2023 Duotone Evo D/Lab Review

Duotone has introduced the Evo D/LAB, a high-performance all-rounder kite that is designed to take freeriding to the next level. The Evo D/LAB is an improvement of the popular Evo kite, and it offers riders a unique experience on the water that is hard to come by with regular kites. The kite is built using Aluula frame construction technology that reduces its overall weight by up to 30%. This reduction in weight makes the kite incredibly light and ensures it can fly in the lightest of winds.

2023 Duotone Evo D/Lab Key Features

• Aluula frame construction technology
• Pulley-less bridle system
• Great lift and hangtime
• Wind range
• Total control
• Easy to access high performance
• Suitable for freestyle, freeride, hooked freestyle, and wave riding

2023 Duotone Evo D/Lab Session Impression

with Dustin & Jake

This is Jake and Dustin, and today we're here to give you our early impressions on the all-new Duotone Evo D/Lab. This is a kite we've waited a long, long time for. We saw Duotone introduce D/Lab, or Aluula, with the Juice, and then they followed with the Neo, and now they finally gave us the kite we really wanted, the Evo, the all-rounder. Is it worth it?

First Impression: Expanded Wind Range

Dustin: I had a session on a 9m. Being a bigger guy, I immediately noticed that the wind range is absolutely massive. The winds are crazy up here in Michigan; you're going to get a vast range of every condition. Right off the bat, it was blowing 25 and I had no problems, but then the wind did drop down into the teens for a second. That kite sits so far forward that it has so much upwind drive it's crazy. So I was able to get back to where I started with no Walk of Shame. So the first thing I noticed was the wind range, and the second thing was how far forward that kite really sat in the wind window.

Benefits of a D/Lab Leading Edge

Jake: One of the big benefits of the D/Lab material is that it does allow for a much smaller leading edge, so it's going to be really stiff. It's quite a small diameter when you compare it with other kites. On the Evo, it's really apparent. I wouldn't call it a super deep canopy, but relative to the leading edge it looks rather deep, so you get the best of both worlds. You get a kite that drives pretty far forward in the window, and that's what helps give you that upwind drive, that great low end performance, as well as the performance on the top end that we'll get into. You can also back off it, and it's a playful, fun, deepish canopy kite, which I like. Sometimes, when you have those leading edges that get really thin, that canopy thins out and feels a bit like a parachute, which is fun, but then you're really yanking on the bar to turn it. I didn't experience that with the D/Lab; I thought it was really fast-turning. To your point, where it was driving forward and working well in the 9m size, people talk a lot about the Aluula or D/Lab material giving you a lot more on the low end. You did find that to be the case?

Dustin: Oh, totally. It's so light that the kite is almost lighter than gravity. I'm on the beach trying to pump this thing up, and it's just floating away as soon as I flip it over. You've got to bury it in the sand or have something to weigh that thing down, because it's going to want to take off on you.

Jake: I noticed that, too. When I pumped it up, I would face it against the wind and it'd luff a little bit and was scooting right along the beach, which is quite annoying when you've spent three thousand dollars on a kite. So as Dustin said, maybe this is where you bust out the sandbag. I put a scoop of sand with beach shells on it and was hoping it didn't rip the canopy. When I went out, I was able to use the 13m. It was blowing 22-24, up and down, so we were appraising which kite I should rig. We saw a couple people on nines and tens, and a couple people quite powered up on a 12. I'm a firm believer that you always rig big, especially when it's cold water. I don't want to swim in. I was on a 9m my last session as I drowned of hypothermia at pier length out. So you've gotta go big. I pumped up the 13m and I was a little nervous, especially as I watched Brad rig his 12 right before that, and he looked pretty powered up. But once I got that kite in the sky, I found that one of the big benefits of this material is not only on the low end, but at the high end there's so much power control.

