Kite: Ozone Alpha 10m (brand spanking new) Conditions: 15 to 25 knot gusty and shifting crosshore wind Rider: 15+ years experience
Testing Conditions: At the recent Merimbula Classic (aka Mambo) I had a chance to fly the Alpha 10m for about 3 hours (thanks Steve). The waves on Sunday were over 6 foot with variable direction and strength wind on a busy beach full of attention seeking Kiters. The sort of testing track that forces you to put a kite through it's paces.
First Impressions: This is the first Ozone I've had a close look at. The bag is very lightweight which would suit travel or quick storage. It's nothing like the industry standard backpack where you have a pocket for everything. If you do need a more conventional bag, you can buy a generic Ozone kite backpack separately. Handling the crisp fabric, it felt top quality, with solid shiny printing of the graphics. Once unrolled, the panel stitching follows unusual arcs toward the wingtips, presumably for load distribution and canopy profile. Other standouts were the diameter of the leading edge bladder which was pretty chunky (for rigidity) and the bridle connection points extended far further towards the rear line pigtails than previous kites I've owned. I'm sure that designing a single strut kite in a bigger size is a real challenge for designers and there appeared to be a number of subtle features which are targeted at overcoming this. One final contrast was the attachment points offer only one setting front and back. I don't recall seeing any options for bar pressure or altering turning speed nor for different wind strengths. This is a set and forget system.
The Bar: It was a 50cm bar with the new chicken loop that you can reassemble one handed. This bar had plenty of sand around the mechanism but all the same the end inserted with an audible click. I showed this feature off to my mate who was helping me rig up and the 3 or so repetitions of deploying and the resetting the safety system were flawless and effortless. We were both left asking ourselves "why hadn't this been thought of 10 years ago"? Oh, and the lines felt great. Noticeable differences between the diameters of the steering and center lines; testament to a company that appears to take a refined approach to design and tolerances.
In flight: The kite was nimble in the air yet sat patiently while I picked a gap between sets and delivered a smooth power stroke on command. I found the bar pressure very similar to my Cab Drifters. I guess you'd call it medium pressure as I've flown heavier and lighter in this 10m size. The bar depower was a little less "on/off" than my Drifter which in practice made very little difference to me becoming quickly accustomed to this kite. Heading out the back I was able to fly alongside Reos in both 10 & 12m sizes. I was pointing just as easily upwind as them. The canopies side-by-side in the sky also cut a very similar outline. Where the Alpha stood out in my mind was in its ability to handle the massive holes and gusts in the wind. At one point I was almost becalmed, but actively sining the kite up and down generated the necessary auxiliary power. During the same session, gusts of 20 plus knots buffeted through. This had me reaching for the depower knob set above the bar through a marine V-cleat. This was the "a ha moment", when I realised that an extra knot on the pigtails would have been superfluous. A minor tweak was all it took. The bar returned to a comfortable reach and the kite motored through unperturbed. At no point did I feel anything that suggested this kite had only one strut. No noticeable flapping or distorting of shape. It felt solid and behaved like a good kite should.
On the waves: Following the unbroken sets in as I awaited my cue of a pitching lip for a bottom turn (riding my less preferred backhand) the kite at times felt a little underdone. Remembering that the wind was really up and down which magnified the closer you got to the beach, it was probably unfair to sheet the blame back to the kite, but I found myself bearing away a little earlier on the wave, just to generate speed so as to not fall of the back of the swell. Once the wave riding began in earnest the Alpha looped, pivoted and drifted like a wave kite should. It also threaded itself effortlessly through oncoming traffic and delivered ample power to get around broken sections. The kites weightlessness in the unstable air also inspired confidence to ride the wave all the way to the beach without fear of a hindenburg backstall into the impact zone. Downlooping off the last of the white water gave a steady release of power to pop over the wash and head back for more.
Verdict: I guess you've gathered by now that I was really impressed with the kite. More experienced Ozone aficionados will be able to split the hairs between the Reo and Enduro, but for me it felt strangely normal and familiar (having neither owned an Ozone nor a single strut kite). I would have loved to have had the time to grab a twin tip and pop a few jumps, just to round out the test, but that's not what Mambo is about. If I was to search for negatives, it's not an extremely fast kite across the wind window nor in speed of looping. But it is precisely this slightly docile nature that aids it's suitability to waveriding. No great need to turn the kite deeper into the power zone. Just the occasional loop when power was needed, otherwise just forget it's even there. It's a plug and play, point and shoot sort of kite with no frills or unnecessary over engineering.

