The thing I like about the depowers in the buggy is the huge wind range and the gust handling abilities - also how much cooler does it look flying one handed with a bar...?
The Ozone Access is designed as a beginner/intermediate snow kite, with great performance, stability and safety and as a high wind/storm kite for the experienced rider - I bought it as my high wind kite, with a wind range from 15-25 knots it sits nicely below the 10m Manta.
The build quality of Ozone kites is legendary and once again I was not disappointed. The sail is immaculate with neat seams and not a thread out of place. It has top quality Ronstan Orbit Block Series 20 pulleys, four unique blow-out-valves on the under surface, these seal as the kite inflates and velcro dirt-outs at the wing tips. The sail has the typical Ozone mesh covering the vents and diagonal internal cross bracing.
The Access has a clam-cleat trimmer that sits above the bar so that you can further adjust the power even while flying and this is easy to operate one handed. This features a really nice bit of design; the clam-cleat and end of the line have magnets in them so even if you have it pulled in fully (complete depower) the length of cord attaches to the clam-cleat and doesn’t flap around (I found this out purely by accident on my third or fourth flight!).
The 2013 6m Access comes with a 45cm Ozone Contact-Snow control bar and the 5th line safety system, Ozone Megatron chicken loop and 25m lines. It all fits into the usual high quality back-pack and comes with the instruction manual, key ring, stickers and repair tape.
The set up of the Ozone Access is simple with the lines wrapped on the bar and all numbered, I set it up on the grass opposite the house and the only issue I found was when I came to my first flight I had the 5th line safety over the top of the front lines where it is supposed to sit under them (easily rectified), I should look at the manual rather than thinking I know what I am doing!
Performance – first flight the wind was gusting 11-18 knots, once the kite was unpacked and the 5th line adjusted! I started attaching the safety leash to my harness and then to the loop on the 5th line that comes through the chicken loop then attached the chicken loop to the harness, release the handbrake, step back, the kite fully inflates and launches a few light touches on the bar and it sits nicely at the zenith.
Usually I would have a go static flying just to see how the kite performs, get a feel for the power- zone and range of power and try out the safety – this time I just hopped straight into the buggy, dropped the kite into the power zone as I pulled on the bar and off I went…
Like some of the other Ozone kites I have owned, if you work the kite at the lower end of the wind range you can start to get some decent pull as the kite develops some speed. And as the wind increases the kite comes into its own with some decent pull.
track with SW winds |
the back pack |
close up on the bar |
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