Rider: 90kg Intermediate
Style: Freeriding
Weather: 17-20kts
Build Quality: 9/10
Satisfaction: 9.5/10
Disclosure: No Affiliations

My Comments: Had a nice couple of hours on this kite.
Very smooth feeling and does what the spiel says - goes big and cuts up wind like a demon.
If you loved the Waroo pro 11m you'll love this kite - very similar feel but more finesse in the flight characteristics. Thanks for the demo Mike - Kitethrills.
A lot better than the previous edges I tried which were washy feeling at the bar.

11m felt like a 12, would love to try the 9! Only baddy for me is the compulsory 1 pump - Terrible to pack down like all one pumps.. The bar looked nice but I used my own custom setup for s true test and comparison. Definitely worth a test ride.

Hey Kurt. It's Dave (I brought your yellow BFK 21 back in the day...) long time no see you round the beaches! I've been OS most of the last 18 months and I think you've taken to lurking 'over the bridge' ?

I traded all my old kites for an 08 edge 2 11m. One kite quiver that I'm happy with. you get used to the light bar pressure very quickly

Re the one pump - not sure what you're doing wrong? I don't ever use the strut clips (unless I'm somewhere that a swim in would be really hairy) and I find the ozone 1 pump so quick and easy. I found the Naish system to be much slower and hard to get enough pressure spread evenly through the kite.

To deflate I just pull, wait a minute,then start rolling up one side, with a quick run of both hands up each strut to get the last air out as I roll up to it. Takes all of 2 mins - if that- and it's always easy to fold into 3 and get into the inner bag.

Not doing anything wrong.....It's much slower to pack down, and something else to go possibly wrong.
Sorry Dave you are not convincing

It wasn't the light bar pressure on the earlier models - it was the lack of responsiveness making the handling washy as I stated.
The 2010 is nice very powerful for size I think and it handles like a 12-12.5m.

Yes I kite alot still but away from crowds and in better spots and conditions.

I remember you well - the aero franken' kite man!

Believe it or not that 02 aero is still going strong with a mate over in WA.. it's unkillable.

I admit I'm a massive Ozone fan now and wouldn't buy anything else. But I'm not trying to sell you on them - you've flown about 50 times more kites than I have.

I have a 5 line model so that takes a little extra time over 4 lines, but aside from that I couldn't imagine a faster pump up or pack down.

To pump up I just dump out of the bag and pretty much start pumping. Air pressure rolls it out.

To pack I just pull the deflate, let it bleed out while I pack my bar/lines, then come back and roll it up at full speed.

For me it's one pump working at it's best - simple, fast, one valve to deal with each way instead of 8. Also I've had zero leaks or pressure problems in 2 years, so not bothering with strut clips hasn't been an issue.

Since 08 they have fattened the leading edge twice (to compensate for removing the 5th line amongst other things) so maybe it's not so easy any more?

^^^^

I'm with this guy. The 08 edge II is the pinnacle of performance, the new ones have sold out by going 4-lines and fattening up the leading edge. i use an edge II 11m pretty much all of the time and i've not yet found another kite that beats it in pure performance upwind, lift and float. even the new edges. i'm still happy to stick with the 5-line setup if it means the kite can retain its efficiency.

also packing up - WTF it's the easiest thing ever? just pull the deflate valve, roll the kite up from wingtip to middle then do the same from the other end. fold it into 3 and put it in the bag. pretty damn easy unless i'm missing something

You probably have time to let it down while you're taking your booties off neil!

I can see why a lot of people like the early edges - no brainer to jump nicely even for beginners intermediates.The new kite feels a lot better all round and still has the huge boost and cuts upwind.

So it sounds like it's quite powerful if you're 90kg and it was only just 20 knots?
Have you ridden the 11m sport? would say it's more powerful than that?

Sorry Wishy - can't comment on the sport.

Yes very grunty - I have ordered a 9 and 11 in racing red
I have a 'special' 17 for the light days if I ever get stuck at the beach with a dud forecast ...

