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OCEAN RODEO THE "1" 12M INTRO I decided to take up kitesurfing after seeing it done at West Sands,St Andrews and being blown away by the tricks they were pulling off. I've only been kiting for 6 months now.........My name is Dawson Michie.......and I am addicted to kites!!!! After lengthy research into kitesurfing,I decided I was looking for a cross between safety and performance and the new "bow" style kites seemed to fit the bill. I went for the Ocean Rodeo out of all the choices of "bow" out there as their kites are renowned for being bombproof........nothing to do with the fact it's also one of the cheapest "bows" out there.......honest!!!! So there you have it, my reasons for choosing the Ocean Rodeo The "1". Perfomance,safety,durability,price.....the "1" scores highly on all these points, you just choose your size according to your weight and typical wind conditions. "One kite,all conditions" is the claim.......can it deliver? THE KITE I managed to pick this kite up for £670 complete from Airbossworld. First thoughts on setting up for the first time were pretty much amazement at the scale of the thing( the biggest kite I'd flown previously was my 4.9 BladeIII). My first issue soon arose however....the instructions are next to useless. I was actually sent the booklet for the Bronco which is a standard C shape and nothing like setting up the "bow" which resulted in me attaching the power lines to the bar and the brake lines to my harness.....which I now know could have been very nasty!! But a quick visit to their website and the instruction manuals are there for the bar and the kite. Please download both of these before setting up. THE BAR The bar supplied is the Ocean Rodeo "Punch up" bar and to the complete newbie is like nothing you've ever seen before. But it's all pretty intuitive stuff and before you know it you'll be hooking into your chicken loop using your donkey dick,trimming the power line using your cam-cleat and riding "hard against the stopper" Again I've had a couple of issues with this. During one very frustrating session the trim line slipped through the cam-cleat,ripping the bar out of my hands and gashing the foam covering on the bar. There are two solutions to this.1-Ocean Rodeo have taken steps to resolve this so if you've purchased a newer kite,there should be a stopper ball that will stop this happening. 2- If there's no stopper ball, before flying, unravel the existing overhand knot and replace it with a figure of eight knot. And secondly, if you buy this kite,do not keep the stopper screwed into the same place.....I've found that this has started to go through my rigging line and I now can't move the stopper down to the furthest seeting from the kite. THE BAG Once you actually work out how to open the bloody thing it's a pretty standard affair by LEI accounts(apart from the fact there are bloody zips everywhere!!!!). Good size, with expander pouches should you wish to leave your struts inflated. Side straps to attach your bar and pump and........eh,that's about it and finally you're supplied with a double action steel shafted pump.......does exactly as it says on the tin!!!!! SETTING UP Once you manage to get a hold of the proper instructions this is a doddle....still very time consuming.....but a doddle nonetheless. you have a choice of knots to attach your power lines and your brake lines to. choose the longest power lines/shortest brake lines for maximum power and shortest power lines/longest brake lines for minimum power. To give you an idea of the depower available to you just in the initial set up without even touching the cam-cleat....I had this kite out in 25mph winds and thought I'd better put it on the minimum setting as I'm still a beginner. now bear in mind I was having a hard time with a friends 3m Radsail......I ended up vastly underpowered for the afternoon and had my worst ever session This amount of depower was what was crucial to me choosing the "bow" style in the first place. Okay, it may take me a few months,a year even,to know what settings to use in what winds automatically....but it's good to know that I have almost complete control over the power generated by this potential monster LAUNCHING "You can't lauch an LEI on your own", "certainly not down the centre of the wind window" HA!!!!set the kite down on its back,leading edge pointing downwind,sand down the trailing edge,pump it up,attach your lines. Now trim the power lines right in using the cam-cleat and pull on the front lines.....WATCH OUT KSURFER COMI....................EH??? You will not even have to walk forward......it's unbelievable!!!!! If you have no friends whatsoever,this is the kite for you!!!!!!again, I launched this solo on 25mph winds day and just stood there as it reached the zenith PERFORMANCE Let's get the downside of the "1"s performance out of the way shall we? You WILL need a clean wind.No bones about it. Sitting at the zenith the "1" will luff at almost the slightest switch off of the wind. I imagine this is because of the flatter profile and it sometimes can be rescued....but when it's gone.......it's gone......which can mean big trouble on a crowded beach as I nearly found out to my cost. Thankfully I hit noone but it was close enough to teach me a very valuable lesson. And,as if by magic,this brings me onto the next part of performance......... Relaunching...........Awesome!!! as long as you have enough wind, just pull on a back line,flip the kite,let out the bar and the kite will start to climb.....I don't kmow what all the fuss over relaunching is all about......it's easy!!!!!!!! Once the kite is in the air it is an absolute joy to fly.Power does not come on until about halfway up the side of the wind window which means the kite has to be flown higher than the classic C shaped LEI but this is no problem at all. The "1" will generate power by picking your spot in the wind window and sitting it there a la fixed bridle stylee.....wind picks up and you're starting to feel overpowered??? just let