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
for sub 15 if you want grunt yourl need bigger than a 12m kite. hell i'm only gust starting to grin on my 15m in 15 knots.
it expect a 12m cat to have a wind range 15-25.
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...
Grunt usually means immediate power by bar movement... like the Slingshot RPM and Rev. The problem with them in larger sizes in light wind (in my experience in Slings and 2 other brands) is that they give a great feel of power, but limited upwind. If you edge harder for upwind, they stall.
The 12m Cat I have now is a breeze. I hardly feel the power... so yes, it feels gutless... but, hey, it takes me upwind like a dream and doesn't kill me with power when I move it through the power zone... what my other kites did.
On the other hand the Cat doesn't lift me as high as my other brands did... and that's the trade off....
... to my feel, the cat is a unique kite. It likes movement and control, and then it is powerful. It is a forgiving kite, but it needs a better than average skill to get the juice out of it...
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.
I have both 1 10m cat and a 13m edge and I love them both 12knt reasonably flat water and I'm away 15 it's becomes really fun 18 I'm looking for the 10 or taking my extensions out. But I can so try putting in a set of ext 5m and watch how much more u get out of the cat. And also u do need that apparent wind but don't be scared to keep working it, it's not a super guttsy kite so it's less likely to pull u off ur edge.
Hope it helps
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!
Well Ozone isn't my brand (and I've never flown one or seen one fly or read any reviews) so obviously in a public forum I am more than qualified to say they are **** house kites.
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 I've trialed a heap of kites this year,and without a doubt the ozones would be in the top few kites, how can a bad kite dominate the race world championships for the last 3 years, the saying a bad tradesman blames his tools comes to mind.
Xshore - just out of interest, which kites do you fly ???
Ozone Catalyst's are a beginners kite... Basic learners/school kite but also good for waves.. I have taught people on them when at AKS.
They're not grunty due to their shape.. But most people know that..
Many are sold due to forum reviews or either on recommendation by the shops that stock/deal them.. Or by people that are in love with Ozone.
I have rode ozone C4's and Edges.. These are performance machines.
I don't rate the Reo or Catalyst and have flown them both... Saying that I'm not a wave rider but understand that many people like the Reo's. I like grunt and big jumps so I'd rather jump on the Edge or C4 in the Ozone range.. It's up to how you ride and what you like... Everyone has their favorite type/make of kite....
Saying a kite makes a good day bad on the water is maybe because you enjoy riding a kite that your used to and enjoy.. A good rider can dial in any kite and make it perform.. It's up to the person on the end of the bar/lines.
Cat's aren't bad kites... They are great for beginners so if your not a beginner then maybe look at something else...
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
Yeah. catalyst is not a high performance kite in terms of grunt and air time.
personally I'm not interested in them in larger than 8m size. the edge and the c4 are far better kites for my style in the bigger sizes.
But when the wind is stupid gusty and cranking a little catalyst or reo can make your session really fun when others are hating it.
I'm on the look out for an 8m catalyst and that will complete my quiver nicely.
ps flipper. you may want to consider changing to a c4 instead of the 12m cat. it'l be more dynamic and fun. particularily if you can handle the 15m edge.
apologies for that, an eye for an eye
I think the C4 is the best out of all the ozone kites, because it can excell in any area of the sport...waves, freestyle, freeride/boosting, wakestyle/sliders etc...
except for racing, but the edge is purpose built for this.
i changed from catalyst to C4's for this reason as i had hit the boundary with the cat it couldnt take me much further, havent ridden a reo or an edge but from all reports they are almost perfect for the market they are specifically made for.
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...