Select to expand quote

Bazza said..
Kite: Ozone Alpha 10m (brand spanking new) Conditions: 15 to 25 knot gusty and shifting crosshore wind Rider: 15+ years experience
Testing Conditions: At the recent Merimbula Classic (aka Mambo) I had a chance to fly the Alpha 10m for about 3 hours (thanks Steve). The waves on Sunday were over 6 foot with variable direction and strength wind on a busy beach full of attention seeking Kiters. The sort of testing track that forces you to put a kite through it's paces.
First Impressions: This is the first Ozone I've had a close look at. The bag is very lightweight which would suit travel or quick storage. It's nothing like the industry standard backpack where you have a pocket for everything. If you do need a more conventional bag, you can buy a generic Ozone kite backpack separately. Handling the crisp fabric, it felt top quality, with solid shiny printing of the graphics. Once unrolled, the panel stitching follows unusual arcs toward the wingtips, presumably for load distribution and canopy profile. Other standouts were the diameter of the leading edge bladder which was pretty chunky (for rigidity) and the bridle connection points extended far further towards the rear line pigtails than previous kites I've owned. I'm sure that designing a single strut kite in a bigger size is a real challenge for designers and there appeared to be a number of subtle features which are targeted at overcoming this. One final contrast was the attachment points offer only one setting front and back. I don't recall seeing any options for bar pressure or altering turning speed nor for different wind strengths. This is a set and forget system.
The Bar: It was a 50cm bar with the new chicken loop that you can reassemble one handed. This bar had plenty of sand around the mechanism but all the same the end inserted with an audible click. I showed this feature off to my mate who was helping me rig up and the 3 or so repetitions of deploying and the resetting the safety system were flawless and effortless. We were both left asking ourselves "why hadn't this been thought of 10 years ago"? Oh, and the lines felt great. Noticeable differences between the diameters of the steering and center lines; testament to a company that appears to take a refined approach to design and tolerances.
In flight: The kite was nimble in the air yet sat patiently while I picked a gap between sets and delivered a smooth power stroke on command. I found the bar pressure very similar to my Cab Drifters. I guess you'd call it medium pressure as I've flown heavier and lighter in this 10m size. The bar depower was a little less "on/off" than my Drifter which in practice made very little difference to me becoming quickly accustomed to this kite. Heading out the back I was able to fly alongside Reos in both 10 & 12m sizes. I was pointing just as easily upwind as them. The canopies side-by-side in the sky also cut a very similar outline. Where the Alpha stood out in my mind was in its ability to handle the massive holes and gusts in the wind. At one point I was almost becalmed, but actively sining the kite up and down generated the necessary auxiliary power. During the same session, gusts of 20 plus knots buffeted through. This had me reaching for the depower knob set above the bar through a marine V-cleat. This was the "a ha moment", when I realised that an extra knot on the pigtails would have been superfluous. A minor tweak was all it took. The bar returned to a comfortable reach and the kite motored through unperturbed. At no point did I feel anything that suggested this kite had only one strut. No noticeable flapping or distorting of shape. It felt solid and behaved like a good kite should.
On the waves: Following the unbroken sets in as I awaited my cue of a pitching lip for a bottom turn (riding my less preferred backhand) the kite at times felt a little underdone. Remembering that the wind was really up and down which magnified the closer you got to the beach, it was probably unfair to sheet the blame back to the kite, but I found myself bearing away a little earlier on the wave, just to generate speed so as to not fall of the back of the swell. Once the wave riding began in earnest the Alpha looped, pivoted and drifted like a wave kite should. It also threaded itself effortlessly through oncoming traffic and delivered ample power to get around broken sections. The kites weightlessness in the unstable air also inspired confidence to ride the wave all the way to the beach without fear of a hindenburg backstall into the impact zone. Downlooping off the last of the white water gave a steady release of power to pop over the wash and head back for more.
Verdict: I guess you've gathered by now that I was really impressed with the kite. More experienced Ozone aficionados will be able to split the hairs between the Reo and Enduro, but for me it felt strangely normal and familiar (having neither owned an Ozone nor a single strut kite). I would have loved to have had the time to grab a twin tip and pop a few jumps, just to round out the test, but that's not what Mambo is about. If I was to search for negatives, it's not an extremely fast kite across the wind window nor in speed of looping. But it is precisely this slightly docile nature that aids it's suitability to waveriding. No great need to turn the kite deeper into the power zone. Just the occasional loop when power was needed, otherwise just forget it's even there. It's a plug and play, point and shoot sort of kite with no frills or unnecessary over engineering.

I was pretty surprised how stable it looked in that gusty wind mate. Personelly I would love to see it get a relaunch test but maybe 4-6 foot wasnt the best day. Lol. Of the kite that whent down that day, Not many came back up ay.

