2023 North Carve Kite

Size

5m, 6m, 7m, 8m, 9m, 10m, 11m, 12m, 13m

Brand

North

North Kiteboarding draws deep roots from North Sailing. The new North is not to be confused with Duotone who used to be branded as North.

The Carve is a powerful, reactive and controllable kite, ideal for carving up a wave face, tucking into a barrel or boosting strapless tricks. Engineered with a stable, lower aspect ratio design for fast pivot turns and excellent drift, the Carve has an extremely direct feel in both bar pressure and steering initiation.

For 2023, we’ve put the Carve back into its wave riding category. Refined bridling for a longer, more progressive travel means the kite feels smoother and more responsive throughout the full depower range. It is still reactive when you sheet out – to the very end. Improved overall balance also enhances drift, so when you’re surfing, it glides down the line, waiting for your bar input. More intuitive control – especially when the kite’s not visible on a big bottom turn, cut back, or in a barrel – means you can focus 100% on the surf.

The Carve has a slightly reduced leading-edge diameter and thinned-out profiles. This gives the kite smoother power delivery, improves the high-end wind range, and helps you ride deeper in the pocket for longer. The kite won’t pull you aggressively off the rail, and you’ll have softer landings when doing big jumps. The 2023 Carve will also relaunch faster in critical situations.

We’ve introduced lighter bladders in all sizes and a lighter 2-ply canopy reinforcement. This reduces weight and helps improve the turning speed in light wind while maintaining the Carve’s surf-tough durability. The Carve now flies faster, generating more power and board speed. It rockets upwind.

Experienced riders will benefit from the kite’s impressive power and efficiency, while intermediate riders will find it offers a smoother, more user-friendly ride. Freeride and Strapless Freestylers will love the improved hangtime and catch for kite loops and softer landings.

 

Includes: Kite, Kite Bag, Repair Kit

Features

  • Refined bridling for improved balance / drift / surf performance
  • Greater response throughout the full depower range
  • New durable lightweight 2-ply canopy reinforcement
  • Improved wind range with more high-end stability and more hangtime
  • High buoyancy leading-edge diameter slightly reduced for smoother power delivery
  • Two-stage arc with direct pivot steering
  • Highest quality low-drag
  • no-pulley bridle lines
  • Refined aerodynamic profile transition panels
  • Fast-launching swept leading edge design
  • 3x personalised performance tuning options
  • Kevlar reinforced strut system with bridle deflectors
  • HyperFlow rapid single-point inflation
  • Go Green Recycled PET kite bag

Materials

  • N-HTRS High Performance high tenacity ripstop canopy
  • DuraLite seam protection
  • Even lighter bladders in ALL sizes

Technology

Longer Travel for improved drift and smoother response

The Carve is a statically balanced, stable kite that resists nose diving. Its bridling ensures you’re able to maintain complete drift while sheeted in or out, riding a down-the-line or onshore wave. For 2023 we’ve refined the bridle to allow for a longer, more progressive depower travel.

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New durable lightweight 2-ply canopy reinforcement

A surf-tough exo-skeletal reinforcement completely surrounds the inner canopy, with extra wide reinforcements at strut ends. For 2023 we’ve updated the reinforcement material to a 2-ply canopy with a wider seam and new stitching method that’s both tough and durable. The two layers of canopy material are softer, allowing the kite to twist better and be more responsive.

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Improved wind range with more high-end stability and more hangtime

The Carve’s low aspect ratio design provides excellent stability and wind range. For 2023, we’ve maintained the linear power delivery and improved the high end slightly, ensuring the kite is rock solid when it needs to be, yet still has the control and manageability you need for jumps and tricks.

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Lighter bladders in ALL sizes

The lighter the kite, the faster the steering and the more lift it creates. For 2023 lighter weight bladders have been adopted into all sizes in the range. This additional weight reduction helps the new Carve to fly more efficiently, so the kite feels even lighter and more responsive in all conditions – and particularly in light wind.

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Smoother power delivery

The Carve has a high-buoyancy leading edge diameter for a rigid, stable kite frame which requires less inflation pressure. The high volume of air in the leading edge ensures the kite stays on top of the white water and is not easily crushed by the waves.

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Two-stage arc with direct pivot steering

The Carve’s responsive two-stage arc design enables tighter turns without excessive amounts of power. The two-stage arc allows the smooth-curved efficient central region of the kite to produce power, while straighter wing tips provide a more dynamic steering response.

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Highest quality low-drag, no-pulley bridle lines

All North bridle lines are pre-loaded and measured before cutting to improve accuracy and consistency. This results in reduced shrinkage, reduced elongation and improved longevity. Removing ALL pulleys from the bridle improves safety and gives the kite direct and precise handling. The end result is lower drag, more accuracy and a more direct feeling.

Refined aerodynamic profile transition panels

The profile transition panels ensure that as the leading edge expands, tension from the elongation doesn’t migrate into the canopy and a precise lateral profile shape is maintained as close to the leading edge as possible.

Fast-launching swept leading edge design

Allows more area in the centre of the kite for efficiency and makes the kite easy to roll off the water during critical relaunch in the surf. The Carve is not swept in the trailing edge like a bow kite, but it has a lot of curvature when viewed from the side, and the wingtips are not particularly wide.

DuraLite seam protection

Lightweight reinforcement to protect from chafing and abrasion along the struts to the leading edge. Thin foam padding is inserted underneath to form a lightweight durable buffer which lifts the kite slightly off rough surfaces and protects the stitching along the struts and leading-edge seams.

3x personalised performance tuning options

Bar pressure and steering impulse can be adjusted on the wing tip, allowing you to fine tune the kite’s characteristics to your personal preference. There are three options.

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Kevlar reinforced strut system with bridle deflectors

For the most accurate and durable connection between the strut and the leading edge. Bridle deflectors on the leading edge prevent the control lines catching on the struts.

HyperFlow rapid single-point inflation

Ergonomic high volume single point inflation system with large diameter hose for rapid inflation and deflation. The cap and valve base have been engineered for comfortable opening and closing in colder conditions (when your fingers are freezing). The bayonet style main inflation valve is compatible with most pumps. No adapter needed.

Go Green Recycled PET kite bag

Go Green. Every North kite bag is constructed from a reycled polyester ripstop which meets Global Recycling Standards. Recycled materials are also used to make our own custom webbing.

N-HTRS High Performance high tenacity ripstop canopy

All our kites are manufactured using high tenacity polyester yarn canopy material for lightness, high tear strength, zero porosity and longevity.

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