Apparently some very minor adjustments to the bridles. Price is slightly higher but still a huge bang for bucks.

Looks like the element is the new wave kite as well. They appear to have discontinued the method

New video out for the new Element 4...best part is at 20 sec. in if you look past the guy doing the awesome strapless back loop, there is a super awesome guy riding along looking just amazing...that guy must be super cool. Hahahaha.

Wow why would one give red thumbs to that post/video ?

It's an awesome video ! How about that Felix surfing in the waves and the kite looks mega responsive in the turns....

I dont get the red thumbs either,

I hate to say their kites are getting better. I did ride a 9 metre previous version of this kite and it was as good as my old 2010 - 2012 North Rebels, The bar was OK and it drifted better and it is "HALF THE PRICE".

I did bump into a travelling kiter in Melbourne on one and he let me have a go... He wasn't saying it was the best kite ever but on a surfboard in 15 to 20knts I had fun.

If these guys are happy with the kites, dont red thumb them, try them first and make a comment.

Naish Kites had the Helix, I thought it was a terrible kite, but now they have the Pivot and its great. Some of the big brands bring out terrible kites and then they move on and improve.

I bet everyone would change their tune if Ozone, North, Naish etc brought out kites direct at 900.00 bucks....

Select to expand quote

Alysum said..
Wow why would one give red thumbs to that post/video ?

It's an awesome video ! How about that Felix surfing in the waves and the kite looks mega responsive in the turns....

It would probably be shop owners and importers, with the reported price hike off most major brands next year, I would say they are getting a bit nervous about brands like Switch.

.... Can anyone comment on if it is ok to us an Ozone bar with the element 4?? At $715 for a 7m it is compelling if I can use my ozone reo bar, which I quite like... Cheers.

Select to expand quote

marno said..
.... Can anyone comment on if it is ok to us an Ozone bar with the element 4?? At $715 for a 7m it is compelling if I can use my ozone reo bar, which I quite like... Cheers.

The low V ozone bar should be completely fine as long as your lines haven't stretched and are equal length. I used my slingshot bar at first with my Switch Nitro 4.

Probably just red thumbing my dorky comment, which is understandable... haha. I was stoked to see that little clip, that session was only about 2 weeks ago I think. One of those days that wasn't supposed to be windy but it was, wasn't supposed to be waves but there were, got it with Felix (who nailed that back roll in a few takes) Tophat, and I think one other guy. Super fun day.

Select to expand quote

marno said..
.... Can anyone comment on if it is ok to us an Ozone bar with the element 4?? At $715 for a 7m it is compelling if I can use my ozone reo bar, which I quite like... Cheers.

As Bletti said a low V all same line length bar is what the Switch bar is anyway so it will be fine. In fact I've used Switch low V bar on North high V kites, North high V bars on Switch low V kites, matched bar to kite and couldn't pick any difference at all

.... I'm really looking forward to some reviews of the Element 4 (proper rider reviews and comments, not the company line).

ozone bar does work but it does not have the same bar depower throw as the switch so you wont get full depower when you sheet out the bar. A mate here is using one on his nitro 3 and finds he is over powered in 20 knots(12 meter)This kite easily handles a lot more wind than this,

I don't get that, surely you can only depower as far as you can stretch your arm out with the bar???? I can stretch my arm a fair way with my ozone bar, so how would that be different to a switch bar???

if you check out the throw and compare it to a switch one, im sure you will find it has a little more throw, you will just have to pull some depower on to compensate for it

Select to expand quote

oscar1 said...
if you check out the throw and compare it to a switch one, im sure you will find it has a little more throw, you will just have to pull some depower on to compensate for it

That's correct, even though I don't rate the switch bars that highly, it can be pushed out a long way out depending how far you've adjusted the ball stopper. Also there's a lot of de-power line you can pull on, heaps more than the cabrinha bars for example. That's why I can kite in a southerly with a 9m and don't need a 7m

Select to expand quote

oscar1 said..
if you check out the throw and compare it to a switch one, im sure you will find it has a little more throw, you will just have to pull some depower on to compensate for it

I've not used a switch bar but the theory mentioned here is seen on a couple of other bars now too.

I have a couple of LF CPR bars, a 2012 and 2015. The 2015 has significantly more depower than the older one. The back lines have essentially extensions on the bar and the trim rope is longer, so when fully powered the lines are equal, but there's more depower available because the trim strap/rope is longer bringing the front lines in further. Easy mod to do to any bar.

Thats right marno, you can't use any depower throw longer than your reach. I wonder how much people actually kite when they say stuff like a mega long depower throw is a good thing?
Same, if they say you can pull in on the depower shortening the front lines even more, problem is eventually you cannot steer your kite/or and you are riding poo stance and just getting carted off.

Maybe the red thumbs becuase the above guy is a retailer who knows??..., but what he's saying above is correct.

The switch bar is super configurable. I know because the first thing I did when I got it is completely reconfigure it and mess up the default settings!

I try and set up my switch bar so that there's a little pull when I let go of the bar, but not enough to keep the kite in the sky indefinitely. When the bar is fully pulled in the kite is fully sheeted but not oversheeted (except in light wind).

I like having a relatively long throw as I have long arms and prefer not to pull the trim strap except for launches and landings.

