Flysurfer Soul vs Ozone Hyperlink V1 - Video Comparison

[slowboat]

There is some confusion about whether people are discussing the kite or the bar. It has been the experience of several people I know who have attached a bar with 4 equal lines to a brand new Soul and found the "back lines" to be too long. I suspect this was also what reviewer experienced.

This is purposely done from flysurfer to help compensate for shrinking steering lines. This is why it takes roughly 5 hours to break in a new kite and bar.

Thanks for this response but when you say “break in a new kite and bar”, it furthers my point. Are we talking about the bar or the kite? Are you saying FS assumes one will use a new bar with a new Soul and therefore built in this discrepancy with the expectation that the new front lines will stretch with use? What if one used a used bar that was properly tuned after the line stretch period? Or will the bridle “stretch” after some use so just live with the outside lines being too long for the first 5 hours?

[mgs]

Hello @slowboat – The discussion is with reference to the bar (Back lines)
The reviewer had to add an extra knot on the leader lines “under the floaters” in order to take up the slack on the back lines.
The pre-formed knots couldn’t be used as the back lines were longer than expected.

It’s not unreasonable to expect the front and back lines on a new bar to be the length required so that the knots provided on the bar can be used as part of the initial setup process.
Being able to fly a kite “out of the bag” without having to go beyond the “normal” setting up procedure (As in adding extra knots), is the point being made.
The reviewer (Okkiteboarder) is simply reporting what he finds.

[Adventure Logs]

There is some confusion about whether people are discussing the kite or the bar. It has been the experience of several people I know who have attached a bar with 4 equal lines to a brand new Soul and found the "back lines" to be too long. I suspect this was also what reviewer experienced.

This is purposely done from flysurfer to help compensate for shrinking steering lines. This is why it takes roughly 5 hours to break in a new kite and bar.

Thanks for this response but when you say “break in a new kite and bar”, it furthers my point. Are we talking about the bar or the kite? Are you saying FS assumes one will use a new bar with a new Soul and therefore built in this discrepancy with the expectation that the new front lines will stretch with use? What if one used a used bar that was properly tuned after the line stretch period? Or will the bridle “stretch” after some use so just live with the outside lines being too long for the first 5 hours?

Flysurfer's kite and bar's both have a short break in period. On a kite, the bridal takes a couple hours to stretch and set in. On their bars, they purposely add a little extra length to compensate for the initial shrinking of the steering lines. You can fly the kite and bar out of the bag so to speak but you won't get top performance until after about 5 hours.

[grigorib]

Hmmm...so the guy who made the video is wrong and the forum members who weren’t there and didn’t fly the kite are definitely 100% correct....

Ok kiteborder can make videos but he tends to emphasize points of lesser importance.
He sounds confident but it doesn’t make him right all the time.

Just consider people showing up on the forum add up to hundreds (if not thousands) years of cumulative experience. It’s ok questioned or corrected by them.

[fernmanus]

I wonder if this review is unbiased? Note the multiple nods to Green Hat Kiteboarding, and note that Green Hat carries Ozone, but not Flysurfer.

I guess I should wait for the second part before making a judgement, but looks fishy so far. How can you say you review is not biased when you give a recommendation to an Ozone Shop?

[deniska]

I wonder if this review is unbiased? Note the multiple nods to Green Hat Kiteboarding, and note that Green Hat carries Ozone, but not Flysurfer.

hmm... not flysurfer, you say..

https://greenhatkiteboarding.com/flysur ... -foil-kite

[fernmanus]

I was wrong. My apologies.

[FLandOBX]

I wonder if this review is unbiased? Note the multiple nods to Green Hat Kiteboarding, and note that Green Hat carries Ozone, but not Flysurfer.

I guess I should wait for the second part before making a judgement, but looks fishy so far. How can you say you review is not biased when you give a recommendation to an Ozone Shop?

I'm fairly certain that the OKk's review is unbiased. There is a recent podcast in which the OKk talks about his desire to remain unaffiliated with any brand or company so that he can produce unbiased reviews.

More to the point, I'm guessing that Episode 2 of the review will result in the Soul pulling ahead of the Hyperlink based on TT and hydrofoil performance. That seems to be what OKk is saying at the end of Episode 1. We'll have to wait to know for sure, but that's what I'm expecting.

Congratulations to the OKk for producing a video and a topic that have generated a lot of interest and input on this forum.

[Okkiteboarder]

Hmmm...so the guy who made the video is wrong and the forum members who weren’t there and didn’t fly the kite are definitely 100% correct....

Ok kiteborder can make videos but he tends to emphasize points of lesser importance.
He sounds confident but it doesn’t make him right all the time.

Just consider people showing up on the forum add up to hundreds (if not thousands) years of cumulative experience. It’s ok questioned or corrected by them.

Grirorib, you are absolutely right. I am not right all the time . In this format of comparing the Hyperlink and the Soul I have emphasized performance on a Hydrofoil and Twin Tip as increased importance. The weighted scoring system indicated that priority. My perspective comes from my current ability, as I speak often to. There has been a lot of response to the tuning issues, which many think are a minimal point. I would argue that kiters of my level, just entering the foil kite arena would see it as something more considerable. Especially if you were an inland isolated lake kiter with no other foil kiters to mentor you. Green Hat Kiteboarding has been great to collaborate with and not once have they pressured me to slant my findings/conclusions, or be biased. I obviously will work mostly with the brands that they carry, but that is a substantial pool in the industry. I’m going to miss the boat at times along the way. This is a fact. Thanks for all of the input and comments. It helps me to improve.

[grigorib]

Hmmm...so the guy who made the video is wrong and the forum members who weren’t there and didn’t fly the kite are definitely 100% correct....

Ok kiteborder can make videos but he tends to emphasize points of lesser importance.
He sounds confident but it doesn’t make him right all the time.

Just consider people showing up on the forum add up to hundreds (if not thousands) years of cumulative experience. It’s ok questioned or corrected by them.

Grirorib, you are absolutely right. I am not right all the time . In this format of comparing the Hyperlink and the Soul I have emphasized performance on a Hydrofoil and Twin Tip as increased importance. The weighted scoring system indicated that priority. My perspective comes from my current ability, as I speak often to. There has been a lot of response to the tuning issues, which many think are a minimal point. I would argue that kiters of my level, just entering the foil kite arena would see it as something more considerable. Especially if you were an inland isolated lake kiter with no other foil kiters to mentor you. Green Hat Kiteboarding has been great to collaborate with and not once have they pressured me to slant my findings/conclusions, or be biased. I obviously will work mostly with the brands that they carry, but that is a substantial pool in the industry. I’m going to miss the boat at times along the way. This is a fact. Thanks for all of the input and comments. It helps me to improve.

Yeah, bridle equalizing and mixer test are not the simplest things to do on a foil kite. There are several shops in the country which can do it at a very reasonable cost but yet again - paying 2-3x cost of LEI people expect more luxury, while in fact they trade in ease of use for more upwind angle.

I've had bunch of "a ha" moments invoked by comments from people on the forum. Only people who don't do mistakes are people who do nothing