Hi Everyone,

I've decided its time to finally buy a new kite, and was hoping for some advice on what I've narrowed the choice down to. I'm still currently riding my first kite (2017 9m F-One Bandit) that I bought second hand through a kite school and it has served me well over the past 3 seasons but I'm now after something new.

I'd consider myself an intermediate rider with a few basic tricks (frontroll / backroll etc) and can jump reasonably well most of the time although height and landings can be a bit inconsistent still. I'm wanting to progress more with the freestyle aspect of kiting but still jumping higher and learning kiteloops too (i can do downloop transitions) so I'm after a kite that's going to help me progress with this.

I've basically narrowed it down to 3 kites:
Ozone Amp - probably my pick of the bunch so far
Duotone Dice - having the click bar is a huge plus for going with this kite
F-One Bandit 2020 - stick with what i know

Any comments would be much appreciated!

I've ridden Bandit and Dice, dice felt way more freestyle and sat deeper in the window, didn't go upwind or drift anything like the Bandit can but was more predictable when really pushed into loops and big air. Maybe test one.'
I thought Amp was a full c kite so a completely different feeling to the Bandit imo

Cheers for your input mate, appreciated. Demo-ing both kites is a good idea.

Definitely give the enduro a try!

Give the North Orbit a demo.
It's built for Nicks style of riding freestyle big air looping and that's what you like.
It has heaps of grunt through loops.
Likes to fly with back line tension.
And its a fast turning kite.
He megalooped on a 12m first time he could crack it out.
And the navigator bar is awesome the flagging line runs through the pu depower tube and has swap attachments so can swap and use it if other kite runs it's pigtails the other way.
And you will progress on it definitely and it's wind range is huge.
Just my input but give one a demo.

Freestyle ... do you mean unhooking ? I call that wakestyle myself to be specific about the styles. If unhooking is a focus then yeh the amp is worth looking at, it's an easy to use C kite (my son uses them). Of course you can jump and loop them.
but if not, you don't want an amp really.

Enduro, dice ... more of a 3 strut hybrid all rounderish type kite at the C kite end of the spectrum. Both great kites.

maybe wait for Kevin Ls new kite

I've got an 8m Enduro which I used last season and a 9m Amp which I use this season. I bought both kites specifically for looping. I havent compared them back to back but the Amp is way more stable than the Enduro for looping, as you would expect from a 5 strut kite (which is why I basically replaced the Enduro with the Amp). Both kites are agile and light and both need about 20knts before they start working properly (for me at 81kg). I wouldn't have any concerns that the Amp is too 'C', whatever that means. In their blurb Ozone say progressive C...freestyle... parkstyle, but I think thats a little misleading. Its just a great kite that is agile and solid.
The Amp has a 4 line bridle that can be removed and the kite flown as a 5 line C kite,if that floats your boat, but I just went with the Ruben Lenten set up... 4 line with steering lines on fastest turn speed

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eppo said..
Freestyle ... do you mean unhooking ? I call that wakestyle myself to be specific about the styles. If unhooking is a focus then yeh the amp is worth looking at, it's an easy to use C kite (my son uses them). Of course you can jump and loop them.
but if not, you don't want an amp really.

Enduro, dice ... more of a 3 strut hybrid all rounderish type kite at the C kite end of the spectrum. Both great kites.

maybe wait for Kevin Ls new kite

Yeah im looking to start unhooking, but progression with hooked tricks would be focus too.

might have to take an enduro for a demo as well. sounds like the bandit can be crossed off the list for now

I suppose what the amp has is that flexibility afforded by the 4 line bridle setup... so you could use it in that way. Learn to loop, some basic unhooking etc etc

then if you are really keen to go down the wakestyle competition level of unhooking then go the no bridle fifth line loaded setup which turns it into a fair dinkum C kite. My son has it in this setting and it's super stable and affords great slack in the lines but isn't a truck like some of the more advanced C kites out there, which helps with his tiny 12 yr old arms and legs.
he even uses it on a strapless surfboard on the flat and in waves on that setting but doesn't have a great deal of drift. Apparently it drifts okay in the 4 line bridges set up though.

or .... just go an enduro or a dice for now which would be my call. Once you know if you want to go down the rabbit hole with Alice into more advanced unhooking then get something like the amp.

but ultimately all those kites, from all the good brands will do the job, including the bandit. You gotta just spend Lots of time on the water and learn how to crash hard (not crashing your not pushing it) and yet minimise injury. The more you fail the better you get and the faster you improve.

There's no getting passed just good old fashioned hard work and persistence in the end. That's more important than what new kite you choose at this stage.

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eppo said..
I suppose what the amp has is that flexibility afforded by the 4 line bridle setup... so you could use it in that way. Learn to loop, some basic unhooking etc etc

then if you are really keen to go down the wakestyle competition level of unhooking then go the no bridle fifth line loaded setup which turns it into a fair dinkum C kite. My son has it in this setting and it's super stable and affords great slack in the lines but isn't a truck like some of the more advanced C kites out there, which helps with his tiny 12 yr old arms and legs.
he even uses it on a strapless surfboard on the flat and in waves on that setting but doesn't have a great deal of drift. Apparently it drifts okay in the 4 line bridges set up though.

or .... just go an enduro or a dice for now which would be my call. Once you know if you want to go down the rabbit hole with Alice into more advanced unhooking then get something like the amp.

but ultimately all those kites, from all the good brands will do the job, including the bandit. You gotta just spend Lots of time on the water and learn how to crash hard (not crashing your not pushing it) and yet minimise injury. The more you fail the better you get and the faster you improve.

There's no getting passed just good old fashioned hard work and persistence in the end. That's more important than what new kite you choose at this stage.

Yep what he said no doubt.
Have to crash and burn to learn.

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but ultimately all those kites, from all the good brands will do the job, including the bandit. You gotta just spend Lots of time on the water and learn how to crash hard (not crashing your not pushing it) and yet minimise injury. The more you fail the better you get and the faster you improve.

There's no getting passed just good old fashioned hard work and persistence in the end. That's more important than what new kite you choose at this stage.

fully understand this, new gear doesnt make you a better rider as much as i've tried over the last 14 years of snowboarding . Appreciate all the feedback though, time to go demo some shiny new kit

Awesome have fun mate.
All the best of luck with your choice.
Most of all enjoy that new kite.