Does anyone have experience with these two kites? Seem like very similar kites but with different distributions/markets. Has anyone ridden both and can comment on how they handle for surf and foiling? Specific preferences of one over the other? I am looking at replacing a 9m Switch Element V4 with one of these kites and would welcome your thoughts.

Thanks for any insight,
Tom

It'll be better but not cheaper

Smook will be the one you want to ask as he has been a long time Reo rider and has gone to the Roam this year. I don't think he foils though...

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dafish said..
Smook will be the one you want to ask as he has been a long time Reo rider and has gone to the Roam this year. I don't think he foils though...

Thanks for the lead ... Smook, any thoughts?
Cheers,
Tom

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TomKites said..
Does anyone have experience with these two kites? Seem like very similar kites but with different distributions/markets. Has anyone ridden both and can comment on how they handle for surf and foiling? Specific preferences of one over the other? I am looking at replacing a 9m Switch Element V4 with one of these kites and would welcome your thoughts.

Thanks for any insight,
Tom

9.5m is the Gen 2 Roam.
Better off going for the Gen 3 Roam in a 9m, unless you're looking at second hand or a close out deal.

The Gen 3 kite was lightened significantly, the curved struts killed any flutter, and they went to Dimension polyant dacron making the frame stiffer and better response.

I have had guys come over from the Element and they loved the Roam.
But both Roam and Reo are great wave kites, whatever you decide.

PM me your info and I'll see if I can get you a demo on the Roam.

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TomKites said..

dafish said..
Smook will be the one you want to ask as he has been a long time Reo rider and has gone to the Roam this year. I don't think he foils though...

Thanks for the lead ... Smook, any thoughts?
Cheers,
Tom

The reviews on the Aluula Roam look amazing for foiling and waves But I have not jet had a chance to try back to back for wave riding But hopefully soon Both kites Reo and Roam are great wave kites both of these companies are leaders in design and quality . I have been lucky to kite with Reos from 2014 with new models every year and love them in the waves ,cross and on shore winds and down the line waves Looking forward on next chapter with Aluula Roam

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TomKites said..
Does anyone have experience with these two kites? Seem like very similar kites but with different distributions/markets. Has anyone ridden both and can comment on how they handle for surf and foiling? Specific preferences of one over the other? I am looking at replacing a 9m Switch Element V4 with one of these kites and would welcome your thoughts.

Thanks for any insight,
Tom

We've tested both and back to back 10M V5 Reo Vs 10M Aluula Roam about 10 weeks ago at the tail end of summer. I think some minor mods have been made to the Aluula Roam since then but I doubt whether they influence the way it flies.
First thing I have to say is I'm the Ozone rep and have always flown Reo's and that both kites are really excellent for waves and foiling. I don't foil but I have plenty of friends who do and who also use Reo's.
Both kites are excellent wave kites and both drift really well, relaunch fast and easy, steer one handed easy, go upwind equally well.
The OR Roam is faster through the window, turns a bit faster than Reo. Both kites arc of turn are similar, and both turn pivotally. The bottom end of the Roam is better by 2-3 knots, top end about the same. There was one day of testing when the wind was 20-23/24 knots and I actually preferred the stability and shorter bar throw on the Reo, but the Roam was fine just a bit more fidgety at the top end of its range. The bottom end is where the Roam stands head and shoulders above any other LEI kite I've flown, and also its reactivity to pilot inputs is better than Reo or any other LEI. They will take a little bit to get used to for some riders, but anyone swapping from Reo to Roam will adapt super quick as they are so similar.
The only other significant difference that will affect some buyers is the price.

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EastCC said..

TomKites said..
Does anyone have experience with these two kites? Seem like very similar kites but with different distributions/markets. Has anyone ridden both and can comment on how they handle for surf and foiling? Specific preferences of one over the other? I am looking at replacing a 9m Switch Element V4 with one of these kites and would welcome your thoughts.

Thanks for any insight,
Tom

9.5m is the Gen 2 Roam.
Better off going for the Gen 3 Roam in a 9m, unless you're looking at second hand or a close out deal.

The Gen 3 kite was lightened significantly, the curved struts killed any flutter, and they went to Dimension polyant dacron making the frame stiffer and better response.

