When it comes to kiting, having the right kit can make all the difference to your experience on the water, how comfortable you feel, and in turn your progression. We've recently received both the Duotone Evo and the Evo SLS 10m, but what did we notice between the two, and which one is best for you? We tried both kites in winds ranging from 16-23 knots, down at The Beach in Littlehampton with James (84kg) and I (70kg) swapping between them. For reference, my kiting ability is, comfortable doing 10m kite loops with basic some rotations.
Firstly, what’s the difference between the Evo and Evo SLS?
The key difference lies in construction and performance. The SLS (Strong Light Superior) version features advanced materials, making it lighter, more reactive, and offering better performance in certain areas like vertical takeoff, hangtime and soft landings. But is that difference noticeable on the water?
Our thoughts on the Evo SLS
I started on the Evo SLS with factory settings. The first thing I noticed was the light bar pressure, almost as if I’d be underpowered on the water (the wind was a bit on the lighter side to start with). However, as soon as I moved the kite and built up speed, it felt really smooth and responsive.
After a few straight jumps to warm up and get a feel for the kite, I noticed the extra hangtime compared to kites I’ve previously used. The landings were super soft, especially during heli-loops and down-loops, I don't think I’ve ever come in so gently. This gave me confidence in the kite very quickly, so I started attempting rotations without any trouble feeling where the kite was, even when upside down or facing away from it.
As the wind picked up slightly, I kept an eye on my takeoff and kite position. The kite felt nice and high above me, giving me good vertical lift. That could only mean one thing — it was time to loop it. At this point, I was probably jumping in the 5-8m range.
I was slightly nervous before pulling the loop (as I always am with any new kite, especially 10m kites, which I find a bit harder to get around due to being lighter). As soon as I felt that solid vertical lift, I braced my core and cranked the bar, sliding my right hand to the very end of it for a wider grip. The kite looped around smoothly with a good downwind yank, given the wind strength. Once the loop was complete, the kite climbed back to 12 quickly, with a slight delay just before the catch, which I wasn’t used to. However, it still caught me nicely, resulting in a soft landing.
After checking the WOO after the session, I found that I managed to loop this kite and get caught from just under 5m, coming in with a lot of speed but landing softly. From about 6.5m-7m, I would get caught earlier, allowing for a much slower landing. After about six straight loops, I felt confident enough to try a couple of kite-loop late backrolls, which felt super easy on this kite.
Overall impression of the Evo SLS
I was super impressed with the kite's performance in this wind range. I had a really fun session doing a bit of everything on the twin-tip. The biggest highlight was definitely the extra hangtime and soft landings, which I wasn’t really expecting. It felt like the kite was really making use of every gust, whether it was a fast, vertical takeoff or a super smooth landing. I came off the water buzzing.
James said, "As I had suspected, the kite's lift gave me the confidence to pull kite loops, even on lower jumps. With its lighter bar pressure and quicker movement, it took a bit more time to find the sweet spot for takeoff. Similarly, both the kite loop and the landing loop required some adjustment. However, after tweaking my technique and getting a few runs in, I started to achieve consistent vertical takeoffs. This allowed for predictable kite loops with a smooth catch.
With more time on the water, I feel confident that my ability to attempt rotations during the loop will improve. Let’s face it, with the wind often hitting the 18 to 22 knot range here on the south coast, I suspect the Evo SLS will be an excellent kite for learning new manoeuvres, even on what used to be marginal looping days."
Our thoughts on the standard Evo
Next, we swapped kites, and I tried the standard 10m Evo, the first thing I noticed was the higher bar pressure, which made it feel a bit more powered while riding, it was super easy to feel where the kite was in the window. The steering felt ever so slightly less responsive than the SLS, but not by much.
After a few straight jumps, it felt like the kite wasn’t getting quite as far above my head on takeoff. However, I had a better sense of where it was in the sky during rotations. I then slowed my riding speed into the takeoff and found it a bit easier to build line tension, which gave me more confidence to loop the kite. The loop was very similar to the SLS but ever so slightly slower. That said, there was still plenty of time to get caught at around the 6m mark.
Overall impression of the Evo
The standard Evo was super easy to use, and I liked the feedback in the bar, especially for double rotations with down-loops/heli-loops, where I sometimes lose track of the kite. I think this kite would suit beginner-intermediate riders slightly more, as the constant pull and stronger bar feedback make it easier to feel where the kite is. By comparison, the SLS has lighter bar pressure, which makes kite position a bit harder to feel at times. James' thoughts: "As a bigger rider maybe with less technique, IÂ enjoyed the higher bar pressure as I often use this an a pre-take off indicator of how high or low I'm likely to go. With rotating at higher altitudes something I'm still working on, the pressure did allow me to track the kite, giving me added confidence in the air."
How Much Lighter Is the Evo SLS?
Weight matters when it comes to kite responsiveness, especially for loops, and the Evo SLS has a slight edge here.
10m Evo SLS: 2.75kg
10m Standard Evo: 2.94kg
This makes the SLS around 7% lighter than the standard Evo, contributing to its faster loops and improved agility.
Is the SLS worth the extra cost?
The Evo SLS costs 13% more than the standard version — £220 extra for the 10m. So, is it worth it?
If you’re kiting a lot and are at a similar level to me, I think it’s worth it. It might also be a better option if you're looking to get away with a two-kite quiver, as the SLS has a better wind range and would perform better in lighter winds if you were also kite-foiling.
If you’re buying your first kites or know you won’t be able to get down to the beach regularly, the standard version will be just right for you. You probably won’t notice those extra benefits of the SLS as much at that stage of progression.
Let us know your thoughts, and if it's windy, we are usually down at the beach... and always happy to talk kit! When the conditions are next suitable we will send out my wife, Emma on both kites and see what she thinks of the two!
You can find both kites online at Worthing Watersports here.
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