People do not discuss these kites very often.I got the chance to fly a 3.4 NPW5 in some strong winds and this kite is awesome.I am just wondering now what a NPW9 5.3 would be like. Are they a well kept secret or do people ,for some reason, not like them? Just wondering.Is there anyone out there that flys the bigger versions.

I tried a parawing 2.4 when I was looking for my first kite I remember it had amazing pull. I even went out and bought the materials to make my own but never got around to it. I would love to know how these kites perform with a buggy. No one I know flys a parawing anymore, a few have them but they never see the light of day.
I would imagine that they pull sideways and don't have good upwind capabilities. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has buggied with one.

I started Kitemountainboarding with a NPW5 250 (4.8 m2). Now I always fly a KS4U 4.9 m2 (it's a ram air, same as the quadrifoil for buggies). Here is my opinion.
The pull of the NPW5 is impressive, but definitely NOT smooth.
Upwind performance is not to compare with that of a good ram air.
They are very cheap, although kites like the Firebees are not much more expensive.
They are indestructable.
They take very little room, so you could always have a full set in your car.
They look funky!
All in all, I would recommend it to anybody who wants to start with quad-kite-traction. I don't think it is a choice for those who look for real performance.
If the new NPW9 really has 10/15% more upwind capabilities, it would become more interesting.
Bye

hi all,i fly a npw9 5.3 and think they r great.far better than the npw5's.they are faster,have more pull and more importantly are great upwind.tim