North 2013 light wind freeride+big airs kite: Fuse or Dyno?

[mr moon]

Can it be flown on the 5th element bar on 5 lines??

Both 4 and 5 lines. I ride with 5 lines. 5th line is not loaded. In the front lines it has different setup (different knots to connect the lines) for 4 line and 5 line bars.

Different from the Rebel then.. Which size do you fly?

[Billy B.]

I have now had a bunch of days on both kites, and love the fuse 16m. I boost , it Hangs, it unhooks ok, it one pumps and it is burley,

Because I am a snowkite guy the release dates of the fuse and dyno force me to use them on water for a while then on snow, becuase I like to glide n stuff, I try and use my dyno as little as possible to save it for the winter, but in years past with our light winds I have been forced to use it.

This year I also got a 16m fuse to try and limit use on my big dyno, and it is sick.... My dyno only comes out on race board days now!

The new 16 is not a race kite at all. It is friendly, easy to use has nice progressive feel in the bar, and a very good high end, I have come in on it and gone back out on 9m and was fine.

I have flown all of Norths big kites since 2011, this fuse is a awesome blend of light wind weapon and playful mid kite feel, I have done big loops, unhooked 720 loops, little loops, big driftey airtime style, so far I have ridden race board, twin tip, surfboard and alia behind it, so gooooooooddddd...just fun and friendly, very easy to get used to, it took on big jump to feel at home, this is my go to kite now.

The Dyno 17 is now a full blown race kite and if you can fly a race kite you Will be rewarded, it is firmer then other dynos, it boost to the moon in good winds, but also needs good skills for soft landings, if not fully powered, the kite goes up so well this year, it just rips to the zenith, it makes lots of lift but needs input to land softly. On the new race bar it has super range, I fly both kites on 27 meter lines in light wind. I was out in 17 knots yesterday on 17 27m lines and race ltd and was very powered but because the dyno sits deep and depowers better the ever, I was having a blast, I should have been on a smaller kite, but I made do, I have flown the 17 and 16. While others were on 10m kites.

They are much different kites and the 17 has more low end but just when you move the kite, the 16 parks great up high and just keeps pulling, the 17 again needs input.

The 16 uses the entire throw of the bar,while the 17 feels like a new school race kite with lots of depower and a shorter stroke and throw. The kites feel different in the bar and act different in the air, personal trimming and preference are adjustable but you couldn't make these kites feel the same. One is for sure a race monster that pulls you hard and fast,the other is a sweet fun ride that has some room to make mistakes.

I have flown the 2013 zephyr also and think the 16 is a closer comparison. most of the zephyr guys who have flown my fuse have asked to borrow it again when I am flying dyno. I have also flown the 2013 edges,and the dynos and edges are very similar, I would look to the race results for the true winners,but both kites are at the top of the list all the time.

I am sooooooo happy with my fuse and would choose it if I could only fly one of them as a lite wind kite,becuase I have a race board when it is super light and can ride either kite when other big kites are on the beach waiting for more wind. the dyno has a couple of knots, and would win races, but the fuse is just fun, and i love how it feels when boosting over powered, But luckily I have them both, and don't have to.

The fuse on. 25. And 22 meter lines is super super super fun....

[Westozzy]

Nice review billy mate ta. Puertz will appreciate it.

[Puetz]

Nice review billy mate ta. Puertz will appreciate it.

... you bet I do ... thanks heaps Billy!

[Westozzy]

Yeh your description of the Fuse really matches my expereince on the zephyr. Just so much fun, especially when you get in the low to mid teens (only 75kg) and at 18 knots its even better!!!

Stable, quick turning compared to the race kites and just gives you that nice blend between apparent wind efficiency and static grunt. You don't fly as fast as on the edge, but pull that bar in and you get this amazing static grunt that rips you upwind albeit at a slower speed. I know guys who are unhooking on the zephyr to up to 15 knots. Sounds like the fuse is in that category, but may have an even slightly less aspect that may be even better in waves (for a 16m that is)...

Love to have a go on the new fuse to compare but nobody I know has one!!

[WndRdr]

Can it be flown on the 5th element bar on 5 lines??

Both 4 and 5 lines. I ride with 5 lines. 5th line is not loaded. In the front lines it has different setup (different knots to connect the lines) for 4 line and 5 line bars.

Different from the Rebel then.. Which size do you fly?

I ride the 16.

Yes, it is different than Rebel. But not too much. I would say the feeling is between Rebel and Evo.

I agree everything Billy B said about the Fuse 16. This is really the first big kite that I really like to ride. I have tried older Dynos, older Zephyrs, Flysurfers and big C-kites.

[Westozzy]

Yeh the new zephyr is a very very different kite.

All great info now on a kite we couldn't get much on which is great. Something between a rebel and a evo...nice.

[mr moon]

Hey Billy, that is a real good review! Cheers buddy
When you say:

the dyno has a couple of knots, and would win races, but the fuse is just fun, and i love how it feels when boosting over powered

do you mean that is more fun to boost on a Fuse than on a Dyno? As that is exactly the information I was looking for.
I like to jump on biG kites in light to medium winds and so far I get that the Dyno is better for upwind and racing... but you don't normally jump in a race do you?
Spoken to a local dealer and he says not to bother with the Fuse as the Dyno is the light wind weapon, light build, low end and upwind is what excels in and in his view the Fuse is not up to the game in less than 15kn even in a 16m.
Sooooo confused....
I'm not looking to go out in less than 10kn anyway..

[Westozzy]

Moons there is always a compromise. I can only relate the zephyr versus the 17m edge of which I have ridden both. The edge will have a better low end, it is more efficient, it build apparent wind more, it is higher aspect. But its a lot slower to steer than the zephyr, needs technique to jump and when you do you don't get as vertical as on the zephyr. A more floaty glide if you like.

Plus I'm not one to unhook an edge, do t know many that would. Lol.

And yeh really the zephyr is a teens kite. For me at only 75kg that can be a low teens but for the average guy 80 to 90, yeh it is super fun in 15 knots, so the info your man is giving you is true in some sense.

I do think though from older Dynos, they have more static grunt than the edge ( i have ridden a 2011) but the new Dynos sound like they have become more edgy, more higher aspect race orientated. Maybe, only guessing from what I've read.

So what do you want? Having a blast in 15 knots, doing most o father stuff you can do ona smaller kite, powered of your ass, just having a ball. Or cruising speed runs on the dyno, unless ya Toby of course, but he's nuts. And again he is still on the 2011 Dynos and staying with them it seems.

If I wanted to be in light winds myself I'd go a 19m edge anyway, not a 17m. Most crew I know and have read are loving the 19m edge and have gone away from the 17. Some replaced that 17 with the zephyr.

So the fuse 16m, yeh 15 knots up sounds about right unless ya on a real race board. If ya on a race board ya might as well be on a dyno...lol...comprimise!

Hence I'm on a light wind TT a skim or a SB 10 to 12 knots and after that on a normal square tip TT throwing down all I know and trying new stuff as well. My next kite is a 10m edge, so that may give you how good the upper range is of the zephyr. Sure the fuse would be similar.

[Puetz]

Hey Toby,

have you had any more time on the Fuse 18m (albeit a proto)? Have you had a chance to ride the 2013 Dyno 17m or even the 19m Edge. We'd love to hear your perspective on the subject.

cheers,

Robbie