2009 Ozone Instinct Edge RX, 11m

Rider: 90 kilos,Level (advanced)
Style: Freeriding, Surf, Wake, Freestyle
Weather: 20-27 knots
Build Quality: 11/10
Satisfaction: 11/10
Disclosure: I own a school and a shop that sells these kites.
My Comments:

Hi Peeps,

This is a review I have been waiting to write with much nervousness. The 08 Instincts were so damn good and I was nervous about the change to 4 line and designer from David Pilkkiington to Robbie Whittal. Here goes....

The Bag

huge improvement in this area, quite funky graphics from the kite crried over into the new bag. The bag is easier to open and has less tags and straps, sweet! The internal bar pocket is much bigger which is excellent. The bag is just the right size, small enough to be compact but easy enough to tget the kite in without careful folding.

Bar and Lines

I like the new bar and lines and no 5th makes it easier to unwind and layem out. The new below the bar flagging safety is sweet, no problem and the centre hole is much more bulky so no more wear issues. The PU tube covering the centre depower line doesn't grab against the bar so no more worn centre line issues either. The depower range has been shortened which is nice and the trim seems a bit longer. Everything is easier to reach and simple to operate, cleats perfectly everytime and with no effort. Lines are heavier on the front than the back and all are colour coded. Safety leash is sweet and has the new upgraded snap connectors. The flagging system works nicely! Same spinning chicken loop setup, just has the inclusion of the below the bar safety.

The kite
When you pull this kite out and pump it up, apart from the striking new graphics and funky new screen prints , once you see up close and feel the materials you see where some of the additional costs have gone. Ozone have always made high quality kites and used high quality fabrics, but thie really is something else. It needs to be seen to be appreciated.

The obvious lack of bridle is nice and the colour coded pigtails make it easy. Sweet
one pump system with extra haevy duty neoprene sleeves make pumping easy. The leading edge is slightly larger but profile of the kite is sleeker. It seems VERY high aspect to look at.

Riding

The bar pressure is light to moderate, a bit heavier than last year but not too heavy, the same super responsive feel to bar input, the same power when it gets up and boogying. The difference is the bottom end power, it is more powerful and less stall prone when jumping. Your technique is less critical to get the big air, just load it up and away you go, pull the trigger and float a BIG jump!

Summary

My hats off to the guys for the Edge RX, this really is a kite lots more people are going to appreciate, fast, responsive, even more powerful but with the same massive top end and better bottom end. Relaunches easy and is smoother in every respect. I love it! Can't wait to really get it wound out.

Only negetive (if you can call it that) is that losing the 5th line bridle has lost it's rock solid stability. The canopy does jiggle around a little bit like all other kites now.

The edge RX has exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend a demo ride and would appreciate anyone who rode it today also posting their opinion. I'd love to hear others impressions.

Cheers and good winds,

Careful Reli, that'll end up being the most expensive drive to Pinnaroo you're ever likely to take! [}:)]

Edge II lovers will be blown away

Good winds,

@ Buschy
Have never really understood that term, "sits further back in the window", and maybe thats just me too?
If a kite flies and goes upwind well, then it has a "good" sized wind window, and an experienced rider who does not choke a kite will fly upwind well on a kite like this.
If a kite has an inferior window, as in when the kite is flown on the beach in lighter winds it delivers far less than 180 degrees of wind window, it will not go upwind as well and will not have as much lift as the better kites performance described above.
A kite like that will tend to sit back in the window and be hard for any rider to point upwind well, maybe thats what people refer to?
Anyway the Ozone Edge RX is a high performer and has a large wind window.

@Kitehard
On the bag, there is the most substantial repair/spares kit velcroed inside the bag, has a bit of Tear Aid in it and pieces of the coloured cloth that make up that particular kite, its the best repair/spares kit supplied with any kite I have seen.
There is also an inner bag (thin silky nylon), same as last year, with a draw string top, easy to slip the kite in and in turn is easier to get in the main bag.

Construction of the kite and the attention to detail is amazing, the materials used are the best money can buy.

Performance - Outstanding, smooth power delivery, much more so than 2008 EdgeII.
Huge boosts are easy, and the kite is super stable, but different to the EdgeII
I rode the kite in winds building from 18-20 to 25-28 handled it sweet.
I also rode the Sport+ 11M back to back, but only in the stronger wind and was not as comfortable on that as I was on the Edge RX.

