Spot1, pls check above for example Slack's reply as he found the same on the 10m, and Plummet's friend had the same problem with the 12m so it's just not me whose having problems with the nosediving. I know that it partly is user error, but this nosedive tendency gets worse in really gusty conditions... I was in very stable winds when nosediving happened.

Regarding the setup, it can't be that wrong; the bar was new and I know how to adjust the kite (line lengths), it's really no rocket science as I have kited 8 yrs and ride a lot unhooked etc. so I do recognize the perfect point for depower adjustments.

I am still bummed abt the kite's behaviour, though it might be that it's a zero sum game when it comes to kite features - you gain somewhere but loose elsewhere.

Agreed with your last statement. You cannot have everything in a kite, so you either get specific with your style or go all round. I do no style really that well so have always gone an allround style kite. But in the surf, from what i have heard from guys i trust and know what they are talking about, this is one of the ultimate wave riding kites.

Will you 95% be riding and SB in surf, then a reo or something similar is your kite, if not, don't get it or don't complain. Can't have ya cake and eat it as well. Anykite that flies fast to depower for wave riding, yet can still turn, will probably have such characteristics - at the moment anyhow.

i had a ride on the 8 meter reo the other day and was stoked on its wave rideing performance. but it was solid seabreeze winds up north and for onshore winds best wave kite i have used , anyone has some input from finnicky offshore winds as back home i ride most times those conditions and a little concerned if its tempurmental in falling out of the sky from large gust swings.?

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Plummet said...


One of the local guys who has a reo was out in 10-18 knots of wholy wind the other day and also complained of the 12m reo falling out of the sky...

Hey men. I put you crook with this statement. I was wrong. So strike this example off your list of hindenburging reo's.

I was out at Cottesloe Sunday arvo 2:30-5pm on my 8m Reo and I was one of the few kites that didn't end up in the water.

Date/Time Dir Spd(kts) Gust(kts)
18/02:30pm WSW 22 29
18/02:48pm WSW 21 31
18/03:00pm W 23 32
18/03:04pm W 22 32
18/03:30pm WSW 20 32
18/04:00pm WSW 21 29
18/04:13pm WSW 23 36
18/04:30pm WSW 20 29
18/04:38pm WSW 19 29
18/05:00pm W 16 25

i was with spot1 on saturday and witnessed his efforts, i've also flown the reo many times now to the point that i've actually parted with my hard earn't. with the correct set-up the reo does not nosedive under normal use even in our wonderfull winter gusts
i work as an instructor with Rob Gannon at Mullaz and 3 yrs ago i refused to teach on the f-one dos because it nosedived, Rob & i will be teaching on the naish park this year but if he put reo's in the school, i would happly teach on them.

yeh jason from west oz was out at geries yesterday just damn well rippin it up. Kite looked fine although he'd make a plastic bag for a kite look good.

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eppo said...

yeh jason from west oz was out at geries yesterday just damn well rippin it up. Kite looked fine although he'd make a plastic bag for a kite look good.

……….and after a couple of months he'd on sell the plastic bag too

Hi Guys,

I finally got to ride the 6m Reo on Saturday at Scarborough for about an hour and a half in almost dead onshore big surf conditions. Wind gusting from 25 to 35 knots.

I did drop the kite once in a serious pummelling in a smack gone wrong. Kite was at 12 o'clock when I got creamed by a largish wall of whitewater. I was swept along with the white water and all the lines went slack as I did the rinse and spin cycle under the water. The kite fell and all I did was hold the bar half sheeted out and full turn. The kite lines took up tension and the kite turned and went back to 12 before I came to the surface to get a breath.

In all the rest of the time I spent out there, the kite went no where near luffing and in fact saved my ar$e a number of times. Wind was very gusty and mostly onshore. I rode two different surfboards Whip and WAM and had a huge time.

At the moment I launched the 6m, the back lines felt an inch or so too long but due to the extreme winds I decided to stick with it as I had plenty of power in any case.

It was all good!

