Sizes Tested(m): 9, 12
Sizes Available(m): 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14
Control Bar: Fusion Control Bar
Review Synopsis: Powerful and direct, but nimble and fast, with adaptable pivot ingenuity.
The Good Stuff: Back with some fine tuning, the Pivot took the formidable Naish kite line to new levels of performance. They turned to a more swept wingtip, central-pivoting kite for their dedicated wave design. The Pivot offers some exciting performance features that make it great in the waves and a blast for boosting and high-performance freeriding. It’s an optimum blend of low end power and direct, even punchy power that can shut off easily and smoothly. The Pivot’s turning is quick and direct but with fast and smooth, no-pull, pivotal turns that its name suggests. It also offers the more technical rider the ability to use its speed, power and lift to get some big boosts. If you know how to jump big and with speed, this kite can be exciting to freeride with. The three-strut frame is well balanced and provides great drift down the line. You can change the direction of the Pivot while highly depowered, which gives it great range and can keep you on the wave in certain conditions.
The Trade Off: Great linear depower, but not the easiest for unhooked freestyle. Not as adaptable for pop-and-drop style freestyle as it offers little slack on the back lines and can run away downwind.
Best For: Intermediate to advanced free riders that want a smooth-pivoting, quick depowering wave kite that is also good at boosting and has great upwind drive and direct feel.