The Sport+ 11M is very different to last years SportII, needs to be ridden by experienced riders who are looking for a grunty kite that has lots of power in the turns and is good for unhooking.
The Sport+ is very grunty, with excellent bottom end but less top end than the Edge RX. It really pulls hard and I found i like it more when the wind was under 25 knots, when I could hold an edge against its massive pull through the front lines. When I could handle the power it was easy to load up and redirect the kite holding the bar in and boost big with good float. I think this is a kite that will reward skilled wakestyle riders and put a grin on their faces.
We also demoed a 9M Sport+ but I never got to ride it, the people who did said it was the better size to have up in 25+ knots, they all rated it as a sweet kite.

More on both kites by other riders later and hopefully I will get a chance to test the new Light XC today as well
I really like the new bar and lines and below the bar safety system. I don't think the flag out line will wear quickly but the repair kit comes with a spare and also an O-Sh1t (that clips to the trimmer line like last years kite) handle for one of the front lines for riders that want to ride suicide and not have the flagging line through the bar.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

Rode new 11m rx edge yesterday in light conditions 95kgs/15-18 knots
Disclosure: Team rider Kitepower Brisbane .......Ozone fanatic.
My review is really a comparisome of the 07/08 models with the new 09 model

I have agree with almost everything above but i would like to add a few things.

I love the new graphics and the build quality and attention to detail is incredible.

I like the new bag less straps better pockets and nicer graphics. The repair kit has to be the best supplied with any kite on the market.

The Bar is a big improvement very comfy on the hands and the feedback is excellent. The light bar on the 08 made learning new stuff quite difficult as it was hard to feel where the kite was in the sky. Not so with this model. I hooked in to both below the bar options the new safety attachment clip is way better than previous models. When clipped to the flag out line the clip did get stuck on the bar little when unwinding the swivel. I would recomend not hooking in to the flag out option when doing tricks.

The 09 model definitely has a better bottom end. Normally I would have been on the 13m. But i had a nice time on the 11m ysterday.

The power is so smooth. Yesterday i underturned, overturned and looped the kite and the power stayed smooth and consistant the whole time. At one stage i had the kite constantly looping in front and was easily able to control the power.

Relaunch is much easier than previous models.

I surfed a bit of the shore break (not much... i know) but comparing it to the 08 this is going to be heaps better in the surf.

I self launched and landed the kite ...... peice of cake. Self landing has been my 1 big criticism of the edge. It was imposssible, short of using the flag out.

Boost is better than 08. Hangtime just as good although i think it will be better once i get it dialed in.

The kite does not fly as far foward as the 08 or as fast, this takes a little getting used to. I found myself fully sheeted in and with the kite pointing to far up wind a couple of times in these light conditions and losing power. I had get used to seeing the kite a little further back in the window. I also found that when it is sheeted in fully it is slow to turn more like last years 13m.

I actually found the kite to be very stable, this surprised me a little after reading kitehards review. Mine just sat beautifully.

I really like the 4 lines, this kite really is the complete package.

Being a huge Edge fan from the start i was a bit apprehensive about the new designer and new design. What they have produced here way exceeds my expectations and to the people in vietnam that make these kites... Thank you for such an exceptional well constructed kite. Even if you don't want to buy an Ozone you owe to yourself to have good look at how well they are made .... i think they have really raised the bar this year.

Hi Tobes.....there is no problem . I just perfer not having to flag the kite out on our beach, or in the water sharp shells and lack of room are an issue where i kite (plus i don't like finishing a session with a wet kite.) . yesterday i picked my spot, dropped the kite on to one tip and pulled on the top line, round she came leading edge dropped into the wind and just sat there. Nice. I will still flag out in high winds as i feel this is safer anyway.

Rider: 70 kilos,Level (intermediate-ish)
Style: Freeriding, Surf
Weather: 15-25 knots
Build Quality: 10/10
Satisfaction: hmmm....
Disclosure: Ozone fan, buy my own kites secondhand


Steve from Kitepower was generous enough to let me take an 11m Edge RX away for a while to demo, I just came in from my first session with it and thought I would post my impressions while they are still fresh. I have owned plenty of Ozones so far over the years, the original 2006 Instinct 9, 11 and 13m, 2007 Light 7 and 9, Sport 7 and 11, Edge 9, 2008 SportII 7, EdgeII 9m.

