Nobile Kiteboarding T5 134 x 41cm 2012
Reviews / Twin Tips
39,091
At A Glance
Ever since its initial incarnation as the 555 the T5 has excelled as a freeride machine, a magic carpet for the sea it is much loved the world over. Of course the years have passed and the T5 has seen a lot of changes. This year it is one of the best looking boards we have seen and we love the new Kiss Fin System, which means you don’t have to take a screwdriver with you on holiday. Just twist the fin tabs a few turns and you’re good to go! The strap and pad combo is one of the best on test and they are very easy to put on and take off. On the underside a shallow concave washes out to flat tips and the outline is rounded off at the tips too. The top deck is 3D moulded and the flex is quite soft.
On The Water
The pads on the T5 are just about perfect, very comfortable and backed up with the excellent straps they make for one of the best strap and pad combos we have come across. Through the chop the soft flex and slight concave make for a ride as smooth as melted chocolate and we didn’t get any harsh vibrations or knocks even in the roughest of conditions. Pop is good, although the soft flex obviously is geared towards a smoother ride than freestyle panache. Upwind is excellent though, the fins and sharp rails combining to really bite the water. The board was also pretty quick to get going in lighter airs and we really enjoyed the rail-to-rail carving, the flex allows you to really chuck it into a hard turn with the confidence it will bite all the way through and not skip out.
Overall
The old faithful gets a makeover and doesn’t disappoint, if a smooth ride is important to you, and you enjoy ripping turns then look no further!
Videos
This review was in Issue 34 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit Nobile KiteboardingRelated
By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!
