Ok so i picked up an Ozone Reo 6m from Todd at AKS yesterday. Cheers
I had hoped that the weather would be good to me and let me give the kite a whirl this morning.
Alas it did not so i can only pass on pictures and an opinion on an unflown kite.
So here we go

The 6m is a low aspect three strut nugget very similar in profile to the RRD Religion.







You can see the similarities to the religion here although i think the Religion has more canopy in the middle.



When i went to pump up the main valve is the big ass screw thing once common on Cabrinha's. F##k i said to myself how does this go up but a bit of quick thinking and one of these.......



up she went
heres the valve



and it has a nice neoprene cover making everything neat and tidy. I think the cover aids in keeping sand out. those valves as i remember were a pain in the ass. If you got a grain of sand in the seal then kite would slowly deflate. Maybe Ozone have improved the design. Whatever the kite went up in seconds and the big ass valve helped in deflating hugely.



As you'd expect its all one pump serviced with clip off tube thingos.



Bridled - with four attatchment points along the LE on each side.



There are also three settings on which you can put your front lines i guess this will improve turning speed and increase bar pressure?



Kite made from this stuff. Looks well made and usual good quality you'd expect from Ozone.



Packs away nicely in this adequatly sized bag



Compared to my 7m Rebel there are some great differences. The wingtips for instance are more square to the struts and the canopy is as large in the middle of the kite as the 7m Rebel.
The Reo has much more of a nuggety feel about it tho. i took a couple of shots to compare outlines but they havent come out as good as i expected.





So there we are. Low aspect bridled kite well made with some nice little touches. Looks like a fast turning kite from what i can see. Also no pulleys means direct feedback from the kite. The kite IMO is very similar to the RRD religion but perhaps not quite as much canopy in the middle
As is said earlier the weather was not kind so as soon as it blows i will add a review to this.

Rider: 88Kgs intermediate
Style: Surf with strapped surfboard
Weather: 18-25kn
Build Quality: 10/10
Satisfaction: 8/10

Today i had the chance to fly the new RRD Religion kite. Its marketed as a pure waveriding kite, nothing more nothing less and to be honest that is exactly what its is.

I've never really felt excited about RRd kites in the past, not sure why that is but just not been interestd. I did in the beginning fly a 2 line convert to 4 line type kite and have tried the Obsession and the Type 9 but never really got on with them

Kite
Well it is so well made, not over manufactured but very very well made. All the black you can see on these pictures is the crinkly material used to re-inforce other kites where the back lines attatch. Everything is super stitched then reinforced. you'd think that this would make the kite overly heavy but it doesn't at all. The canopy is rounded then comes into these very straight swept back tips that are parallel to the struts. Its a three strut kite, super low aspect. Heres some pics







everything re-inforced



Its a one pump with the usual clips that velcro to the strut nicely out of the way



There are a couple of settings that change the speed of the turning



and another setting to change the bridle for onshore wave riding.




The bar is neat and simple with a mini 5th line running to the centre lines with a below the bar attatchment for your leash or you can clip to suicide on the chicken loop.
Everything appears well made and robust.
Trimming is a usual Clam cleat which is pretty standard. Though the mini 5th can get caught in the cleat.




Most kites have a stopper ball the Religion is no different with a stopper thingo that slides up and down



Chicken loop is covered by a nice neoprene thingo



and underneath all solid steel



and it all packs down into a plastic sort of bag that struggles to accommodate the kite. There is also a pocket for the bar



So there we have it a very well made big ass low aspect ratio kite with a mini 5th simple bar and wierd lines - they feel different to normal like very waxy normal lines. Very well made and strong looking. Reminds me of a little nugget

So to fly....
Well i went south to a lesser known beachie - no photos from here cause i was on my own.
Wind was around 18-23 maybe 25 towards the end and waves around shoulder high plus. Some stonking sets came through. i had the 7m and the size suited the conditions reasonably well.

After self launching and getting it in the air the first thing you notice is that this kite is responsive. The littlest of touches on the bar and the kite listens/responds instantly. Perfect for one hand kiting.
It is also fast. In fact the fastest turning kite i have ever ever seen or flown. It is like a rocket. Which for me is awesome for DTL wave riding. I'm used to small kites - i normally ride a 7 Ozone Edge 80% of the time so i guess i'm dialled into the small kite twitch thing.
Wherever you want this kite quick pull on the bar and its there. Despite the pulleys (2 on either bridle) the feedback from the kite is great and you can feel exactly where it is.
Bar pressure is light - not super light like the Edge but still light
The canopy is super stable, even at full bar depower and throwing the kite around there is no canopy flutter whatsoever. The kite is rock solid stable.
Trucking upwind with the surfboard was easy and the ability to shut the power off helped even more.
The kite drifts well when the lines go slack it holds its position and gently drifts back til the slack is taken up. Also riding towards the kite does not present as any kind of problem again drifting on que.
The turning circle is tiny and looping it creates a sudden surge of power in a tiny space.
No backstall at all at any point
Never got to try the relaunch as i never dropped it but i can't see that there would be any dramas
You can boost it if you want but if your looking for a boosting kite this aint it
The only thing that let this kite down for me was a distinct lack of grunt. It just lacked that feeling of raw unbridled power that i love so much from my edges.

Conclusion
So i suppose in conclusion the Religion is a pure wave kite. If you want an all rounder or a freeride kite then this is certainly not the kite for you however if your in the market for a pure wave riding machine then the religion is well worth consideration.
Very well made with simple bridle and a plug n play approach make this kite a winner.
The only thing that disappointed me was a distinct lack of 'grunt' that edgy raw power.

Thanks Very Much to John at SOS Fremantle (08) 9430 7050 for trusting me with his 7 and should anyone be keen for a demo i recommend having a chat with John.

Disclaimer
I am not affiliated to any kite brand, shop or seller. I buy all of my own kites and boards with my own money