Rider: 100kegs after a morning cleansing ,intermediate
Style: Foil
Weather: whatever
Build Quality: 9/10
Satisfaction: 7/10
Disclosure: Pay for my own gear without the wife knowing !!

So i recently made the move from LEI to foil kites . Having never flown a self inflating kite i had NFI what to expect but hey the cool kids were all using them on their foils so i had to get one . I went with the 11m Sonic from in the loop after speaking to people who had flown all the foils the Sonic seemed to be more user friendly .

I'll say it now but i have one complaint and it's a pretty big one. The race bar . Pure and simply it's****** **** . Hard bar ends, a safety system that snaps after 10 or so hours , no extended trim rope and a ****ty ckicken loop and donkey dick . Ozone's latest race bar with soft ends is far superior and can be used with the sonic's as long as you run the flysurfer lines .

Now that is out the way, WOW . What an awesome kite . I've flown my 11m from 20 knots all the way down to this on monday .







i was out from around 2:30 to 4:30 on melville . At times the kite dropped out of the sky but the sonic seems to not take on water as quick as i had assumed a ram air would . At one stage i was down in the water for nearly 20 minutes and eventually enough wind came through to reverse launch and bobs your uncle . The biggest difference i found to a LEI was the way it pulled . My first time out in 18-20 knots i was getting pulled everywhere like a rag doll . After crashing the kite fell down in what i can only describe as a clusterf#ck . Now if this was an inflatible ---- gmae over , pack down and swim on , but after some gentle coaxing this thing just unravels on its own and relaunches . The lift from the sonic is simply amazing but once you get over the different handling quirks wow . I think for foiling and raceboards the foils are just another step up from a LEI . The angles both upwind and downwind constantly shock me .

My next one will be a 9m sonic after i sell a kidney and then a 15m sonic which i will more than likely have to sell my spleene to afford .

Good honest review. The bar needs work and this is due for replacement in due course - FLYSURFER have begun work on the new one. Have you replaced the safety system with the upgrade - it does away with the small steel block above the trim strap ? Your kite may or may not have been delivered with the upgrade depending on when it was ordered.

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jamesperth said..
Good honest review. The bar needs work and this is due for replacement in due course - FLYSURFER have begun work on the new one. Have you replaced the safety system with the upgrade - it does away with the small steel block above the trim strap ? Your kite may or may not have been delivered with the upgrade depending on when it was ordered.

not yet james . I was going to do the upgrade you had offered me but have gone and put my flysurfer lines on my ozone bar and much happier with the soft bar ends :)


Hadn't had a chance to call you and let you know .

I just purchased an 11m also from Marvin.
I have to say that the power is quite unbelievable for the size.
The first time out I saw guys on 12m kites and surfboards walking back upwind, meanwhile I was still tracking upwind on my twintip (146x46@84kg), I was able to maintain ground down to about 8 knots.
The Sonic is a beautifully made kite and looks great in the sky. I'll be using it for foiling and have sold my 18m inflatable kite as the Sonic does a better job without the extra work of pumping up and hauling a big slug around the sky.
I'm very keen to try the 9 and 15 too.

I'd be interested to hear what size you guys would recommend for say 8-18kts for 100kegs on a foil board... seems really hard to pick 11/15/18. I hear good things about all the sizes...

Dusta. A few tips on foil flying. Let the bar out. To much bar in chokes it. If your being tea bagged in high winds. Slow the board speed down. Control the board speed, control the power.

Keep the kite in the window. If you need to slack line it for what ever reason. Do it with the kite deep in the window. Then it wont collapse.

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kiteboy dave said..
I'd be interested to hear what size you guys would recommend for say 8-18kts for 100kegs on a foil board... seems really hard to pick 11/15/18. I hear good things about all the sizes...

Hi Dave,
with a 100kg you are best of with 18m in 8-15knots. You will have more pull up and downwind. If you get overpowered you can fly it with the standard 21m lines which gives you another few knots top end and fastest and most direct handling.For you i would recommend 18m and 11m as quiver and you be covered from 6-25knots on foil :)

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dusta said..
Rider: 100kegs after a morning cleansing ,intermediate
Style: Foil
Weather: whatever
Build Quality: 9/10
Satisfaction: 7/10
Disclosure: Pay for my own gear without the wife knowing !!