What is the low end like on the 11m 2010 edge compared to the zephyr?
I have the 17m zephyr and not overly impressed on the low end on it for such a big kite. The speil says it is a 6knot kite. i have tested mine now alot and it is difficult to keep the kite in the air in uk 6 knots, let alone pull you even on a big board. (I have the spleene Door 159 2010).
I am 80kg's and need about 11 knots for zephyr to be stable in the air in uk conditions and pulling.
I have a 12m wainman which i use at the mo but thinking of swapping over to an 11m egde 2010. Has any one ridden both and can comment on power and turning speed of the two? Would I get any benifit from the change?

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Bossstyle said...

What is the low end like on the 11m 2010 edge compared to the zephyr?
I have the 17m zephyr and not overly impressed on the low end on it for such a big kite. The speil says it is a 6knot kite. i have tested mine now alot and it is difficult to keep the kite in the air in uk 6 knots, let alone pull you even on a big board. (I have the spleene Door 159 2010).
I am 80kg's and need about 11 knots for zephyr to be stable in the air in uk conditions and pulling.
I have a 12m wainman which i use at the mo but thinking of swapping over to an 11m egde 2010. Has any one ridden both and can comment on power and turning speed of the two? Would I get any benifit from the change?

Call me petty and jealous but I do get a bit irked reading your posts about all the freakin squillions of boards and kites you've bought and sold and have in your quiver. Forever disappointed with the latest and greatest, hoping that satisfaction will come when the perfect equipment is finally yours. Satisfaction comes when you enjoy what you have. Wherever you go, there you are.

If you want to ride a Zephyr in sub 10knts you'll need a course board I think Bossy.
I have been having a ball doing huge upwinders in Gusty 6-15 knts on a current North Race ltd with the bigger fins over the last few weeks.

The zephyr really comes to life when you can get some speed on. A 12-14m can get you going in 10 knts BUT... Going back downwind sucks compared to the 17 if the wind gets too light. The zephyr is an apparent wind machine.

A skimboard is also great fun in light wind if the water is flat enough.

Hey Kurt, your never going to win the war against one pump, all we can hope for is that a manufacturer decides to help us out, might be a long time coming.

Had a little light wind comp over here the other day, quietly done so as to not ruffled feathers. Even with a 15kg weight advantage and a surfboard the Zephyr couldn't stay upwind, the "other" kites could. You will have to have a go at Scarbs one day.
Tim

But surfboards are not light wind boards..... They suck in light wind.
I'd rather ride a skimboard, it's way better than my cab 7'2" gun in the light stuff.

What were the "other" kites Airsail?

I have a new Toy Tim - and it turns and jumps as well as goes in light wind

Jetski????

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Call me petty and jealous but I do get a bit irked reading your posts about all the freakin squillions of boards and kites you've bought and sold and have in your quiver. Forever disappointed with the latest and greatest, hoping that satisfaction will come when the perfect equipment is finally yours. Satisfaction comes when you enjoy what you have. Wherever you go, there you are.

Hey, I do enjoy what I have but you can always have better and I work bloody hard for it!
I don't smoke, rarely drink and don't have kids so why not?
Plus I have bought kit that was poorly recommended, ill-advised and not suitable in the past.
You maybe lucky over there and get to demo kit before you buy, but getting to demo kit over here doesn't happen often and so you usually have to buy blind. I have lost a lot of money in changing kit but I don’t really care to be honest. You only get one life!

As for the racing and the race boards, I have been seeing alot of them at my local spots recently and they look extremly interesting and alot of fun. Something i'd definitly like to get into. May trade the door in for one of them sometime but not just yet.

Light wind kiting is such a debated topic - I really get sick of it to be honest and you should just do what makes you happy.

6 kts - No way I would even contemplate going out or even thinking about it.
Kiting doesn't start till 12/13kts imo. Under that and it's a waste of time.

I have a 17 for the days when the wind is looking like 14-18kts but ends up 12/13-15kts so a small kite (which is 12 or less to me) is no fun imo.

The big foils are arguably the best for getting going first - but I don't see the point really. Heaps of lines, launching an issue in tight spots, non responsive feel at the bar, not for me but others love them and good on them....and then there's the cost.

Tim - jet ski !!! not in my lifetime! Give me a nice tinnie anyday :-)

Anyway back to the 11m Edge - well to be honest I have ordered a 9 and 11 and am treating it it like a 10 and 12.5 combo going off the grunt of the 11. Also turning speed is reduced so don't buy an 11 edge and compare it to a lot of of the 11's around. Just my advice - try before you buy - always.

