I've been a big fan of the Reo's for a number of years now and am getting to the stage where I would like to upgrade my v4 7m. It seams like every brand is coming out with a new light weight new wave kite expect Ozone. I have been looking into new kites and have probably been pulled in by Duotones marketing department but find my eye being drawn to the new SLS Neo. My question is 1. When can we expect a new Reo from Ozone. 2. Should I wait? 3. Why is the SLS more $ when it stills weighs more than the current Reo? 4. Has any one got or tried the new SLS Neo and what did they think?

I would say that yes, the Reo is about due for a v6. They tend to tweak every two to three years. The kite is now so refined that except for the weight there was little to improve. I think if you weigh the kites they are still lighter than many other brands, but certainly with the new tech out it will only be a matter of time before the new fabrics appear on the Reo. I still have one v4 left, it's a 6 meter. I use it to foil and when the winds are cranking on my surfboard, and it's still a fab kite. If you can't wait, get a second hand v5.

I've been reliable informed that the new V6 Reo should be dropping in the next 2months. Let's see if they bring anything new.

to answer question 4 - i have 6, 8, 10 neo sls and love them. The sls construction kites are a definite improvement over the standard kites, sort of the icing on the cake on a great design.

i think neo and reo are 2 pretty different wave kites. I like the neo because more power and the 'ride a size down' ability which I know the ozone fanboys will criticise that they just size them up to market them like this. If they are correct (which i do not believe to be the case) then you are getting a 9m kite for the price of an 8m which is good value for money, and if they are incorrect then the kites really are more powerful for their size which I believe to be the case due to the plan shape of the kite canopy and the aerofoil profile created by the larger diameter leading edge.

The 'more power' comes at the trade off that it requires more active steering to make drift - the reo is better for drift and requries less active input. the neo is better for jumps and has good hangtime for a wave kite. the reo is lighter but at the expense of durability. all depends what you are after and what your style is. i would suggest you try a neo and wait and see what the V6 offering is.

How do you find the depower on the NEO SLS? One aspect I dig about the Reo's, when strapless surfing, you can dump all the power easily.

Considering how Ozone has suffered many many delays with the release (covid etc...) of the Alpha v2 and Wasp v2 I wouldn't expect anything soon... v5 is still such an amazing kite.

I have a 9m v5 in the Buy Sell if anyone is interested

Dealers will be able to order Reo V6 in less than a week, but there are approx 80 days production time at the moment so I'm expecting that the public release will be the 1st June, and even then dealers might be waiting another week or so for their first orders to arrive.
There will be an 11m available in the V6, something I've been pestering them for several years.
V6 will feature a tweaked design but overall will be a more refined version of the V5 and will incorporate all new materials and new V2 high flow one pump system.

Covid is still affecting all brands' production, and especially the supply chain feeding the main kite factories with raw materials.

Alpha V2 was set live to order on the system overnight in size 10 and 12M, the rest will follow shortly when the final production prototypes are signed off, they will be available in the same size range 4/6/8/10/12/14/16 Colours are Orange/white, Light Blue/white, Light Green/white
They are produced using new in house developed software that has allowed the leading edge to be made in one continuous curve, with transversal sail shaping (from R1 tech). These latest design features reduce parasitic drag and create a cleaner surface at the most important area of the airfoil. The result is less turbulent airflow, which positively affects the lift to drag ratio increasing overall performance. I'm interested to see where else this technology surfaces in Ozone kites. I've seen an inflated 10m on a zoom call and it is a very interesting new design. Public release for Alpha V2 is May 1st.

Thanks for the update Steve, exciting times indeed!

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CJ2478 said..
The 'more power' comes at the trade off that it requires more active steering to make drift - the reo is better for drift and requries less active input. the neo is better for jumps and has good hangtime for a wave kite. the reo is lighter but at the expense of durability. all depends what you are after and what your style is. i would suggest you try a neo and wait and see what the V6 offering is.

I've seen a couple of SLS Neo kites that have begun to comb at the LE closing seam, here's a photo of one of them. I've heard from dealers there are more out there too.
The material has a nice finish and I think thats sucking in a lot of buyers who don't realise their Neo SLS is still heavier than the same size Reo V5, but after seeing this I'm glad at this stage we don't sell kites made from this material.


Ozone kites are not less durable, its just not true at all. They come with a 2 yr warranty from Ozone, no need to sign up for anything, I think this is the longest standard warranty on any kite sold in Australia?
So apart from some random bladder valve issues mainly caused by excessive heat and UV exposure affecting older kites my experience in my retail store is that Ozone is the most reliable brand for construction and also the lightest apart from Ocean Rodeo Aluula kites.

