Hello folks,

I own 2 Ozone catalysts a 12m for the 13-18 windrange with lulls near 10 and gusts close to 25. An 8m for 25+ knots but it holds up in 15 knots and stays tame at 33knots. so the 8m is no problem. I feel I could get much more from my 12m than I do. I feel it is a tad gutless in less than 15 knots, no power whatsoever. I used to own a North Fuse (2010) that would keep pulling in the 10-12 knot range (although at its lower range).

Posted in the wrong place...

I am starting to wonder if I should not bring the back lines in. Is there more to it than just changing the bar pressure and turning speed. And what about flying it with the shortest backlines setting in 80% of the time and make them longer only in higher winds. I keep reading everywhere that this kite has good low-end grunt...I don't think it is grunty at all and when flying at the edge of the window it barely pulls me around... Anyhow, there are not many tuning options and I feel I have a potential one kite quiver in my hands (12 to 26-27 knots) at 85kgs. I am just freeriding, don't need huge boosting but something to learn jumping on, I like the good drift for ski slalom towards the kite in the winter. Liek I could switch to toeside quite easily with the Fuse but the Cat seems to just die as soon as I switch.

Cheers

Can't comment on the catalyst but have ridden the C4 and the reo. Apparently they all have that ozone feel. My kite of choice at the moment is the rebel so I figured we had something in common as you rode the fuse and I am considering the C4 for my next quiver.

The only thing I can offer is no these are not Grunty kites per say. I know what you mean, with the 11m rebel drop the thing into the power zone and lock it off, away you go.

But these kites are designed for precision riding hence their incredible wind range. You need to develop apparent wind, let the sail fly forward and use your board edging and slight depower adjustments with these ozones. Took me an hour or so, but once dialed in, i was very impressed.

I would pm djodjo, he uses a 12m C4, not a catalyst but they all have that ozone feel. Maybe you are trying to overlay the north fuse/ rebel grunt flying style into these kites. Not sure. All I know is they started to redefine how I flew as I have always had extremely Grunty kites. Grunt doesn't mean performance, that is what I discovered.

Maybe you need to go on a diet. Lol. I'm considering it, purely to get a better bottom end. Ha ah.

Know what you mean going toeside. In light conditions I pull the toggle quite close, so when I go toeside which is more wind hungry I still get that pull. Wish the ozone bar had one. The only option is to get up more board speed and hold the bar in tight, then let off so you don't choke it.

I like the toggle as it allows me to unspent the bar without depower the kite and having to reach. Found when I spun the ozone bar it would ride all the way to the depower to kite and I had to keep reaching for it, then developing speed again to plain. Might be just a technical,
Issue I have to master.

Also you probably need a bigger kite sub 15.

How does the 15m boost flipper. ?

Mmm haven't considered a big edge for my 11 to 15 wind.

Thé 15 gets me upwind in less than 10 on a 150x48 TT... Switch to my 136x42 in 12 knots and from there you can start jumping but really gliding... For boosting, Iwould prefer the 11 in 20 knots but the good guys boost big in 15 with a 13... The 15 is still well behaved in 20+ but I did not have the guts to send it... Sweet, sweet kite

Thanks for the advice, I think this is it, I edge too much, creating like an anchor for the kite to move around and fly to the edge of the wind window...Board speed! Then I will play with different settings but will definitely shorten the back lines when the wind is in that vicious 12-15 range with lulls around 10 and gusts around 18 (on these dys the weather station shows 14-17 knots which is the 12m conditions in my book)... when the gusts get in the 25 range then i will ride on longer back lines (middle knot) to have more depower... And true... A Fuse pulls more, even if you go slow, even if it sits at the edge of the wind window but it becomes a handfull much quicker. I guess this is why things are much better with my custom board, full wrapped rails (like a JL), no matter what I do this board glides through water with much less resistance and it does not allow me to edge like mad since it is not as grippy... I will learn to do the same with a regular board...
Thanks for the precious advice, I will work on stance and once I get this board speed up I will be able to control better the position of the kite in the wind window...

send that 15m in 20 knots. yourl be save as houses! it'l glide you for ever!.

ps the cat wont be as grunty as the edge. but thats a good thing when the wind gets up.

Speaking of ozones, does anyone have any good videos of their mates flying into orbit on an ozone edge? I would love to see some 10-20metre high boosts, not too fussed if you're landing them or not. Cheers!

I have flown a few in both flat water and on the waves and to make it simple.....they make a good day on the water bad and hard work for what should be easy and enjoyable. There are much better kites on the market for sure.

Xshore - just out of interest, which kites do you fly ???

xshore said...

I have flown a few in both flat water and on the waves and to make it simple.....they make a good day on the water bad and hard work for what should be easy and enjoyable. There are much better kites on the market for sure.

Ok yesterday, 3.5 jour session water at 6C...wind 10-23 knots. Strates off with thé edge 15 oncetrimmed 1/3 i switchwd for thé cat 12 for fun... Shrtened thé backlines, the kite was More stally but much More like other kites I know, it pulls More at thé edge of the wind window...with à tad of trim Iwould get that slicing through thé air back....ah and one advice i recalledfrom à few years ago...squeeze your butt and tilt it in... Well that does magic... Rode thé board flatter too...got heaps of power (140x42) board 90kg yesterday morning (winter fat) and the cat in both, 10-15 and 18-23 but thé wind was all over thé place

xshore said...

I have flown a few in both flat water and on the waves and to make it simple.....they make a good day on the water bad and hard work for what should be easy and enjoyable. There are much better kites on the market for sure.

^^^^^^
This right here is a classic example of a kook with very little to 0 kite flying skills, and prob wouldnt know a good kite if it kicked his ass.
Jump on your grunt machine and go, go, go!!!!

Well today I could sail along with Wainmans Boss and Core 13.5 with my Cat 12 and could find my power just as well... Shortening the back lines was what I needed. Now if I need to dower half, I can move a knot and get an all new range of wind opening up in front of me...much easier to find my power now... Monday I start jumping...sweet lill kite after all...I had c4 in 2010 and did not like them in gusty winds... Too much, not enough, too much again... My rbels were so much more comfy... Maybe I could try them again and like them...