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Cloud vs Reo.

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Peter_Frank
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Re: Cloud vs Reo.

Postby Peter_Frank » Sat Oct 06, 2018 2:13 pm

Huib wrote:
Sat Oct 06, 2018 11:52 am
I have a Reo 6 V4 and OR Flites 12,10 and 8m V5
If I compair the Reo with my OR Flites, the Reo need much more wind too perform. The gab between the Flite 8m and the Reo 6m is huge.
Wish I had a 6m kite with the characteristic of the Flites.

I have no idea about newer Reos, but if they are anything like the earlier ones (and from reading posts it seems they are), Reos are awesome wavekites as not much grunt but they can dump the power WAY better/more and smoother than other kites, and needs to be flown to get power.

So IMO a Reo cannot be compared to most typical LEI kites.

In the other end is the Cloud, which has massive low end power, so can not be compared either - but at least they can dump the power by luffing the LE as otherwise they would pull too much for foiling sometimes.

Reos can be used for waveboards and hydrofoils, whereas the Cloud is of course much better in really light wind on a foil, but not to much use on a waveboard.

So as you say for medium to strong wind, my advice would definitely be the Reos if you also ride surfboards/waveboards.

If you just foil, I can not help, but my take would be that the Clouds would relaunch much better than the Reos, as you will soon learn to get the canopy filled, just like with other strutless kites where we can experience the same, but no biggie when learned.

Some avoid 1 strut or strutless kites and go for the new 3 strut ones, for foiling, because they want to avoid the flapping if the wind picks up and they want to ride on or are far away from the launch spot - and they WILL flap a lot now…
Or if they ride on faster wings requiring a bigger kite - it also tends to happen yes and not as good.

I dont mind as I always ride in the sweetspots or below, where they work just dandy :rollgrin:

8) PF

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Re: Cloud vs Reo.

Postby bigtone667 » Sat Oct 06, 2018 9:27 pm

Peter_Frank wrote:
Sat Oct 06, 2018 2:13 pm
Huib wrote:
Sat Oct 06, 2018 11:52 am
I have a Reo 6 V4 and OR Flites 12,10 and 8m V5
If I compair the Reo with my OR Flites, the Reo need much more wind too perform. The gab between the Flite 8m and the Reo 6m is huge.
Wish I had a 6m kite with the characteristic of the Flites.

I have no idea about newer Reos, but if they are anything like the earlier ones (and from reading posts it seems they are), Reos are awesome wavekites as not much grunt but they can dump the power WAY better/more and smoother than other kites, and needs to be flown to get power.

So IMO a Reo cannot be compared to most typical LEI kites.

In the other end is the Cloud, which has massive low end power, so can not be compared either - but at least they can dump the power by luffing the LE as otherwise they would pull too much for foiling sometimes.

Reos can be used for waveboards and hydrofoils, whereas the Cloud is of course much better in really light wind on a foil, but not to much use on a waveboard.

So as you say for medium to strong wind, my advice would definitely be the Reos if you also ride surfboards/waveboards.

If you just foil, I can not help, but my take would be that the Clouds would relaunch much better than the Reos, as you will soon learn to get the canopy filled, just like with other strutless kites where we can experience the same, but no biggie when learned.

Some avoid 1 strut or strutless kites and go for the new 3 strut ones, for foiling, because they want to avoid the flapping if the wind picks up and they want to ride on or are far away from the launch spot - and they WILL flap a lot now…
Or if they ride on faster wings requiring a bigger kite - it also tends to happen yes and not as good.

I dont mind as I always ride in the sweetspots or below, where they work just dandy :rollgrin:

8) PF
I disagree with you saying the Cloud is a light wind kite only.

Last winter I had a fantastic session in 50 knots on the 3.5m kite. This year I have had numerous flat and wave sessions on the 4.8m in 40knots. No hydrofoils were involved.

Nothing drifts like a Cloud, turns as quickly as Cloud or dumps power like a Cloud. And generally I am 2 sizes down in size to equivalent LEI's.

I rode slingshot SST's (which are a decent wave kite), but they got retired once I got the Clouds.

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Re: Cloud vs Reo.

Postby Peter_Frank » Sat Oct 06, 2018 11:05 pm

Hmmm, I would still think this only goes when they are in their sweetspot, whereas when out in windy conditions on both twintips and waveboards, you are very often in the very upper end of the "size" at times, say when going upwind fully depowered outside with loads of more wind than in the break, and here the onestrut or strutless kites suffers hugely…

I might be wrong though, but lets hear from others who has ridden the Clouds in high wind very powered upper end of the size conditions on other boards :D

8) PF

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Re: Cloud vs Reo.

Postby tswierkocki » Mon Oct 08, 2018 11:41 pm

No issues riding the lasted generation of Clouds over powered on wave boards. The earlier versions would flap a bit when depowered but the latest versions have a very tight leach. Surprisingly they also jump pretty good.

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Re: Cloud vs Reo.