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Ozone Kites Aus said..

CJ2478 said..
the reo is lighter but at the expense of durability.

... Ozone is the most reliable brand for construction and also the lightest apart from Ocean Rodeo Aluula kites.

but you would say that... overinflation and leading edge slamming may not be such an issue with wave kiting

how does the Drifter compare weightwise to the Reo-Neo-only-wave-kite-there-is-in-the-market argument

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Ozone Kites Aus said..

CJ2478 said..
The 'more power' comes at the trade off that it requires more active steering to make drift - the reo is better for drift and requries less active input. the neo is better for jumps and has good hangtime for a wave kite. the reo is lighter but at the expense of durability. all depends what you are after and what your style is. i would suggest you try a neo and wait and see what the V6 offering is.

I've seen a couple of SLS Neo kites that have begun to comb at the LE closing seam, here's a photo of one of them. I've heard from dealers there are more out there too.
The material has a nice finish and I think thats sucking in a lot of buyers who don't realise their Neo SLS is still heavier than the same size Reo V5, but after seeing this I'm glad at this stage we don't sell kites made from this material.


Ozone kites are not less durable, its just not true at all. They come with a 2 yr warranty from Ozone, no need to sign up for anything, I think this is the longest standard warranty on any kite sold in Australia?
So apart from some random bladder valve issues mainly caused by excessive heat and UV exposure affecting older kites my experience in my retail store is that Ozone is the most reliable brand for construction and also the lightest apart from Ocean Rodeo Aluula kites.

Warranty refers to defects due to poor craftsmanship and I have no doubt that the ozone offering is among the best, however what we are talking about is durability, and there is a clear disclaimer that "The warranty does not cover damage caused.....damage caused by use in waves or shore break". That is where the issue is with the stripped away reinforcements (to reduce weight) and where I have seen reos damaged. These are at spots where there is an equal distribution of people riding the wave specific models of core, cabrinha, ozone and duotone, but have only seen this happen to the reos..

The issue of combing is interesting and i will certainly be checking mine for this as they have been through the rinse cycle on a few occasions, but interestingly, this seems to be the only mention of this issue that I am able to find on the internet. Usually kiteforum will have posts relating to inherent faults in a product but there is no mention of it.

If you want to make a fair comparison on weight you should compare a reo with a neo a size down. I have seen many claims (many from ozone reps) that the neo is sized up, so if this is the case, then this would be the only objective way to make this comparison. Ultimately i think light weight is nice to have but not the be all end all at the detriment of durability.

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CJ2478 said..

Ozone Kites Aus said..

CJ2478 said..
The 'more power' comes at the trade off that it requires more active steering to make drift - the reo is better for drift and requries less active input. the neo is better for jumps and has good hangtime for a wave kite. the reo is lighter but at the expense of durability. all depends what you are after and what your style is. i would suggest you try a neo and wait and see what the V6 offering is.

I've seen a couple of SLS Neo kites that have begun to comb at the LE closing seam, here's a photo of one of them. I've heard from dealers there are more out there too.
The material has a nice finish and I think thats sucking in a lot of buyers who don't realise their Neo SLS is still heavier than the same size Reo V5, but after seeing this I'm glad at this stage we don't sell kites made from this material.


Ozone kites are not less durable, its just not true at all. They come with a 2 yr warranty from Ozone, no need to sign up for anything, I think this is the longest standard warranty on any kite sold in Australia?
So apart from some random bladder valve issues mainly caused by excessive heat and UV exposure affecting older kites my experience in my retail store is that Ozone is the most reliable brand for construction and also the lightest apart from Ocean Rodeo Aluula kites.

Warranty refers to defects due to poor craftsmanship and I have no doubt that the ozone offering is among the best, however what we are talking about is durability, and there is a clear disclaimer that "The warranty does not cover damage caused.....damage caused by use in waves or shore break". That is where the issue is with the stripped away reinforcements (to reduce weight) and where I have seen reos damaged. These are at spots where there is an equal distribution of people riding the wave specific models of core, cabrinha, ozone and duotone, but have only seen this happen to the reos..

The issue of combing is interesting and i will certainly be checking mine for this as they have been through the rinse cycle on a few occasions, but interestingly, this seems to be the only mention of this issue that I am able to find on the internet. Usually kiteforum will have posts relating to inherent faults in a product but there is no mention of it.

