KITE - 12M Flexifoil Atom 08
Wind - 18/20 knots - 20/26 knots, gusty, system, North Easterly
Location - Dolls Point at close to high tide, and Towra Pt due to run in tide at Dolls
Date 10/9/07
Board used - 1.32 x 39 Underground 2007 FLX
Rider weight - 75kgs
Experience - experienced
Duration of test - 2.5 hrs approx

Conclusion :- I put this first on this review this time, because thats what I have in my mind 24 hrs after riding the kite and enjoying it. I think this will be a good all round kite for the majority of riders. It relaunches quite easily, jumps high, and is extremely well made.

Bar and lines, 50cm bar, thin diamter with aggressive grip and soft ends with built in winders and line retainers, coloured red/black and blue/black. I like the bar feel, but it is an aggressive grip and will cause water blisters and sores for sure. But as Chopper would say harder the f--k up!
Lines are 20M + 5M extensions, 300kg, coloured, sewn sleeved ends. Line extensions will really help begginers and are excellent when a rider wants to kite in waves.
I rode the kite on 25M. Depower system is a pull/pull strap, with built in back up strap, safety is "mini fifth line", which depowers the kite by releasing all pressure on the rears by approx 2M, the mini 5th line attaches to the front line swivel (swivel works well).
Chicken loop release is a Euro standard push away system, which we added tape to to make the release take a bit more effort. The red release collar has slots on the sides that press on the sides of the release tongue creating a bit more friction, and we just use black electrical tape, so it is obviously taped.
The bar has no o'****s on either side so it is not easy to self land. It would be easy to modify the bar to accomodate them, but in my opinion its an oversight.


I tested the safety system, and the kite drops and depowers quickly, tending to hit the deck LE up or TE down, whichever way you look at it? There is some residual pull, but the kite does not take off. I think it would be possible to reconnect the chicken loop easily while holding the 5th line and then feed the 5th back out and relaunch hooked in. The relaunches we tried were hooked in and only required a pull on the centre lines and the kite quickly moved to the edge and relaunched.

In flight the kite is a medium to fast forward flight kite, and it tip turns well, really nice pivot to it actually. It has plenty of power in the turns and does a wider radius turn that the Slingy Rev 11M, but similar to the Naish Helix 12M. Due to quick and responsive turns it was easy to get good height jumps. Float or hangtime was not as extensive or extended like the Ozone Edge (amazing) or the Slingy Rev or SB3's, but still exciting to jump, and quite easy.

The depower on the kite is long, by that I mean it is a 1:1 kite with no pulleys on the rear lines and only 1 pulley in the bridle, so it has a very direct feel, which I really like. However all the 1:1 kites tend to take more distance, (move the bar further away from rider, sheet out) than the 2:1 kites like the CB3 and Contra, or Helix in 2:1 mode. The sheeting distance was not a problem for me in the winds I used the kite in although on several occasions when transitioning the bar was pulled to the trim strap as I swept the kite through the centre of the wind window. When I was hit by gusts it was easy to edge a bit harder and get depower by forcing the kite forward in the wind window. In general the kite sits back in the window a bit more than SB3/Rev/Helix, and it felt like it would be good for unhooked moves although I did not attempt any unhooked stuff. Another rider before me did and said it behaved well unhooked, only needing a bit of trim strap and then it was easy to unhook and had good power and crisp turning.
I don't think it would be an ideal wave riders kite, but it could still be used in waves.

Steering and bar pressure is light, the kite can be steered easily with one hand and it is easy to ride with one hand on the bar in the middle, toeside or heelside.

The sail has 3 battens, all removeable, spaced evenly along the trailing edge between the tip and the first strut. Kite packs up easily by folding in half, just like the Rev, and the bag has a gusset under the zipper which hold the bar, and prevents the kite canopy material from getting caught in the zipper.
__________________
Cya and
Goodwinds
Steve McCormack

Nice review Steve, I have a couple of points to add

The rear lines can be trimed at the rear pigtail for three settings (shortest for wave riding where you may want to back stall the kite, the mid setting for normal use and the longest for unhooked riding so you don't have to trim the strap to unhook.)

Also the throw of the depower can be set to three different lengths depending on your personal preferences. (it is set at the mid setting as standard)

The bar grip has been softened this year to be less aggressive on your hands.

Also the release does not actually need to be taped, it has been tightened up from previous years releases.

I rode the 12m today. Great construction. Easy to fly. I think this kite suits anyone from beginners trying to stay upwind to intermediates attempting unhooked tricks.

Any comments on the fusion2 from anybody? is there a fusion3 in the pipeline anything new on the way from flexifoil?

Fusion 2 is still the current C kite from Flexifoil. It was released in December 07, so nothing until then at best.