The boost was great - which is the main reason I kite.

Do you get lift from the c4's by simply pulling in the bar like you do on some c kites or does the kite have to be sent?

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Bossstyle said...

Do you get lift from the c4's by simply pulling in the bar like you do on some c kites or does the kite have to be sent?

You get a small amount from pulling in on the bar and a much larger amount from sending and then holding the bar in. C4's have great lift and hangtime. Great unhooked too.

Steve

Decided on an 11m. But want it purely for boosting. Which boosts best. 11m c4 or the 11m edge 2010???
Can't get a demo of the two over here as ozone arnt replying and local dealers don't push the ozone kit and therefore don't hold demo's unfortunatly.

Boss .... I weigh around the 90 to 100 kilo range. I have a 11m C4 and recently the new 13m edge. The C4 boosts huge and has really good hang time. I can only compare this to the 09 11m Edge. i would say the C4 is at least 30% better in boost and hang time than the 09 11m edge.(for a rider of my weight) However the new 2010 13m edge is way better than the 09 13m edge for both boost and hangtime although it turns slower. Havent riden the 11m yet but if Kurts comments are anything to go by then it would be pretty good.I think you would be happy with either, the C4 does have a smaller wind range than the Edge. So if its 1 kite you are after I would suggest the Edge might be the go. The Edge has a better low end and the C4 does become a bit unmanagable when it it gets to its top end.(which for me would be around 30 to 35 knots.)

I found the 2010 11 Edge has way more grunt than the 12m C4 for me.

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Bossstyle said...

Decided on an 11m. But want it purely for boosting. Which boosts best. 11m c4 or the 11m edge 2010???
Can't get a demo of the two over here as ozone arnt replying and local dealers don't push the ozone kit and therefore don't hold demo's unfortunatly.

I've ridden the 10/11 C4's and 9/11 Edges a bit lately. The Edge boosts well, has huge down low grunt, and still feels good in the upper part of its wind range. It has a bigger wind range than the C4's by up to 5 knots.
The Edge is a race kite with a lot of old school freestyle potential, it does boos huge and gives great hang time. I think its not so great for kite looping the kite is a sweep turner, and develops massive power in its wide radius turns.
The C4 in the upper part of its wind range boosts as high but you do not get the massive hang time that you do with the Edge.
For me recently on very flat water the bottom end of the 11M Edge was around 14/15 knots riding an Underground FLX 1.32x39
On the C4 11M I need at least 16/17 knots and can kite through until 27/28 knots.
I have not found the top end of the 11M Edge yet, the 9M got me going from around the same as the C4's bottom end and is a wickedly good kite for boosting in the 25knots plus wind range, top end for me on the 9M would be at least 35 knots.
The Edge needs to be ridden fast, thats what it was designed for and it gets even more power from apparent wind build up. The C4 can be ridden a bit slower, but it too likes to go fast too.

Thanks for the comparison. Got to try a12m c4 yesterday. Seemed pretty small for a 12m, but it's the first time I have flown a c kite, well except for a old 05 Vegas 16m I used to own any way.
Wind was to light to give it a proper test. Hopefully Sunday will be the proper job.
Having tried the 12m though I think that is the size I will be getting and not the 11m now, otherwise it will overlap my 9m smoke to much.
The c4 did feel nice in the air. Not as quick as the smoke and not so sire it was even as fast as the wainman boss. Certainly didn't have the grunt of the boss but felt just as nice to fly. Hpefully it will excel over the boss in hamgtime. Hoping the forecast stays up for sun!

