First of i would like to say that i am now riding for Naish.

I have been riding the cults for about 2 weeks now in all kind of conditions from 4 foot waves to no waves and riding on a foil board. First thing i notice coming from north kites is the different bar pressure at first it seems a lot lighter but after riding the cults for a bit i find that it not actually lighter but just different and after about an 1 hour on it i hardly knew i was riding a different kite. I have never liked riding kites with pulleys but i did not even notice them on this kite it seems to have a very direct feel which is what i like and i congratulate North and Naish for keeping it simple and not going the way of others with lots of pulleys.

Now one thing this kite excels at would be it's by far the easiest kite i have ever flown from the fastest relaunch i have every seen every time to fly it for three hours and not once having to think where it is, it always seems to be where you need its good to see the canopy stay nice and tight even at full depower there not a flutter.

Now wave riding which is the main thing i want a kite for and to be honest i was not excepting to much out of this kite for the waves. But i was really surprised when the kite sat nicely and drifted down wind perfectly and i felt right at home straight away. Now the kite is not the fastest kite on the market but it would have to be one of the smoothest there seems to be no stall points.

I did do a small amount of freestyle on it and i had no prob doing all my tricks on it and because it not to fast of a kite it stayed where you put it ( Which for me there days is at 12 o'clock) Jumping was good maybe not as fast a pull up as the helix or rhino but was still very good.

Pros
Good all round kite
build quality top notice ( Prob one of the best I've seen )
one pump
Wave rides Good
bar and lines are nice and clean easy to use
Relaunch super fast
Very user friendly

Cons
Wish the bar come with the stopper attached because i keep forgetting to put it on and the bar is always just out of reach.

That's all the cons i can think of for now if i think of more i will add them

This review is for the Cult 7.5 , 10.5 and the twelve they all seemed to fly the same as each other just a but faster as they got smaller.

Jacko

prob not the best person to do a comparison test as only flew the 08 for maybe ten mins in some sihty winds but the 09 rocks maybe when JB is allowed back on the forum he will do a comparison for you.

Jacko

I'm Back............

The biggest difference between the 08 and 09 CULT would be ease of use. The 2008 CULT is an awesome kite, very user friendly and predictable. I wouldn't have thought it was not possible to top this kite, until I flew the 2009 CULT. Relaunch is definitely quicker, Bottom end is a little better, top end about the same (amazing), but the big this is this kite just seems to know what you want it to do, it is so easy to fly. Slight refinements such as reduced drag in the wing tips, direct response steering make this kite respond and turn faster than ever with faster response and a more direct feel.

The CULT 2009 is even better suited to the user friendly market, or rider who wants the most simplicity and ease of use but achieving the best quality ride.

Regards,

JB