I have had guys come over from the Element and they loved the Roam.
But both Roam and Reo are great wave kites, whatever you decide.

PM me your info and I'll see if I can get you a demo on the Roam.

EastCC -
Thanks for the input - you are right, looking at a Gen 2 Roam that is on sale, and thereby keeping the price down. Are most dealers ordering both Gen 3 and Aluula Roams? The price difference is significant, so it would make sense to have both on hand, but I could imagine not as easy to stock.
Cheers,
Tom

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KPSS Used said..

TomKites said..
Does anyone have experience with these two kites? Seem like very similar kites but with different distributions/markets. Has anyone ridden both and can comment on how they handle for surf and foiling? Specific preferences of one over the other? I am looking at replacing a 9m Switch Element V4 with one of these kites and would welcome your thoughts.

Thanks for any insight,
Tom

We've tested both and back to back 10M V5 Reo Vs 10M Aluula Roam about 10 weeks ago at the tail end of summer. I think some minor mods have been made to the Aluula Roam since then but I doubt whether they influence the way it flies.
First thing I have to say is I'm the Ozone rep and have always flown Reo's and that both kites are really excellent for waves and foiling. I don't foil but I have plenty of friends who do and who also use Reo's.
Both kites are excellent wave kites and both drift really well, relaunch fast and easy, steer one handed easy, go upwind equally well.
The OR Roam is faster through the window, turns a bit faster than Reo. Both kites arc of turn are similar, and both turn pivotally. The bottom end of the Roam is better by 2-3 knots, top end about the same. There was one day of testing when the wind was 20-23/24 knots and I actually preferred the stability and shorter bar throw on the Reo, but the Roam was fine just a bit more fidgety at the top end of its range. The bottom end is where the Roam stands head and shoulders above any other LEI kite I've flown, and also its reactivity to pilot inputs is better than Reo or any other LEI. They will take a little bit to get used to for some riders, but anyone swapping from Reo to Roam will adapt super quick as they are so similar.
The only other significant difference that will affect some buyers is the price.

KPSS,
Really makes the case for the Aluula - especially for foiling where that bottom end is really worth going after with one kite, versus separate foiling kites. Thanks for the comparison.

Any thoughts on Roam Gen 2 vs a Reo V5?

Cheers,
Tom

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TomKites said..

KPSS Used said..

TomKites said..
Does anyone have experience with these two kites? Seem like very similar kites but with different distributions/markets. Has anyone ridden both and can comment on how they handle for surf and foiling? Specific preferences of one over the other? I am looking at replacing a 9m Switch Element V4 with one of these kites and would welcome your thoughts.

Thanks for any insight,
Tom

We've tested both and back to back 10M V5 Reo Vs 10M Aluula Roam about 10 weeks ago at the tail end of summer. I think some minor mods have been made to the Aluula Roam since then but I doubt whether they influence the way it flies.
First thing I have to say is I'm the Ozone rep and have always flown Reo's and that both kites are really excellent for waves and foiling. I don't foil but I have plenty of friends who do and who also use Reo's.
Both kites are excellent wave kites and both drift really well, relaunch fast and easy, steer one handed easy, go upwind equally well.
The OR Roam is faster through the window, turns a bit faster than Reo. Both kites arc of turn are similar, and both turn pivotally. The bottom end of the Roam is better by 2-3 knots, top end about the same. There was one day of testing when the wind was 20-23/24 knots and I actually preferred the stability and shorter bar throw on the Reo, but the Roam was fine just a bit more fidgety at the top end of its range. The bottom end is where the Roam stands head and shoulders above any other LEI kite I've flown, and also its reactivity to pilot inputs is better than Reo or any other LEI. They will take a little bit to get used to for some riders, but anyone swapping from Reo to Roam will adapt super quick as they are so similar.
The only other significant difference that will affect some buyers is the price.

KPSS,
Really makes the case for the Aluula - especially for foiling where that bottom end is really worth going after with one kite, versus separate foiling kites. Thanks for the comparison.

Any thoughts on Roam Gen 2 vs a Reo V5?