If you want to make a fair comparison on weight you should compare a reo with a neo a size down. I have seen many claims (many from ozone reps) that the neo is sized up, so if this is the case, then this would be the only objective way to make this comparison. Ultimately i think light weight is nice to have but not the be all end all at the detriment of durability.

HI CJ,
Not sure how much experience you have with crashed kites, but I can confidently say, I am one of three, of the most experienced kite repairing agents in Oz. Im also an Ozone Dealer, and Ozone Warrenty agent, aswell as a few other brands too. There is no actuall support to back your claims though mate. It just isnt true. OZONE reduces wieght where wieght isnt needed. Thats it. They still have ample bump stops, reinforced stitching, and all high quality fabrics. The reality is, Everyone has a story of newer kites from any brand getting smashed to bits on a shore break, or such thing. Just as we all have a story that "our" kite survived a 15 foot wave or such...

I can also tell you, that as warrenty claims go, Ozone are incredibly great to deal with, and I take warrenty jobs from 7 different brands. Peace out

Some very interesting points and views made by all. I think I am keen to try a Neo SLS but I am willing to wait and also test out the new V6 Reo when it becomes available. I'll be honest though I am such a fan of the Reo the Neo would have to blow me away to make me convert.

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CJ2478 said..

Ozone kites are not less durable, its just not true at all. They come with a 2 yr warranty from Ozone, no need to sign up for anything, I think this is the longest standard warranty on any kite sold in Australia?
So apart from some random bladder valve issues mainly caused by excessive heat and UV exposure affecting older kites my experience in my retail store is that Ozone is the most reliable brand for construction and also the lightest apart from Ocean Rodeo Aluula kites.

Warranty refers to defects due to poor craftsmanship and I have no doubt that the ozone offering is among the best, however what we are talking about is durability, and there is a clear disclaimer that "The warranty does not cover damage caused.....damage caused by use in waves or shore break". That is where the issue is with the stripped away reinforcements (to reduce weight) and where I have seen reos damaged. These are at spots where there is an equal distribution of people riding the wave specific models of core, cabrinha, ozone and duotone, but have only seen this happen to the reos..

The issue of combing is interesting and i will certainly be checking mine for this as they have been through the rinse cycle on a few occasions, but interestingly, this seems to be the only mention of this issue that I am able to find on the internet. Usually kiteforum will have posts relating to inherent faults in a product but there is no mention of it.

If you want to make a fair comparison on weight you should compare a reo with a neo a size down. I have seen many claims (many from ozone reps) that the neo is sized up, so if this is the case, then this would be the only objective way to make this comparison. Ultimately i think light weight is nice to have but not the be all end all at the detriment of durability.

Hi Cameron
Whats going on? Just a few weeks ago you were brand bashing North, now it seems to be Ozone's turn? Look up Duotone's warranty policy I think you will find it reads very similarly except the max warranty is 18 months but you have to sign up for the marketing dept to get the extra 6 months. (perhaps you signed up 3 times and are getting too much?)
Duotone does not cover any of their kites for damage caused by waves or shorebreak.

There is no stripping away of reinforcement as you put it. There is only intelligently engineered placement of every single piece of material and stitch, and the designer has the ultimate say in what goes where on all Ozone kites, not the marketing department or the graphics department like so many other brands - especially those owned by non kiter venture capitalists whose sole aim is to increase sales and revenue then sell it.
Ozone is privately owned, there are no outside investors, and all of the owners are kiters and paragliders, there is also no debt.

Your assertion that Ozone kites are weak needs to be backed up with some proof, can you list the large numbers of kites you've seen being destroyed, can you provide any proof or evidence that only Ozone kites get damaged at these spots you kite at?
Can you at least name these spots where only the Ozone kites get destroyed?

I'm not going to wait for an answer because you can't so I'm calling you out on this drivel, you are lying for some reason. You said;
That is where the issue is with the stripped away reinforcements (to reduce weight) and where I have seen reos damaged. These are at spots where there is an equal distribution of people riding the wave specific models of core, cabrinha, ozone and duotone, but have only seen this happen to the reos..

Here's a suggestion for you when responding on SB, talk about your kites and your experience and stick to the question just don't brand bash and make stupid unfounded statements with no proof to back any of those claims up. You are an intelligent person you are better than this.

Happy to meet up and lay one of your kites under or over one of mine and see what difference there is in sizing? We have the same sizes.

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Ozone Kites Aus said..

and the designer has the ultimate say in what goes where on all Ozone kites, not the marketing department or the graphics department like so many other brands - especially those owned by non kiter venture capitalists whose sole aim is to increase sales and revenue then sell it.

