Rider: 1st Season
Style: Surf
Weather: 10-17 knots

Hi All,

I'm looking for your feedback so that I can ascertain whether this model is notorious for this or whether I scored a lemon. Please no brand bashers here, thanks. Apart from the issues I'll outline here I'm happy with the kite.
A bit of background. I bought it new in 09 flew it a few times, then packed it away in the shed until getting motivated again this year.

The middle strut has, from day 1, had a kink in it about 8 inches from it's joining point to the leading edge. This is where it 'sits' on the sand when it's getting pumped up. I thought not much on it until it has been mentioned to me by a few of my Cabrinha flying mates who noticed it recently when I was self launching and the centre strut was refusing to lift, causing me wasted time and generating extreme empathy from the others I'm sure.
In strong winds it doesn't tend to come into play much as the kite just seems to 'bounce' into position with great enthuiasm but in light winds, the Cab guys get a free laugh.

Has anyone fixed a problem like this on their kite of any make to date?
It has been the seed of a many relaunching sagas, some of which have turned into inversions and more time off the water.

Also two other 'things'
the chicken loop has twice pushed straight past the donkie dick (ie - donkie d appears very flimsy) Is there an easy fix for this?
and when in these light winds, if I manage to backstall the kite, (which I'm pretty good at) by over running the kite or hitting a sudden lull, or whatever, it is nearly impossible to launch from the trailing edge down.
My trim knot settings for these winds is L2 T2 or L2 T1 for the lighter end. (1 nearest the kite) The P-Line had shrunk according to the details of another thread, 2220mm, and after extending these lines back to this recommended length, the kite stalled way less, but still some, in the light stuff.

Apart from these things, in 15-25, the kite seems great. Please, I'm not looking for SS bashers or other brand recommendations, I'm not in the market - thanks, I'm only interested in constructive advice for remedying the issues outlined here.

Thanks for reading, looking forward to your responses.
Cheers
-Johnny

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pattiecannon said...
The middle strut has, from day 1, had a kink in it about 8 inches from it's joining point to the leading edge.

Could be that the black transfer hose has kinked or semi sealed itself where the lock-off clip is fitted. This would reduce the pressure going to the offending strut. Try taking it off; immerse it in super hot water then push a neat fitting rod through it (knitting needles work a treat) till it cools.
Or just replace it with a new one - cost u next to nothing.

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pattiecannon said...
the chicken loop has twice pushed straight past the donkie dick (ie - donkie d appears very flimsy) Is there an easy fix for this?

Very easy. The donkey dick is a hollow tube. Find yourself something stiffer that fits the inside diameter and simply insert it - with a bit of contact adhesive if necessary. If ur stuck for ideas ...... the end of an old fishing rod, one of those long plastic plugs used for masonry screws or (again) a flexy knitting needle.

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pattiecannon said...
it is nearly impossible to launch from the trailing edge down.

Are you dropping the bar and yanking on the centre lines when directly upwind? Never known that not to work unless its ridiculously light wind - when nothing will.

Never fear asking - you wont find too many brand bashers attacking the Rev - awesome kite by any standard.
PM me if you are still left trying.

Are you pumping it till it is rock hard.
I launch heaps of peoples kites and I reckon a good 50% of them are what I would call under inflated.
Just keep pumping until the pump rod begins to be restrictive and firm.
Then give it a fold test to see if it resists to folding in on itself.

And as for your other Q's, puppetonastring answered them spot on!!!



PS: The REV is probably still my second favourite kite I have ever flown.

Hey Guys,
Thanks for the comments and suggestions.

Hey puppetonastring. Just now I have sikaflexed 5 or 6"s of cut off extension cable in the hollow donkie d. Thanks for that. It feels heaps better already but we'll hopefully find out for sure 2moro.

The black transfer hose was all good. I clipped off the cable ties and poked a phillips head right through, sighted it right through and, all good. All cabled up again now and ready for 2moro.

I'm a big fan of yanking those front lines, haha, yeah I find that's good in stopping it stalling or making it lift faster if I already have tension. but when I've over run it, or hit a lull and sunk the tail I find even a ripple sized wave b4 I can create tension again can have it inverting or spinning and wrapping a front line round one wing = kite mare. It's seems to me it's mainly the waves that cause the trouble but in that position I've had it invert from wind and inexperience. Come to think of it, I've inverted it from just about everywhere I can fly or crash it. As they say, Rule one - don't drop your kite in the surf.

