2008 NEW 9m O.S & Ozone 11 Instinct Sport 2 Review

Age: 28
Experience: less than one season kiting, 17years surfing
Weight: 76kg dry - guessing 80kg wet with spring suit and harness?
Board: 136cm by 41cm twin tip with medium rocker
Quiver: 2008 NEW 9m Original Series, 2008 Ozone 11m Instinct Sport II
Riding locations: Geraldton - Point Moore, Coronations and Separation Point.
Affiliations: I have no financial or personally vested interested in any distributor, store, style or brand of kite, and I have not been paid or asked to write these reviews. I am writing these review as some of the points I've put forward have yet to be covered in other reviews of this product.

As I have slightly less than one seasons experience, it is possible that a number of the issues I have with these kites are due to a lack of technique and/or undeveloped skills. However, like me, many of the readers of this review are likely to be beginners with similar levels of skill, and therefore are likely to encounter the same issues as myself.

Wind ranges and estimates are taken from a hand held anemometer and live readings from seabreeze.com (who sources info from the Geraldton Port Authority). Therefore wind ranges are considered reasonably accurate.

I have made reference to my other kite throughout the review. This is not a direct comparison between kites, however as I own and ride both kites, the pro's and con's of each kite become apparent because of their differences. I've owned the NEW kite for approximately four months, and the Ozone about one month. So it's fair to say I'm more familiar with my NEW than the Ozone.


2008 New 9m Original Series

Bag and Pump
Basic bag with average build quality and ample room for the kite, even after some of my dodgy rollup jobs. There's a dedicated pocket/space for the pump and hose, but no webbing as the struts don't have the clipping option with the one pump.
Are all pumps created equal? Who knows, but one thing to note is the pump doesn't have come with a gauge.

Bar and rigging
I've heard it quoted and read else where that these bars are basic etc. I find the way these bars are rigged is safer than any other bar I've ridden, and I believe they are a major step up on my Ozone bar in terms of safety and practicality. I say this due to the following features and experience:

?Suicide leashing is combined with the fully flag out option below the bar which means you don't have to worry about tangling your leash around your lines like above the bar flag out systems
?If you invert and badly tangle the fifth line around the leading edge, you can release the fifth line and fly back to the beach with four lines. I've found the kite flies stable with four lines and the fifth line just trails off the kite. Being able to release the fifth line limits the chance of tearing leading edge if you really get in a pickle, and means you've got a better chance of flying away from it instead of having to self-rescue.
?Doesn't matter if you twist the lines doing rolls etc, the kite still depowers and steers fine.
?Fifth line has length/trim adjustment option below the bar near the safety release. Being able to trim the 5th line on the fly gives the ability to close the angle of attack in for more control in gusty conditions or when nearing upper limit of wind range. Once you get this mechanism dialed, it's very useful for fine tuning your kite to the day's conditions.
?I like the uncluttered nature of the bar setup, everything is easy to locate when you find yourself in trouble.
?Shorter throw with average/good depower

The bar pressure is relatively light and steering is VERY responsive. It took me about 2hrs of riding to get used to the lighter feeling of the bar, and now that I've got it dialed in, I don't think I'd ever go back to a heavier style of bar.
We had a number of days this summer where we spent up to 5hrs/day in the water on consecutive days and the only things sore at the end of it were my legs and ass from edging and riding waves.

On the flipside, there are a couple of things that I think need to be looked at:
?Fifth line trim knots need to be larger to hold in position properly as they are currently prone to slipping.
?You need to be careful adjusting the length of the steering lines knots - be sure not to have these too short as the kite can back stall if not rigged properly. I have mine adjusted so the kite is boarder line stalling in the neutral position when the bar is fully pulled in (fully sheeted)
?Chick loop release is good, but a little harder to activate and load than my Ozone mechanism
?Donkey dick is somewhat difficult to rig.

