2010 Ozone Catalyst - Words n Pics

Rider: 85kg Intermediate
Style: Waves
Weather: 20-28 knots
Build Quality: 9/10
Satisfaction: 8/10


I finally managed to get some time and some wind yesterday too give the Catalyst a blast. Initially i got hold of a ten but never got a chance to ride it but yesterday i got an 8m brand spanking new to demo.
Kited at an offshore reef in the northern suburbs of Perth, wind was reasonably strong 20-28kn however waves were less than ideal and the ability to bear-away and ride DTL was to say the least limited.

Anyway on with the review. The pics are of the Ten i initially borrowed. I think this kite was a proto so the final product may have changed very very slightly

The Catalyst is marketed by Ozone as their versatile, easy to ride freeride wave kite. It fits in nicely with their other models of C, and light wind. Its a three strut canopy medium/low aspect not too dis-similar to last years light. Heres some pics.......





Ozone have always been sticklers for detail and this kite again shows that
Stress areas reinforced





Its a one pump with the usual slingshot type clips to clip off the struts



and a dump valve in the centre of the LE



Reinforced swept back tips



I think the 10 which i took photos of was a proto so consequently there were 4 points to place back lines. On the finished 8 i used yesterday there were two points. These two points were labelled as +bar pressure or -bar pressure



Bar is very nice. Quite square in the feel and fitted my fat fingers nicely. Very well set out with below the bar safety



Back lines can be adjusted by way of knots under the floats. Ozone used to have a on the fly adjustment which IMO was far superior.



Straight forward clam cleat



Below the bar safety and the quick release which is a pull towards you rather than a push away.






So there we have it a very well made very safe, medium low aspect, bridled, three strut kite with a simple yet effective bar with below the bar safety system.

So to fly...
As i said perhaps not ideal waves to give the kite a thorough work out but enough to get a 'general feel.' Waves, when they walled up and came were about waist to shoulder high. They were breaking right so not much oppertunity to bear away in the South Wester.
The 8m felt suited to the conditions though perhaps a little under done when i first left the beach. Though as the wind increased the grunt was evident. Also we moved the back lines up a knot, in essence lengthening them and and perhaps knocking off a few knots at the lower end.

The kite flies nicely. It oozes the Ozone flavour that anyone who has an ozone kite can relate to. Its very very stable in the air and quick through the window.
I did notice some canopy flutter when gybing with the bar out however when the bar is pulled back in the kite is as stable as anyone could want. The flutter didn't seem to affect the flying characteristics at all and if anything was just irritating.
The kite still responded/turned as well when sheeted out.
Great feedback from the kite no pulleys at all means the feel is direct an grunty.
Down loops nice - gives a continual steady growl of power throughout the loop.
Bar pressure for me was perfect not too light and not too much. In comparison to the religion a bit lighter, comparison to the edge bit heavier, however if you like a heavier bar pressure you can change the setting on the kite - didnt change setting and couldn't tell you the difference.
Turns reasonable fast, not as fast as the religion however its not purely a wave kite. Very fast through the window. Feels very stable in the turn especially when you are gybing hard n fast on a lip demanding power from the kite.
what the religion lacked in 'grunt' this makes up for it. Feels quite grunty
When coming back in it involved a fair bit of downwinding. Kite drifted well. No backstall what so ever.
Didn't do any boosts however it certainly feels like it could handle a boost well, however given that it is a medium/low aspect i wouldn't imagine it would set any hang time records.
Didn't test the relaunch however i couldn't for-see any kind of problem

Conclusion.
I really enjoyed the Catalyst. I think if your looking for an all rounder that does most things well then this is probably a good kite for you.
I was happy with the build the stability and the general feel of the kite however i felt that this size/type of kite for a purely wave riding kiter could be improved with it being faster in the turn. Would be interesting to try it on shorter lines. Also to redesign this kite to be more wave orientated would then mean its not an all rounder - as it is marketed.
If i were to add this kite to my quiver it would be the smaller sizes ie a 6 or a 4 as it is so stable however i feel reluctant to give the 8 back

I would as always recommend a demo - Darren at AKS (www.seabreeze.com.au/Members/Profile/Details.aspx?member=Kitehard) is the bloke to talk to. Though i have got the 8 for a "while"


Disclosure: I ride Ozone kites (2008 ozone edge) - not sponsored but i ride them. I have also bought gear from Darren again not sponsored by him

G'day Reli

The 10M Darren got was a production kite in every way except for the 4 connection points for the rear lines. The Catalysts come with only 2 connection points, basically the tip one and the third one in from the tip your pics.