that bar out and you can breathe easy again. It really is like an accellerator, pull it in....go faster,let it out......go slower. wind still getting a bit too high??? that's what the cam-cleat's there for The amount of depower available to you is, quite frankly, astounding!!! I had the"1" out in 15mph winds and was surfing really nicely on the maximum power setting. The wind picked up to about 23mph and all I had to do was trim the cam-cleat and performance wise, it felt like the wind hadn't picked up at all ON DRY LAND I have used the "1" for landboarding and it left me smiling for days. Again I would urge you to use it with a nice steady onshore wind. Get this right and you're laughing. Same rules apply a la Ksurfing but I'm confident enough to try jumps on land and Oh Boy! does the "1" deliver!!!!!! very long,fairly high but VERY floaty jumps will be yours in only 10-15mph winds.....you will be grinning from ear to ear!!!!!!! I even learned how to switch stance after my first attempt and I really felt like king of the Board!!!! And the thing that you will never forget???? If you get in any trouble whatsoever.......just push the bar out!!!! power gone!!!! On the one occasion where the kite got caught round the wrong way and the depower bar wasn't working I just pulled the chicken loop safety and all power was gone......It really is that safe!!!!!!!! SUMMARY again I'll start off with the bad points. I've had a couple of issues with this kite. I had a bladder valve that let out air before I could get the stopper valve back on. The two bar issues and the aftersales results have always been the same.......promises,promises,promises!!!! I was promised new bladders by Airbossworld which I've still to receive......Just as well I was able to work out the problem on my own then!! With the bar/trim line problem I contacted Ocean Rodeo direct(at their request when you validate your warranty) and I was put in touch with the UKs "leading" Ocean Rodeo distributer, Twist and Turn Sports in Edinburgh with the promise of a new bar without the rigging.....cue a phone call in which I was told he "didn't want to be left short of a bar" and "would a tube of Aquasure glue not fix the problem?" Despite these difficulties(I really am the worlds unluckiest person)I would definitely recommend the "1" to any level of kiter. It has all the attributes that make a great kite. Safety,performance,build quality and price Enjoy your Ocean Rodeo The "1" Dawson By : DawsonCreaks

Ohhhh these bow kites are nice! That wont really do as a review will it? OK.....some video Link to video Right.....that was the first day on the kite!! This is Ocean Rodeos flat/Bow/SLE kite. The one I went for was 12m.... this will be having a 16m to join it on the shelf soon. I had been waiting a few weeks for the kite to arrive.... the hype over Bows has been immense so i was all excited at the thought of having my own inflatable super kite! City link dropped it of and a quick attack with a packing knife and the slick kitebag was revealed....wait for the kitey stuff.... people like bags! The bag is usable as a rucksack OR a shoulder bag, all the bits zip into a pouch and are super easy to change. The bar comes in it's own mesh drawstring bag to keep everything neat, and sits in a seperate pocket in the side of the bag. I got the kite out and laid it on the lawn..... it is built like all the other Ocean Rodeo kit, super heavy duty! There are scuff pads on the leading edge, the Leading edge tube is built of a very thick ripstop and all of the bridle poitns are double thickness with triple stitching...they mean these kites to last! All the moving bridle is easy to remove for replacement....this WILL need doing BTW... I am investing in spares....Just in case. Colours...very good...I got the red, strong prints, not to garish and they look tops in the sky. OK.... enough about what it looks like....lets fly the thing! Setting it up. EASY.... the lines are colour coded and of a good quality, The bar looks just like any other....with a long depower rope...OK....it has a few anomolies, have a look. http://www.oceanrodeo.com/punchupbar.html The best bit for me is the trim adjuster on the chicken loop, this is a revelation after reaching up to grab a strap too far away and then not always knowing which bit to pull! The adjuster is always in the same place and always easy to fiddle with. it even has a velcro tab to stop it flapping about. So... you have the lines on the bar, time to hook them onto the kite. The bridle has multiple attachment points, use three up on the power lines and numer one on the brakes. The bridles come out without tangles everytime due to velcro clips on the leading edge, just undo them and it's obvious what to do. Launching.... there are several ways of doing this, the easiest is the "traditional" method, get your kite mate to hold it, make sure the safety is undone, just in case of a BIG gust and away you go! Launch with the bar all the way out, you will be astonished at the lack of pull....you will hardly even need to step forwards! Flying.... Once you are in the air this kite is amazing! Now, a "normal" LEI will give you SOME depower, enough to not die on the walk down the beach into the water...The ONE lets you walk about like there is no kite on the other end of the lines! Trimming is very important with these kites.... set the trim so it just wont stall when on fullpower and you have found the Max power for the wind conditions on the day. Static flying will make you giggle lots..... send the kite up with the bar out, when it's at the top of the stroke pull the bar in.... now look down and be astounded how high you are! This kite lifts you FAST and hard.... Once you are up BEWARE do not let the bar all the way out! you will fall to the floor as if there is no kite above you! I jarred my ankles a few imes to start with, you will soon learn how far is "enough". Once you have this dialled in your jumps will be huge and floaty. Landboarding.... as you saw in the video.... some great landboarding can be had 8-10mph