Postby marekmk » Mon Oct 08, 2018 11:57 pm

my frustration with the clouds is the very narrow sweet spot for each size. if I was riding clouds again I would need 4 clouds to cover 8 to 35 knots. with the reo I need two kites!

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Re: Cloud vs Reo.

Postby tswierkocki » Tue Oct 09, 2018 12:32 am

marekmk wrote:
Mon Oct 08, 2018 11:57 pm
my frustration with the clouds is the very narrow sweet spot for each size. if I was riding clouds again I would need 4 clouds to cover 8 to 35 knots. with the reo I need two kites!
What size Reo’s do you fly?

Before Clouds my go to quiver was 7m, 9m, and 13m first gen C4’s.

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Re: Cloud vs Reo.

Postby krivo » Tue Oct 09, 2018 1:44 am

I own an 8M Reo and have recently tired the Cloud D in 10.5m in about 10 knots on a foil and I did not like it one bit to be completely honest.

I found that the kite behaves in a very unusual way and the power generated is unlike any other kite I have tried before, but not in a way I enjoyed.

The kite is pretty quick and turns on an axis without generating a large amount of force when flying through the wind window which can be beneficial for foiling. One thing I did like is that its relaunch capabilities are pretty amazing and it was probably one of the easiest kite to relaunch in such light conditions but I would still prefer the Reo for its versatility and flying characteristics. Another great feature is its packing size which is probably smaller than a kite pump so great for traveling.

On the same day I was flying a 12M Enduro and found that It generated much more power compered to the 10m cloud but that is not surprising given the light wind conditions at the time and the size difference however people were saying that you can get away with a smaller size due to it's light weight - that was not true as even the owner of the kite was struggling while I foiling powered on the 12m.

I think that if all you plan to do is foil it might be worth checking the cloud kite, but if you are still enjoying other boards I would not bother with it as it is very one dimensional kite that will lock you to one discipline only while you can use other "traditional" kites that will preform in a much wider conditions.

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Re: Cloud vs Reo.

Postby RadDrDuke » Tue Oct 09, 2018 1:55 am

Never ridden a cloud but I've ridden lots of wave kites and Reos are probably the best around. If you have good winds you should just buy Reos and be happy, once the wind is above 15knots this sport isn't rocket science, you could ride an old Waroo and have a great time

I ride airush ultra which fits in between reos and clouds, excellent wave but also great lightwind (not as good as reo in waves or cloud in lightwinds I am told). That is what I am super stoked on lately, I should be getting paid by them to evangelize this kite

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Re: Cloud vs Reo.

Postby pikovsg » Tue Oct 09, 2018 7:29 am

I'm totally opposite I guess. Been flying Clouds for two years and stopped using all other kites. Tried the Ultra and really didn't like it. Slow and barge-like compared to Clouds. Ultras are not a wave kite, they just don't drift well enough. Once you get REALLY used to the timing of the Clouds (or really any other wave-specific kite - REO, Enduro, Cabo, etc) it's fantastic for foiling anywhere and surfboards in waves. That said, Clouds and twintips do not go well together. Clouds are also not great for surfboards in flat water. But in waves, they're pure nirvana, still nothing even remotely like it out there.

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Re: Cloud vs Reo.

Postby tripman » Tue Oct 09, 2018 9:58 am

I had Reo 2014 edition in 9m and 7m when they hit the market. Most over hyped kites I've owned... Finally decided to sell them 8 months later after having ruined several wave kiting sessions. Smooth power, decently fast turning but relaunch was a pain in the waves and drift was catastrophic especially on the 7m. Note that before the Reo, I was on Wainman kites 7m and 9m during 3-4 years with 2 generations. Was not amazed by the 9m by the 7m was a fantastic kite, way better than REO in every bit. In late 2014, I switched for Clouds which I liked a lot from the first session. C1 in 5m, 6M, and 8m. Best wave kites I had so far (only surfkiting then). And great when I started HF in mid 2015. Then I had a C2 12m which was even better with more compact bridles and no pulley. And then, C5 in 3.5, 5.5, 8.5 and lately a 2nd hand C2 12M. I sometimes give a try to other strut wave kite. None of them comes any close to Clouds. They're all feel slow and heavy. Not fun at all. Concerning Clouds in higher winds (I'm not talking about other strutless, never tried them), they're so much fun. A wave session with 25kts and my 5.5 is so great. I can use it from 20 up to 35, but then I switch for the 3.5 which has no limit.
Another point I usually read is about crashing a Cloud in the waves. Well, I feel way more confortable than with strut kites... The Cloud will get pounded, rolled over and then you launch it again quickly between 2 waves. And as the structure is soft, it does not offer as much resistance to water and is less likely to get damaged (based on my own experience).
Guys above in that discussion (and as a general rule...), please stop giving opinion on gear you've never tried You might be tempted to give an opinion as reading too many posts on this forum, you think you know the gear from reputation... This is what lead me to buy REO years ago before realizing this kite was just an average freeride kite with too much hype around it.


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