The kite does boost well and with above average hang time, its very floaty.
Relaunch is very easy, even in light winds.
Shorter lines for a purely waves rider on this kite would be a great benefit.
Dealers across Australia have stock or will recieve stock very soon.

The chiken loop is the same setup as with the slingshot kites they have just changed the look of the release mechanism but it is very much the same thing. Anyone that has used the slingshot chicken loop will know how easy it is to accidentily release it with the release being bigger i would asume it is even easyer to release, great for safety when you need it but to easy to set of when you knock it. You would get used to it though after a while and a couple of accidental releases.

Cheers Darren, I look forward to hearing more. Yes, I'm only riding a twintip and I'm by no means a hardcore freestyler or wakestyler but I like to unhook for little tricks now and then. Looking for a good allrounder to replace the one remaining/surviving sb3 that continues to serve me well, but that can't last forever.

On the ozone website the wind chart seems to give the 10m and 12m catalysts the same bottom end. I suspect this is more a reflection of the clunky format they used rather than a truth about the kites but curious as to the real difference for those who've compared. Sure you can work a 10 hard to get going but I'm interested in the difference between these sizes "park and ride" bottom ends.

Would a 12 and 8 quiver have enough overlap?

I don't get the release on the Ozones. Most other kites i have tried have a push away safety as is probably natural in a drama - push away whereas Ozone have a pull towards you.

I had the pleasure of riding the 10m Cat in winds gusting to 38 knots. I really enjoyed the session. In these winds the kite boosted really well and I was surprised wth the generous hangtime. The kite was smooth and probibly handled the gusts better than anything I have flown before. I agree with PR if I was going to add one to my quiver it would be a 8 or 10 (for me thats small). We had some nice waves out the back on this day and again really happy with the way this kite performs. Bloody good all rounder I say

Hi HAAK,

The reason the 10m and 12m Cat's were released early was they were ready, tested ad signed off after extensive test riding. The testers didn't have the time nor conditions to test the 8m, 6m and 4m Cat's until the weekend of Kitestock, where Torrin Bright and the designers went down to southern tip of Kiwi land where they tested them in winds gusting to 50 knots.

It was all smiles and the kites were all given the nod and signed off as being spot on. They were then given the green light at the factory to start production in the smaller sizes.

Although this has been a pain in the arse (not having the smaller sizes), I'm happy they have taken the time to thoroughly test the kites in the conditions they are meant to fly in, rather than hoping for the best and releasing them to suit retail requirements or seasonal considerations.

The new Cats are more stable, less inclined to flutter, are more resistant to back stall and have more depower than the Light XC's. I personally think the new Cat's look and perform better than the Light XC's and this is inline with the feedback we are getting from other riders who have tested them.

As soon as I get some 6m's in, I'll post a review after a ride.

We currently have 14m, 12m, 10m and 8m in demo (if we can get the 8m back from Poor Relative)

Cheers,

KH

I want what your smoking, your off ya chops cow boy. Ppl that actually know what they are talking about read this crap. Lets keep it real...

simmo, at 96 kilos dry weight why would you think I couldn't hold a 10m down in those conditions. I'm guessing your are one those little fella's who think 20 knots is dangerous do yourself a favour and check the wind we have been having before you open your gob, please pay attention the "gusting to 38" ... for the record I put up my C4 11m first and just couldn't hold it at all.

For absolute best bottom end of any inflatable kite the Zephyr has it, and it also has an incredible top end too = big wind range.
At 75kg's on a 1.44x46 U/G Stella though I think I do just as well with the 14M Catalyst, which has a lighter feel, turns tighter and relaunches super easy.
Zephyr boosts bigger, better hang time, goes upwind better, has a bit slower turn rate and larger turn radius. Catalyst suits smaller/lighter riders, Zephyr suits larger/heavier riders. When trying to milk bottom end fun factor with either kite it is essential to match the kite with a large surface area board.

Hi, I'm a new member of this forum .... looking for and sharing information. Last week I received sizes 6, 8 and 10 of the Catalyst. Last year I had sizes 6 and 8 of the XC. I only pumped the 6 Catalyst and I was already convinced --> Catalyst 6 will be ready for the high winds (as good or maybe better as 2007 Light 7 meter). Unfortunately, today I was not able to test the kite in superb Dutch conditions due to an infection. Hope to inform you soon or read the opinion of someone else. (In my opinion the XC6 was only made for light weight riders in `light or medium wind conditions due to the thin leading edge).