Hi all,
Fitted my new bladder to my ozone instinct sport 15 and all good now - no leaks!
I see a few Ozone kiters here so I've got a couple of questions:
I remember reading in the instructions that you can fly this kite without the 5th line - does anyone here have any experience doing this? Just that I do a bit of surf kiting and I'd hate to wrap the 5th line round the kite.
Also a noob question - what exactly does the 5th line do? Reason I ask is it's usually quite slack and there is no adjustment on it.
I don't fly this kite too much as I'm pretty stoked with my 07 12 meter naish 4 line - I've flown it about a dozen times but my boxer hundreds.
Cheers
I don't think Ozone put anything in the instructions saying that the kite can be flown without the 5th line. But I'd be interested if you could find the quote.
The 5th should be in tension when the kite is powered, it holds the flatter SLE profile of the kite, instead of arch bridling on the front lines like most other bows/SLE's.
Re adjustment, the Ozone bar is designed to auto adjust the 5th, when you pull in the trimmer you pull twice as much 5th as front lines.
I wouldn't worry about wrapping the 5th, mine have seen a few rinses over the last couple of years and no probs so far. The anti invert lines should stop that happening anyway.
15 is a big kite for the surf.....9 or less for me....if there was any kn wind.....skunked
Yeah - if I did it again I wouldn't have got the 15 but I didn't know better. I only pull the 15 out on those lighter days - the 12 is so much more quicker and fun! I need a nine now and I'll be set - I've been thinking about selling the 15 although it's a fun kite on those lazy wind days.
I'll have a good look through the instructions next time I'm home and find it - I'm sure I wasn't imagining!
Cheers
The Instinct's are designed to have the fifth line in tension when powered as Tobes said.
I can say that they will fly without the fifth as i had mine snap at the end of a session last season (had no option but to come in when it snapped), but it lost all of it's nice Instinct feel and just became a wobbly mess of a kite.
The fifth line on Ozone Instinct's is important for the kite more than on other 5-liners as the fifth is an integral part of the bridle for the kite. It's also designed to change the angle of attack of the kite to depower it, whilst retaining much more manouverability and potential power if you pull the bar back in. That's why it's important to check the length of the fifth line during a season as if it's slackened off then you'll need to make adjustments on the attachment line on the kite.
So the others have mentioned its not good to fly with out a 5th line.
Ozones 5th line is a little different to other 5th line kites, its not desiged to aid relaunching ect like C kites with 5th lines.
I have been using my 11m instinct from when the first hit the market in 06, i have crashed it thru waves and relaunched it after, got it in all sorts of mess and flown it from 13knt to gusting up to 35knts, i have never seen it invert EVER! i have seen it try to invert, but the anti invert lines stop it.
I dont think i have seen my 5th line twist over the kite either.
And the only issues i have had with my kite is a popped strut from dragging a strut end on concrete
Worn leader lines on the original 06 bar after 2 years
Worn center line that goes thru the bar
Lots of knicks on the LE from draggin it on the beach
Most of them were my doing, and the kites still going strong.
Many thanks for the replies fellas,
I'll pay more attention to the 5th line and what sort of tension it's under next time I fly. I'm usually looking at other things when I'm out!
I must say the ozone's are very well built - I'm very impressed with the attention to detail - my biggest regret though is that I bought a 15 not a nine.
Cheers