No-one should be thinking that pulling a bunch of trim rope in and kiting on a kite that is too big is safe. The switch bar won't prevent you from doing that though (at least not the way I have it set up!).

I haven't tried my Ozone bar on my Switch kite (incompatible pigtails I haven't got round to changing), but it should be fine. Equal length lines when the bar is (almost?) fully pulled in seems to be the standard, and I believe (but haven't checked) that both Ozone and Switch are set up like that. If the shorter bar throw is an issue you'll feel a bit more pull in the kite when you let go - which you could fix by pulling some depower, at the expense of the tuning at the other end of the bar throw.

I wonder if the smaller kites require less bar throw than the larger kites? Intuitively you'd think so, but it would depend on how the bridles are set up.

Select to expand quote

jms said..
The switch bar is super configurable. I know because the first thing I did when I got it is completely reconfigure it and mess up the default settings!

I try and set up my switch bar so that there's a little pull when I let go of the bar, but not enough to keep the kite in the sky indefinitely. When the bar is fully pulled in the kite is fully sheeted but not oversheeted (except in light wind).

I like having a relatively long throw as I have long arms and prefer not to pull the trim strap except for launches and landings.

No-one should be thinking that pulling a bunch of trim rope in and kiting on a kite that is too big is safe. The switch bar won't prevent you from doing that though (at least not the way I have it set up!).

I haven't tried my Ozone bar on my Switch kite (incompatible pigtails I haven't got round to changing), but it should be fine. Equal length lines when the bar is (almost?) fully pulled in seems to be the standard, and I believe (but haven't checked) that both Ozone and Switch are set up like that. If the shorter bar throw is an issue you'll feel a bit more pull in the kite when you let go - which you could fix by pulling some depower, at the expense of the tuning at the other end of the bar throw.

I wonder if the smaller kites require less bar throw than the larger kites? Intuitively you'd think so, but it would depend on how the bridles are set up.

mate what's involved in changing the pigtails to make it compatible with the Ozone bar???? Do you have to buy new pigtails from somewhere??? Do you know if Swith sell em ???

You can adjust the throw on the switch bar to suit you but you need to compensate with pulling on some depower. Take a look at there videos. Im lucky I have long arms. I ride my nitro 4 10 meter up to 30 knots(79 kilos) on a132 x 41

It would only be minor, the switch low V is a little higher than the ozone due to the additional swivel up top, but it shouldn't make a great deal of difference.

Select to expand quote

marno said..

mate what's involved in changing the pigtails to make it compatible with the Ozone bar???? Do you have to buy new pigtails from somewhere??? Do you know if Swith sell em ???

I'm pretty sure you can just switch the inside pigtails with the outside pigtails on the kite, should do the job. Bit of a pain as the labelling on the pigtails will be wrong, but you could colour in the outside ones with a marker pen to kook proof yourself!

If you ask them I'm sure they'll give you a solution (after trying to sell you the bar!).

switch sell pig tails I think for $5 so you can change your lines from knots to loops

sorry the pigtails are $12.75 per set

Select to expand quote

jms said..
The switch bar is super configurable. I know because the first thing I did when I got it is completely reconfigure it and mess up the default settings!

I try and set up my switch bar so that there's a little pull when I let go of the bar, but not enough to keep the kite in the sky indefinitely. When the bar is fully pulled in the kite is fully sheeted but not oversheeted (except in light wind).

I like having a relatively long throw as I have long arms and prefer not to pull the trim strap except for launches and landings.

No-one should be thinking that pulling a bunch of trim rope in and kiting on a kite that is too big is safe. The switch bar won't prevent you from doing that though (at least not the way I have it set up!).

That is true that the Switch bars are super configurable. They work perfectly well. My only complains are that it's heavy, bulky (especially the chicken loop) and a bit hard on the hands after an hour. The stopper ball bounces all over the place when you de-power it too. I'm hoping the V3 edition will correct a few of those annoyances

When I first got my Ozone bar it had no swivel and had a pull to release chicken loop. The Switch bar with push to release and swivels was an upgrade.

I've since upgraded my Ozone chicken loop, so it is now push to release and has below the bar swivel, much improved. The Switch bar has a high swivel as well as the low manual one, but I've never seen it work (still to try lubing it). The Switch bar also has the movable stopper, but in practise I never use it.

The new Ozone bar has soft ends, which is a plus.

I agree with the complaints about the bar, although I never notice the harder grip. The depower tab magnet on my Ozone bar is starting to rust and degrade!

The pigtails on the Switch site are just replacements not converters, but I'm pretty sure you can just switch the stock ones around.

I just took the pigtails off the switch bar and swapped them inside to out to work on my Ozone bar. Of course I'd forget which was inside and which was outside and stuff it up three times before getting it right.. Much preferred the Ozone bar over either model Switch bar with the Methods.

Select to expand quote

jms said..
The Switch bar has a high swivel as well as the low manual one, but I've never seen it work (still to try lubing it).

The "swivel" on the QR doesnt auto spin. The line swivel need to be freed up occasionall; there's a Switch video putting it in a drill and spinning it to free it up...

you can loosen the nut on the chicken loop so it turns a lot easier. just remember to tighten the lock nut firmly