The Bag

I don't really care how slick my kitebag looks. I want it to work. The new bag is beautiful, but uses a metal zip to close. Every kite bag I've ever had with a metal zip corrodes and becomes useless within a year. One cool thing on the bag is a very well designed pump holder on the side.

Bar and Lines

The bar and lines are excellent, a beautiful bar, very clean construction, improved bar ends, short leaders, neat and innovative frontline safety set up, nice to have the option of above the bar safety too, PU covered amsteel centreline feels great and should be much more durable than 08's Beal line. The Megatron chickenloop has had a bit of a beef up, but is very similar to the 08 model. One little cool thing, the elastic bungees for holding your lines in place when you wind up retract into the bar ends. Cool! I would keep an eye on wear of the Amsteel centre line where it passes from the swivel handle into the chickenloop. Also, all kites now use a 56cm bar (I think). I like small bars on small kites, and have only been using 50cm bars, so it would feel a bit big to me on a small kite..

The Kite
Construction of the kite looks like a step up yet again if you believe that is possible from Ozone. Tubes are markedly beefier than the 2008 kites, possibly even the thickest for Ozone so far. Pumping to 8 PSI is a lot more pumping than the 08's took. There is a very minimal SLE bridle with NO PULLEYS on the fronts, and a small V bridle on the rears. Pretty kite, with shiny Gold and Silver graphics, but again, I'm not interested, I want a kite that flys, not one that looks bling.

Riding

I was pretty lit, took out a 132 FLX in very gusty 15-25 knot conditions. Would usually have taken a 7m or maybe 9m, so I'm not used to having that much kite up in these winds. Everyone else on 7's and 9's. I have to agree with Kitehard, losing the 5th line bridle has lost it's rock solid stability. The kite jiggles around, did a couple of weird things, where all the previous Ozones I have had ate gusts for breakfast and asked for more. It jumps very well, great glide, but didn't feel like the rip you off the water kind of lift that I get from my previous 9m Edges. Pretty good depower range considering the short throw, overpowered at times when the gusts came through, but you've just got to deal with it the old fashioned way. Edge. I had the trimmer and steering line adjusters at stock, and pulled in a bit of trim toward the end of my session. Then I came in and grabbed my good old 7m 2007 Sport, it was solid as a rock, and I had a ball for the rest of the afternoon.

Summary
I don't think the 11m is for me, I'm used to riding smaller faster kites now, I think in a more steady 15-20 knots the ride on the 11m RX would have been much more enjoyable. The thing I love most about the Ozones I have owned is their stability. It seems

that the new Ozones have kept or improved on the previous models simplicity and build quality, but at this stage going to 4 lines seems to be at the expense of that gust munching Ozone confidence. I'm looking forward to trying a smaller one, perhaps a 6 or 8m Light XC, I might yet eat my words.

Select to expand quote

Deftinitely worth demoing twice!

good advice for any kite .interesting how many people form an opinion on no or little personal experience .i think that demoing something for a "quick go' can actually be detrimental .the great thing about the net these days is that there are so many thorough reviews that you can get a pretty good idea of what something is like and whether it will suit you .you can also see common threads emerging and also read between the lines

Hi Gorgo,

Your perceptions are pretty close to the mark, but to be underpowered, well maybe, but comparing a high end high wind kite to one of the gruntiest kites on the market (I am assuming you speak of last years Cab SB) which you can't hold down in more than 28-30 knots due to overpowered. You'll still be holding onto the RX happily.

Another thing to consider is that the Edge RX relies on forward speed to develop power so if you ride slowly, the power never really comes on, if you ride it the way it's meant to be ridden ie FAST, you'll have power to burn in 20 knots.

A high performance kite can be easily edged to Neutral to relieve power and speed and I think this is what you'll find you were doing (inadvertantly).
If you can get another ride on it, try again without too much back foot pressure, ride fast and see the difference.

I think you'll love it then as the bottom end on the kite is really nice ....... if you know how to find it!

Good winds,

Hi Gorgo

Your experience with the kite is unusual. If you were well powered on an 8M SB2, then you should have had tons of power on the RX so something about your technique for this kite was out of whack.
Lets see if I can help you and others get more from the new Ozones.
In 20 knots on an 11M Edge RX I'm lit and can get excellent height and hangtime, I think we must be similar weight (75kg)?

