Ozone Zephyr 17m

[Stroh]

Just got my new Ozone Zephyr 17 in the mail yesterday!

Both Brian and I took it for a ride when the wind died yesterday evening. The wind was between 10-12mph and the kite had plenty of power to get me cruising and jumping on my small board (130x40)! With a good light wind board I think this kite should get you going in 8mph!

I was really impressed with the new Zephyr it turned really well for a big kite and had very little bar pressure. The kite also stayed in the air really well in subpar wind.

This kite is available for demo, if you’re interested in trying it out let me know… (952) 807-3306 or email me… Stroh@SuperiorKiteboarding.com

If there is wind I’m either at Mille Lacs or park point.

Tomorrow is looking like a good day for a big kite on Superior!

[Mike W]

I am stoked with my Zephyr too, Jon. I tested the upper limits of the kite on Sat. on WBL. Wind was in the 15-25mph for a bit, and the Zephyr handled this wind like a champ even while I was on the Kitefish. Saturday represented an all too common pattern around here. 10-20mph to start, some 15-25mph for a bit, and then an 8-15mph stretch for the last part of the session. It is great to have a kite that will handle all of these conditions well. The only downside to the Zephyr is that it does not relaunch like the T317 in the really light stuff. Forget about self-launch or flipping it over in less than 10mph. Awesome ride otherwise!

[Kevinousdigian]

I just love this kite too. I got mine in March and I love to have a fun kite to fly in the really light winds as we have so many of those days. I concur that it keeps you going in 8 mph (I'm 180 lbs). A kite like this is great to have around here because we don't have many steady wind days. Like Mike said we've had plenty of 7-25 mph days in which you can stay out and be really happy the whole time. I don't want to have to rerig if I only have 30 minutes left before I need to leave. I've had 30 sessions this year and 60% of the time I've been on this kite. I can easily ride it down to my 11m thus getting rid of need to have a 14m due to the still significant overlap with the 11m.

Last week I was thinking about all the lighter days I've been out enjoying the lake with this gear and can think of all those years windsurfing where we would wish we could be out planing in lighter winds but couldn't be.

The loft and hang time are a blast for jumping too. Enjoy it Jon.
Kevin Ousdigian

[Stroh]

Yeah it’s hard to beat the relaunch of true bow kites, but I would rather have the minimal bar pressure of a hybrid and deal with the relaunch issues!

I would assume you can use the old school C kite relaunch method to get it off the water in under 10mph… but I haven’t had to try it yet!

[Kevinousdigian]

Stroh
Can you describe that technique? Until the Z I mainly used TD3s. I agree with Mike in real light wind there have been a couple of times I struggled to get it out of water but to be fair I don't think a TD3 14m would have popped up either it was so light. When the gust of 10 or 12mph comes along then the Z goes up.
KO

[Bill S.]

I rode a 17m Zephyr in Thailand last fall and rode all day in light breezes on glassy water without a whitecap in sight. Love the simplicity.

Bill

[Tighe]

I too am sold now on these new big kites. The slingshot Turbine has opened up a lot of days where I would have gone home. The relaunch is as good or better than the T3s do o it's swept back LE. It also is only 3 strut which makes pumping it up easier than a T3 14 and very light. I have not tried t in 25mph Wind but I would imagine the Zepher may be a bit more stable with 7 struts.

As I mentioned in my gathering post the new race boards take these kites even further due to their ability to generate apparent wind. I would thnk though that you may be able to do better on a mid sized kite due to efficiencies. It's fun learning about a new frontier in kiting...at least a frontier that I have long since given up on.

Keep the experiences coming. We need more company out there on the water.

[Tighe]

I too am sold now on these new big kites. The slingshot Turbine has opened up a lot of days where I would have gone home. The relaunch is as good or better than the T3s do o it's swept back LE. It also is only 3 strut which makes pumping it up easier than a T3 14 and very light. I have not tried t in 25mph Wind but I would imagine the Zepher may be a bit more stable with 7 struts.

As I mentioned in my gathering post the new race boards take these kites even further due to their ability to generate apparent wind. I would thnk though that you may be able to do better on a mid sized kite due to efficiencies. It's fun learning about a new frontier in kiting...at least a frontier that I have long since given up on.

Keep the experiences coming. We need more company out there on the water.

[Mike W]

Tighe, thanks for posting about your experience on the race board. I considered picking one up a while back, but what stopped me was the big fins. Those boards are designed primarily for course racing where the competitors have to point really high upwind-- that is part of the reason for the long fins. The major disadvantage of a board like that around here is that during our summer light air season we have lots of weeds, at least on local lakes. Two things kept me from buying one: 1) memories of snagging weeds on a formula board and 2) the fact that I don't need to point high upwind. I think that for light air around here there are better options. My $.02. I would love to ride one in the right conditions though.

I would like to try the Turbine to compare it to the Zephyr. I suspect that you are right about the Turbine's superior relaunch in the light stuff. On the other hand, if the Rally 14 is any indication, the Turbine probably overpowers pretty quickly.

[Stroh]

The relaunch method I am talking about is the same as a 5th line relaunch method… just without the 5th line.

Kite (leading edge down) straight down wind of you, move towards the kite to roll it on its back then pull one back line to launch the kite.

In really light wind I pull a center line on the opposite side of the kite which rolls the kite over leaving it LE up ready for a hot launch by pulling on the center lines.

Had another great ride on the Zephyr today! I was well powered today in the beautiful conditions we had on Superior today! It was sunny, NE around 15, and waves in the 1-3 range.

I went for quite a few jumps and found that the kite doesn’t get you really high in the air but you will float forever!

[Tighe]

Good point mike. Forgot about that. They are blade fins...perfect weed hooks. Wonder if there are kite weed fins yet. Riding the lift generated by the fins is extremely efficient and feels amazing when it pops on a plane...but weeds are pretty prevalent.

I've got my eyes on the SS Dialer but they are out of them till the 2012s come out. It sounds like that shape was extremely sucessful so there may be more models like it next year.

All good stuff

[Kevinousdigian]

Stroh
What kite jumps really high in lite winds? I'm sure you'll enjoy the lift and float in higher winds.
I'm jealous you got out today. Hoping for wind wo rain thursday or Friday here.
Ko

[Tighe]

While jumping is a whole new game in light winds, I was surprised by the difference board size makes. Bigger boards go faster allowing more load In light winds. It takes refined technique because once up you slow down loose all apparent wind and land barely powered. Kiteloops help.

It reminds me a lot of the advantage skis have for airtime in light winds on hardpack. Speed is your friend.

[JRN]

IT AIN'T NEW & AIN'T PRETTY, but today Mike and I did an undeclared side by side comparison of my old '08 waroo 17 & his zephyr. I was proud of how well my old bird stood up to the latest design.

[Geo]

You SHOW that young'in Jimbo!

[peterrib]

Been flying my Zephyr for over a year now and have nothing but great thoughts about it. Light, easy relaunch, handles
great over 20 and under 10. Relaunch down to 5 or 6. Gets me out when the rest can't ride. Lots of float and easy to jump
with even when standing on the water. Have to add I love my new Rallys too!
Peter