Glad to hear your positive vibes on the REV - I'll definitely persevere with it. It's my only kite! SB - no drama with kite pressure - one time I pumped it so hard I popped the bladder! Even then that damn middle strut was floppy. (Maybe it has a twist in it at that point?) So now I just go to the stage where the pump is taking a lot more pressure to push down. (When it popped the leading edge bladder it was at the lots and lots more pressure and very hard to push down stage, doh - but I think one of the transfer hose connecter thingys on the leading edge was not sitting 100% properly and the bladder was all twisted up behind it - that's all fixed now - thanks moti and levi)
I'll give that strut the fold test at a different point than it's problem zone and let you know.
Thanks for sticking with the post, it's great to have some words of wisdom from the experienced crew to help us newbies out.
Hey surfingboye, what's your first favourite kite m8?

Cheers

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Kitesurfing/Review/2011-Ozone-Reo-Wave-Kite/

Been on these for about 6 months now and them!!!

Twist - or more likely a part twist - of the bladder could be the problem.
Undo & pull out the folded end of the strut to the point where the bladder end is exposed. Use an unperfumed talc powder and puff it into the opening with some force. Beat the strut to get the talc spread thru. Inflate to about half or a bit less with the end still open then twist & bend & bash the strut about. Deflate & half inflate and bash about several times.
If theres a twist it should work itself out. Fold & close the end & inflate to check.
Not much else to go wrong that I can think of other than a slow leak in the strut bladder so its the only one going down once its locked off??????

I still have a couple of Rev2's, 9 and 7 mt...as long as the plines are correct, and the pulleys are swapped out, these kites are GREAT surfing kites. Very fast across the window, easy to loop, and easy to relaunch. Flagging line works great when you do have your moments where you drop the kite in the waves. Will be a sad day when I retire the 9, but the 7 still is pretty much as good as new. The amount of 7 days this years was pretty weak, at this rate I could get two or three more years out of this kite :(

Hi All,
thanks puppetonastring, I'll do that in a couple of days, as I want to have the kite clean and dry when I give that a go. I'm thinking/hoping that is it as the strut never goes softer at the end of a session - so no leaks there I assume.
Does anybody pump their kite until the pump shaft cannot be pushed down past halfway? Just wondering...
Hey Dafish, I'm glad you're liking the revs :) hope you get some more work for your 7 m8.
Could you clear up a bit of terminology for this newbie m8?
"Flagging line works great" and
"the pulleys are swapped out" if you are talking about replacing pulleys, are these what you're mentioning or just get slingy rev originals?


Thanks heaps again fellas
Cheers

The safety system works great when depowered/released.
and
The pulleys seise up and stop rotating. Then the plastic roller in the pulley with wear to a flat spot. I replaced mine with standard SS ones, but if they're the same length (or you can change the bridle length) they could work out ok.

Also one of my kites started to fly to one side, anyway it turned out to be a stretched bridal. I got the measurements off the internet and replaced them using a better quality rope.

Hey surfingboye,

those reos are getting some hefty praise. They're Looking good. Did you look at Drifters, and Noise also b4 committing? Are they made across the ditch?

M8, thanks i'll keep an eye on those rollers.

When you say safety system - do you mean the line with the ring on it in the centre of the bar?
One thing with the depower is, on the beach, with a little sand on it, the depower is really hard to pull in. I was thinking a thicker ring or one like the ones in the photo would allow the depower rope to run a bit free-er there. It seems to choke on it and just get stuck. Straight after a water start it's fine but.

Thanks m8
cheers

regarding the rev bridle plines...it is critical that these are correct to the version (rev 1 and rev 2 are different) and that you check them regularly. It doesn't take much for them to go out and then the kite starts to fly like a bag of sht. Properly tuned they are awesome.
I also learned that with the smaller kites, they need to be pumped up HARD. 7 or 8 psi at least. Makes a difference to how well it holds its shape.
Been experimenting with different type of line for the plines, so far they are holding up better than the standard lines.
those pulleys that you have posted are all good, better than the standard ss pulleys. You can also replace them with stainless steal rings, which is how the Noise kites are built and they (as far as I know) are not suffering from the dreaded pline shrink.

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surfingboye said...




PS: The REV is probably still my second favourite kite I have ever flown.

Next to the Best Waroo... We know that this is your all time favorite.. You rip on those..

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RPM said...

surfingboye said...




PS: The REV is probably still my second favourite kite I have ever flown.

Next to the Best Waroo... We know that this is your all time favorite.. You rip on those..

You're not wrong, that and the SS Turbo Diesel. But shhhhhhhh, don't tell anyone how good they are, otherwise it will push the prices up.