DM

a comparison i wrote about the 6 and 10m reo after flying alongside my 2011 rpms.

kiteboarder.co.uk/kitesurfing/slingshot-rpm-rally-comparison-to-ozone-reo-48353

enjoy.

luke

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leb304 said...

a comparison i wrote about the 6 and 10m reo after flying alongside my 2011 rpms.

kiteboarder.co.uk/kitesurfing/slingshot-rpm-rally-comparison-to-ozone-reo-48353

enjoy.

luke

Good review mate, although looks damn cold where you are. Watching Jason Saturday he was really 'moving' the reo, looping it down the line, it seems to be a kite that wants you to actively work the thing in the air as you surf. So not a park and ride style. In the hands of a good kiter it really does look awesome as it did what he wanted it to do.

I will wait to buy the plastic bag off ebay soon.

Some thoughts on the 10m Reo from the West Coast of California. Big thanks to AKS for the early reviews and hype which were dead on as this kite delivers as promised! Every one including myself who has flown my kite learned on C's and we have not really been impressed with the delta offerings of late as they are great in one area (wind range, boosting, park and ride, etc.) at the expense of bar feel and kite positioning. So having been trained on great flying kites that IMO only needed minor tweaks and not reinvention, along comes the REO. The 10 does not have good low end, unless you know how to move a kite, in which case it has the low end of a 12 C4, 11 Rally, etc. So if you like to park and ride, size up. If you want to use a twin, size up. Even underpowered, if you aggressively move the kite you can and will boost plenty high to clear whitewater. Just remember to fly the kite equally hard forward again. The 10 is a small and fast flying kite with a lot of bar pressure even in the lightest setting (which I prefer.) As opposed to most freestyle kites which have no bar pressure at first turn, but then hit hard, the REO keeps bar pressure at the start of a jibe or bottom turn but lets off as you follow it down the line (down wind.) A C4 takes a lot of effort to move the kite down wind while surfing, while the REO is a joy. The REO takes a lot of effort to boost on a twin tip and handle gusty flatwater while the C4 is a joy. As for 12 o'clock stability, the REO is the only kite I have owned that I can let go of the bar and not be concerned. It flies upward and does not dip down like so many other kites which makes for riding up the line (into wind) super easy and fun. Because of this kite, I actually enjoy on shore conditions now. My only two complaint so far are that the bar is too thick and that the entire kite luffs about a foot and a half back from the leading edge while edging hard and sheeting out in gusts. I have noticed some fold marks in the struts where this luffing occurs. Maybe I need to put a little extra air in... I pump to 7-8 on the gauge which seems like a lot, but maybe it's not enough... Or maybe that's just what 3 strut kites do. To sum up, outstanding kite for use with a surfboard strapped or not, hooked in or not. Good to ok kite for use with twin tip. Adjust size of kite to suit your riding style. And set up bar so that you have some over sheet (back line tension.)

Have any of you flown a religion?? Im asking cause I couldnt afford a new reo and picked up a religion used.... I have a C4 and in comparison the religion turns twice as fast... I accidentally kitelooped it with a 1 handed wrist flick on a transition...

I've only had about 4 hrs on the religion but am impressed w/ it..

Can anyone compare the two?, differences??

Just bought the 8/10 combo after 15 mths out with injury. The 10 flys very nicely quick turning very controllable power allows you to focus on the wave. Two thumbs up

Hi guys, I'm interested in details of the 2012 bar..... Up here (the Netherlands) we don't have more information than a new CL release and reduced diameter, but news travels fast through the web. Who can you tell me more? Thank you!

Oooops, I have found the right news item, but no pictures of a brand new type of bar yet. Another couple of days to go, I think.

hi guys, about the sizes; I currently have on demo 10 and 12meters. I laid the 10 over my current 10.5 Spleene SPX, and guess what, REO was quite a bit smaller. Then I put the 12 REO over the 10.5 SPX, and guess what? 12m REO is exactly the size of the 10.5 SPX. They were like copies of each other when it comes to canopy shape on the ground (not pumped up), but to my eye they looked really similar in flight as well. SPX was faster turning than the 10 REO which I have ridden and I sitll stand by of my opinion that REO nosedives much much easier without the slight backline pressure. REO much better wave kite, SPX backstalls when riding towards it (not a setup issue, the kite just does that by nature) even when I have it depowered into unhooked mode when I ride towards it.

