Might as well get it started since I missed out on taking it for its first run today.
So not much to report besides some photos.
This is an 8m and a custom colour








Ps thanks go to qantas for delaying their flight so I can wait here instead of being on the water

mmmm looks nice & crispy new......................Enjoy the ride Turtle.

Bar?

What you want me to post a photo of my crusty old bar

is it 2014 model ,The custom reo' Were 2013 models ??

I watch the promo video and the 7m flies like an 8m.

I want an 8m to fly like a damn 8m.
Must have used the same PR Company as the Noise kites

Video and full product details on this page.
ozonekites.com/water

Select to expand quote

vendeavours said..

is it 2014 model ,The custom reo' Were 2013 models ??

2014 with custom colours black/black/green/green

Select to expand quote

kyteryder said..

I watch the promo video and the 7m flies like an 8m.

I want an 8m to fly like a damn 8m.
Must have used the same PR Company as the Noise kites

It's all just numbers on a kite it has no relevance to the dimensions just what the designer thinks an 8m kite should feel like.
However I had it out today and I would say it felt and looked a bit bigger than last year. It also seems to have more delta shape to it.
Flying wise it was smoother with much less flapping but for some reason my timing seemed to be out a bit at first( could just be the size).
Pretty hard to judge the drift when overpowered on an 8m though.
All in all it seemed good but is not the same kite as last year

Awesome keep us all posted man and your next flights.

Select to expand quote

kyteryder said..

I watch the promo video and the 7m flies like an 8m.

I want an 8m to fly like a damn 8m.
Must have used the same PR Company as the Noise kites

Exactly
"For example a rider enjoying the original 8m would now feel similarly powered on the new 7m. "
Where does that leave us. How old is the original 8m anyway. What about someone enjoying last years 8m. PR speak & just confusing for the guy trying to assess what sizes to go for this year. It's crap.

Select to expand quote

TurtleHunter said...
It also seems to have more delta shape to it.

That's the first thing I noticed - definitely a bit wider through the guts in plan which would explain its beefed up grunt per m2.. And hence why requiring to size down in comparison to previous models.

This extra width through the middle in plan seems akin to some of the mods in the C4 and Cat last year.

Col they feel like a whole new model and ozone have added the new sizes to counteract the changes I guess.
For me the 10m could have a little more bottom end so with a new quiver of 10/8/6 I get a slightly better bottom end and there's still no way I will need the top end of the 6. If you find the 10 has plenty of bottom end then go 9/7/5. So if your only replacing your 8 and the 10 is big enough go a 7, may be a bit confusing now but their sizing has been a little under the industry standard in the past and now seems to be about right.
Thinking about how the kite drifted yesterday it seemed to fly towards the top while drifting better than last years and that's probably why my timing was a little out.

Select to expand quote

Kitepower Australia said..

Video and full product details on this page.
ozonekites.com/water

Look very nice Steve .When are we getting some demos for Vic

If 7 is the new 8, and I wanted a 7, I guess I now want a 6?

What size Reo's have the lighter riders (I'm 66 kg strapless on surfboards) been on the last couple of years in the Perth sea breeze (18-22 knts)?

Looking forward to more reviews and a demo!

Select to expand quote

COL said..

"For example a rider enjoying the original 8m would now feel similarly powered on the new 7m. "
Where does that leave us. How old is the original 8m anyway. What about someone enjoying last years 8m. PR speak & just confusing for the guy trying to assess what sizes to go for this year. It's crap.

Select to expand quote

TurtleHunter said..

Col they feel like a whole new model and ozone have added the new sizes to counteract the changes I guess.
For me the 10m could have a little more bottom end so with a new quiver of 10/8/6 I get a slightly better bottom end and there's still no way I will need the top end of the 6. If you find the 10 has plenty of bottom end then go 9/7/5. So if your only replacing your 8 and the 10 is big enough go a 7, may be a bit confusing now but their sizing has been a little under the industry standard in the past and now seems to be about right.
Thinking about how the kite drifted yesterday it seemed to fly towards the top while drifting better than last years and that's probably why my timing was a little out.

I am not familiar with pre 2013 Reos. Are you saying that 2013 are very much like the "original" Reo, but 2014 is a size bigger( 1m2)?
The Rallys did this to me last year. Sure the "redefined" 2013 model had more power, quite a bit more, but at the expense of response! I don't want to give anything away to get more power! I guess I need to wait & see for myself, but I need a new main kite.
Col

BOOM Sic new Reo by Team New Zealand, well done Torrin and Co this kite will have a lot of people frothing.
The way the kite turns looks amazing in the product vid.

Cant wait to fly it.

Select to expand quote

mbuckley said..

If 7 is the new 8, and I wanted a 7, I guess I now want a 6?

What size Reo's have the lighter riders (I'm 66 kg strapless on surfboards) been on the last couple of years in the Perth sea breeze (18-22 knts)?

Looking forward to more reviews and a demo!

I am qualified to answer this weighing in at 69kg // 6, 8, 10 Reos for 2 years // strapless surfboards. The answer is probably 8m and it is my most used kite, however it depends on your board.

