Jovver - 11-7-2009 at 08:09 PM
So I haven’t seen any detailed reviews of the new Ozone Flows so I thought that I would write one up myself.
It was an extremely hard decision between purchasing an Ozone Flow vs. an HQ Scout. I was looking for something in the 5m range as my next kite,
and something that would allow me to learn the basics of snowkiting without being overwhelmed. More importantly, I wanted something on a bar that I
could hook into a harness. The nice thing about the Scout was that it comes with the crossover bar, which is supposed to increase turning speeds
because of constant use of the brake lines. The Flow can achieve the same thing with the use of the new Ozone Turbo bar. I have heard that both
kites are aimed toward the same goal of controllable and predictable flight characteristics for use on a board or buggy, and that both are very
similar. So it really just came down to which design I liked better, and I chose the flow. After my flight today in average wind speeds of 18
gusting to about 25, I now think that it was the best decision that I have made so far.
Material:
The material of the kite of is top notch, what can I say, that’s Ozone for you. Bridles are top notch quality also. They feel much nicer than the
Prism Stylus series that I flew before. There are not as many bridle lines and they are a lot less likely to become tangled. The stock control bar
is also extremely well made. I especially like the fell of the bar and the Megatron chicken loop is the best I have seen so far; very simple to use
in an emergency situation and easy to load. The only thing I am confused about is the brake strap. I have seen that some of the Ozone bars have an
adjustable strap to allow adjustment of the brake lines, but mine does not have that. Did Ozone change this recently or was I reading a completely
different thing? I am, however, concerned about the way the bar feels. It is much more sturdy than the 60 cm bar that I played around with before,
and it seems that it will stand up to the force generated by the kite. The chicken loop line is attached to the bar which is also the same strap used
for the brake lines. The bar is also smaller, which means there is less torque on the bar ends around that middle attachment point than there is on a
longer bar. This may be an issue because I like to fly as if it were depower, with all the force pulling around your waist and less input and use of
your hands to simply steer the kite. So far I am fairly confident with it, but over many flight hours of flying the kite with all the pressure on
that strap from the center of the bar, I don’t know if it will stand up.
Flight Characteristics:
Simply stated, the kite flies just as it is said to. It is very predictable and easy to fly because it is extremely stable. The internal cross
bracing definitely allows the kite to keep its shape better than anything I have flown so far. I really like flying this kite while hooked in, but it
is very fun unhooked as well. Turning response is also quite amazing. I was expecting the kite to move much slower for its size, and I am not using
a turbo bar. With a turbo bar this thing would turn even better. This is actually the second 5m kite I have flown, the first being a Rage 4.7m. The
Flow turns much quicker and handles better than the Rage IMO. Setup and take off was a piece of cake. One tug on the bar and the kite was off, and
when going through the power zone, this kite was a beast but still controllable. Flying near the edges of the window, the kite keeps its shape and
does not want to tip curl. Flying perpendicular to the window, as if trying to get upwind, the kite was also stable and did have a fair amount of
pull. I have not tried the kite on a buggy, but I would love to. As for performance at zenith, it also flew like a pro. The kite did not want to
overfly very much and even when it did luff a little, it kept its shape until it caught the wind again and inflated fully.
Other honorable mentions:
Wingtip dirt outs are a great thing to have, although I don’t see myself using them often. I usually fly inland at local parks so I don’t even
have the opportunity to get sand in it. The cell inlets are also covered with a high quality mesh to prevent larger debris from entering the cells.
The most handy feature that I have found on the kite is the little Velcro tabs to keep the lines organized when packing up the kite. The Prism Stylus
series did not have them, and they needed them desperately. Regardless of how nicely I laid the bridles on the kite while rolling it up, they were
always a tangled mess when I unpacked it to fly the next time. These little tabs will ensure that the bridles on the Flow will not get tangled. The
backpack is nice, good material and fairly comfortable, although it is a little small for my tastes. The shoulder straps are completely loose and the
pack sits just above my lower back. Being 6’5”, this is a usual occurrence with smaller packs. The thing that bothers me the most is that ¼ of the
bar sticks out of the bag, but it does have an elastic band on the outside to keep the bar to the side of the pack. I’m sure the bag could hold 2
kites if squeezed in and packed up nicely, so 1 kite in the bag is definitely a nice fit.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with this kite and it has met my every expectation. I was quite shocked when I opened it for the first time. I
knew it was going to be a great quality kite, but I didn’t really believe it til I saw it with my own eyes. I have not tried the kite on handles,
that is something I may try in the future, but I really do like the feeling of the bar. Many thanks to Ozone for designing a great kite! I will take
pictures the next time I fly and I will post them. Until then, hope for good winds and happy flying!
