Hey Live to Fly.

Really, you must be on mushrooms for the last 12 months or so...

Cauncy there are actually only 4 current model torches for sale compared to 2 Reo's which is the same order of magnitude and actually alot for a line that hasn't been running for a full season yet. Anyway, Im not trying to have a competetion who can piss the highest up the wall. Just saying that my experience with them leads me to doubt that their durability is fit for purpose.

Also just saying that reading this thread makes me do a little vom in my mouth. My opinion is that bridled kites drift as good as a corolla, when depowered are as responsive as a motorcyclist in a coma, and are about as predicatable and wobbly as a cut kiwi.

Anyone else had any problems with their Reo,s?
A good wave kite should be kept in the air not in the water, a decent wave can damage any kite - no matter how much Dacron you throw on it.

Fair points guys. I'll organise a demo and see for myself. I'm always pushing myself and crashing the kite regularly so maybe what i want and need is different to those who are happy in their comfort zone and who's priorities are keeping their kite dry.

Hey Live to Kite,

We have had the same 6 Reo's (2 x 6's, 2 x 8's and 2 x 10's) in demo since we received them off the first production line in July 2011.

They have been out in almost constant demo since we first got them. We have sold heaps of Reo's on the back of demo's. The thing with demo's is you don't know what the skills are like of the person demoing, so they have been used hard by noobs, intermediate and skilled wave riders in all conditions.

Some of the demo's have been to Albany, Margaret River, Gnaraloo, Geraldton, Lancelin and all up and down metro Perth beaches and we have not done a single repair to ANY of them. ALL are in top condition.

I don't know what you do to your kites, but there are so many Reo's out there being ridden every day that I'm sure there would have been more said about any durability issues.

If you build a wave kite to handle all manner of abuse, it won't fly. Ozone build a great kite with exceptional wave performance and more than adequate strength for the designed use. As others have said, any kite can rip from ar$ehole to breakfast in the wrong predicament.

DM

LiveToFly said...

Build construction 10/10? Ppfffttt! My mate has 6 & 8m Reo's and both are broken. The 6m hit the water hard causing the canopy to split in half, and the 8's inlet valve internally twisted and broke. Even looking at it compared to a Religion, Park, etc, it looks weak and poorly reinforced, if at all. Sure its light and nimble and made by a company who is good at making paragliders, but wave kites need to be really strong as a priority. All this hype about the Reo is great for inflating the resale when you realise that they're actually crap and decide to pass it on to some other chump. I'm gonna rage on my torches and continue to watch all the Reo's fall to bits...

Get your mate to contact any Ozone dealer and organise a new bladder for the 8M. There was a well publicised issue with the bladders of some earlier manufactured 2011/12 Ozone kites, so that took Reo's out of the picture but it is possible and we would replace the bladder if the valve has torn out. Just need a serial number.
As for splitting, that can happen to any kite, hit by a wave at the right time and place, even brand new kites of any brand.
Sometimes there is a small cut from self launching/landing that goes unnoticed, then when its loaded in a hard crash the kite splits. Anyway they are always easy repairs and do not affect the way the kite flies.

As for quality, Ozone kites are made in the same Ozone owned factory as the Ozone paragliders, to the same exacting standards. Peoples lives depend on Ozone's rigorous commitment to quality.

Having an inside knowledge on kite sales in this country and around the world, there are a hell of a lot of Reo's out there now, then kite has been a huge success for Ozone, there have been very few if any genuine complaints.

nope. i run the 50cm bar on all my ozones. she's pretty speedy but not uncontrollably so.

^^^ Who cares if it boosts or not I just want it to ride waves better. Soft bar ends would of been handy yesterday when I dinged my board.

the thing is toppleover if they make it boost better it will then drag you off the face of the wave if you get too much speed. I guess I am lucky that I have a kite for the twintip and the reo for the surfboard but there are also many who only ride a surfboard and a dedicated wave kite is all they want. I don't know what could be done but I would prefer it to just get better for catching waves.
A little less flutter would be nice if it doesn't detract from it's surfability though.