So i recently made the move from LEI to foil kites . Having never flown a self inflating kite i had NFI what to expect but hey the cool kids were all using them on their foils so i had to get one . I went with the 11m Sonic from in the loop after speaking to people who had flown all the foils the Sonic seemed to be more user friendly .

I'll say it now but i have one complaint and it's a pretty big one. The race bar . Pure and simply it's****** **** . Hard bar ends, a safety system that snaps after 10 or so hours , no extended trim rope and a ****ty ckicken loop and donkey dick . Ozone's latest race bar with soft ends is far superior and can be used with the sonic's as long as you run the flysurfer lines .

Now that is out the way, WOW . What an awesome kite . I've flown my 11m from 20 knots all the way down to this on monday .







i was out from around 2:30 to 4:30 on melville . At times the kite dropped out of the sky but the sonic seems to not take on water as quick as i had assumed a ram air would . At one stage i was down in the water for nearly 20 minutes and eventually enough wind came through to reverse launch and bobs your uncle . The biggest difference i found to a LEI was the way it pulled . My first time out in 18-20 knots i was getting pulled everywhere like a rag doll . After crashing the kite fell down in what i can only describe as a clusterf#ck . Now if this was an inflatible ---- gmae over , pack down and swim on , but after some gentle coaxing this thing just unravels on its own and relaunches . The lift from the sonic is simply amazing but once you get over the different handling quirks wow . I think for foiling and raceboards the foils are just another step up from a LEI . The angles both upwind and downwind constantly shock me .

My next one will be a 9m sonic after i sell a kidney and then a 15m sonic which i will more than likely have to sell my spleene to afford .

Hey,
some good and valued feedback about bar mate.
Hard bar ends i am not a fan myself. The frontline splitter and 5th line issue are sorted and all bars will be supplied with a free upgrade kit which is great. Increases range and gives you so much power/depower on the bar. We will have those kits available this week.The short depower rope is an easy one for anybody racing wanting to have that extra reach. I will post a photo of my set up shortly.
However, i really like the feel o the bar. Solid grip and anatomy in my hands.The smaller depower cleat and special depower rope has not worn off on any of my bars after heavy use since 5 regattas and lots of training and riding hours.I suggest to everybody to use Bow wax for their through the bar rope to decrease friction and increase stiffness.

Red thumbs on the OP because...?



I like the Infinity 2 CL. I like that I can see the rope inside it and replace it easily. There's even a shorter version...

What snapped? The Sonics I've seen are single front safety...

FS race bars I've seen all have long dangly ropes too... did you get a Freeride bar instead?

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Kamikuza said..
Red thumbs on the OP because...?



I like the Infinity 2 CL. I like that I can see the rope inside it and replace it easily. There's even a shorter version...

What snapped? The Sonics I've seen are single front safety...

FS race bars I've seen all have long dangly ropes too... did you get a Freeride bar instead?

because i seem to have taken over from eppo lol .

The 3.0 racebar doesn't have extended trim rope kami, no-one i have seen that has a sonic has an extended trim .


kiteboy dave like marvin said i would go 15 and 11 . as shown from that graph i've found the bottom end of the 11m which is good to know . I've also had it out in around 20 knots and on a foil board thats about the top end of the 11m .

Thanks for the tips plummet . After my second session out on the water the foil handling quirks i got used to . The first time out on the 11 in 20 knots probably wasn't the best conditions to get used to the handling on a foil board :P But on slowing the board speed , do you know how hard it is to slow a foil when you are ripping downwind at 25 knots plus :)

I have a different theory, lets give it a test...

"Flysurfer kites are great."

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dusta said..

The 3.0 racebar doesn't have extended trim rope kami, no-one i have seen that has a sonic has an extended trim .


kiteboy dave like marvin said i would go 15 and 11 . as shown from that graph i've found the bottom end of the 11m which is good to know . I've also had it out in around 20 knots and on a foil board thats about the top end of the 11m .

