KevinRoulson Posted March 18, 2006 Report Posted March 18, 2006 Hi all, have a slight gap in my quiver between 3m blade2 and 4.9m blade3, and was going to go for a 4m blade, but stumbled across the oxigen threads posted before. Have flown a 2.5? i think, and quality/performance was good. So.. will a 4m oxigen be roughly same performance as a 4m blade, or will it exceed it? many thanks for your thoughts cheers Kev Quote
jeffrington Posted March 18, 2006 Report Posted March 18, 2006 Depends what you want to do, you will go faster with an oxigen than you would with a blade. The blade has more lift as you obviously already know. I personally would pick an oxigen over a blade every time. just my opinion. I think Zippysurf was selling a 4m. on here the other day. Quote
KevinRoulson Posted March 18, 2006 Author Report Posted March 18, 2006 Hi, thanks for reply. I just like cruising (no jumping) and as my bravery level is set to minimum, and as i felt a bit overpowered with my 4.9, I thought, hmm, would like a 4m. Yeah, blades are lifty, but nr 16stone and 6ft3 helps to ride it out a bit! any more thoughts out there? many thanks Kev Quote
daZZa-S Posted March 18, 2006 Report Posted March 18, 2006 I used to have a 4 meter blade and a 3.2 oxigen. The day came when I got rid of my blade when it was being a right bitch in turbalant winds. The blade kept luffing and powering up slap bang in the middle of the window. I packed the blade away (with quite a bit of force and swearing) and decided that I would put up my Oxigen. The kite saved the day. It didn't luff once and I was getting traction easier and getting upwind alot faster. That day I decided to sell my blade as I swore I would never fly the ******* thing again. I will never look back and I would never own a blade again I also got rid of my blade 8.5 in favour for a 7.8 oxigen Quote
Mouthwash Posted March 18, 2006 Report Posted March 18, 2006 I have owned a 4m Oxigen Pro and a 4m Blade 2, I have static flown the Oxigen back to back with a 4m Blade 3. I was flying my Oxigen and getting some good scuds and some nice jumps, wind was about 15ish I guess. A guy with a Blade3 4m was also flying on the beach and not really doing very well with his jumps. We got talking and I said I'd show him how. I got his Blade and tried to jump but there was nothing there. It was set up Ok, brakes weren't too tight. I have had a 4.9 B2 & B3 and that extra .9 makes a helluva difference!! In the buggy the 4m Oxigen is just super sweet. Hope that helps..... Quote
KevinRoulson Posted March 18, 2006 Author Report Posted March 18, 2006 Hi, thanks for the replys It looks like the oxigen outperforms a blade of the same size. I used to have a 2m Airea Bronto, a good puller, but very twitchy and wouldn't go upwind, but just about the best quality I have ever seen, and looks like they've kept the same qualities at U-turn. some food for thought here cheers Kev:) Quote
maxlevens Posted March 18, 2006 Report Posted March 18, 2006 never tried a blade tbh, but have owned a 4m oxipro. Was really really awesome, and a good size for that kite type. Quote
aquatix Posted March 19, 2006 Report Posted March 19, 2006 Tried a Blade 6.6 (think it was Mk2) back to back with my 5.0 Oxigen (standard) in 15mph winds. Oxigen has to be kept moving untl you pick up speed but it outperformed the Blade hands down. Blade handled like a dog a first but even after lots of tweaking it could barely keep up with the Oxigen - and it was more than 1 size bigger! Not sure about U-Turns recommended wind range though - it reckons a 4.0 can be used up to Bft 7 - 7.5 for a 90kg pilot. I weigh over 110 kgs and feel overpowered with my 3.2 above Bft 6 (approx 25-30 mph). Hardly use anything but the 3.2 and 5.0 now as they cover most of the usable wind range and handle gusts really well. The launch characteristics are brilliant as you have to coax them off the ground (so no face plants! ) and once moving the power comes on really smoothly and just seems to keep building I'm also a bit of a wimp (self-employed, with 2 previous shoulder injuries to worry about) so I reckon it will be a long while before I exceed the full potential of these kites and start looking for something more "racy" . Hope this helps (and it looks like 100% positive for the Oxigens so far !) Quote
KevinRoulson Posted March 19, 2006 Author Report Posted March 19, 2006 Hi all, thanks for the replys. U-Turn getting some good feedback here, but if they outperform blades of same size, then a 4m probably wouldn't fit in with what I have already. Hmmm cheers Kev Quote
jeffrington Posted March 19, 2006 Report Posted March 19, 2006 You have four blades at the moment, you obviously like them so why not stick a 4m in there and stick with the same kites? Or sell the lot and buy a gaggle of oxigens Quote
KevinRoulson Posted March 19, 2006 Author Report Posted March 19, 2006 Yeah, you are probably right. Blades can be unpredictable at the best of times, and will bite you hard if you're not carefull, yet, for some reason, I think there great. A bit like when you've had a good session, and haven't injured yourself, sense of relief and achievement! Its just that the oxigen seems like extraordinary value and worth looking into. thanks for the response. cheers Quote
mick Posted March 19, 2006 Report Posted March 19, 2006 Sadly I would have to agree with one or two posts. The 4 mtr Oxygen will outperform a 4mtre Bade and I reckon a 4.9 Blade for speed. Having been alongside a newbie buggyist with a 4 mtre Oxygen and watch him pull away from my 4.9 Blade III convinced me. Quote
