Rider: 73 kgs intermediate,advanced
Style: Wake
Weather: 15-30 knots
Build Quality: 8/10
Satisfaction: 11/10 frothing
Disclosure: buy all my own gear

My Comments:

Quick review.

Absolutely stoked on my new 8/10/12 torches. Moved on from ozone c4's as I wanted c-kite performance and slack.

Likes:
Massive boost and hang time. Way bigger than c4's and way more float. You need to be lit if you want to go huge though.
Way more slack than c4's. Bar just kept landing in my hands when attempting passes. Actually felt effortless on some passes which is not what I'm use to.
Direct feel and good feedback through the bar
Super stable in the air
No back stalling when unhooking
8m is super floaty when boosting. Does not drop you like a stone but still needs to be flown on the way down if you take it big.
Relaunch is pretty good
Safety is simple and very easy to disengage
Graphics are sweet
Short bar makes it great unhooked
Great turning speed. Not too fast not to slow

Dislikes:
Build quality is a bit average for me. Has nothing on ozone quality. Heaps of tags left over from stitching. Found about 10tags left on the kite plus some very messy stitching near one of the battens. You look at any ozone kite and you will not find a stitch out of place!
5th line is ok but would prefer the kite without.
Wish the depower/power strap was a cleat
Lines are thin and tangle easy. Will see how long before they stretch. Yet again ozones lines are think and tangle free
I've been pumping the kites pretty firm but they still seem to be folding on the water after an hour or so making relaunch a struggle as the kite doesn't catch the wind when in taco position at side of window. Anyone help with this? I've been pumping them to about 8psi on 12 and 10??
Bar is ok but wish it was a bit thicker
Bar pressure medium to heavy (preexisting elbow troubles)
Octopus system might be a struggle if needing to fix an bladder issues
The naish bags are rubbish. Way too small, using my ozone bags instead

I wish Naish would focus less on graphics and more on quality. That's the biggest difference I've noticed going from ozone to naish. Naish have all the little graphics details in their print where'as ozone keep it simple but focus mainily on the quality of every element of the kite.

Even though I've listed a few dislikes I still think this kit is the tits! Would buy them all over again as their performance is definitely two steps up from what I was flying. Go demo one and find out what I'm talking about. Big ****ing grins all around ey

Hi Big eezeee Good review.
I've had the 2014 torch for a couple of months now and love them too.
The struts are thinner now than previous years and this makes it fold in half easy on the water, but it flies noticeably better unhooked, with the smaller struts, the kite is lighter and it does't now stall when you land going down wind with slack lines like they used to. I'll take a better flying kite any day. To help the relaunch, just reach up and grab the yellow line above the bar. Pull this in heaps and one of the steering lines and this will roll the kite on its back and relaunch easy. Once you are used to doing this you will love the speed you can relaunch a 5 line kite.

Nah I'm all good pulling the 5th on and relaunching.

I'm referring to when the kite is at the side of the window already on its side waiting to be launched but it can't because it's sitting like a taco because the leading edge doesn't have enough pressure I've pumped both the 12 and 10 up to like 8psi but after an hour the LE seems to loose pressure and the kite can't hold its self in a c gape at the side of the window. I realise with a thinner diameter LE you have to pump them up hard and I feel like I've been doing this but I still seem to loose pressure

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juicerider said..

Hi Big eezeee Good review.
I've had the 2014 torch for a couple of months now and love them too.
The struts are thinner now than previous years and this makes it fold in half easy on the water, but it flies noticeably better unhooked, with the smaller struts, the kite is lighter and it does't now stall when you land going down wind with slack lines like they used to. I'll take a better flying kite any day. To help the relaunch, just reach up and grab the yellow line above the bar. Pull this in heaps and one of the steering lines and this will roll the kite on its back and relaunch easy. Once you are used to doing this you will love the speed you can relaunch a 5 line kite.

Do you feel any difference in term of turning speed and bar pressure between the 2014 and 2013 ?

I'm 80kg and looking at moving from 2013 park 11m as my big kite, to the new torch..
I find the low end of the 11 park more than enough for me in marginal winds and want my light wind kite to still be able to loop (and catch me on landing).
My question is: should I just move onto the same size torch.. 11m or jump up to the 12m noting the above comments.
Cheers

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J inthe bool said..

I'm 80kg and looking at moving from 2013 park 11m as my big kite, to the new torch..
I find the low end of the 11 park more than enough for me in marginal winds and want my light wind kite to still be able to loop (and catch me on landing).
My question is: should I just move onto the same size torch.. 11m or jump up to the 12m noting the above comments.
Cheers

i also hesitate between 12m and 11m as my big kite on Torch......

I haven't looped the 12 but think it would be a struggle to get it around to catch you unless you were going big with them. The 10 I have still loops nicely so perhaps the 11 would be good too. Ask Ewan he'll know!

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Big eeeZeee said..

I haven't looped the 12 but think it would be a struggle to get it around to catch you unless you were going big with them. The 10 I have still loops nicely so perhaps the 11 would be good too. Ask Ewan he'll know!

Who is this guy ?

Did you really feel the Torch 2014 heavy in bar ? because i felt the bar pressure on the 2013 pretty light......?

personally yes i do find it a little heavy but i have tendinitis in both my elbows so thats always going to be an issue. If you are fine with the 2013 i'm sure the 2014 will be fine for you. I don't think they changed them much at all other than smaller diameter struts. Ewan Jaspan naish international rider. he's on these forums