The 09 Ozone kites have a short depower throw at the bar, by this I don't mean the depower line is short, I mean the throw, the amount you need to move the bar to alter the kite AOA is small.
This is almost the opposite of what you are used to with a SB2, which had a very long depower throw (was shorter/better on SB3), so I think you were inadvertently depowering the kite, by upsetting the airflow over the canopy.
The kite is sensistive to bar input, so if the bar is moved in and out a lot, the kite will feel like it has no grunt.
HOWEVER, if you had held the bar steady and got it up to speed quickly, then you would have had tons of power in 20 knots, and should have been getting large boosts.

Boosting is also quite different and will come to those who hold the bar steady, edge harder before takeoff, swing the kite more anf from lower, hold the bar in for the entire time they are in the air, and only redirect late and then letting the bar out a bit when they are landing.
This is also a very different technique to jumping with a bow kite, where minimal swing back is required - bow boosting is more about holding an edge and pulling the bar in.

The above is why we ask people that don't dial into these kites in the first session to have another one after a bit of a debrief or discussion on technique.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

Cabrinha Crossbow IDS 9m. Jumps huge and lands effortlessly every time. I spent an hour boosting *massive* airs and never got wet hair. I only got the boardies wet a couple of times when the glide took me close to another rider ... so I just descended vertically and sat in the water until they passed.

Loop transitions, air gybes, and rolls make no difference to the ease of landing. I could even change direction in the air and fly somewhere else then land. Not sure I like a beige kite and the shape in the air is kind of odd (it looks like a kidney bean).

BTW The self-launch and water relaunch behaviour of the Edge RX was different (and good). Most kites pivot around the downwind lines, roll over, then the upwind tip unfolds and relaunch follows. With the Edge RX the downwind lines tension then the whole upper surface just levitates and the kite is flying.

That's exactly what I was doing. Shortening the back lines gave quite decent power but then the handling got trucky and slow. Letting the bar out depowered the kite completely.



Yep. Did that too. That's exactly what it took to get decent jumps with the back lines shortened. In that configuration the jumps were fairly solid but slowish and the loops were pretty mundane as well. A bit like jumping an underpowered bow kite.

I'm quite happy to have another go but I am a touch suspicious of kites where some magic technique is required to make them work. Kite flying is not rocket science and I've managed to work out every other kite I've tried fairly quickly and certainly less than a couple of hours.

To compare the Ozone edge to the Link is just Nasty Nasty!!!!!!

Gorgo, maybe you need to just have another go and don't fly it like a bow kite which is what you are used to?
That link crap is BS, the first links had a problem with the bridle, once the new bridle was fitted the kite flew fine. It was a bit heavy with all those struts and battens but in its wind range it was fine to fly, so over this link crap but thats old news and people with 10 yrs expereince should have been able to see there was something wrong with the link bridle when they first flew it!
problem was that not everyone changed the bridle, I see it with lots of kites even the CB IDS, lots of people have not changed the IDs line from the red one to the plastic one. Lots of people with the first havocs never changed the bridle, happens across brands.

There is no magic technique to fly and Ozone Edge RX, don't blame the kite, look at your technique and adjust it to how the kite gives you feedback and flys.

If the kite got trucky and slow with the rear line trimmers in its telling you thats its oversheeting and the front lines are bedded in, you should have let them out. The rear line trimmers only need to be pulled in a bit on the first few flights but since Johhny has been flying the demo you flew they will be well bedded, because he is a big guy and he loves to loop kites in good wind.

If you noticed that letting the bar out a bit "depowered the kite completely" then that should have told you to keep the bar in!! Those are your words, you should have modified your technique and held the bar in more and edged harder.
The kite rewards good technique, so if you are not getting the results that others are reporting, then modify your technique.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

PS - Short video of someone getting some good boosts, watch his technique closely Gorgo.

What does not make much sense to me from the very first of your posts was that you said you were out in 20 knots on an SB2 8M, and I know I would feel a bit underpowered on that kite in 20 knots (I would prefer to be on my 10M/12M)

So to me you were riding underpowered before the test, if you did not pick up that you needed to consistently hold the bar in and instead kept changing things, then I can understand your view.

Anyone of average weight that I have given a demo too in 20 knots was well powered, and was eventually getting good boosts like Tamatoa was in the video.
How much do you weigh?

Have another go on the kite.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve

I am holding on to my Edge II's this year.

What is it with you lot? Just because Gorgo pipes up and says he don't like it you all jump down his throat and blame his technique....

I think it's good to get a point of view from the only one on this thread that doesn't have a vested interest in the kite.