Cheers,
Tom

No the Aluula Rom 10m was the first OR kite I had flown for at least 10-12yrs. I think that if the Roam was not Aluula I'd prefer the Reo V5.
The bottom end and stability of the Aluula Roam in light winds is definitely unique in the world of inflatable kites at the moment.

Thanks very much for the honest replies KitePower .
Don't suppose there's any intel on a V6 Reo for the upcomng season. I assume there'll be a bit of a move now towards lighter weight fabric generally.

So i havent flown a Reo before but i did manage to get on a new generation Roam-non Allula version. It is different and it is better...by far in my mind. I posted a review on Kiteforumn that gives a technical breakdown of my experience on it.
I though last generation Roam were ok. Nothing wrong with them but they werent pulling me away from Neo's.
Im now getting a new gen Roam quiver-hopefully one of them in Allula.

I finally got a chance to fly the 9.5 Gen 2 Roam yesterday. The wind conditions were marginal, and so my questions / observations may be more a response to the lackluster conditions than the actual kite. A few questions:
1. Is there a video / article out there describing the Roam bridal settings for different conditions and preferences? Conditions started side-on-shore and moved to onshore and wasn't positive on bridal attachment points in those conditions. 2. Low end? What settings do you recomend for a more direct feel? Had the rear lines attached to the top knot for a more direct feel, but the low end was still pretty soft. I was riding it with Duotone click bar and maxed out the adjustment. Again this could be more a result of sub standard conditions than the kite.
3. Turning - the kite seemed pretty slow as compared to a 9m Switch Element V4. The drift and stability was better with the Roam but the responsiveness seemed very sluggish. Was considering moving the front attachment points to speed up the turning, but was hoping someone had some insight - again was this the underpowered conditions or the kite?
Thanks for any observations or comments,
Tom

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COL said..
Thanks very much for the honest replies KitePower .
Don't suppose there's any intel on a V6 Reo for the upcomng season. I assume there'll be a bit of a move now towards lighter weight fabric generally.

That was me posting under the KPSS log in and I'm sorry I missed your question. Reo is staying V5 until July/August next year. There have been some threads going around on forums and FB about weight and of course Aluula and now the penta kites by duo. The Penta kites are only now nearly as light as an Ozone Reo.
I've been saying for years that many well-known brands of kites are covered in all sorts of blingy scuff pads, spectra wire frame sewn into sails, weird trailing edge shapes made with heavy dacron or 2-3 layers of sailcloth, wingtips with excessive dacron and webbing, etc, etc including much heavier multi-strand ripstop. None of that stuff is actually needed, but brands somehow got into a race to out bling and out reinforce each other.
Now since Aluula came onto the market some brands are trying to market that they are innovating with new materials, but embarrassing for them, their kites are not lighter than many of their competitors.

My v5 reo 8m weighs 2.25 kgs on the scales.The 10 m allula roam weighs 1.9kgs.
Ive been on the Reo for 6 years and demoed the drifter,wave and reo together back 2014.
Owned a neo for 1 year , but just didn't fit into my light wind kiting.It's just to heavy.
Ive demoed the roam and it's a weapon in light wind for wave kiting . I have not flown the allula roam enough to pick to much of a difference between pivot,turning and wind window speed in comparison to the reo .They are both very similar in handling .Also great to see they reduced the size of the leading edge on the new allula roam.It looks way smaller than its predecessors.
Its just better aero dynamics!

The stand out thing I noticed with the roam was drifting down the line on the wave backhand.The roam the sits higher in the window than the reo .
I seemed to be able to time a backhand snap a bit easier.This was in 12 to 14 knots down winding in Perth.
I can fly roams and reo s (8m) in 12 knots down wind with fast looping on surfboards .Going to give the edge to the roam on the drift factor.
Ozone take notice you have to get the 8m V6 reo under 2kgs.
Ill be buying around this time next year V6 reo vs Allula roam.
Also Ozone and Ocean Rodeo can you get an auto swivels on your bars .It's 2021 in a few months!
Ps I can't add anything on the foiling side ,but Ive seen the roam in 5 knots foiling on glass flat lake in Canada.That's insane .Worth a YouTube search!