My first impression after borrowing the JN PrimaDonna for about 15min from a friend was WHOOOOOO, I want one. I was afraid of posting a review after such a short test and I know that I would get slammed if it later turns out that the kite is not as good for example when the conditions change. I now own a quiver of those ladies: 16 : 12 : 7. I have used them a lot in all sorts of conditions from super gusty to a constant sea breeze, from flat water, to chop, to MASSIVE waves. We did a lot of comparative testing with North kites, Gaastra, Cabrinha, Caution, Slingshot and Flexifoil kites on our local beach. Now I can truly and honestly say that those kites ROCK! The PD is the best kite we have ever used. I am mostly using a 128 twin tip and a directional wave board. I run a Kiteshop and we stock other major brands as well. The JN kites are probably more expensive for us than other brands hence I am not biased.
Comments about the PD12:
Very big wind range. It is not a grunty kite but can be moved quickly to generate apparent wind speed. The upper wind range is truly amazing. The kite never has the tendency to pull the rider over the edge. You stay in control. It flies nicely into the window with minimal chicken loop stroke.
It is a fast kite. VERY stable, constant pull and smooth in gusty conditions. I do not want to miss this advantages for wave riding anymore. If the lines go slack, the kite drifts back into the window and doe not fall out of the sky. It saved my ass on several occasions.
The boosting power is what makes it special. I had my highest jumps with this kite. The PD jumps high and hangs forever. Perfect for learning tricks or just for enjoying the view. The jumping potential results from a combination of the quick board speed the PD is able to generate, the ability to control it easily when powered up and most likely from some hidden magic they injected into this kite. I never had a mid-ar kite which jumps like that.
Turning speed is extremely fast. The kite pivots around the tips. Bar pressure is medium.
Some negative points: the canopy gets tiny holes when stored on a pebble beach and weighted down with stones. It’s a Stradivarius, don’t abuse the lady! Otherwise the construction and the materials are high quality. My PD12 has been dropped three times in double head high shorebreak and came out smelling of roses. I am missing a valve on one of the tips to roll the kite in from one side. The standard bar system is very secure but to heavy for unhooked riding. The kite only has one backline attachment point on each side. It’s a shame the PD12 turns so fast that I hesitate to sell it a pure beginner. The stability and the smoothness would otherwise make it the perfect kite for learning.
The gap form PD16 to PD12 is perfect. The gap between PD12 and 7 is quite big. If I am feeling rich I will probably get a PD9 as well. I will post a review about the PD16 and PD7 shortly.
M2C