Me too. Kite never felt close to going down and wasn't the time nor place to be deliberately downing a kite. Relaunch would have to be close to the Reo, given their similar outline.

Me too. Kite never felt close to going down and wasn't the time nor place to be deliberately downing a kite. Relaunch would have to be close to the Reo, given their similar outline.

Hi Guys,

I had a chance to spend a couple of hours with the Alpha 8m up at the Dongara Midwest Windfest.

Wind 15-20 knots.
Board Strapless foil board with Slingshot SPaceskate and Infinity 76 wings.

The Aplha is a true minimalist kite, if it wasn't needed, it was left off which is fine. I chose it for foiling as the light weight nature of the kite is perfect for foiling.

I was actually pretty lit up on the 8m with most of the trim pulled in. The kite drifts beautifully and has ample power and depower. The steering isn't as crisp as the Reo and in fact, it felt a little docile, which again, is ideal for foiling. Relaunch is easy as pie. I was actually using it to tow me onto open ocean chop and then I would foil surf the waves straight downwind causing the kite to waft backwards and once fall in the water as I over took it. I simply carved away from it, pulled on the bar and it popped up before I came off the wing.

The perfet travel kite, the perfect foil kite and ideal to learn on. If you are looking for wave performance, stick to the Reo, much more responsive and quick with a better wind range.

I really enjoyed flying the Alpha. Typical Ozone quality build and performance. The new Chickenloop is the goods too!

DM

Not much else on the net as yet, except the usual rhetoric and frothing at the mouth, typical with any new release, but it looks good.

A good discussion of pros and cons of single-strut kites (i.e. good for relaunch and low end):
kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=2397969

Since it's a single-skin kite with an inflatable bladder and strut, I think the technology now in ram-air and single-skin bridled kites, are still leading the way though. The Flysurfer Peak 4 and Soul kites are still the favorite stand outs.

Only had one short session on the foil so far, so a bit too early to report properly on the kite but.....

I'm yet to see any Alpha where I live, is it because it's a V1 or is everyone happy with their Reos ?

What's the target market for this kite? Is it foilers? Light wind? I'd be concerned about durability if it's wave kiting????????

Ozone say it's a bit of an allrounder. I have mostly used our 10m for foiling, down to 10knt last Wednesday.
Used it with the surfboard on Saturday.As with durability in the surf I guess it might make you re-think what makes a kite surf durable. After all bumpers and scuff pads don't really make a kite more likely to survive the swell. The placement of higher strength cloth and dacron can. Time will tell I guess.

Well everyone is going to claim their new kite is an "all-rounder"

If you watch their promotional video there is actually zero wave riding it's all flat waters heaven.

And I guess Ozone felt they needed to release a mono-strut to keep up with the competitors.

I'm always on the lookout though for the ultimate 10m kite with a massive wind range for both foil & strapless and epic low-end.

Select to expand quote

Alysum said..
Well everyone is going to claim their new kite is an "all-rounder"

If you watch their promotional video there is actually zero wave riding it's all flat waters heaven.

And I guess Ozone felt they needed to release a mono-strut to keep up with the competitors.

I'm always on the lookout though for the ultimate 10m kite with a massive wind range for both foil & strapless and epic low-end.

Basing this off my experience with the airush ultra but my take on it is with a 1 strut kite you can design a kite with great all round flying characteristics and the light weight gives excellent drift and low wind flying abilities which then make it great for waves and foiling.


The main trade off then being that it doesn't have ultimate top end for twin tip boosting.

For what you have described "a 10m with a big wind range and excellent low end for strapless and foil" I think you definitely need to have a go on a good 1 strut kite

Has anyone tried the 14m alpha?
Looking for a kite that will stay in the sky for those 11-15kn days...

I'm sure the alpha is a great kite but for 11-15knots, pretty much any light weight (e.g single strut) kite will be fine (even my mates XR5 is pretty stable at that wind speed). Its the sub 10knots where the really light weight kites earn their crust (only the very few will be happy in 7knots).

Better off picking a kite for your chosen discipline (freestyle/freeride/surf?) for that wind speed. They all have a slightly different focus.

Select to expand quote

weebitbreezy said..
I'm sure the alpha is a great kite but for 11-15knots, pretty much any light weight (e.g single strut) kite will be fine (even my mates XR5 is pretty stable at that wind speed). Its the sub 10knots where the really light weight kites earn their crust (only the very few will be happy in 7knots).

Better off picking a kite for your chosen discipline (freestyle/freeride/surf?) for that wind speed. They all have a slightly different focus.

