Ok disclaimer I ride BWS atm
The reo 8m ...conditions .wind onshore 15k to 23k waves mushy shoulder high
Unpack go to pump it up wrong nozzle connection it's a big hole not the normal size
Good set up
Launch the kite flys well strait out of the bag
Turning speed fast and direct
Unhooking no problem BUT the loop you have to turn the loop and then hook back in
I did spend about an 1hr in the impact zone as I was under done on the 8 some of the time so I did go under a lot of waves the kite never dropped out of the sky wile I was geting smashed
Did drop the kite in the surf 3 times relaunch no problem
Hate the bar after 2 hr my hands were smashed should be smaller diameter and softer padding it's to rough

Hey spot1,

Ta for the review. The bar you had with the kite is last years 2011 contact bar. We just added them for ease whilst we wait for the new Reo bar coming in September.

Cheers,

DM

how did you like it compared to the bws?

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spot1 said...

Ok disclaimer I ride BWS atm
The reo 8m ...conditions .wind onshore 15k to 23k waves mushy shoulder high
Unpack go to pump it up wrong nozzle connection it's a big hole not the normal size
Good set up
Launch the kite flys well strait out of the bag
Turning speed fast and direct
Unhooking no problem BUT the loop you have to turn the loop and then hook back in
I did spend about an 1hr in the impact zone as I was under done on the 8 some of the time so I did go under a lot of waves the kite never dropped out of the sky wile I was geting smashed
Did drop the kite in the surf 3 times relaunch no problem
Hate the bar after 2 hr my hands were smashed should be smaller diameter and softer padding it's to rough

try doing a hard days work with those pussey whipped hands
i've had 2 sessions on the reo, looking forward to the 3rd, review to follow

I got a 6m demo to play with for 'a while' LOL
I'll take some pics and review hopefully tomorrow.

yeah the contact bar smashed my hands when I first started using them last year.

after a couple of weeks my hands did toughen and it was ok after that. I do agree, I think the contact bar has some downsides. I may consider buying the new bar for my 2011 cats.

kite- 10m reo
rider- average wave rider who loves the 2011 north rebels.
conditions- 15-28 knots, perth winter winds (gusty)
shoulder high close-outs !!!!!
set-up- simple and quick
looks- eyecatching without being ott
build quality- surprisingly good, (have never owned a ozone)
first fly on beach- super stable, direct feel from kite to bar, fast turning.
adjustable bar pressure on kite, the middle setting of 3 was for me.
on the indian- had a ball, once i made the adjustment from grunty rebel to smooth wave kite i loved it. Big concern for me was the speed of water relaunch, i've spent a bit more time on last years "big" wave kite and for the "average joe" the water relaunch IS a issue. Not so on the reo, dumped it several times and had no drama's, once in the impact zone, "normal under water feelings, slack lines, oh ****, wheres the board going to hit me etc.. fresh air, right, kite, crap white water everywhere, pull a line, there she is, lucky maybe, but it WORKED !!!!!
Overall- i have to say that if you want a wave specific kite the reo rocks, i just loved the way it gently drifted back in the window when i had to much board speed
p.s. I'm going up north before summer hits, please can i demo again then, please please please.

What are you guys on? There's nothing wrong with the contact bar. Maybe you guys should invest in a pair of white gloves

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Big eeeZeee said...

What are you guys on? There's nothing wrong with the contact bar. Maybe you guys should invest in a pair of white gloves

and just on one hand, Michael Jackson style

Agreed, the 2011 Contact bar is super comfy. Had my first session today after a 4 month break and no issues with the grip at all.

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djdojo said...

Agreed, the 2011 Contact bar is super comfy. Had my first session today after a 4 month break and no issues with the grip at all.

you have not tryed the BWS bar then
bws 9 out of 10
11 contact bar 6 out of 10
and that is my comfy level

don't think i had a problem with the bar
but now you come to mention it............................

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spot1 said...

