OZONE quiver: EDGE-C4 and Catalyst

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flipper231BA
flipper231BA
51 posts
51 posts
5 Mar 2011 9:54am
Hi guys I may have just made the mistake of my life (85kg):

EDge 15m: Wind here is often 10-15knots with gusts above 20 and lulls around 8, we have big boards and all own a 14m, 16 or 17m

C4 12m: If I am to fool around and be silly it will be in the 12-13 to 18-20 knot range, Pretty much the sweetspot for the C4 12m

Catalyst 8m: If the wind cranks above 20 knots, I want easy relaunch and easy everything actually, with some work this baby should fly. And should be a nice baby for winter.

What do you think about mixing the programs ?
kitepilotoz
kitepilotoz
QLD
181 posts
QLD, 181 posts
5 Mar 2011 12:01pm
Good plan just back to front
tatkins
tatkins
QLD
344 posts
QLD, 344 posts
5 Mar 2011 12:17pm
snoidberg
snoidberg
QLD
529 posts
QLD, 529 posts
5 Mar 2011 12:28pm
Sounds great, i have a perfect combo mix 2.
I fly a 5m 7m 9m and 11m c4 for higher wind kiteloops and freestyle and got a 13m edge for average wind for oldschool big air and hangtime and a 17m zephyr for those glassey light wind days. cover all styles and conditions, and ya never get board
AKSonline
AKSonline
WA
925 posts
WA, 925 posts
5 Mar 2011 10:39am
Hi flipper,

A mixed quiver is fine so long as you aren't hell bent on optimum progression. For progression focused riders I have always said that the only way to go is with a quiver of same make and model kites.

If you have two weeks of a given wind speed and then have a less or more windy day, changing kites to a different make and or model will have completely different flying characteristics, timing and feel which will throw out all of the muscle memory you have painstakingly built up.

Going from same model to a different size, the only difference is timing. Feel and characteristics should be same and will take a very short time to get back in the swing of things.

If you go from a kite like the C4 which powers in turns, to an Edge which has huge apparent wind power and less sensitive steering, then to a Catalyst that sits a little deeper in the window and pivot turns, it will throw out your experience of the other kites whilst you "adjust" your style to suit the kite. For comp riding this is a big no no.

For daily riding at beginner to intermediate level, this is fine and will likely serve you well as you have chosen kites with ideal characteristics for your conditions.

DM
flipper231BA
flipper231BA
51 posts
51 posts
5 Mar 2011 12:45pm
This is great feedback, I will keep that in mind for sure but I tried the C4 in larger sizes and disliked it, the 15 in 10 knots is no fun, hence the edge...get itnto plane and ride the big board in park and ride mode. For the catalyst, I simply went for relaunch and kiteskiing since the 12 and edge will see 90% of the water action. But true, progression will be spread thin and the learning curve will be flatter. I will keep the characteristics you mentioned in mind and try to use them at their best.
NSW, 4382 posts
5 Mar 2011 4:27pm
flipper231BA said...

Hi guys I may have just made the mistake of my life (85kg):

EDge 15m: Wind here is often 10-15knots with gusts above 20 and lulls around 8, we have big boards and all own a 14m, 16 or 17m

C4 12m: If I am to fool around and be silly it will be in the 12-13 to 18-20 knot range, Pretty much the sweetspot for the C4 12m

Catalyst 8m: If the wind cranks above 20 knots, I want easy relaunch and easy everything actually, with some work this baby should fly. And should be a nice baby for winter.

What do you think about mixing the programs ?



No I don't think so. I fly all the Ozone models regularly and if one particular kite I had in mind to fly is out on demo I just take another similar size model. I don't find them hard to switch between but I do agree with AKSOnline that a rider thats really keen to progress should stick with a single model/brand quiver.
Ozone kites all have a very direct, light medium feel, sure they all turn a bit differently and your timing will be out for a while at the beginning of each session, however I find I dial in to each kite within a short time maybe 10-15 mins max, and often a lot quicker than that.
You'll be ok on that quiver, although for your riding style and conditions I think the 11M Edge would have been ok too.

flipper231BA
flipper231BA
51 posts
51 posts
6 Mar 2011 12:12am
Thanks again... I did not disclose all the info, I also have a North fuse 2010 12m which is up for sale but remains in the quiver if people keep offering $300 for it and it could play the role of an Edge 11m. The C4 was hanging in the garage, doing nothing since I was riding mostly North kites. So I am basically building around the C4 but when it gets replaced, it will definitely be replaced by an Edge 11m. Anyways I will likely be riding Ozones 100% of the time for the next year or so, maybe 2 years and then I will see what will be the talk of the town. I change gear regularly so I can switch fromm 100% one company to 100% another company, I had been using rebels since 2008 but started with an ozone sport back in 2007.
wishy
wishy
WA
1501 posts
WA, 1501 posts
6 Mar 2011 2:03am
I would want the edge as my small one so I can boost the absolute bejesus out of myself when it's 40 knots and fly around up in the sky like a lost paraglider for 20 seconds.
flipper231BA
flipper231BA
51 posts
51 posts
16 Mar 2011 10:23am
Ok got the catalyst in hand...the c4 had it for a year, waiting for the Edge now...
NSW, 4382 posts
16 Mar 2011 10:55pm
Please post back your thoughts after trying the Cat and Edge.
flipper231BA
flipper231BA
51 posts
51 posts
23 Mar 2011 8:02am
Ok gave the Catalyst a shot, wind from 10 to 20 knots (12 to 23.7 knots for the numbers crunchers), on skis (yep...nice spring snow conditions).

Thiniest LE ever...by far... Very gusty day, great stability, the kite was not in the top of its window, more a wind for the C4 but wanted to give it a go. So very stable, superb drift, loops don't pull though so not a kite for Len10. I am bit worried about the low-end for the summer, the thing is soooo light at the end of the lines and the bar pressure is on the light side so it is easy to think it doesn't pull. Actually I worked the kite very little, I could park and ride in that fairly light ****ty wind. Not sure if i will take it out of the bag in anything less than 20 and i will worry if the wind dies below 15knots, it will fly but not sure it will pull me out of the water to come back. Anyways, it was a great afternoon.... Oh yeah, upwind, with skis on snow it is very easy to push the kite out of its envelop when going upwind and see the kite's performance degrade dramatically, well this lill bugger goes upwind fast. I had pretty much the smallest kite on the lake the others were in 12's and I could keep up if not pass pretty much anybody (I like going fast). so it is fast and furious (small leading edge I think). Anyways, this thing helped me cover the whole surface of the lake and go ride with friends who were sometimes quite far, just tuck in, put on the turbo and go meet them. I did not have much lift for jumping, minutes before I was on my Fuse 12m(and the Ozone bar) and I could jump. Anyways, lots of fun and this thing will take me out in water in winds in excess of 30 knots with potentially scary gusts.
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