Dustin: Yeah, for how light of a kite it is, it's wild. I have just been getting into loops this year, and it's the easiest kite to loop. There's definitely grunt behind it. It just isn't going to be super smooth and buttery like the Rebel, and it definitely has a little bit of a catch time to it.

Jake: It does, yeah. It's not pivoty; it's a little bit more swept in its turn.

Dustin: It's an all-around great kite. We were playing in the waves with it yesterday, and it's got a decent amount of drift. I would call it more of a wave kite than a foil kite, but I'd say it's a stellar all-around kite.

Boosting Ability

Jake: We spent a bit of time up at the pier testing its boosting ability and doing some tricks, and I had a really good time. It just boosts so big and it's so comfortable. You get up there, you kick it back, and you're like, "I'm gonna go for a dip," and then you yank it through the window and it pulls you right out or you downloop it and it carries its power pretty well through the turn. It doesn't dump it all, but it doesn't pull you off your edge, either. There's a lot of control that you get. It's kind of a hard concept to describe, but it's a kite that you feel really comfortable with, and I feel like it's very in tune with the amount of input you give it at the bar level.

Drifting in Waves

Jake: After we spent a little bit of time up at the pier, the fishermen were starting to get agitated, and we try not to agitate the fishermen. They're out there on a 50 degree day, the water's washing over them, the wind's blowing, they're not catching a dang thing, and they're blaming us. They weren't going to catch anything regardless, but out of respect for our fellow human beings, we did go down to the waves. Plus we didn't want any parking lot altercations.

So we went down to the waves, and I was so impressed. For a 13m, I was having so much fun playing in the waves. It's always fun being in the waves with a twintip because you can really edge into it and hold that power. I wasn't finding any dead spots with the Evo, especially as I was looping it.

To your point with drifting, I'm excited to try it on a smaller kite. I do think it's not like a dedicated surf kite's drift, and I did feel a little bit of lag, but I wasn't sure if that was because it surges so far forward in the window and then, when I backed off, it immediately pushes back, but it wasn't falling out of the sky at any point. Going back to the lightness, it does catch itself, and it engages fairly quickly when you give it the bar input. On some kites there is that lag, and then you get chomped by a wave and it's scary, but I didn't have that with the Evo. It just drives forward again and gets you right back upwind to where you started, which is really nice. That makes it easy to control on the high end.

Because it pushes so far forward in the window, you can edge out a lot of your power really easily, and then if you want it back, you push out and it drifts back and sits a little bit further. When we look at the Evo D/Lab versus all the other Evos, we have the regular Evo that's going to sit the furthest back in the window. Then you have the Evo SLS that's going to be a little bit further forward and is going to be a little bit lighter and stiffer than the regular Evo, and then the D/Lab is the top of the line. I think it's my favorite freeride kite that I've ridden to date; I think it's magical.

Dustin: Going back to where it sits in the window, the D/Lab's going to sit the furthest forward in the window compared to compared to the other two Evos.

Jake: Yeah. I was really impressed.

The Not-So-Hot

Jake: Now, if we go into a few things that I'm not super hot on with regards to the Evo D/Lab, I think the first thing is the price. It's a wee bit ridiculous. What are we looking at, $2600 to $3200 based on the size kite you go with? That's a lot of coin. Though when we got off the water, we were talking about how it does feel like you could almost eliminate a kite size from your quiver. Let's say a traditional quiver would maybe be 14 / 10 / 7. You could potentially go with a 13 / 9 with the Evo D/Lab, and then if you look at quiver savings, it's not quite as ridiculous. I think that's one way to look at it. But I think the people who are really going to like this kite are the ones where money just isn't that much of an obstacle; congratulations, you've won. Treat yourself- The Evo D/Lab is your trophy. I would have a whole quiver of them if it made sense; it's awesome. Even though you do have a much larger wind range, I think if you pair it in traditional power bands, that thing is going to be sweet like apple pie. So that's a downside.

Another kind-of-silly downside is how it's so light that it can blow away on the beach, so think about that when you launch.

They've picked that digital theme for this year... polka dots? Is that freckles? Is that a poppyseed muffin in the sky? It's just splattered on randomly, and it's such a minor, petty grievance, but I think when you have a kite that is this expensive, you should make it look a little nicer.

I did find that when rigging I had to be a bit more careful. I should actually roll it all the way out so there are no twists when I rig anyway, but I twisted it the first time pumping it up because I just dumped it on the sand and started inflating, and the leading edge is so thin that it just flipped. I thought maybe I was going to be out of luck, but it was okay and I let out some air.

It does have the Duotone valve, love it or hate it. I think most people just tolerate it; it's kind of like Apple where they can dictate what they want for a charging system because their products are epic, and that's what Duotone feels like. But you've got to have the right Duotone adapter. I did not yesterday; I was missing the seal, so it was a two-man pump job for a little bit.

Those are mostly minor annoyances; other than that, I might need to ride it a bit more to really focus in on something that I don't like, but I think if I wanted the best all-around kite on the market and money was out of the equation, this would be it.

Dustin: Yep, I would totally agree, hands down.

Jake: We've been kiting for a long time, and there's just something special when everything comes together. It feels like the culmination of kiting.

D/Lab vs. SLS vs. Standard Evo

Jake: One thing to note with regard to the Evo SLS and D/Lab is that's just going to be the leading edge and the struts that the material affects. They all have the PentaTX material in the actual canopy. With the D/Lab, you're going to save about 30 percent in terms of weight, and the lighter weight is nice, but I think it's really the stiffness and the size of the leading edge that makes the biggest difference. I really look forward to spending more time on this kite this season. Selfishly, I'm going to want to spend more time on it than I'm going to be able to because we've got to keep bringing you kite reviews. A caveat to that is, if it is out of your budget, don't fret too much. Modern kites are so awesome and there's so much fun to be had.

Dustin: Totally, and SLS is a great option too.

Jake: Or even the regular Evo. The D/Lab is like a finely-tuned sports car.

Dustin: Exactly. You're not going to notice a crazy difference. Pros are going to hop on and be able to tell, and we've been riding for a while so we can feel it. But if you are just looking for a great all-around kite, you might want to look more towards the standard Evo. We're looking to upgrade to the SLS, but if you've got the coin, you might as well throw down.

Jake: This is it. Don't hate on us too much, please. If we had to go test ride a Lamborghini, we would probably say it's our favorite car ever, but you don't see us driving Lamborghinis. We've just tasted the sweetest fruit, and we're hooked. Check out the Evo D/Lab if you have the chance. If it's not in the budget, befriend somebody who has it because they'll probably upgrade next year, and maybe you can buy theirs for a song. There were some concerns about the longevity of the material, but we really haven't seen any issues, so you should be able to scoop one up in the future for a great price. It's a really fun kite, but these days all kites are fun.

As always, thanks for checking us out. This has been Jake and Dustin with MACkite.

2023 Duotone Evo D/Lab Takeaways

• The Evo D/LAB is incredibly light and can fly in the lightest of winds.
• Its reduced weight and stiffness make it incredibly dynamic and provide great acceleration.
• The kite delivers the most responsive ride and reacts to your inputs like an extension of your arms.
• The kite's hangtime and power are unmatched, and it delivers an experience on the water that is unlike any other.
• The Evo D/LAB is suitable for a wide range of riding styles, including freestyle, freeride, hooked freestyle, and wave riding.
• The kite's Aluula frame construction technology and pulley-less bridle system ensure it is incredibly durable and long-lasting.

Conclusion

Overall, the Evo D/LAB is the pinnacle of technology and design, and it is a unique kite that will offer riders a performance on the water that will blow their minds. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced rider, the Evo D/LAB is the kite to try out. Its lightweight construction, dynamic handling, and incredible power make it a must-have for any kitesurfing enthusiast.

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