For much of last season I was using a 5'9 which I could paddle (BWS Drifter). From 20+ knots I would use my 6m and I loved it. I actually felt often that I could use a 4m when winds were around 30 knots. Now granted the BWS Drifter has f-all rocker, plus volume, so it gets upwind very well.

On my previous board Cab Skillit, more like 10m for around 15kn, 8m for around 20kn, and 6m for around 25kn. Same for a grommet sized standard surfboard I was using (too small to paddle).

Yeh col 2012 and13 were very similar but they have made some changes this year.
I know how you feel but although its different its still made to do the same thing so you may just have to try it first.

Laid the new 7m Reo over the old 8m (at WestOz). The 7m was only slightly smaller, definitely not 1m2 smaller (maybe 10-20cm2). Surprisingly the 2014 was higher aspect. Given the claims of increased grunt I was expecting it to be lower aspect than the 2013. Build quality/ care taken on the Reo looked fantastic. Didn't fly it though.

But still no review on the 2014 Reo?

Anyhow: the audience and potential customers are confused.
Strange nothing was ever mentioned in the test of magazines about the lesser good low end of REO.

Hence as always I will wait until early 2015 before deciding to buy a REO - by that time I will have seen them in the waves and the price will have a 30% discount at least.

Anyone with a new reo please place a review, the surfers are waiting to see if the hype is real about the new sizes etc, east coast guys would love to know if the 12 is slower turning as it's supposed to be a larger kite with more grunt , exactly what we need in Sydney
Thanks

I've laid the 2013 8m over the new 2014 and they are virtually identical in size, but with the 7M having a proportionally longer chord, so it is actually lower AR, I then laid the the 2013 8m over the top of the 2014 9M and I would say the 9M 2014 is about the same size as last years 10m.
Speaking with the designer in Mauritius a few weeks ago and watching them test the kites, the larger sizes are a bit quicker and with lighter steering, the smaller sizes have been made less twitchy and more stable. Rob and Torrin put a tremendous amount of testing into this new Reo, to make sure that everything they were told as feedback on the 2013, was addressed.
Leo Loro has his new kites but has been in NZ for the last week, although I have heard from him once and he was raving about the 7M, saying it was better than last years 8M, nothing specific though.
Am about to deliver several kites tomorrow to some riders here in southern Sydney.

Bought RRD Religions instead: no fuss about sizes which creates uncertainty what you buy.

Jesus you guys crack me up. Listen the reos were a little smaller than the average , or had less power on 'average'. The new reos are more in line with the 'average' as are the new BWS kites.

From what I see they have made the smaller sizes a little less twitchy, good.

They have made the bigger sizes a bit quicker, good, the 10m wasn't real flash. Good.

They have made the chord profile a little longer and hence lower aspect. For wave riding, good.

But I must say, considering the market is fairly mature now and a lot of riders ride through winter now, ozone should revisit how long they take to bring their kites out. All debate on 2014 is not even here etc aside, crew are looking and asking and want answers now to position their quiver. But hey I might be wrong.

Select to expand quote

John4F said...
Bought RRD Religions instead: no fuss about sizes which creates uncertainty what you buy.

Lol, good on you.

Confusion and Fuss about sizes? Jeez, ozone have released a quiver of new sizes ( so riders can buy exactly what they need ) and a new design which reportedly has more grunt than previous. To me sounds like simple design progression.

With my current 3 Reos I can already imagine in my head, without demo what would replace them - and it's probably only 2 kites

Not sure how you choose kite sizes but all it takes is a good demo and a chat to the retailer and your confusion would be gone.. Or if you're not into testing yourself, wait a month or so when we've had a go on them and all will be revealed

New bag is larger. Bar looks good, still has hard bar ends. Push away safety with same elasticised rope outside plastic coated main line. Small 12" safety leash is a good idea, I've always done a mod on existing long ones to avoid them getting caught around your knee or looping in your arm. I can make it work even with a sliding hook. Safety won't suit those that unhook and do handle pass for a 360. I could see only marginal difference between 2013 and 2014 laying one over top of other. It's definitely had a small design tweak, not just adding extra material.

What twichyness? riding my little 6m 2012 reo on 50cm bar yesterday was awesome. Sure its fast. But that's a good thing!..

Anyway an out of town bloke had a 7m reo. I didn't realise it was a reo until I saw the name on the side. Thought it was a C4.

Select to expand quote

eppo said..



From what I see they have made the smaller sizes a little less twitchy, good.

They have made the bigger sizes a bit quicker, good, the 10m wasn't real flash. Good.

No offence but I disagree with both these statements.. I love the speed of my little 6m, I'm running on a 50cm bar also. Great fun and super quick to get it in position, then you can just stall it there. I guess it would feel twitchy if you came from big slow kites. The 10m being described as 'not real flash'. Don't know where you get that from. I've spent the majority of my time kiting last couple of years on a 10m 2012 & 2013. (Probably 70% on a 10m, 20% 8m, 10% 6m. The last 2 years 10m were both great kites. That's why some other companies have copied it. Each to their own I guess.

John4F, you should do a review on the religion, if you did actually buy them