DUOTONE Mono 9m 2019
Reviews / Kites
102,827
At A Glance
The Mono is a one-strut light wind kite aimed at the freeriders and foilers who want a kite that will get them out in the slightest of breezes and be a lightweight travelling partner too. Completely redesigned for 2019 the kite features a much deeper chord depth than previous versions, and the diameter of the leading edge has been increased to generate even more power.
The bridle is made of a lighter weight material, and any extraneous components have been stripped back to the bare essentials. The boxy look of the kite is quite striking, with squared-off tips, and Duotone are pitching this predominantly at the foil market. The Juice is taking the mantle as their light wind freeride kite with a wider wind range.
The Mono is for the rider looking to save weight and have light wind performance on tap in the lightest of breezes. Despite the lightweight construction, the high-quality Duotone build quality is evident everywhere you look. Neat features like the increased diameter tubes on the one-pump system and Airport Valve II make set up and packing down a breeze.
Tuning options come in the form of the Adaptive Tips that allow you to tune how the kite flies, faster or slower, and the bar pressure too.
In The Air
The striking look of this kite is quite impressive; it’s been a while since we flew a kite with such a low aspect ratio. Typically kites with a design like this sit a little further back in the window and develop heaps of power. Sometimes traditions don’t change, and that is the case here. The large leading edge combines with the profile to generate huge amounts of low-end power.
Being a one-strut kite, this isn’t a tool to be flown overpowered. Any one-strut kite quickly shows up its inadequacies in these conditions. The Mono is for those lighter wind days and performs best at the lower end of the wind range. Essentially take a much smaller kite onto the water and enjoy the turning speed and fun this setup can create, especially with a larger more surf orientated foil set-up under your feet.
It was this set-up that often proved the most engaging, and in 8-10 knots, the 9m Mono performed incredibly well with a larger foil. The kite didn’t get overpowered, and the fast turning speed was fun and engaging to fly. If you are riding a twin tip, it’s easy to overpower the Mono, and it seemed to prefer a more mellow foil session to anything else.
Who’s it for? Anyone who loves hydrofoiling, or riding in light winds and who needs a lightweight kite. The trimmed back bridle, construction and design make this an exceedingly good kite to fly when the wind isn’t quite there. It’s fun to fly and dynamic in the hands. Be sure to ride a size or two smaller than usual, so as not to overpower it, and you will have lots of fun.
Overall
The Mono is a great choice from the Duotone range for foilers looking for a lightweight kite that can outperform heavier kites in light winds. The entire design and construction process from start to finish is about light winds. From the slimmed-down bridle to the light construction and the large diameter leading edge and low wind profile. Easy to relaunch, fun to fly, and with buckets of low-end power, the Mono has a lot to offer!
Videos
This review was in Issue 78 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit DUOTONERelated
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!