Build
On picking up one of these kites, you can see that they're all about pure function - no pullies, no complex bridles and no gimmicks. My experience has invariably been good design is maximum functionality from the simplest solution, as complex solutions seem more prone to failure or cross related issues. There is nothing on the kite that doesn't need to be there, and the wear/maintenance points are minimal. I would expect (and hope) this translates to a maintenance and trouble free kite. I've owned the NEW kite for about four months now, and have had no issues with any aspect of the kite, and have not noticed any wear or tear.

Kite
Stand out attributes: rocket like boost when jumping, insanely quick/responsive to rider input, large wind range and very easy on the rider.

I've found the wind range to be between 17-30kt, and possibly a little higher as I still had some depower left and half the 5th line trim to use on the 30kt day. Sweet spot of the 9m for me is around 22-25kts, and like my Ozone, the kite is definitely a better performer in the upper end of its wind range compared to the lower portion.

Attributes I like about the kite:
?The kites are VERY easy on the rider's body. I've never had sore arms or shoulders from these kites - even after kiting for 5hrs+ in a day.
?The kites react very well to 5th line trimming/adjustment becoming much more manageable in stronger winds with the trim pulled in.
?Is very stable in the air and handles gusts well. I had the kite out in conditions ranging from 17kts to 30kt gusts and the kite ate it up. Being based in Geraldton where we get 25kt+ days often and I get to see quite a few kites flown in strong winds. The Original Series and Ozone would have to be two of the most solid kites I've seen in the air, even when they're over powered.
?The Original Series are without a doubt the best kite I've flown yet for up wind performance, with my Ozone being a very close second. I believe having kites that are good at cutting up wind makes a massive difference to your learning curve as a beginner. It means you can try tricks on every run, catch more waves and generally focus more on enjoying the riding rather than worrying about making up the ground you lost trying stuff.
?The kites have a simple, uncluttered setup and design which I like. Less chance of stuff failing, tangling or generally ****ing up when I put it in the waves.
?The kites are super reactive to board edging/pressure, which I suppose is one of the reasons they're so good up wind. I've found I can literally edge my 9m to a stop in 25kts of wind! Because the kite reacts so well to edging and is super responsive - you get a feeling of being very connected with the kite. I'm not sure if this connected feeling is a C-shape kite thing in general or the kite specifically, however I don't get the same feeling with the Ozone.
?Super quick and responsive through the air. When first got on the kite it caught me out a couple of times with its speed across the window coming from a Waroo, however a session or two I found its speed a blessing for compensating for my mistakes. I could totally mess up the line on a wave and just shoot the kite to where I needed power to get me going again.
?You can steer the kite comfortably with one hand while riding waves and it drifts back in the wind very well.
?Lastly, this is more of a personal thing, but I like the way the kite doesn't drop out of the air if you push the bar right out. It makes it easier to adjust gear, pick stuff etc and not have to worry that it'll drop out of the sky the second you take your hand off the bar.

Things that may need work
?One pump works a treat, but no clips on the struts. No clips mean if you get a hole with the one pump system, your whole kites going down!
?Stopper balls are temperamental
?Heaps of boost, but is a little trickier to nail a soft landing compared to my Ozone. This could possibly be due to the smaller area and hence less of a parachute affect coming down?
?Many trim options and combinations which can be a little daunting to the beginner at first, but these only really need to be tweaked for gains at the very upper and lower limits of the kites wind range. I'd love to see a leaflet or high resolution videos covering 5th line trim, steering line adjustment, optimal depower setting relative to bar throw, and releasing the 5th line.
?Will flap a little as you put the kite across the window depowered, however doesn't flap at all in normal powered flight.
?I find it harder to pop off the water on my NEW compared to the Ozone.

