
Dave Whettingsteel
WA
1397 posts
WA, 1397 posts
3 Nov 2015 12:56pm
I had 5 line rebels before moving to 4 line neos maybe 18 months ago. The Neo is unreal at relaunching even if you smash it in the waves.
Whereas the 5 line rebel was more prone to getting tangled up if it got rolled by a wave.
I would definitely go the 4 purely to not impact the stunning relaunch ability.
Matt988
Matt988
WA
154 posts
WA, 154 posts
3 Nov 2015 2:28pm
Dave Whettingsteel said...
I had 5 line rebels before moving to 4 line neos maybe 18 months ago. The Neo is unreal at relaunching even if you smash it in the waves.
Whereas the 5 line rebel was more prone to getting tangled up if it got rolled by a wave.
I would definitely go the 4 purely to not impact the stunning relaunch ability.


Agree 100% seen you get hammered a few times and think there's no way that's getting back in the air and next thing your up and off again. Easy to fly tangled after an invert to get you back to the beach instead of self rescue
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