So it’s been quite a while since I did a review of any new kit I tried out and liked, and now that I’ve had my brand spanking new Nobile NHP 3D 2010 board out on the water for a number of sessions I figured I should give it a review.
So the first thing I noticed out of the box was was the massively different rocker, it looks a lot more like a wakeboard than a Kiteboard, and it’s obviously being aimed at a more wake focused rider. So this being said I was a little apprehensive about how it would perform in the wind chop that we get in Cape Town. First time on the water it just felt so beautifully smooth, so that worry was totally unwarranted. The next thing I noticed was the almost zero amount of spray that came of the heel edge and up into my face while kiting, I’ve got no idea which part of the board design is responsible for this, but it seriously makes a huge difference.
Next thing I noticed was the Pop, now a lot has been said about it and brands always mention this as a selling point, but i noticed a huge amount more effortless pop than my previous ‘06 555 board. The 3D moulded bottom is another selling point from nobile, it’s basically a wakeboard style channel system that runs the length of the board, and it does make a fairly significant difference to landings, they just feel a lot more stable than my previous board, so yes, not just marketing hype on that one either.
One bit of marketing hype is the human concept (?), what a name! And seriously, a slightly different shaped toe edge to heel edge is not a new concept at all, it’s been around on snowboards for ages. The difference is barely noticeable, the one on the new T5 is very noticeable, so i’m not quite sure on why it’s such a huge part of the board description.
Last but not least that I should mention is the inclusive IFS Pro footpads, which I’m a huge fan of, at least they aren’t an additional cost when buying the board.
That about sums up my experience on the board, I’m really enjoying it and will leave you with the following images:
(Mine’s the black one, oooh she’s a beauty!)

nobile_nhp_3D_kiteboard

nobile_nhp_3D_kiteboard_specs

More details on the nobile website:

http://www.nobilekiteboarding.com/#/board-nhp