There was another thread where they put the 10 REO over 10m Switchblade, and REO was smaller by a clear margin - so I am not the only one noticing this...

A friend just bought a 10 reo and I have a 10 RRD religion... We traded kites to compare and both had the same impressions....

The reo has a little more grunt but the religion turns faster so working it is a little easier... A little more bar pressure on the reo, which I liked... The religion is a little more stable when letting go of the bar and fiddling around w/ stuff...

Any of these differences are very small, and if you didnt know which you were flying you probably couldnt guess which one you were flying except for the turning speed...

Build quality I would have to go w/ the religion... It is so reinforced w/ dacron I dont think you could destroy it...

neither one of us dropped the reo so cant say bout relaunch, but im sure its instant like the religion(i've dropped it and soon as you grab the bar up it goes)

I give the reo 2 thumbs up, one fine wave kiting machine......

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omg said...

hi guys, about the sizes; I currently have on demo 10 and 12meters. I laid the 10 over my current 10.5 Spleene SPX, and guess what, REO was quite a bit smaller. Then I put the 12 REO over the 10.5 SPX, and guess what? 12m REO is exactly the size of the 10.5 SPX. They were like copies of each other when it comes to canopy shape on the ground (not pumped up), but to my eye they looked really similar in flight as well. SPX was faster turning than the 10 REO which I have ridden and I sitll stand by of my opinion that REO nosedives much much easier without the slight backline pressure. REO much better wave kite, SPX backstalls when riding towards it (not a setup issue, the kite just does that by nature) even when I have it depowered into unhooked mode when I ride towards it.

There was another thread where they put the 10 REO over 10m Switchblade, and REO was smaller by a clear margin - so I am not the only one noticing this...

Yeah I think kite sizing is a joke these days. I put my 10 griffin argo on a mates 10m bws and the bws was much bigger, maybe closer to a 12m(no wonder they have so much grunt). I think all you can really take from kite sizing is a comparison with other kites from the same brand.

Flew my new 10m Reo for the first time the other day in 18-20 knots SE'er. I ride a Shinn Wave mutant






On a wave it's easy to outrun a kite on a mutant but the Reo drifts downwind waiting for your next move.

Up wind on a wave face it felt light and responsive. I won't repeat what everyone else has said just that if you ride a mutant or TT in the surf this kite will make it easy.

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omg said...

hi guys, about the sizes; I currently have on demo 10 and 12meters. I laid the 10 over my current 10.5 Spleene SPX, and guess what, REO was quite a bit smaller. Then I put the 12 REO over the 10.5 SPX, and guess what? 12m REO is exactly the size of the 10.5 SPX. They were like copies of each other when it comes to canopy shape on the ground (not pumped up), but to my eye they looked really similar in flight as well.
There was another thread where they put the 10 REO over 10m Switchblade, and REO was smaller by a clear margin - so I am not the only one noticing this...

I just put a 7m Cabrinha drifter over my 8m reo. This is more comparing wave kite to wave kite. Shapes are similar with the reo about 75mm wider nose to tail and a wing strut wider (100mm of each wingtip) The drifter had more of a convex tail; with the reo having a straighter trailing edge. The leading edge of the reo seemed more curved and 'nosy'. The reo didn't look to be a square metre of material larger; but who knows how different companies size their kites. I guess comparisons on the ground are just all blah blah; it's in the air that counts.
I'm really happy with how much power I can get out of a 7m drifter, and the way the kite handles. It's not that constant pull, but is fast and with sining, I think is accurately sized at 7m. It does have more top end than a 2011 7m switchblade.
I'm hoping for the same with the reo, and looking forward to using it. I've read conflicting reviews on bottom end. I guess that's due to what kite you were riding before, and your riding style. No wind forecast and haven't flown it yet. I'll put both kites up back to back and see how they compare when there is enough wind.

Pearl, that would be awesome if you could provide your view on both kites!

I am still on sidelines what kite I am gonna buy. Problem is that I would like to have a really quick "big" kite like my current SPX 10.5 which would be nice for strapless airs etc. so a kite both quick and jumpy, and then smaller kites would be the perfect "surfing" kites. Might be too much to asked from one kite line...