Service
I haven't had to use the back up service yet, but the advice and support has been very good. I had a free lesson with the designer Nathan covering rigging, relaunching and safety thrown in with the kite when I bought it. I found Nathan very generous with his time and advice and got a truck load of information out of the lesson. I would STRONGLY recommend the lesson if you live close to Geraldton or Perth.
Nathan also has videos on his website of some of the stuff covered in the tutorials if you can't make the lesson. You can find them at:

www.newkiteboarding.com

Recommendation
I'd probably recommend this kite to any one, however due to its speed/responsiveness, upwind ability and ease of use; I'd strongly recommend it to the following people:
?Wave riders - this kite is the bomb in waves (and the 7m is even better)
?People with bad wrists, backs, elbows etc as the kites are very easy on the rider's body
?Learners that are having difficulty staying up wind - if you can't stay up wind on these kites you maybe trying the wrong sport!



2008 Ozone 11m Instinct Sport II

Bag and pump
As all pumps seem the same to me, the only thing to note about the pump is that it comes with a gauge, which is handy for getting the pressure of the Ozone's smaller leading edge right.
Overall the build quality and stitching of the bag seems very good with plenty of room for a hurriedly packed kite. In addition there is webbing to hold the kite if you choose to leave the struts inflated which I reckon is joy.
The only draw back I've noted so far is that there's no space for your pump and hose, which could make packing more difficult on extended trips away.

Bar and rigging
I'm gonna shoot straight from the hip here - I think the bar is the biggest let down for the Ozone for the following reasons:
?The bar has a swivel to untwist the lines, but it doesn't turn by itself - you need to manually turn the swivel to untwist lines
?Flag out option is above the bar, so your leash wraps around the lines when you spin if you're rigged to the flag out loop. This wrapping of the leash around the lines becomes annoying at the least, and a safety issue in stronger winds at the worst. It's a shame the flag out option is above the bar as most other brands seem to have already moved to below the bar systems.
?Suicide leashing option is okay for winds up to 18-20kts. Over this and the kite will not fully depower with the bar fully out. At 25kts with the kite fully depowered, I was being nudged across the beach with the bar fully out, however the kite was still manageable in the water at 25kts. Therefore, this safety issue becomes a limiting factor on kite's upper end wind range if you still care about safety.
?No fifth line flag out or ability to release fifth line. Therefore, if you invert the kite you cannot release the fifth line to stop the kite being cut in half if you really get in a pickle. I have inverted the Ozone and manage to pull the fifth line to the left and a steering line to the right, which allowed the fifth line to slip off the leading edge. However, it's been my experience with the NEW that you can't do this every time and I believe that just leaves the option of self rescue/swimming.no fun if you're 200m+ offshore at Coronations.
?The kite has a knot style adjustment on the kite for the fifth line; however you cannot adjust these on the fly.
?Span lines are a great idea and are okay at stopping the kite inverting, but are a pain in the ass to setup and take down. I ride without them, but I know I'm gonna eventually end up regretting it in the waves.
?The flag out loop is located above the bar in close proximity to the depower strap, and as a result, is quite a cluttered section of the bar. When getting towed through the water I have found this flag out VERY difficult to locate and activate while rigged suicide.

On the upside, I like the following features of the bar:
?The trim options on the steering lines are very handy as an additional trim to the depower strap. These can be adjusted while flying, however I'd recommend setting these on the beach as they're a bit tricky to adjust on the go.
?Chicken loop and loop release are very good and easy to re-rig. As they state, you can re-rig this setup one handed in the water. Overall the megatron loop is very robust and functional. Big tick here!
?Fifth line attachment to kite is daunting at first glance, but hasn't tangled while rigging.yet! You can see the fifth line and attachment point going taught in flight, and it seems to provide a lot of the kite's stability in gusty winds.
?Light bar pressure is nice and very easy on the rider, with enough feedback to know where the kite is at all times. You can kinda steer with one hand when wave riding, but with some difficulty.
?The bar throw is medium to long. If you push the bar right out within the correct wind range, the kite totally depowers and falls from the sky. There are pro's and con's of this style depower, but on balance I'd prefer the kite didn't fall from the air on full bar throw.
?The material they use for the lines looks super rigid and VERY strong. It also seems to have a smaller diameter than any other line I've seen. This would surely translate to less drag/resistance through the air.