Thanks for your response.

Target use would be for foil freeriding mostly. Bonus points if I can get out on my North Nugget 5"3 too.

Looking at the wind range on Ozone Alpha website, looks like the 12m covers 10-15kn ? I kind o promise myself never to ever buy a kite over 12m again

Select to expand quote

Alysum said..
Has anyone tried the 14m alpha?
Looking for a kite that will stay in the sky for those 11-15kn days...

Kitepower in Sydney has a 12m Alpha you can demo and I have a 10m in Lennox. No-one has tried the 14/16 Alpha because they only arrived last week and there hos not been enough wind.
To answer some of your other questions, the Alpha is not designed to be a dedicated wave kite, its an all rounder with great low wind performance, but for low wind performance nothing beats modern foil kites. It would work well combined with a large board like the Nugget 5'3".
I've tried 17M Zephyr V5 and 14M Enduro V2 back to back with my 13M Chrono 3 UL and the Chrono beats both for bottom end by fair amount too, I reckon the Chrono will get you down to 7-8 knots on a large TT or hydrofoil and have tested in these winds, me on the TT and a very experienced mate on the hydrofoil. The Hydrofoil/chrono combo was working well in 7-8 knots, on the TT it was happier in the 8-10 range as a realistic bottom end.
I'd estimate the 14M Alpha will work down to 10 knots on a large TT like the Ozone Infinity 1.44x47, and maybe 1-2 knots less on a hydrofoil.

gleiten.tv/index.php/video/action/view/v/3223/page/480/?SGL_CMS_SESSID=ldb374d8hmoo3eku96nv68j0a4&/1/

you can see some wave Action of 8m Alpha and depending on your german (english Version may follow later) high praises as a
good allrounder.

sorry, didn?t find a tool to properly insert the link - maybe admin may help me out !?

Easter delivered the usual hordes of tourists, and squally SE shifting to E by Sunday and yesterday. It was no more than 15 knots due E with some shifts and gusts due to a squall that was heading to and over Byron to my North.
Now this is the bit that will get some people agitated, I rode my buggy, its an oldie but a goody, Peter Lynn comp with 1.5m wide rear axle. The wide rear axle gives a buggy a lot of extra grip and stability at speed.

I often use a foil kite, but I decided to throw the Alpa in the car and see how it went. I'm amazed how well it pulled upwind, downwind and depowered. Once I launched it I wondered if I'd have enough to make today's riding fun or whether I was just going to get some exercise and struggle to get over 30kph.
As soon as I got moving the kite started to pull hard and my speed increased rapidly to 50-60kph, twice I had to slow down and depower to about 2/3rds trimmed. Standing still this much trim did not feel great, the rear lines were sagging a lot, but once I got moving and had some apparent wind effect the kite felt very good and responded very easily and with little effort to rear line inputs. For turns and high speed to stopped the kite was super stable, my turns were all gybes and I flew the kite up to zenith and down the other side and was very quickly back to 60+kph. The kite exhibits foil like stability in lulls.
Very impressed. Look at the wind readings from the day, averaging around 8-10 knots and I was easily averaging about 27-33knots landspeed. I was up the beach between 3pm and 5pm.

I demoed a 10m Alpha a few weeks ago and really liked it. I had three sessions on a tt. The first was in 20-22 knots and I had one of the best sessions all season. The next two were in around 17 knots and both were enjoyable.
All sessions were boosting/looping sessions. The kite amazingly had no canopy flutter and seemed a very stable platform at all times. Other single strut kites I've owned were terrible in gusty conditions and the trailing edge fluttered badly when looping hard or turning hard but the Alpha exhibited non of these down sides.
It seemed to deliver what I was chasing... an agile 10m LEI kite that will boost and loop well in sub 20 knots. The only question is how well it would survive costant hard looping. Everyone seems to be going with the obvious... single strut kites wont last with extended hard usage.... but I haven't heard Ozone say that... not that they would.

Select to expand quote

snalberski said..
I demoed a 10m Alpha a few weeks ago and really liked it. I had three sessions on a tt. The first was in 20-22 knots and I had one of the best sessions all season. The next two were in around 17 knots and both were enjoyable.
All sessions were boosting/looping sessions. The kite amazingly had no canopy flutter and seemed a very stable platform at all times. Other single strut kites I've owned were terrible in gusty conditions and the trailing edge fluttered badly when looping hard or turning hard but the Alpha exhibited non of these down sides.
It seemed to deliver what I was chasing... an agile 10m LEI kite that will boost and loop well in sub 20 knots. The only question is how well it would survive costant hard looping. Everyone seems to be going with the obvious... single strut kites wont last with extended hard usage.... but I haven't heard Ozone say that... not that they would.