Currently have the option of Bandit5, Ozone kites or Northkites due to sponsorship, but still don't know which way to go.

who would sponsor a anal peanut with poor kite skills
must have your own shop

spreader - whoa, that's quite personal I would say.

Perhaps the spreader is what you need in your peanut hole?

I don't know why it makes my kiting skills terribly poor if I say that the kite nosedives much easier than my current kite set and some other riders have the same feedback? REO is a really good waveriding kite, but the 10 I tested had the tendency to nosedive in cases where SPX didn't. SPX 10.5 is much worse in waveriding on the other hand.

I was really hesitating whether or not to respond to your comment but this was beyond the good manners. Please post video or pic of you riding so I can really bow in front of you. And in fairness, here's one strapless of me (not anything exciting but I am not a novice without the skills of ajdusting the kites):

Yeh spreader where's your photo. Put ya picture where ya mouth is. Ha ha ha

just putting it out there, sorry for any hurt feelings, nice pimping

Well had my first real go on the 6m Reo. Conditions were insane to say the least.

Solo launching down wind of a cliff. gusts and wind shifts were huge. probably 20 knot swing or more. I depwoered the 6 and teathered launched in these silly conditions. Walking to the water was suprising as the kite was darting foward and drifting back a good 5-10m as the gusts and lulls hit but suprisingly I wasn't getting pulled around.

This location is slight cross off with boulders and cliffs with a small bit of sand to launch from. Once i got out past the wind shaddow of the cliff i was presented with stupid wind speeds. You know when its so windy none of your board splash makes to your face. its chucked down wind instantly. At a guess it was a minimum of 30 knots gusting to 40+.

Gusts were mean the wind was fierce and i couldn't believe how easy it was to fly in these conditions. let bar out in a gust, pull in for a lull, sign it, park it. real easy.

I made my way up to the piont and preceded to **** my pants as the swell was big. direct into shore is cliff and boulders jutting out of the water so theres no run out room.

I admit i picked the smaller head to 1.5 head waves. I was riding solo in 40 knots and needed to survive.

The reo did every thing i wanted it to do and didn't seem fussed at all in the insane conditions. Then it got windier!!. who knows what the wind speed was then but i had to depower at the trim strap most of the way. I've kited in wind over 40 knots and one time gusting to 50 earlier this year. These conditions felt like that. But because i didn't have a wind meter i can't be sure!!!. Driving home the clouds were doing 90kph!!... the same speed as my car... so it was very wind.

At one point i let go of the bar completley while riding down a wave the the reo just floated back nicely.

I then stuffed up. got hammer by a wave, crash the kite and was too close to the boulders... so after a speedy relaunch i diceded i'd had enough and called it a day.

In summary i'm super stoked. i bought it as a storm kite for insane conditions and it fits the bill completely.

Bring on the storms!

My session on the 6m was cut short the other day thanks to the leaky pump screw top. Did you have this problem?

the 6 8 and 10 are all nice kites.

i demoed the 8 meter while on hols up north and loved it so much splashed out on a 10 , 8 and 6 meter and have ridden all kites on numerous occasions enough to think i can contribute to a review from an independent kite surfer.

if i disliked any sizes of these kites i would sell them off. fortunately they all have the qualities of a nice auto drift and fast turning kite. each kite size feels different but after a few session on each size they are easy to dial in.


previously i have been riding north Vegas kites, main size being the 7 or 9 meter. the main setback was upwind ability compared to other bridle kites. what amazes me is how well all sizes of the reo's perform. i feel most at home on the 8 meter reo - probably because its between my two kites sizes i am used to. first time out on their 6 meter it wasn't buzzing for me.. wind was gusty but i was well powered, waves were not clean.. but after second session i had the kite dialed and since more sessions i now am torn between favorite sizes. the 8 or 6.

the 10 is no slouch either in wave ridding ability but its still a 10 meter kite. and when its blowing 13 to 15 knots i think its more about conditions to me than kites that make or break a unforgettable session.

