Hadlow ID and Hadlow Pro - Back to Back

The design and motivation behind the creation of the Hadlow Id really intrigued me - to take one of the most hardcore freestyle performance kites on the market, and tweak it to provide increased user-friendliness & windrange without compromising on performance. On a windless day I decided to put them side by side and take some pictures to compare...

Construction

The pictures (left) show a Hadlow Pro 11m (2011) with a 10m Hadlow Id on top.
The slashed wingtip design, SLE bride and 4 struts rather than 6 are obvious differences, but there are also some minor changes, such as subtle differences in outline shape.
It's interesting to see the two kites back to back when inflated, and notice the similarities of the leading edge tube - almost identical in diameter and shape.
The central section of the kite is very closely matched - its just at the wingtips where it all changes.

The bar is pretty similar apart from the safety system. The Id benefits from a mini-fifth which flags the kite onto both front lines, whereas the pro has an optional full fifth line for ultimate safety and ease of self landing.  

Performance Comparison

The Hadlow Id offers performance close to the Pro, yet with increased wind-range and user-friendliness.
The low end of the Id seems to be a couple of knots better than that of the Pro, and improvements on the high end also, when setup in low power mode. The Id also flies less on the front lines, causing the bar to be pulled away from you in the gusts more, which helps to iron out power spikes.
Relaunch on the Id is an improvement over the Pro; with the kite at the edge of the window it is flying again immediately, and is similar to relaunch when directly downwind.
Upwind performance seems comparable when powered, I expect the Id will have the edge when under-powered do to its improved straight line efficiency.

Bar pressure on the Id is slightly more than that of the Pro, and it offers very good levels of feedback and control for an SLE; yet the Pro still remains king in this department, with its excellent direct feel.
The Id generates most power when driven in straight lines or wide arcs, yet the Pro will continue to generate power on tighter turns - making it the pick for looping.

The Id is definitely an easier kite to boost or transition with - as you can just send it above and sheet in and pop to get airtime. The Pro requires more aggression and considerable backward send in order to get serious height. Both kites are very good to boost with, but its significantly easier to go big on the Id, and the float is also improved.
Both kites are a dream to unhook and pop with, and I was very impressed with the levels of slack provided by the Id - it's not quite as much as the Pro, but its still more than enough to give any serious wakestyler a big grin.

Which Kite?

For any intermediate wanting to improve their freestyle and make a start on unhooking, its a no brainer that the Id is going to be their best bet. But its really difficult to determine at which point of progression the Pro comes into it's own. This is really down to the great performance of the Id - there's never really going to be a level at which it's going to hold you back.
I think that once you've got a few handle-passes in the bag, then it'll come down to personal preference - whether improvements to bar feedback, slack and power in loops trump increased windrange & user-friendliness, ease of jumping & relaunch.

This is of course before the 2012 Pro has been released... in a few months things could be different :)