Spent a whole day yesterday on the 12m c4. Good wind for it at 16knots to 22knots. The c4 is very easy to fly. great for underloops and i am sure for kiteloops if i were able to do them. (never tried yet but getting there.) easy to unhook and alot more managable to unhook than my boss. I found the 12m c4 lacked the low end and didn't feel as aggressive which i loved in the boss. Felt like there were blank spots through the air when signing the kite which i wasn't sure about. though when it did catch the wind in the right spots it was a very fast pulling kite and was able to smoke past a few others that were mainly on larger North kites and others using similar sized boards.
I used my Spleene door board while the wind was picking up and managed to cruise past just about every one. C4 gives excellent upwind ability to. Better than the boss a little in that department.
Reluanch was no probs though i think c kites tend to fold in half a little while relaunching and you have to play with them much more to get them off the water. Easy enough though. The Wainman kites have to be top in the relaunch department and they relaunch with power which is so much fun.
I was impressed witht he c4 but think as people have suggested that the edge may be more what i am looking for. Wish they did a 12m in the Edge. I am left with an 11m or 13m option. I think the 11m would be the most fun but think it would overlap my 9 smoke to much as that already has fantastic low end ability and is wicked for a 9m kite. Power of others 10 or 11m sizes, infact the smokes low end isn't much less than the c4 12m i didn't think.
11m or 13m edge to sit under the zephyr? I weigh 12.5 stone.

Can anyone comment on a 9m 2010 edge in macking winds?

Does the 2010 11m edge work well in the waves??Does it drift back nicely or not really made for wave riding?

The Edge is a high AR speed and big air weapon.
I used to use the old 9m Edge and Edge II in the waves, I liked the very good low end, and I got away with it because it was a 9, nice and fast.
Of this years Ozones I think you should be looking at the Catalyst for a light wind surf kite.
Take a C4 for a spin too though if you can, I've been loving them as surf kites.

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lotofwind said...

Does the 2010 11m edge work well in the waves??Does it drift back nicely or not really made for wave riding?

No I don't think the 13 and 11M work for waves at all unless its just cruising down the line fast in cross on/cross off conditions. I think the biggest size that would work ok would be the 9M, the 11/13M's turn radius means there is too much chance of putting them in the drink if you are moving fast (and a bit towards the kite) and can't get good rear line tension. They are a powerful, lifty kite, designed to have a big wind range and very good grunt, they have 7 struts and don't drift back that well (compared to Catalyst or C4, catalyst is THE Ozone wave kite IMO) although they are much more stable than the 2009 model. For a 7 strut kite they do drift well, they are designed to be good at going downwind in racing, so they need good drift and stability, which they have. The kite is a sweep turner, and develops big power in turns, and it pivots into turns easily and quickly, but the radius of the turn is noticeably larger than the C4 and Catalyst. Compare it to a Crossbow in the Cab range, but its a better race/old school freestyle kite than a CB IDSX or IDS IMO.

@Wishy
I rode the 9M all day up at Alva recently on the Saturday, but I think the strongest the wind got was high 20's, maybe some 30 knots gusts out the back near the windchopwaves. The kite was a dream to use in the flat water at Alva, soooo fast and the boosts were big and long , had to be careful where I jumped so I did not land on the sand or on anyone downwind! The kite is a boost monster for sure!

30 more posts until I make the 2868 post and Tobes you just made your UNT post !!!

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Kitepower Australia said...
30 more posts until I make the 2868 post and Tobes you just made your UNT post !!!

300 posts, dumb 2868.
I'll never be as big a 2868 as you, but at least I can coUNT.

The 13m definitly not for the waves. Way to much power and as Steve says turn radius not good for waves. I have the kite loop transitions almost dailed in on my 2010 13m edge but it requres a lot of height to complete the loop and come out powered.( I want to give it a try with shorter lines and a longer bar to see if I can get it to turn quicker) It has heaps of power so shorter lines are not really an issue. In saying that I still like my 2010 13m edge it the way it is, this is my light wind kite. But it is a heap of fun at 20 plus knots, boosts and hangs huge.
I rode the catalyst (10m)earlier this year in winds gusting over 35knots it was really good. Good boost, nice hang tme, soaked up the gusts, looped nicely and wasn't stupidly over powered through loop turns. I had a great time on this kite. It is ideal for the waves. Having also riden it in lighter winds it does everything you want... it drifts back well, turns quickly and has a nice smooth power delivery that is not gonna pull off your board.
Ozone are not trying to make a 1 kite wonder, they do however make outstanding purpose built kites that have a degree of cross over. The C4 is the closest to an alround kite in the Ozone range. I have the 11m and it is good in the waves, drifts back okay, really good in the flat, it loops well, boosts really well with great hang time, like any C kite it has a narrow wind range. All the Ozone kites are good kites but you probibly need to be selective for the intended use.
Decide what style you a gonna ride for say 70% of the time and make your choice around that.