Erik
Here are some pics!
Jovver - 12-7-2009 at 11:23 AM
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Closeup
Jovver - 12-7-2009 at 11:32 AM
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Wrapped Bar
Jovver - 12-7-2009 at 11:34 AM
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Line Organizer Closeup
Jovver - 12-7-2009 at 11:36 AM
One of the handiest features on this kite.
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Full Bar
Jovver - 12-7-2009 at 11:36 AM
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Brake Strap Closeup
Jovver - 12-7-2009 at 11:39 AM
Here is the brake strap that I thought would have an adjustment, but it doesn't. Any insight on why this change was made would be great.
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Brake Line Attachement
Jovver - 12-7-2009 at 11:41 AM
I tied new knots to attach the brakes because they were fairly loose while the kite was in flight. When the kite is at it's fastest turn, the new
knots rest right on the pulley.
Pic removed.
Backpack
Jovver - 12-7-2009 at 11:44 AM
Finally the backpack with 2 glorious Home Depot water bottles that I use for weights. As you can see the bar does stick out quite a bit. So if
anyone could teach me how to post multiple pics in one post that would be greatly appreciated. I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to posting pics.
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kitejumper - 12-7-2009 at 06:57 PM
wow,nice kite,Erik!! bring it with you,saturday and we can try it in the buggy and i will bring my landboard also......BTW theres a kite festival at
the bay -we can check that out and i have another field nearby we can buggy and jump in--cheers don:wee:
bigben91682 - 13-7-2009 at 07:04 PM
Sweet dude, nice review. Faster than my rages huh? I'm inclined to believe you, but you never flew them with the turbo bar. 
I'm also happy to see you've moved on from those Prisms. That flow is a fine piece of kite.
Hope all'swell in Ohio.
Jovver - 14-7-2009 at 05:04 AM
Everything is going pretty well over here, thanks for asking. Yeah stock setup the Flow is a little faster than the Rage, but I'm sure that turbo bar
changes things. I would love to get my hands on one, but they are really expensive. Are you the only one holding down the Crossings Park field or
does Peter still drop by?
bigben91682 - 14-7-2009 at 01:05 PM
I'm not really sure, I haven't been able to fly in about a month. I've been working a lot and away on weekends shooting weddings. Kite's have been
sitting around for far to long. I still haven't had the chance to fly the Venom, which I'm itching to get in the air, but when I've had time to fly
there's been no wind to fly in. Oh well, curse of summer I suppose. I'm looking forward to snow flying and getting the board out.
Jovver - 14-7-2009 at 03:56 PM
Sorry to hear that, I'm definitely looking forward to some snow as well.
WIllardTheGrey - 16-7-2009 at 12:10 AM
On a side note too keep the bridles on a non ozone kite from becoming tangled. Larks head the breaks to the powers, then the powers to each other and
pack like normal.
Did that make any sense at all?...
Jovver - 16-7-2009 at 04:57 AM
Yes it did, and that isn't a bad idea. Wish I would have thought about that several months ago, but oh well. Would that also work with the lines
still attached?
WIllardTheGrey - 16-7-2009 at 02:15 PM
Never tried it that way, don't think it would make much difference since with the lines attached all you have to do is give em a tug and they untangle
them selfs.
More Pics!
Jovver - 16-7-2009 at 05:55 PM
Before Takeoff
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And it's Off!
Jovver - 16-7-2009 at 05:56 PM
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...
Jovver - 16-7-2009 at 05:57 PM
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Nice Turning
Jovver - 16-7-2009 at 05:58 PM
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Flight Closeup
Jovver - 16-7-2009 at 06:02 PM
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Aerial Pics!
Jovver - 16-7-2009 at 06:03 PM
Pics removed.
...
Jovver - 16-7-2009 at 06:03 PM
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...
Jovver - 16-7-2009 at 06:05 PM
Last one for a while, hope you guys enjoy the pics!
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