Ozone Reo Refresh ... When

Ozones usually in September maybe a bit earlier in Europe, for more info check flyozone.com or ask your local stockist

Was flying my little 6m reo today in a polar blasting 30 knots of SE coldness. Awesome little kite. great in the waves. Not much lift however!.

factory. haven't touched them.

To kiter63 if you want a new reo hang off a bit till the new gear is released by ozone, I've heard the reo at the very least will recieve some changes, although for the likes of ourselves we may not notice,

While I'm just a local team rider and don't have access to the Ozone inner sanctum, I can offer a bit of info on the Ozone release schedule.

My understanding is that rather than enslave themselves to an annual release cycle, they work on the kites that they most want to improve, focusing the R&D so that the changes are thoroughly tested and then integrated through all sizes of a given model.

The upside is obvious: precision kites that are tuned to perfection.

Whether or not a given kiter prefers that to a more clockwork annual release schedule that may lack any real changes, or include changes that haven't been adequately tested, is a matter for individual choice.

In my case I'm very glad to have Torrin and Rob tweak the C4s to perfection before I get them rather than let me find out about any gaps in the process after the fact. If it means an extra month or two I think it's time well spent. In the case of the Edges, they're still dominating the race scene despite being slightly over 18 months since their release, and this is surely the discipline where incremental changes are most noticable. The kite was so far ahead when it came out, the others are just catching up. Word on the street is that the new Edge will be next model released by Ozone.

I've spent very little time on the REOs but from what I hear, they're as rave-worthy now as they were on their initial release, which was mid 2011. I believe the early reviews were of prototypes.

Happy Flying!!

Hi Eppo, I don't know what plans there are for the C4, I'm just a gushing local team rider.

I don't even know what changes I'd suggest, but that was true of the 2011s too, yet, lo-and-behold, the 2012s were better in ways that until I experienced them, would not have occurred to me as possible or desirable to improve. Now, while I'm a hack kiter, I did used to be a professional windsurfer and heavily involved in R+D, assessing small refinements as well as radical conceptual shifts, so I'd like to think I have a feel for these things. I only mention this because I was genuinely surprised at the improvements that the guys managed for the current models - they are seriously pushing the design envelope.

However, one game changer for 2013 is the addition of Jake Kelsick, and, wait for it ... Sir Rowdy himself, to the Ozone team.

www.seabreeze.com.au/News/Kitesurfing/Wakestyle-boys-join-team-Ozone_6117164.aspx

Who knows what input they'll have, but I suspect that the C4 will again take a significant step up.

Incidentally, is the "dj od jo" spelling that you use now and then a reference to my oddness, or simply a mis-reading of dj dojo?

And do I take it that you're seriously considering the move to the 4-line simplicity and aerodynamic brilliance of my favourite kite?

As far as the spelling of your name goes that is just my usual typing prowess coming into play.

Yes it is in the mix and right at the top of the list at the moment. To stay with north Vegas or to go to the C4 is the decision to be made. 4 th , 5 th line doesn't matter to me, it's the performance. Now thAt I have a good feel for the Vegas I think when I redemo the C4 I will have a much better idea of what I'm looking for.

Going from the rebel to demoing the the C4 and Vegas, the Vegas obviously had a closer feel to the rebel. Also didn't want to buy a new bar, so the decision was made. But dam darren insisted I demo the C4 as well and that had given me a lot to consider.

as far as improvement go , I will start with the Vegas and say they need to reduce bar pressure a little and give it better potential for boosting. It still boosts high but lacks float unless you loop. The C4 boosted better in terms of float.

So djdojo, if it was possible what would you want to improve on the C4? A that is probably what the designing would be considering I would suspect.

yo plummet, you said not much lift on your post , does this mean your happy with it or youd like more,the settings below the floats are there for you to play around with , its your choice mate, if you dont try youll never know

Honestly cauncy can't say, only had it int he water once on a real strong day and it moved the the edge of the window and relaunched. So sorry man can't help. Don't drop my mites much anymore, then again I don't go as hard as I use to. The Vegas does drift surprisingly well infact it's a damn hoot in the surf. So even when I've flown totall at it and it looked like it would stall down into the water, slight twist of the body to tenson the lines a little, depower and up she came.

cheers eppo yeh maybe technique, ive seen him a few times dropping it in the drink and having a battle to get it back off the water ,even in good winds, hes been doing loops and looping transitions so naturally its gonna end up in the water more, but hes loving the kite much more techy than the rebel, cheers

Yeh it is more technical and does loop like a dream. I would say it has the edge over the C4 in that regards, more forgiving. The relaunch thing is weird. I do remember pulling on the front lines now which kind of lifted it a little up Andover the water which alloed it to move the to edge of the window.

On the lift factor and rear line lengths for the REO:

I've only flown the 10m, once, and that on a twintip, but still I was boosting at least 6, maybe 8metres, so there's some lift there.

The REO and C4 are at opposite ends of the Ozone spectrum in terms of sheeting input; for a given movement of the bar the REO will have a large change in angle of attack (and therefore lift) while the C4 will have the least change of all the Ozone kites (which gives it a bigger freestyle unhooking range).

So, on the 6m you can probably shorten the rear lines a knot, get more grunt, and still have the kite practically luffing with the bar all the way out. However, I'm 6'3" and can easily reach and use the full throw range and this is not the case for some shorter riders.

I recommend trying new settings in moderate conditions and at the least you'll be sure to learn something about trim, stall limits and how you can get the most from your toys.

yo plummet did you give the settings a go , by the sounds of it you had enough blow,

Well I decided not to wait. A demo was not going to happen so I now have a 10m. Needs the winds to cooperate and a trip to the coast.

they can do that for you wishy