12m Atom II
Rode XShores Demo in Hulk colours at Town Beach Port Macquarie on Friday afternoon. Wind 15knts NE and on a run out tide.
80kg intermediate rider
My Opinion
First impression of the kite, excellent construction and materials. Bar and lines very simple and uncluttered, four line kite. Nice simple safety systems.
Love the one pump!
In the sky, this kite flys and looks as good as any i have flown and does everything a beginner to experienced kiter would need.
Most noticeable thing when flying is the light bar pressure, excellent feel and easy on the body, anybody who kites long sessions or suffers tennis type elbow should try one.
Flew kite fully powered for the entire session and didnt get to check out the kites top end. Tested the relaunch from the surf zone and kite relaunched easily, usual bow, SLE way.
Shared the kite with another rider nearly 70kgs and he liked the kite also, only complaint was he would need to bring depower straps into reach a little more.[adjustable on the kite with three settings]
Am looking forward to flying a few of the other sizes in the range if the opportunity presents itself, hopefully it will be blowing here when the flexifoil boys are on there east coast cruise.
Wish they were here now, is blowing 20+
Has definitely given me food for thought and maybe trade my 07 Rebels.
This Kite is definitely worth a Demo, it might very well suprise you.
Ride Everything[}:)]
Regards
Richard T

Does any one know what is the difference between the bars for the Atom & Ion2? is there is meant to be one? I've demo'd a 9 & 12 Atom both these had an identical bar. I now have a 10.5 Ion2 to use over this weekend and noticed the bar is the same as the Atom. Others I have seen though had a slightly different bar? different depower strap, have a hook in spot on the HolyS**t (red side) for a leash & the grip is a different design. I don't think the 5th line thing with the Ion2 would require anything special on the bar.

The Flexifoil web sit is pretty crap and doesn't give a great deal of info.

Any info would be appreciated

Gerard.

The Atom and the Ion2 has pretty much an identical bar (the ion2 has an extra cleat to trim the 5th line).

The Atom 08 has a new bar (still looks similar though). The main differences are (compared to the atom bar from last season).

The grip is softer and die cut in a different pattern
The holys**t handle has gone
The Pull / Pull depower has changed and is no simpler to use
The mini fifth line now stops the leash hanging low when fully depowered
The chicken rope tells you when it is warn out (without snapping)
There are three settings now for centre line length (to tune the bar to your preferences)
The bar has the v-core cutout to reduce centre line wear (same as Ion2)
The bar has a cleat for an optional fifth line

I have put the only bar photo i have at the moment up here

www.seabreeze.com.au/gallery/gallery.asp?imageid=6144

I will try to get some more info up on the website.

Cheers Karve,

The bar in the picture is the one I've used on the Atoms.

Does the Ion2 bar have a different repower(Blue) strap? I saw a Ion2 with a bar that had a more of loop to pull on instead of a handle?

The Iron2 bar I have now does not have the adjustments on the rear lines(Black,Yellow & Gray)to change chicken loop lenght,like the Atom bar? But is the same otherwise.

You can change the power set up on the Kite from high to low wind by simply changing where the brindal attaches the the kite. Is the high wind setup meant for low wind and the low wind attachement meant for high wind days? Seems a bit back to front to me? The Ion2 I have now had each side set up different??????

I love the kites but want to know what bar is the correct one, the Ion2 I have now just doesn't seem right? I will hopfully get a another go on it toady.

Grant.

The Ion2 bar should have a loop for the repower strop rather than the toggle on the new Atom 08 bar.

The adjustments for the centre line length are new to the Atom 08 bar and hence should not be on the Ion2 bar.

The bridle attachments on the kite are the same for the atom ane the Ion2. The front most setting is called Hi this gives the most depower range on the bar throw. the rear most setting is called Lo, this setting gives a bit more bottom end but sacrifices the depower range on the bar throw. This is the setting to use in lighter winds.

The link is for the atom manual http://www.flexifoil.com/downloads/instruction_manuals/atom_manual_web.pdf on page 24/25 shows the setup on the Atom. I have looked at the Ion2 manual and the labels seem to be the wrong way around. I will get in contact with Flexifoil about this, thanks for spotting it. I should read the manuals more often.

Cheers

Matt

If you want a little more out of your Ion2, tie a figure 8 knot 50mm above the factory knot on the rear line pigtails. (at the kite)Worked wonders for my 12.5.

I leave my front bridle setting on hi. For some reason it's easier to relaunch on this setting.

Dave, I did the same for my 14.5, use that setting for lighter wind days to get a bit more bottom end.

I wouldn't do it to me 10.5 though, I think it would just make the kite stall and reduce the amount of trim at the trim strap.

Still haven't made it back up to Caloundra, just haven't been able to combine wind and enough free time.

Hey Brooksy.

Don't need to try your 14.5 ion now. Got one. cooooool

Saw the 08 Atom 12m out at Brighton last night, looks like a sweet kite. Didn't get to fly, but it's the usual excellent build quality from Flexi, can't go past them for build quality.

As for the aggressive grip that always seems to get some complaints, if you kite with a new bar, after about 10 hrs it's really softened up and is definitely the grippiest bar I have ridden. And it's no worse on the hands than any other bar out there, it's just while it's new that it tests out your hardiness. Best thing is, it is actually designed to last more than 1 season! It's the longest wearing bar on the market, and that's not at the expense of grip or comfort (well except for the first few hours).


Check Ian in the Flexi van out at Byron today or heading down the coast to Forster/Tuncurry later in the week and then Sydney.

Buy him a bar of chocolate and he'll love you forever!

Ian, from Karve will be in Sydney for an exclusively Flexifoil demo day on Tuesday 2nd of October.
We will keep you informed of where we plan to go with Ian, Dolls will be first choice if the winds and tide are suitable for it.

Cya and

Goodwinds

Steve