Build and finish
Unpacking and pumping up the kite, you can't help but be a little amazed at the quality and attention to detail of the kites - these kites looks as though nothing has been spared in their construction. They seem to have thought of everything, including sand bags to hold down the kite on the beach! What the?! As a result, I'm a little surprised at the issues with the bar setup mention previously.
The kite and bar have quite a complex layout, and my theory is - the more complex it is, the more chance something will go wrong. That being said, the build and finish of the kite looks exceptional, with attention to detail bordering on superfluous!

Kite
Standout attributes - silky smooth feel, rock solid stability, great wind range and sweet as float in the jumps.

This kite has a pretty amazing wind range for a medium aspect kite. I've found the effective range of the kite to be 14-25kts. The upper end of the range may possibly be higher as on the 25kt day I was absolutely lit, but only on the first knot of the fifth line and had the steering line trims set right in. At a guess the top end with all depower options used might be 26kts for my setup.but due to the safety issues mention in the bar section, I wouldn't recommend it.

Sweet spot is around 18-20kts for me, but similar to the NEW, the kite is definitely a better performer in the upper end of its wind range compared to the lower portion. Being the mad keen frother that I am, I've tried to get the kite going in 12-13kts a number of times, but it's not possible.well not for me anyway.

Things I like about the kite
?Very good one pump and stopper balls that work. Happy days!
?Awesome wind range and is pretty close to a one kite solution if you're not going to be riding in over 25kts.
?The kite is amazingly smooth and stable through the air. Gusts are absorbed VERY well by the kite, and any that get through are easily dealt with by edging or the bar throw. Factory rigged, these kites are virtually impossible to back stall, even purposely trying!!!
?It has very good upwind ability, second marginally only to the NEW. It's a pretty amazing feeling cutting a line 10-15degrees+ higher than others while tacking.
?Virtually no flapping in the canopy - only minor flapping when flown depowered across the wind window.
?Has super boost with relatively easy landings. I found it boosted to the same height as my NEW, but has better hang time and is marginally easier to stick a soft landing.
?I suck at popping, but I found it pulls me off the water better than my NEW
?Drifts back in the wind very well when riding waves
?Is reasonably responsive to rider input and pretty quick through the air. It's definitely not super quick, but for boosting and freestyle work this is actually a bonus not having the kite shooting all over the place.

Things I think need some work
?Because the kite is so stable and smooth, its responsiveness, or should I say its liveliness has been sacrificed to some degree.
?Not super quick through the air and less responsive to bar and board input which makes it harder to use in the waves than my NEW. However, I've found this quality makes it easier to launch and land tricks.
?The leading edge is thin and is a little more prone to folding when you drop it in the water. I pump my kite up to 10psi to reduce the chance of the leading edge folding when you put it in the drink
?I've only noticed this a few times, but the kite can pull you off your line a little when you're sining the kite. This makes the kite a little harder to work with as you really have to edge against it to keep your line. This maybe a technique thing, however I haven't noticed it with the NEW.
?In light winds, the back lines are very slack in flight and make the kite somewhat unresponsive. When I first put the kite up I thought I had it rigged wrong because there was so much slack in the back lines - even with the trims fully pulled in. I believe this is one of the reasons why the kite never back stalls - because even at maximum sheeting the kite seems to hardly change shape from bar input. At 17kts+ the majority of this slack line is taken up.
?I've had to rescue a few boards, and adjust foot straps etc - trying to manage this with a kite that drops out of the air as soon as you take your hand off the bar is annoying.

Service
I bought the kite from Darren at Kitepower in Perth, and I found what he said about the kite to be on the money. I wouldn't hesitate to deal with him again in the future. You can find him at:

actionsportswa.com.au/

Recommendation
As with the NEW, I'd probably recommend this kite to any one, however given its aforementioned attributes, I'd strongly recommend it to the following people:
?People looking for a one kite solution in areas that don't get much more than 25kts of wind.
?Freestylers and freeriders looking for a super stable kite that's easy on your body.
?Learners that are having difficulty staying up wind - if you can't stay up wind on these kites there's something wrong!



