15m C4 2013

Rider: Weight,Level intermediate,advanced)
Style: Freeriding, Surf, freeride
Weather: 10 to 18
Build Quality: ozone
Satisfaction: 9/10 so far
Disclosure: team rider for eppo incorporated. Lol.

My Comments:

Thought I'd start a new thread, the old C4 one was getting too long and only the last page had any decent reviews anyhow.

Was at the pond today, flew from about 1 to 230. Looking at the garden island charts was in the red when I started to 16 odd knots at the end. There was a core, razor and Vegas rider out there well, if you read this maybe you can shed some more on the wind strength. Hey the dude on the core was going hard man, well done, but remind me not to buy your kites when ya done. Ouch!


I'm looking for a kite that will have me powered in mmm 12 to 16 knots. Below this not interested. At 74 kg, was thinking of this kite as an option. Edges at that size really become a race kite and all the freeride capability comes out of them.

Well this kite has given me something to really consider. Never did I feel the kite was too slow. Had it on the freeride settings as I'm to old and gay to crank out all those wake style crazy stuff. Plus I'm hooked in as the dyna bar is a pain in the ass to unhook and get back in. But I have it on good advice it unhooked just fine.

The bar pressure is higher than 2012, but even on the 15m it is not heavy. Infact I felt it was just right. I don't think I've flown a kite that tells you so well where the kite is when looping. I only do basic back roll with back loops, forward roll loop transitions, down loops when jumping and the occasional more horizontal type loop but nothing to cheer about. But I knew where the kite was at all times, and it did drive your around really well. As I said I never felt it was too slow even at that size. It is a very nimble kite.

As said in another post, I to want to hear from those that will ride it to its maximum potential and what it was built for, so all of this is really for the free riders out there. That being said, it is easy to extrapolate this kite would be unreal for that kind of shannanigans.

The good news for me was, I still rate this highly as a freeride kite. Now some crew might find this heartening, others may not, but I felt this kite would work very well at the freeride thingy. It boosted really nicely, easy to send, and easy to land. Never did I have to down loop it for a soft landing although of course I did as I like to keep in practise when I touch the clouds on the edges.

Kept wanting to get that apparent wind build up, edge spoilt, but that being said it did hunt the edge of the window enough, but still stayed a little back to keep that grunt and power. I would assume on the wake setting it would sit even further back, but for us free riders don't be put off, this kite still flies forward when you need it.

Still can't believe I was on a 15 actually, I have never looped a kite that is so .....um direct. You know where it is all the time and get it around and it picks you up nicely to land.

Most the other stuff is covered on the other topic and post, those guys describe it well.

But the best thing I got out of this is this will still be a great freeride kite, with a bit more punch. Probably better than 2012 as I found it lacked some spark sometimes. But then again was only on it for a short time.

Also on the mako kind I was going upwind in the lighter part of the day when I started. When it kicked in I was on he monk, and never did I feel like I had too much power. Then again the monk can hold just about anything if you know what you are doing. Didn't touch the depower strap and remember two things, I have my back lines shortened at the bar end by quite a margin and I'm only 74kg. I reckon I could hold this to 18 to 20 knots before I would be forced to bring it in. Then the 11m edge will be in its element...well a few more wouldn't hurt.

Yep got that ozone feel, smooth and graceful, but this C4 has a lot under the hood.

WA crew get your ass down to west oz and demo this kite and do all your back handle pass hokey pokey stick the tongue out sh1t will ya, and let the crew that are pushing this sport know wha it can do.

Yeh some good stuff by the crew I mentioned above, rather watch it that do it though! Ouch!

Yeh I suppose. The 13m edge i rode was about the limit for me for this design. Even then it started to lose some of its freeride ability at only 74kg. The 11m is the sweet size and the 9m is great in the surf on a TT.

Mr Kitepower put me onto this idea as his light wind kite at 76kg is the 15m C4.

So thought I'd find out and I am pleasantly surprised to say the least. I don't do a whole lot these days, but I was throwing down all I do and the the new C4 didn't feel slow or big. As long as you become more fluid it was awesome.

Really nice kite with a lot more punch than last years. Quicker to.

No I am relieved I thought they had bred out all the freeride, but i reckon in the right hands (you plummet), this kite would go off.

Now to try a Zephyr! When they decide to actually bring them out!

It is between these two for me. Think I still want to be lit a little more though...I crave power.

Yeh have heard this, but also heard good reports as well. They have increased the turning speed and the low end grunt 'apparently in the 2013' so we will see I suppose.

Another thing I didn't mention was how easy it was to jump this 15m C4, although its grunty and powerful it didn't pull me off my edge when loading up. Also when you came off the edge and flattened the board out before the jump, the lines really tensioned up extremely well, before the edge and pop. Nice

Yeh was really hard to tell in that the wind today, started from nothing and spiked up very quickly.

I was on that 15m C4 for a reasonable amount of time before I was joined by the crew above, really hard to tell what the winds were.

What do you think they were when you were out mate as I'm not that good at judging the wind speed at the pond, since that was my second time in a month but after 10 long years?

Protected and all, not sure.