what i like about the reo's


auto drift - my kooky self forgets about the kite and usually is too focused on the waves, with this kite it seems to run on auto drift. all sizes just sit in position ready for the next slash and hack turn - i think this is the biggest selling point of this breed of kite. it gives me confidence to do that one more turn on a close out.

upwind ability, i ride two directionals, both extremes of each other -the underground free-wave and the north gun surfboards. ones a light wind small wave board the other is a high wind, large wave board, both compliment the reo's ability to cut upwind especially when on the north gun which by any standards is a wind pig but such a loose tail pin board for the slash and hack session its what i try to use 99 percent of the time , with the reo fortunately it lets me use this board more than i could on my previous Vegas kites.


easy relaunch, i have only crashed the 8 reo on 2 or 3 occasions.. when close to edge of window it pops up almost instantaneously. like all great wave kites should.


no pulleys, not many bridle kites out there that hasn't got pulley's , after riding 5th line kites like Vegas and rebels this was important, i have ridden bridle pulley kites and unlike the reo's they dont have the direct feel and response of a pulley free kite.

no kite is perfect.....

what i have reservations about:

the pump valve, its same like cabrinhas , quick to pump but need to keep it clean of sand to make sure it doesn't leak (as a previous poster has stated).

the bar quick release, i prefer push away systems and really look forward to the new bar coming out some time this decade! , the bar itself feels comfy even after a 3 hour session , i like the trim system, coming from north bars everything except the qr feels good.

jumping ability not its strong point although i am dialing it in better to pop over some of the bigger swell days when its pumping, i do find the reo's feel more like a c kite, gives a vertical lift but can drop like a stone if not sent back hard enough.


time for the plugs because without the shops to lend me the demo's i wouldnt have got to use the kites!

a big thanks to scotty up in exmouth for the first time i got to demo the 8 reo, one of the best session i had while on hols was the first one on the 8 reo. i hanged around like a bad smell trying to get a few more demo's of it.

second plug goes to Darren at aksonline for letting me get my hands on an 8 meter demo reo to use for the rest of my time up north. thats the sort of customer care i think anyone really should appreciate and i did- so a big thanks!

I am looking to get an 8m reo or cab drifter for a surf kite.
This kite has to also double as a flat water and surf kite for my missus because the 10m C4 she is riding is a bit big.
Has anyone spent some time on both these kites that can give us all a comparison (wave kite vs wave kite)?

Had a week of solid wind to really give the 8m reo a workout. Kite reviews are so subjective depending on what you have been riding and what you expect the kite to do.. I replaced a 2011 9m switchblade with a new one and thought the 2012 had a damp, heavy feel.... where as another friend replaced his and thought it turned quicker.... A week later and I couldn't feel the damp feeling. A couple of weeks later again thanks to flying the reo it feels like a slug. Anyway REO.. when I first got it, I wasn't as impressed as a lot of other reviewers. I put it down to light variable winds and as I was hanging back for the new ozone bar; I was flying it on a bar that the centre lines split further towards the kite. It didn't work well. The kite has the ability to fly a long way forward in the window (great for getting upwind); so without decent wind or back line pressure there, it can fall. What a difference some decent wind and the latest ozone bar made. It really is a great kite for wave riding. I initially preferred my 7m cabrinha drifter which has more static pull per square metre and can boost; but would now reach for the reo over it every time I can. It's simply fun to ride. To sum it up the kite can be put quickly where you want it, then stopped and drifted or turned to allow for some decent surfing. It doesn't have any crazy yank when the wind is up which allows you to surf in bumpy conditions down the line. The trade off is you could feel underpowered unless there is decent rideable wind. I'm still undecided whether this would be the right kite to have in bigger sizes in light winds. At 74kg unstrapped surf board 18kn up is good for 8m. It must have to be super windy to use a 6m as I can hold the 8m down when it's strong. I have the same 'have to get used to' as others.... Hard bar ends, pull towards safety, leaking plug, canopy flutter when steered hard, difficult to select a 2 kite quiver with current sizing and $$$$; but the good points far out way these things and have found my go to kite for 2012
As neil young said about hank williams old guitar; "it can't be blamed for my mistakes... it only does what it's told.