Hard looping or riding will definitely have an effect on the longevity of any kite though yeah? Ozone is no different. But yeah it is amazing how little the trailing edge flutters when turning the kite tight.

I pulled the trigger and got the 12m. I had a quick foil session in marginal winds (12-16). I was amazed the kite never dropped out of the sky. Super stable! My 3 strut 12m (another brand, 600g heavier) would never be flying in those conditions. I didn't notice any flutter at all. Bar pressure isn't hard. Packs down to nothing. I think ozone are onto something here

I bought a 12m Alpha to take to Samoa with me later this year. Flown it twice in very light wind, maybe 10-12 knots. Very stable, just wants to stay at the zenith when your getting your leggie on or whatever. Pulls upwind really well. I was surprised how quickly it turned. I ride an 8m Reo most of the time, but like the feel of the new 12m Alpha. Makes a big difference if you shorten the steering lines an inch or so in very light wind.

Select to expand quote

murrayceff said..
I bought a 12m Alpha to take to Samoa with me later this year. Flown it twice in very light wind, maybe 10-12 knots. Very stable, just wants to stay at the zenith when your getting your leggie on or whatever. Pulls upwind really well. I was surprised how quickly it turned. I ride an 8m Reo most of the time, but like the feel of the new 12m Alpha. Makes a big difference if you shorten the steering lines an inch or so in very light wind.

Used Reos v3 to V5 for last 5 seasons wave only very interested on 12 m Alpha Re wave riding Low and top end in wind range / drift and turning Need to demo back to back with both 12 m Reo

Select to expand quote

murrayceff said..
Makes a big difference if you shorten the steering lines an inch or so in very light wind.

It shouldn't! Probably just means your lines are out of whack.

I've been using the 10m Alpha in 8-10knts on my surfboard and just starting to foil with it,I am only 43kg but the kite is what counts in light winds and this kite is super stable even in the corner of the window,no back stalling,trailing edge or wing tip flutter,my friend who is 80kg was on a 12m Alpha at the same time on a foil and no problem keeping the kite up,it also turned relatively smooth and fast for the size and wind strength,he did a practice relaunch off the water and came up easy.
At the same time a guy was out on a 14m Airush Ultra on a foil and the kite was super slow to turn,fluttered crazy through the wing tips and end panels totally distorting the kite.

Select to expand quote

Livit said..

murrayceff said..
Makes a big difference if you shorten the steering lines an inch or so in very light wind.

It shouldn't! Probably just means your lines are out of whack.

Depending on the bar version, you either have 3 knots under the floats (V4 Click In) or 3 knots on the ends of the lines. Murrayceff is an Ozone dealer he probably has a Click In bar.
Anyway, with Click In bars they are delivered with the rear lines on the middle knot, which is slightly depowered, so when Murray says he changed to the knots that shorten the rear lines he has made his lines equal length.
The reason Ozone do this is so that people with new kites don't backstall them. The Alpha can handle the rear line tension well and does not backstall easily.
If kite is backstalling ALWAYS reach for the trimmer and shorten the front lines (depower) a bit until it stops. When you have the kite flying where the rear lines are nicely tensioned with the bar pulled all the way in then the kite will be at its max grunt for lighter winds.

I bought a 10m Alpha for light wind foiling and had a chance to test its bottom end. After trying to self launch in really light wind employing all the tricks I could muster I tried a reverse launch and up it went. It sat stable in the sky, admittedly the wind was so light I had the bar right in when overhead. So, next was the acid test - could I foil in sub 10 knots with this kite?

After a few vigorous swoops of the kite I was up and riding in what could only be described as apparent wind, smooth water with little ripples. I waited for a gust before attempting a transition and came round smoothly on the foil. After an hour in, I'd say, 10-12 knots I came in very happy with the kite. If I'd dropped it I'm not sure I could have relaunched.

I got a 10m for foiling as well, super impressed with this kite in light winds!

Has anyone tried the 8m alpha? Or is it just better to use a 3 stutter for foiling at that size? Super happy with my alpha 12m....

The small alphas are great the 8 and 6 I have used both

At risk of opening an old thread .....

I fly the 10m Alpha on 17m lines (same as I use for foil kites) and it loves the short lines. What you lose from the shorter power stroke you gain in increased speed from the looping and signing of the kite. Fantastic on the short lines foiling and it actually likes the race bar trim system as you can be more accurate with your kite trim.
Looking forward to buying a 6m when the V2 is released.