2013 Ozone Catalyst - Plug and Play Perfection

Hi Mick,

Welcome to your new addiction, and to the world in which your ability to discriminate hype from truth will be at a premium. I'll offer my 2c.

Build quality doesn't get any better than Ozone. They're a paraglider company too so they know a lot about precision design and manufacture and quality materials.

The Catalyst is elegance on 4 lines - not sure why you'd look further for a perfect kite for beginning and progressing.

Obviously rebels work - I don't want to diss them gratuitously - but seriously, what's going on with your design when you need battens in addition to 5 struts to keep your kite stable? And the rear line bungees? Seems like a lot of inelegant gizmos to me.

As for 5th line vs flagging to a single front line - each side has its adherents. Personally I prefer the simplicity of 4 lines and the reassurance that I wont wrap my kite if it rolls through its lines.

There are some recent threads such as this one -www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Review/Ozone-C4-2012-North-Vegas-2012-OR/ - in which various (experienced) riders have reported their extreme frustration with the North depower rope replacement fiasco.

I've used a lot of kites over the years and the 2013 Catalyst is the most elegantly simple, versatile and fun kite yet. Have a close look at all the kites on your list, check out the stitching, the panel layouts, the reinforcing, the grading of materials for strength/weight and let me know if anything comes close to Ozone.

Then fly them, and I have confidence your decision will become clear.

Hi all, just an update as I went shopping yesterday!

After all my research & discussions I was decided on ether a 13 model cat or a 13 model rebel..
I ended up with nether! They only had 12model cats in stock in 12m so that was out so I surrendered myself to the best judgement of the guys IN AKS (apologies for the million questions yesterday lads! Thanks a million for your time & help)
I came out with a 13 model north evo 12m, 5line north bar, a north x ride (139/41.5) and ion apex select waist harness. (the most comfy would have to be the most expensive I the shop!!)

Can't wait to get out and use them now...

Anybody got any views on the gear I got??

Want my opinion? Leave the 5th at home! Might be useful if **** hits the fan and ya gotta completely kill the kite sure. But you shouldn't be going out in insane conditions early on anyway.

But potential for a kite wrap when you are dropping it in the water increases. Watched my brother go through this on a rebel. Me, no probs, but been at a while.

Plenty of 4 line kites that work just fine for safety. Just my opinion, but again leave it at home.

Good luck mate and enjoy!! Quality kite and board.

Ps the other options would have been just as good, but hey you make work whatever you take on.

Well ridden now the 14, 12 and 10m. Its funny the first time I rode it was in marginal conditions on the 10 and I thought mmm not much in it.

Then I had the 14m in 10 knots on a skim...I couldn't stay upwind but Jason could, so wasn't the kite. Infact I'd say it almost dropped below that at times. So I thought damn this kite has some bottom end.

Then I had the 12m in reasonable conditions, but on the light side again (seems I couldn't get a break)!! But what it proved that the new cat has some decent bottom end lacking in the previous models. There was enoug wind to see it looped really nicely, turned quick enough. I also flew as hard as i could at it, letting the bar go, trying all i could do drop it and the drift was very apparent. Had had a very light westerly day with swell and currents and I was on my 11m edge on the mako king and the guy with me was on his 10m cat and a north nugget and he weighs like 10kg more than me! And we travelled 500m upwind to get to the break.



What I found so far from these rides what was has been said, it seems to have the old cat, with some C4 and what I loved did develop apparent wind like an edge. A bit of everything.

Now the guy on the 10m cat has come off a 10m REO, keeping his 8m REO for this winter. And he actually prefers it in the waves, giving him some constant pull when needed. Less working of the kite needed. Yet there is more than enough drift, he actually couldn't notice much difference, but I'm sure there is, the REO drifts unbelievably well. Suppose I will find out soon enough.

But that is all I have for now, I have a 14m cat and a 8m cat on order from Westoz so when they arrive and I get a good couple of sessions in the right winds I will feed back what I find.

Oh yeh, got myself one of those 10m edges as well.....oooooyeh!!!

I'm imagining higher winds in Australia then in my neck of the woods - St Petersburg, Florida where we are considered blessed with anything over 12 MPH. I've been following your threads on the Edge 11 and Catalyst kites to help me decide which kite to buy. I've ridden the 2013 Catalyst 14M demo on 2 occasions and the more I rode it the more I liked it: I've been riding Cab SB's for 3 years currently have 2012 11M and 14M SBs. The Catalyst just feels comfortable especially the bar pressure, turning speed but did not measure the wind range on either occasion. I rode the 11M Edge demo yesterday in 18 to 22MPH and enjoyed the same features - bar pressure lighter and better turning then the Cab's ( Catalyst faster turning) but it seemed like the kite wanted to fly upwind and I was always having to drift back down to stay in a particular area, jumps were great but I feel like it will take more effort and attention riding an Edge over the Catalyst.

For our region we need a kite that will have a good bottom end to handle the variable winds we get ( sometimes 14 and a moment latter 11). The 11M Edge is definitely the choice in our winds because it's so efficient and it accelerates when you move it. The Catalyst feels better to me but I'm concerned it won't have the low end of the SB. At this point I think the best Edge quiver would be the 13M and the new 10M and on the Ctalyst the 14M and the 10m

I'm hoping your tests on the new Edge 10 and the Catlysts will help me in finalizing my choices.

My weight is 70kgs, height is 6'2", winds in knots in SW Florida are best from 11k to 25k. We get mostly light winds in the 11 to 18 range and the wind is Front based in the winter and seabreezes late spring and early summer. I'd say my 14 Switchblade gets about 70% of the use and the 11m gets 25% with maybe 5% high winds due to a Tropical Storm or Big winter Strom that drops down into Florida in the winter months.

Oooh we can talk then I to have the king and 140. Get back to ya soon in a stupid meeting.

^^^ The 2013 8m Cat will trounce the switchy in the surf - especially for drift, turning. Just ride it a bit more, experiment with your timing, and I'm sure you'll work it out.

It's my favourite ever small kite by a mile (and yes, I've ridden 2012 switchies in small and large sizes). My only tip is time on water - the Cat should do everything more simply, more precisely and more quickly than your switchblade.

Cheers, guys- forecast is 25+ for tomorrow so hopefully I'll have it dialled in on the waves by the time I can't stand in the evening :D
by "not in the same league as the SB" I meant I expected the cat to **** on it from a height once swell was involved, which I haven't got it to do yet.
In all other areas I'm very satisfied though I think most of that is the knowledge it's going to take brown on the charts to keep me from having fun now on.

Default mine arrives sometime this week I hope, let you know. But there is less bar pressure per say than the 2013 C4. That much I do know from riding the cat and c4 14/15 m respectively. I didn't find the C4 had really high bar pressure though but i know some have.

Hey all,is it me,or does everyone shorten the rear lines on the cats?even on a new kite?do they fall back when you do that,or give a bit more grunt? Cheers