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I am looking to buy an 8m slingshot SST. I am wondering how this kite's loop compares to the ozone reo's loop. I've flown an 8m reo before and I love the way the reo loops quick and easy and with a consistent pull through the small loop radius. I recently used an 8m best cabo (2015) and the loop was not as tight, smooth and light as the reos. The loop was quick but a bit off/on power if I looped it really tight as is sometimes necessary.

Anyway, I will not be able to demo the SST so I want to make sure the loop is exactly what I like.

Thanks in advance

this is what a friend wrote to me, when he was in Barbados, flying his new ozone V4 and switched onto an SS for testing both were 9m, on a strapless board:

"SS: a lot of barpressure and really strong pull downwind, it develops too much power when looping or flying fast turns for example.
when tacking with a loop it just lifted me of the board."

his biggest kite is an Ozone Reo V4 9m he or foils or adapts the waveboard to the conditions, he has 9 8 7 6
He is a skilled 80kg 1.80m waveboard rider, he had Fone, bandits, he had North then he purchased Ozone reo V3...but finds the Reo V4 the best one.

I can only agree with him, I had the REO V3 myself, and was not as happy with it, now with the V4, it is soooo smooth, low barpressure, and max depower in a short barthrow...I am not going to buy any Reo V5 without testing and if no improvement, I just stick to my V4 no overpower within the looping etc...

To me you cannot go wrong with a Reo V4, but would advice you not to buy a Reo V3 even if they are cheaper

hope this helps a bit
cheers
dude

I had 6,8 10 and 12 2016 sst kites. I sold them because of to much power when looping but the drifting is amazing.
also
1-very well built
2-easy relaunch
3-medium bar pressure
I like them a lot but for surfing, you need to loop the kite and not being pull of the board.

I ride NEOs and I am not going to change kites again.

naishdude wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 30, 2018 7:05 pm

... switched onto an SS for testing both were 9m, on a strapless board: ...

I am a big fan of the SSTs. But only up to 8m. The difference from 8 to 9m is quite big. Much bigger than from 7 to 8m. From 9m the SSTs seem so be tailored differently. A lot slower through the window, probably a little more pull. Not as playful and fast as the sizes up to 8m.

ciscokitesurfer wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 31, 2018 8:15 am

I had 6,8 10 and 12 2016 sst kites. I sold them because of to much power when looping but the drifting is amazing ...

That is a good example of how personal the experiences are. I like the looping with the SSTs a lot (I ride all sizes with the 20 inch bar and 20m lines). And only some days ago a friend of mine and Neo rider told me how much better he liked the smooth looping of SST 6 and 8m compared to the rough nature of his Neos

Hi Ulx,

I bought antes SST 10 m some months ago, first uses I was not 100% sure of this kite. Now after some uses I am very happy with it.

It is a great kite but It needs you to adapt a bit your riding, which happens naturally.

The thing is I am thinking in buying as SST 7m to complete my quiver and I have read your message above, that Up to 8m they fly diferent.

Can you tell us a bit more about the 7 m? How smaller sizes fly in comparision with the bigger ones?

Thanks

The smaller the kite the faster they fly. The do the same on all size
1-drifting amazing
2-easy relauch
3- a few time I flew the kite back to shore with the line cross after a wash on the surf
4-I have been overpower on the 6 meter on a 30 + day

I am not Ulx

Well, first off, as said, much of it is personal opinion and preferences.

I have had the SST from 2016 in 6,8 and 10. Then the 2017 in 5,6,7 and 9. And now I am on the 2018 model with 5,6,7,8.

I do about half/half surfboard and foilboard. Shifting to more surfboard again over the last half year or so.

When I had a 10 or a 9m I used them very rarely in light winds and nice waves. I liked them a lot for that. But we hardly ever have nice waves with light winds here. So in the end I almost exclusively used them with my foilboard. The very view times I used the 9 or 10m in winds that took up speed I very quickly felt a bit uncomfortable with them. I like fooling around with my strapless surfboard. Freestyle stuff. With all the other kites up to 8m I usually enjoy it a lot when the wind gets stronger because of the gained lift and hangtime. Not so with the bigger ones. To me they feel slow then. I can´t handle them anymore like I want to. In the two years that I had a 9 or 10m I thought it was just the size that I didn´t enjoy that much. Until a buddy of mine laid the the different sizes side by side and looked at how fat the fronttubes were. And he said that in was proportionally quite a bit fatter in the sizes from 9m upwards. And only then I remembered how much fun I had always had with my 8m. I just recently got myself one of those again. And I like it as much as my smaller size SSTs.

I hope that clarifies it a little?

I tried both. The SST has that weird slingshot feel. WTF is the kite power kind of feeling. OH here it iiBOOOOMmmj AAAARRRR~~~~
The REO is super smooth gradual power. It doesn't feel your flying anything it is so light and nimble in the air. In 30+knots I feel can concentrate on my board my waves. Needs some movement on the low end though.

mr_daruman wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 03, 2018 1:54 pm

The SST has that weird slingshot feel. WTF is the kite power kind of feeling. OH here it iiBOOOOMmmj AAAARRRR~~~~