Yeh that's a hard one at your weight. Taking into consideration it is a hot wind, with less density, I'd say a 15m to be sure. But this also depends on the board you will use. At least at 13 to 15 you will be lit somewhat, you'd probably get going on a 13 but you may get bored after a while. A 15 with a large and smaller board would be better. But I'm trying to predict this on only one ride remember.

Yes all the ozone kites have a very similar 'ozone' feel and I've tried them all. If you like that feel stay with ozone, they are very distinct in this, just as north kites have a distinct feel that runs thought the range.

If you have a 17m zephyr then mmm maybe a 13m C4, but then again you may not be on it that much.

Then again the wind range of the zephyr and 15m C4 are very very close man.

The C4 would give you even more control of power as you described, but it will take more rider 'finesse' due to this. The 2013 is an outstanding kite.

Gotta get me a big dog kite.
Been drilling through all the reviews.
Same as most I want smallest kite to get 75 pies out in 11knts, free ride.
Eppo it's 6 months since you posted C4 15 = Zephyr, guess over our last minimal wind you've had lots of water time.
Maybe you've even tested more...
Cheers.

What you ride now? Where abouts and on what board?

Had the pleasure of riding the C4 a few times, owned the cat, now own the zephyr.

So which one? (If we are just looking at the ozone line up). Depends.

c4 and cat have similar bottom ends, zephyr better as it should have. Top end, I would say though the zephyr would be the most controllable, this a function of the edge DNA aspect in it. So range zephyr.

Turning, cat is quickest, C4 then zephyr as per sizings.

Performance as per design C4 to Cat to zephyr in terms of true C feel in power delivery especially looping wise.

So it comes down once again What type of freeride you mainly do and what type of power delivery you want. Do you want that obvious C kite punch ( although obviously smooth as it is an ozone kite)?

The zephyr for me is probably the most stoked I have been about getting a kite ever, maybe on par with the edge in smaller sizes but given what it can do at the wind speeds I'm in, I cannot speak more highly of it.....for me.

The zephyr has an extraordinary blend of aspect and yet enough C ishhhhh arc to give you a perfect blend of apparent wind build up, that then can be turned into static pull. This static pull gives me perfect feedback allowing me to work with the kite and edge of the board to scoot upwind in pretty light breeze and jump easily. Its not a sky scraper edge jumping machine, but the float is really predictable, the kite very stable and does not require as much attention as say the edge when in the air. Gives you that time to take do a little while you are there. It turns quick enough for most hooked in looping stuff I do ( say a simple back roll back loop), though you gotta slow everything down a touch, which in itself is kind of cool. Power comes on smooth like the edge, but then pull in the bar and unlike the edge that shoots forward hence you tend to have to adjust with the edging of the board and sheeting on the kite, pull that bar in and crank on an upwind tack no probs. love it.

Now guys unhook on the zephyr up to 15 knots and as Andy has shown can throw down whatever is required. But heck I'm not in that world of riding, but it is good to know it can be done. Hence don't know why I'd get a C4 in that size if the zephyr can do the trick.

Also to me, a kite that is being used in light winds has to have some extra aspect to it, has to have some efficiency built into the wing as their is not much power going over that wing. Guys on say the blade fat lady may disagree, but that is what I have found anyhow.

Hence why I have been calling for smaller sizes in the zephyr and even with the informed opinions of some riders I respect, if I match experiential evidence with my own philosophies, I still maintain ozone have not covered the aspect versus arc spectrum well enough for freeriders of my persuasion who want aspect without a full blown race kite. but it seems I am alone in my own pantomime in my own head on this subject matter. Lol.

So if I was to advice, zephyr. But get more opinions of course and ride them first. Go and see Jason he can get you on any of these kites. Also combine it with a light wind TT as well, no point in getting a light wind kite without a board as well, don't waste ya money. Efficiency in a light wind kite can only be extracted with a light wind ish board. But once it hits 14 plus, then get on ya normal TT and crank.

No haven't tried it with the skim yet. Will do. I predict it will be easier to use than the edge, more stable in terms of doesn't fly so forward in the window so quick. I know I enjoyed my time on the cat 14m and a skim, nice and stable platform for your transitions.

Yeh got myself a SUP, a surf orientated one at that but if flat I can still go for a paddle. I'm still so sh1t on it but getting there. But surfed since a small kids so picking it up quick enough.

Yeh I have come to the conclusion that unless you have money to spare, I'm never stuffing around with 12s, 14, etc. okay in summer when you get a steady thermal breeze but when the easterlies or the north westers, southerlies in winter hit, there is too much variation and in the lulls all my mates are on the shore or worse find themselves in some dicey situations. Farq it 17m or bigger then have ya main kite, plus a high wind kite, that's my position at the moment.

Yeh I do. The edge qualities allows this. The cat gets very punchy near its top end, infact that's the very difference in the power delivery. The zephyr delivers its power very smoothly (and what I'm used to with ozone kites) hence the reason why cauncy can take it out in 23 knots, and still reckons he could go more. But hey you are only 70kg and he's an animal!

The C in the new cat will limit its useable top end.

But yeh that extra canopy, it would be close the top end but I know which kite I'd prefer to be on. There is a reason we've been able to hold down 11m edges in 25 knots even at my weight. True its a wild ride, but surprisingly controllable.