onwards...... you can trundle about once it will fly, but that is NO fun. SO easy to get moving, send the kite down and pull the bar in. If you are getting too hot, relax, let the bar out and you will stop! Jumps come quickly and high if you want them!! Kitesurfin g... THIS is awesome! Lie back, send the kite hard and pull the bar in, you will be up quickly and easily, set the bar to the required power and ride away! Jump? Hell yeah! Send the kite..... wait....wait.... Pull the bar in! Up, up and AWAAAAAY! BEWARE.... if you push the bar all of the way out you will come off the plane and sink! Great for the nervous rider (such as me!) So is it ALL roses Adam? Well.... no..it isn't. Lets discuss ...inversion! Does the ONE invert? Yes it does, deploy the safety in too light wind and it WILL invert....when it does DONT PANIC. Grab the "oh gosh" handle and front line safety, flag the kite out and it reverts, let go and relaunch..easy So... it all sounds good eh? Well yes.... it is actually.... topped off with... the pricing! It's either the cheapest or the second cheapest BUT it is probably the highest build quality out there. So... get a demo of the ONE before buying any of the others out there.... this one will still be flying after some of the others are being turned into bags! By : adamski

I bought this kite as an all round kitesurf kite about a year ago. I have since done a lot of flying with it. This was a second hand kite I purchased for around £200 at the time and have been using it so as to give me a feel for the larger kitesand allow for better control on the water. The inflation is one part along the Leading edge and 5 struts for support, this makes setup a little slower than some of the newer all at once LEI kites however in my eyes it is a much safer kite especially when on the water. The fabric is very high quality and is very tear resistant as I found out on the first tryouts with it. I have enjoyed using this kite both in and out the water and found its relaunchability to be very simple in comparison with other similar kites. I also enjoy the lift I get out of this kite, if you are looking at this kite please be aware that the amount of lift this kite can produce is phenomenal as it has allowed me to jump over people with quite a degree of ease. The kite is very easily controlled with a bar and is of course depowerable and can be massively depowered in gust conditions. However when flying fully depowered the turning of the kite is somewhat hampered causing the kite to overfly and drop quite easily if the flyer has no experience of this. I found the experience of the LEI to be great as the power isn't too hard (similar to a 5m foil) to handle but the lift far outweighs the power size of the kite. I have found the power, lift, value for money and jumping ability of this kite to be amazing. I It has seen many crashes and would serve a beginner very well I weigh 60kg and feel it has given me more than the £200 price tag in adrenaline rush alone. I would highly recommend this kite to anyone who is already competent with a kite and is used to larger kites. I hope this helps, Andylyon87 By : Andylyon87

OK.... you kitesurfers.....how much fun is it standing in a carpark with the wind whipping past your rapidly shrivelling "bits"? Not very is it? How many sessions have you bailed due to it being cold and you not wanting that cold flush when you faceplant in - degree c temps? Has it ever taken you all of the journey home, the evening and some of the next day to warm up? Do you know what Hypothermia feels like? You may be in need of a nice new drysuit then!! Sam (my boy) and myself got them this week..... it was 3degrees with 13-15mph winds.....from a Northerly direction.....Not the warmest direction! We got to the beach and the landboarders were all hiding in tents complaining of the cold..... we were worried!! To practical issues..... I got a pyro Pro..... this is the top of the range suit..... it has a front Zipper allowing self entry and exit without dislocating a shoulder.... this is important to me as I have few friends and often forget to bother taking them to the beach.... that and I travel away from home lots and get the odd cheeky session "between appointments". The Pro also has breathable panels, cutting down the cold sweat running down your neck. The Pyros are NOT made in a chinese sweatshop..they are handbuilt in Canada....this IS reflected in the price AND the quality of construction. All of the seams are well taped, the stiching is even and flat, the fabric feels very heavey duty.... very "built to last". Colour choice....NOPE... you get blue and black, good combo and not very geeky. The seals at neck wrists and ankles are a Latex/PU mix, very flexible and they are supposed to be very hard wearing... time will tell.... they do seem good though AND if damage should be done it shouldn't be the end of the world to repair/replace them. Back to the beach.... We stood there with our suits on getting our kites ready..... wondering at our sanity!! I first noticed that I wasn't cold when someone questioned our sanity at climbing into icey cold water..... I was stood there, not shivering, feeling good! Kite launched, walking down to the water with a board and a worried expression....no need! I did the..... set your face and walk resolutely into the water without crying..... my bodyglove boots did the job.... feet stayed warm! A bit further and AMAZINGLY I wasn't getting cold. Right... onto the criminally inept boarding,,,, I am great for testing these.... I hit the water HARD and at varying speeds and angles....NO LEAKS! When you get one of these... BEWARE don't have too much underneath... I nearly passed out after half an hour with the kite and several horrible splash and drag moments...... I stopped.... got out and removed some clothing..... this is amazing in the temps we had! Seriously... if you want to kitesurf ALL year in the UK in comfort get yourself one of these babies..... grit your teeth, get your wallet out and smile, you will never be cold again!! By : adamski