Ok disclaimer I ride BWS atm
The reo 8m ...conditions .wind onshore 15k to 23k waves mushy shoulder high
Unpack go to pump it up wrong nozzle connection it's a big hole not the normal size
Good set up
Launch the kite flys well strait out of the bag
Turning speed fast and direct
Unhooking no problem BUT the loop you have to turn the loop and then hook back in
I did spend about an 1hr in the impact zone as I was under done on the 8 some of the time so I did go under a lot of waves the kite never dropped out of the sky wile I was geting smashed
Did drop the kite in the surf 3 times relaunch no problem
Hate the bar after 2 hr my hands were smashed should be smaller diameter and softer padding it's to rough

Hey Spot1 we have got a few Reo's to play with over here and the bar feels fine to me, I think you need to man up, you own a steel company don't you.
You need to get out of the office and onto the shop floor a bit more, perhaps you are just used to holding something thinner.

I flew the 8 and on both Friday and Saturday. I normally ride fuses.

The Reo is a very stable kite which is very light even in lightish gusty conditions I never felt as though it was going to fall out the sky, the kite just sat a little deeper.
I found the power to be smoother than the fuses, which meant I could position myself better on the wave.
Also I felt more confident riding waves under this kite ( maybe because it was predictable or maybe because it was a Demo ).

Having not kited much in the waves (but surfed for many years) when i did get swamped by a head high set. The kite was easy to control from underwater just a steer to 12 when going under then held it there. The kite was happy to fly back and still flying when I came up.

Nice kite, though I would really like to fly back to back with the Catalyst to compare the two.

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Big eeeZeee said...

What are you guys on? There's nothing wrong with the contact bar. Maybe you guys should invest in a pair of white gloves

lol, obviously not concrete, but probably just my office hands! I actually considered wearing gloves (my dad, a windsurfer, bought me a pair for xmas lol) at one stage to keep out on the water but toughened up in the end.

my issue was only where the bar exits the outside of the hand just below the little fingers. Those 2 spots were red raw after a few days solid. Might have something to do with how the bar is squarish as opposed to round and that I prefer to ride underpowered so have to crank the bar alot to sine the kite. Anyways, like I said after the spots callused after a week or so, all was fine.

I used a north bar prior to the contact which is round, smaller dia and super cushy!

You are obviously not married or newly married.

Your hand/s tuffen up after a while among other things.

There are some lovely kites coming out, mmmm.

Rich

About to buy a reo and tossing up between an 8m reo and 10m reo.

Need something for when it gets 15-20 knots.

Above 20 knots I break out my 6m Kima which has plenty of power. And beneath 15 I have an 11m renegade.

I use my surfboard strapless so just need enough power to stay upwind.

Hoping the 8m Reo will be enough since I like small kites.

Any thoughts from those who have ridden both?

Yeah if your on the 6m at 20, and 11m at 15, 8n Reo will fill the gap nicely.

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NickT said...

I flew the 8 and on both Friday and Saturday. I normally ride fuses.

The Reo is a very stable kite which is very light even in lightish gusty conditions I never felt as though it was going to fall out the sky, the kite just sat a little deeper.
I found the power to be smoother than the fuses, which meant I could position myself better on the wave.
Also I felt more confident riding waves under this kite ( maybe because it was predictable or maybe because it was a Demo ).

Having not kited much in the waves (but surfed for many years) when i did get swamped by a head high set. The kite was easy to control from underwater just a steer to 12 when going under then held it there. The kite was happy to fly back and still flying when I came up.

Nice kite, though I would really like to fly back to back with the Catalyst to compare the two.

Good info Mr T

yeah you damn fool!

poor relative etc. what's your feedback on the kite? Anxious to hear others' opinions as I unfortunately can I only test once I bought it =)

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omg said...

poor relative etc. what's your feedback on the kite? Anxious to hear others' opinions as I unfortunately can I only test once I bought it =)

Look at the Perth forecast for the next 7 days - There could be lots said about the Reo this week.

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omg said...

poor relative etc. what's your feedback on the kite? Anxious to hear others' opinions as I unfortunately can I only test once I bought it =)

I'm off north of Lano Friday for the weekend. Forecast looks good with decent swell and decent wind
Hope to give the 6 a good workout.
Will let you know Monday.