Well if you made it this far congratulations...it ended up being a little bigger than planned, however I hope it's provided some insight into the kites as seen through the eyes of a beginner.

Cheers,

Tim

Hey thanks Tim.
We need to get you out on some other sizes and get some more triffic reviews!

There's more amazing facts on the kites here www.newkiteboarding.com

Nice Review,

Both the kites were my favorite at Kitestock.

Current kites Xbow 2 12m and Eclipse Nano 9m. Xbow is a dog (bar pressure huge) but has a massive windrange and taught me alot. Had tuning problems with the Nano, lots of grunt (equivalent to a 11m I think), can overfly is an issue (punchy in gusts) but attention to detail and build quality is tops.

Tried the Ozone Sport 2 9m & 7m
& the
New 14m, 11m & 9m.

Tested the New 7m in Perth in 25Knot wind on strappless surfboard but due to lack of experience, shorebreak and no straps could not handle it due to its speed and apparent power. Realized that I need alot more experience before going out in conditions like that as I weight 88kg and need alot of wind to use a 7m in.Bar/CL design I thought is a bit dated but if it works why change it.

I think the Ozone Sport II 7m is a bit more forgiving but I was on a twintip when testing so no comparison against strapless surfboard. Liked the outside line adjustments but felt things would wear fairly quickly.

I need a replacement for my Xbow 12m before the start of next season, my concern is low end wind range, turning speed and most importantly build quality.

Thinking of (in no order of preference):
13m Bandit (Cost)
14m New OS (C shape 14m = Bow 12m, any comments welcomed)
12m/14m Eclispe Thruster (same concern for power as above kite) need to Demo
13m Ozone (Need to demo Sport and Edge, concern is relaunch in surf due to thin struts)
Flexi Ion or Atom (Need to demo, no clue to size)

Leaning towards New OS or Eclipse Thruster.

A bit off topic but would like some feedback. The review sparked up some interest in me and I really liked the direct comprison between the kites.

I know I am going to start a pimp fest but would like reviews/comments from end users preferably.

Cheers

I heard about ozone a few months before kitestock, read up on the Interwebz about the new 08 models in particular the Edge their high aspect kite and made it a point to try one in Kitestock.

I treid the entire range of the Instincts. IMO these kites suited my style and the conditions i kite in better than any of the others.

I tried a new 9m demo in nuking conditions on the Saturday. I liked the kite, it had plenty of raw power, no 100% depower and good boost. I found the way it turned to be a bit.... how can i describe.... Jittery, it didnn't feel smooth, i dunno how to describe it properly, but the turning let the kite down for me.

The other ozone kites (edge, sport and light) i found very neat, light bar pressure great lift n hang, but the one thing about these kites i liked was the DTL wave riding, they drift with you. Backstalling them was really tough to do, not impossible, but certianly challenging. I also found that they are rock solid stable, no canopy flutter, no nasty suprises.

Both kites are well made, though i reckon the ozone is probably a bit more aerodynamic than the New. Ozone have a more solid chicken loop, better chicken loop line and yes you do untwist your lines manually, but much much much better than an unreliable rusty swivel.

With the ozone i found a kite that felt brand new and felt different to anything i have flown before,great feedback from the kite. New wasn't anything new or special bit like the Fuel, with a bit of something else thrown in.

Inverting, well i kept my anti invert line on, yep its interesting to sort it all out when you unpack, but you eventually learn to organise your lines neatly when you pack up.

Overall i was impressed with New but Ozone rocked my world.
I have sold everything to buy a 7 Edge and when winters over i'll get either an 11 or a 13.

The other kite that really got my attention was the 8m Switchblade, now that is a beaut little kite with great range for a small kite.

Disclaimer.....

I won a kite at kitestock, it happend to be an Ozone Edge II
i won it because i was apparently the most enthusiastic about the product.

Sorry Nathan