Naish Triad

The Naish Triad has long been the go-to kite for wave riders in Naish’s lineup, and its latest version continues this legacy by maintaining its core principles of being easy to use, predictable and surprisingly versatile. However, for the 2024 model, Naish has introduced new features aimed at enhancing its performance not only in waves but also for freeriders and beginners.

In terms of construction, the kite has undergone a comprehensive revision while retaining the renowned Quad-Tex Ripstop fabric, renowned for its exceptional strength, stiffness and durability, evident from the moment you touch it compared to other ripstops. Thanks to the stiffness of the canopy and the redesigned wingtips, Naish has managed to reduce Dacron usage on the tips and trailing edge. Traditional Dacron is still used for the leading edge and struts, reinforced with high-tenacity thread allowing for inflation up to 9 psi. The addition of a central luff and thin struts provides a more adaptable framework, enhancing low-end power. These changes, combined with reinforcement updates, have resulted in a lighter Triad, making it more responsive and better suited to light wind conditions. But let’s move beyond technicalities and discuss how the kite performs in flight.

The Triad has always been a favorite among wave riders, but surprisingly, it has also found fans among beginners and intermediate twintip riders. How is this possible, you ask? A good wave kite needs to excel in various aspects: providing powerful low-end performance to use smaller kite sizes but also good high end, offering excellent depower once on the wave, exhibiting exceptional drift down the line to minimize kite movement while surfing, and ensuring fast and reliable water relaunch. Most of these features are also essential for beginners and freeriders… Good wind range, especially on the low end, ease of use and good water relaunch. Taking advantage of these aspects, the new Triad introduces the Synergy Bridle System, which allows riders to adjust the kite’s behavior with a simple adjustment of one knot on the front bridles. This system offers settings for both wave and freeride conditions, along with two attachment points on the steering lines for varying bar pressure and speed.

Starting our test in the wave setting, the kite exhibits powerful low-end performance with very light bar pressure, tight turns and a remarkable feature: when looping or crossing the kite from one side of the window to the other, it maintains control without pulling you off the board. This makes surfing small waves, especially in side or onshore conditions that require frequent kite movement, effortless and enjoyable. The Triad’s drift down the line is excellent, ensuring a smooth ride even when depowered, making it a joy to ride on waves. It’s a kite that enables you to concentrate on the wave itself, rather than constantly worrying about kite control resulting in a smoother and more fluid experience in the wave. We also had the opportunity to test the 9m Triad on a 10-knot day for a foil session, and we were pleasantly surprised by how well it performed. The kite retained its characteristic features, making it an enjoyable experience, especially when some small waves rolled in.

Switching to the freeride setting and pairing it with a twintip, the kite undergoes a personality shift, offering medium to high bar pressure, deeper turns into the window and increased power with a solid pull and smooth power delivery, resulting in added lift and hangtime during jumps. These changes transform the Triad into a great kite for beginners and freeriders seeking an easy and accessible experience. Predictable and well-balanced, this kite provides a sheet-and-go feeling with a substantial low-end grunt, yet remains forgiving and easy to handle even in the event of mistakes.

With its Synergy Bridle System and versatile performance, the Naish Triad is sure to appeal to wave riders, freeriders and beginners alike, offering a kite that can adapt and perform admirably in any situation or conditions. It is a fantastic choice for wave riders who occasionally switch between their twintip or foil setups, as well as for beginners and freeriders who prefer versatility and adaptability in their sessions, catering to the conditions of the day.