Jonny3.3blade Posted March 19, 2006 Report Posted March 19, 2006 These oxigens sound something special if they will out perform a blade im thinking of possibly changing my kit how stable are the oxigens inland in gusty winds ? basically im looking for a kite to ever replace my ageing mk1 blades my 4.9 and 3.3 which are great kites i guess i will replace the 4.9 with another blade as its me mainstay but im really looking for a new 3m kite. but need a kite that will fly in gusty turbulent inland winds? Jonny Quote
Jonny3.3blade Posted March 19, 2006 Report Posted March 19, 2006 These oxigens sound something special if they will out perform a blade im thinking of possibly changing my kit how stable are the oxigens inland in gusty winds ? basically im looking for a kite to ever replace my ageing mk1 blades my 4.9 and 3.3 which are great kites i guess i will replace the 4.9 with another blade as its me mainstay but im really looking for a new 3m kite. but need a kite that will fly in gusty turbulent inland winds? Jonny Quote
Mouthwash Posted March 19, 2006 Report Posted March 19, 2006 These oxigens sound something special if they will out perform a blade im thinking of possibly changing my kit how stable are the oxigens inland in gusty winds ? basically im looking for a kite to ever replace my ageing mk1 blades my 4.9 and 3.3 which are great kites i guess i will replace the 4.9 with another blade as its me mainstay but im really looking for a new 3m kite. but need a kite that will fly in gusty turbulent inland winds? JonnyThe Oxigen is a medium AR kite (hence it's speed) and requires to be flown 'actively' to get the best out of it. Having said that you can set the brake tension reasonably tight to start out with and let it off as you learn the kite. 'Flying actively' means holding the kite by applying the brakes yourself instead of setting them tight. This will allow you to power up the kite by slightly applying the brakes on a reach but let the kite fly forward going up wind by letting them off. To start out set the brakes so there is a marked crease in the trailing edge, this will give you a very stable kite and still produce smooth power second only to a race kite. As you get used to it let the preset brake line tension out a bit and you'll suddenly find the overall performance increase, especially upwind. I owned a full set of them (Pro's) before I got into racing but I still kept the 2m for nuclear winds and just having fun on the beach..... If you want any further details please pm me and we can have a chat... Chris Quote
aquatix Posted March 19, 2006 Report Posted March 19, 2006 The 3.2 Oxigen is probably the sweetest in the range. It handles gusts really well, with a smooth surge forward when buggying or moves up towards the zenith. Doesn't luff up or twist when wind drops - a quick tug on the handles keeps it moving or at worst it sinks towards the gound and lands on it's trailing edge. No sudden "pops" of power the way some kites re-inflate suddenly - it's predictable and ideal for buggying as a slight change in direction towards or away from the kite as required is all thats necessary. Definitely try one before you buy anything else. Everyone has different opinions so there will never be an agreement on the "best" kite available, but I've never seen a bad Oxigen review - even from people who have eventually moved on to race kites! Quote
mick Posted March 19, 2006 Report Posted March 19, 2006 Jonny, you know how I'm about the Blades but I've gotta say they do work very well. They pick up speed very quickly and get the best from the available wind. They seem to be very stable inland, certainly as usable as the Blades. From what I've seen the 4 would hold its own against a 4.9 Blade in a race but a Blade is a Blade. Would I swap my 4.9 for one. No I don't think so but if one came up right money, I'd grab it, no questions. I flew my 6.6 against a 6 and something Oxygen and I feel the Blade had the edge in the conditions that day. Another day, different winds, who knows? Frank who you've met, has a Predator 3.4 which I would say is as competitive, and is far superior to my Buster 4 mtre but the thread was Oxy v Blade so who cares:D Quote
aquatix Posted March 19, 2006 Report Posted March 19, 2006 Good advice from Chris B. Probably worth noting that the "pro" version is probably unnecessary in the smaller sizes, as the weight reduction won't make much difference. They can also be rigged as a de-powerable, and begginers can fly with the "dirt-out" vents opened on the tips to slightly reduce power and prevent damage from crashing. Good article here: http://www.u-turn.de/2004/downloads/testbericht_en_oxigen.pdf Quote
moleyroo Posted March 19, 2006 Report Posted March 19, 2006 If anyone is interested in a 5m Oxygen I have one for sale. It's just over a year old but only been flown for about 3hours total. It's still crispy like new. I'm selling it ready to fly with 30m lines and Ozone Pro handles(long) complete with the original harness strop and kite killers. Selling it to fund my addiction for de-power! PM if interested! Quote
KevinRoulson Posted March 19, 2006 Author Report Posted March 19, 2006 Wow, thanks for the info. Good that reviews are, actual experience is invaluable. Many thanks for your replys, have a lot to think about now cheers Kev Quote
Jonny3.3blade Posted March 20, 2006 Report Posted March 20, 2006 Jonny, you know how I'm about the Blades but I've gotta say they do work very well. They pick up speed very quickly and get the best from the available wind. They seem to be very stable inland, certainly as usable as the Blades. From what I've seen the 4 would hold its own against a 4.9 Blade in a race but a Blade is a Blade. Would I swap my 4.9 for one. No I don't think so but if one came up right money, I'd grab it, no questions. I flew my 6.6 against a 6 and something Oxygen and I feel the Blade had the edge in the conditions that day. