Naish Psycho Review: High Jumps and Progression in One Stated Purpose

A big-air kite is normally labelled "for advanced riders" and left at that. The Psycho is stated as "high jumps and progression after lessons" — a combination worth unpacking, because it contradicts the usual logic.

The short version

• Sizes: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.5 m².
• Version: [Q]Series, 2026 season. A Psycho NVision also exists.
• Purpose: high jumps and progression after lessons.
• Price: from 1 576 €; NVision from 2 320 €.

How jumping coexists with progression

We have written many times that a big-air kite does not suit a beginner: plenty of lift where you cannot yet control takeoff is a poor combination. That is true and remains so.

But there is a nuance, and it lies in how a kite delivers lift.

Explosive lift throws you up sharply as you enter the power zone. Spectacular, but it demands exact timing: get it wrong and you either did not go up or went up sideways.

Steady lift raises you smoothly and keeps carrying you through the jump. Less height for the same effort, but repeatable results.

We covered that in detail in our Switchblade review, a kite that has stayed on top for fifteen years precisely on predictability.

"Progression after lessons" in the Psycho's stated purpose means exactly this: the kite delivers height without punishing an imperfect takeoff. You can learn to jump on it rather than only jump.

Psycho against Pivot within the range

The main Naish decision, because both are universal in spirit.

The Pivot — "freeride and waves". Emphasis on turning, sizes 6 to 14 m, from 1 225 €.

The Psycho — "high jumps and progression". Emphasis on lift, sizes 6 to 13.5 m, from 1 576 €.

The 351 € gap is not about class but about the base version: the Pivot has one, while our Psycho listing starts at [Q]Series.

The rule is simple. If you go out to jump, take the Psycho. If you go out to ride and jumping is a bonus, take the Pivot. There is no middle answer, and that is fine: Naish has enough models that you need not compromise.

Eight sizes with a 13.5 m ceiling

The range stops at 13.5 m, and that is deliberate.

Big air uses the middle of the range. We explained the mechanics in the Orbit and Switchblade reviews: lift follows area, so jumping takes a size up from freeride — but not indefinitely.

An oversized kite turns more slowly and reaches its upper wind limit sooner. And big air happens at that upper limit, where fourteen and sixteen metres are already inappropriate.

Hence the ceiling: the Psycho lives where jumping lives. For light wind Naish points you at the Boxer 16 m or the Pivot LW 17 m.

And once again a fractional 13.5 — as on the Core XR8. Such numbers mean the ladder was built around power curves.

Which sizes to buy

Jumping takes a size up from freeride: lift follows area.

• under 70 kg: 8 and 10 m²
• 70–85 kg: 9 and 11 m²
• 85–95 kg: 10 and 12 m²
• over 95 kg: 11 and 13.5 m²

The general logic is in our size table.

On the NVision version

The Psycho NVision starts at 2 320 € against 1 576 € for the [Q]Series. A 744 € gap.

NVision is Naish's construction ceiling, and it works as everywhere: lightness delivers more lift and longer hangtime. On the mechanics, see our suffix guide.

Whether it is worth it for big air depends on hours. If you jump every session and are limited by height, the difference is real. If you jump every third session, that money belongs in coaching: two days working on takeoff with an instructor buys more metres than changing construction does.

Who it suits

Anyone learning to jump. A rare big-air kite that says so in its stated purpose.

Anyone who jumps but does not compete. Steady lift raises your average.

Anyone who has outgrown an all-rounder. A logical next step after a first kite.

Who it does not suit

Complete beginners. "Progression after lessons" means after lessons, not instead of them.

Wave riders. You want turning and drift — that is the Pivot.

Freestylers. You want slack — that is the Torch.

Light-wind riders. The ceiling is 13.5 m.

Common questions

Can I buy a big-air kite straight after lessons?

The Psycho, yes, because its lift is steady rather than explosive. Most big-air kites, no.

Psycho or Pivot?

The Psycho if you go out to jump. The Pivot if you go out to ride and jumping is a bonus.

Why does the range stop at 13.5 m?

Big air happens at the top of the wind range, where large sizes are inappropriate. For light wind, the Boxer or Pivot LW.

Is the NVision worth it?

If you jump often, yes. If rarely, that 744 € buys more metres spent on coaching.

Which two sizes?

For 75 to 85 kg, 9 and 11 m². Jumping takes a size up from freeride.

Where to buy

Naish Psycho [Q]Series 2026 from 1 576 € and the Psycho NVision from 2 320 €. The brand is in our Naish review.