Nobile Kiteboarding T5 12m 2015
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
The Nobile T5 is a freeride kite aimed at the rider looking for a do-it-all machine that packs some performance too. It’s a 3-strut design with a reasonably deep chord depth for power and super wide wing tips to enable fast turning speeds. The bridle is short and sweet using two stainless steel sliders to allow the bridle to move as the kite is sheeted in and out. There is a direct connection to the rear lines and a one-pump inflation system as well. Dual connection points on the wing tip of the kite allow you to trim the turning speed and there are wing tip deflectors to stop the bridle getting tangled when you crash the kite.
The Bar
Nobile have a new bar this year, called the Uni Bar. It certainly looks the part on the website, a cleat system above the bar to replace the webbing, integrated floats and the excellent KISS chicken loop release. We didn’t get the new bar to test as it isn’t yet available, so we tested the kite on last year’s bar, the review for which is below, to save you hunting around…
The Nobile KISS bar has always been a staff favourite, comfy to hold and well thought out it utilises some clever ideas that are both functional and easy to use. The chicken loop release is simple and releases easily under load, there is an above-the-bar trim system that uses a webbing pull-pull set-up and the lines can be attached to the outer or inner attachment points on the bar to increase its effective size should you desire. It all comes in a neat package that feels great in the hands.
On The Water
The first thing you notice about the T5 is the raw power it produces, as a 12m it is quite a large kite when you lay it out on the ground next to other 12m’s. This added canopy means it has a very impressive low end that will get you up and riding in the lightest of airs while other riders with 12m kites are still waiting for a couple of extra knots. The airframe is very low profile with the leading edge being relatively thin, this means the kite can fly forward into the wind and fly fast. These two attributes add to the great upwind abilities and even riders who struggle will find the T5 happily pulling them back up into the wind. The wide wing tips allow the kite to have an impressive turn for a 12m, obviously it isn’t as fast as its smaller brethren, we tested the 10m a little while back, but it is no slouch for such a big powerful kite. Relaunch is very good, although when the kite is at the bottom of it’s range, around 11knots, depending on weight, you will need to put some effort in to get it off the water. Jumping is great fun on the T5, the low aspect ratio offers plenty of hangtime and float. Unhooked the kite behaves really well and it’s great for wakestyle tricks as it is reasonably stable.
For
Lots of low-end power, great upwind and fun to jump, plenty of hangtime and well behaved when unhooked.
Against
The top-end is reached earlier than some kites, but then the low-end is very impressive so this is to be expected.
Overall
If you are looking for a powerhouse for the summer, that is still fun to ride and will allow you to perform tricks and ride unhooked then the T5 could well be it.
Videos
This review was in Issue 46 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!