Thanks for the tips plummet . After my second session out on the water the foil handling quirks i got used to . The first time out on the 11 in 20 knots probably wasn't the best conditions to get used to the handling on a foil board :P But on slowing the board speed , do you know how hard it is to slow a foil when you are ripping downwind at 25 knots plus :)

The 18 I demoed had so much dangly rope I thought it was over-trimmed and so I let it all out... which choked the kite. So I pulled it all in again. Flap flap flap... but I'm used to straps so:

Do you just mean it's not extended compared to other race trims...? Looks easy enough to either replace the whole line or just add an extension to the end...

At the second to last round of racing here, the only guy riding with power was on a foil board and 11m Sonic; it was too light to keep anything else in the air. Black magic with the apparent wind.

Most of the time you'll want a little tension on the bar, but finesse it Slowing down can be hard, even on a TT...

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INTHELOOP said..

kiteboy dave said..
I'd be interested to hear what size you guys would recommend for say 8-18kts for 100kegs on a foil board... seems really hard to pick 11/15/18. I hear good things about all the sizes...

Hi Dave,
with a 100kg you are best of with 18m in 8-15knots.

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dusta said..


kiteboy dave like marvin said i would go 15 and 11 .

Ok so between the two of you I've had 18, 15, and 11 which is totally helpful in narrowing it down .. Unless you meant 18 Dusta?

/can't afford one till the Sonic 2 comes out anyway, most likely..

i will be going to 9/11/15


100 kegs

keeping my 7 edge for when it is nuking

On a foil board Dave? Won't need the 18...

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Kamikuza said..
On a foil board Dave? Won't need the 18...

Ok but bear in mind we get a lot of 10-15kt days here. 100kegs on the foilboard (once I get it under control..) I can afford just one. Which one is the question?

Get the 11 and be done with it? Work it more if I need, downloop to start when lighter, etc..

Go the 15, middle ground..

Get the 18, most power, run short lines to extend top end? I've read people say it's a sweet size in Sonics, lovely kite...

Lots of people say you don't need as much kite with the foil... but then I'm hearing here and there, some of the more experienced foilers are saying: well actually, you can hold down the same kite sizes as a TT if you want, and then you're more powered everywhere, and it's cool...

10 to 15 on a TT and the 18 and I'm having a lark, and I weigh more than you. My S3 15 has a surprising good low end, I bet the Sonic is better and with the foil board...

If if I was replacing the S3 21 for TT riding, I go Sonic 18 without a second thought; but I'd have to ride the S4 18 and 21 if I was going for the "more delicate" race kite...

Standard lines on the 18 and it's a PITA to work as you don't get much of a power stroke before you have to redirect to avoid the ground; shorter would be horrible. First thing I did was kite loop to start, and dragged the tip across the beach

BTW the local club house has a foil in; he's thinking of renting it out but can't decide on a suitable hourly rate...

dave if you are going to get one then get the 11 . The reason i went with an 11 to start with was my 11 edge was my most used kite . 10-low twenties at our weight .

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kiteboy dave said..

Kamikuza said..
On a foil board Dave? Won't need the 18...

Ok but bear in mind we get a lot of 10-15kt days here. 100kegs on the foilboard (once I get it under control..) I can afford just one. Which one is the question?

Get the 11 and be done with it? Work it more if I need, downloop to start when lighter, etc..

Go the 15, middle ground..

Get the 18, most power, run short lines to extend top end? I've read people say it's a sweet size in Sonics, lovely kite...

Lots of people say you don't need as much kite with the foil... but then I'm hearing here and there, some of the more experienced foilers are saying: well actually, you can hold down the same kite sizes as a TT if you want, and then you're more powered everywhere, and it's cool...

I bought fishfoil and it is slow (like slowwwwww), and I have been using my 18m chrono on super light days. BUT, as soon as you get any speed up (say 15 knots), you suddenly have some serious power issues.

I am 100kg, on a slow foil, and would go the 15. The 18 is too much for a foil.