Are you involved in the development process of other brands so that you can verify this or are you just bashing other brands in general to promote Ozone?

You wrote "Your assertion that Ozone kites are weak needs to be backed up with some proof" so show us the proof of the marketing design process for 'many other brands'....

Oh and this is the best quote from yoy while you're at it bashing other brands...

"Here's a suggestion for you when responding on SB, talk about your kites and your experience and stick to the question just don't brand bash and make stupid unfounded statements with no proof to back any of those claims up. You are an intelligent person you are better than this."

The design and quality of ozone kites is reflected in the buy and sell section of this forum.

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simon78 said..
The design and quality of ozone kites is reflected in the buy and sell section of this forum.

Cool. There's a 2020 9m Reo for $1k, not sure I can get a 2020 drifter or neo for that money.

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magnusod said..

Are you involved in the development process of other brands so that you can verify this or are you just bashing other brands in general to promote Ozone?

You wrote "Your assertion that Ozone kites are weak needs to be backed up with some proof" so show us the proof of the marketing design process for 'many other brands'....

Oh and this is the best quote from yoy while you're at it bashing other brands...

"Here's a suggestion for you when responding on SB, talk about your kites and your experience and stick to the question just don't brand bash and make stupid unfounded statements with no proof to back any of those claims up. You are an intelligent person you are better than this."

No I'm not and thanks for pointing that out it was a generalisation and just my opinion. I'm guilty as charged of pointing out that there is a significant difference between the structure and ownership of some brands as compared to Ozone.

Examples of dumb stuff clearly driven by the graphics or marketing departments;

Changing the leading edge colour in an unbalanced proportion - caused asymetric flying
Covering the LE closing seam with a decorative scrim to give the impression the seam was stronger - nightmare to repair and added unnecessary weight. (there are still a couple of brands doing this too)
Excessive graphics sewn into the canopy = more seams= more weight and more points of failure.
Heavy foam and moulded plastic bumpers all over the leading edge = more weight, points to catch lines, did not increase durability.
Self rescue handles = more weight and totally not necessary, but marketed heavily.
Its a long list if you really take a hard look at the offerings year after year.

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CJ2478 said..

Ozone Kites Aus said..

CJ2478 said..
The 'more power' comes at the trade off that it requires more active steering to make drift - the reo is better for drift and requries less active input. the neo is better for jumps and has good hangtime for a wave kite. the reo is lighter but at the expense of durability. all depends what you are after and what your style is. i would suggest you try a neo and wait and see what the V6 offering is.

I've seen a couple of SLS Neo kites that have begun to comb at the LE closing seam, here's a photo of one of them. I've heard from dealers there are more out there too.
The material has a nice finish and I think thats sucking in a lot of buyers who don't realise their Neo SLS is still heavier than the same size Reo V5, but after seeing this I'm glad at this stage we don't sell kites made from this material.


Ozone kites are not less durable, its just not true at all. They come with a 2 yr warranty from Ozone, no need to sign up for anything, I think this is the longest standard warranty on any kite sold in Australia?
So apart from some random bladder valve issues mainly caused by excessive heat and UV exposure affecting older kites my experience in my retail store is that Ozone is the most reliable brand for construction and also the lightest apart from Ocean Rodeo Aluula kites.

Warranty refers to defects due to poor craftsmanship and I have no doubt that the ozone offering is among the best, however what we are talking about is durability, and there is a clear disclaimer that "The warranty does not cover damage caused.....damage caused by use in waves or shore break". That is where the issue is with the stripped away reinforcements (to reduce weight) and where I have seen reos damaged. These are at spots where there is an equal distribution of people riding the wave specific models of core, cabrinha, ozone and duotone, but have only seen this happen to the reos..

The issue of combing is interesting and i will certainly be checking mine for this as they have been through the rinse cycle on a few occasions, but interestingly, this seems to be the only mention of this issue that I am able to find on the internet. Usually kiteforum will have posts relating to inherent faults in a product but there is no mention of it.

If you want to make a fair comparison on weight you should compare a reo with a neo a size down. I have seen many claims (many from ozone reps) that the neo is sized up, so if this is the case, then this would be the only objective way to make this comparison. Ultimately i think light weight is nice to have but not the be all end all at the detriment of durability.

I'm calling absolute BULLSH$T on Reos not being durable. I am exclusively a wave kiter and been kiting since 2002 and have used REOs (10, 8 and 6) the past 3 years and smashed and bashed them in all kinds of surf and have NEVER had any kind of failure (except of me) at all.

They are definitely no less durable than any other brand on the market, but they fly better in the waves.....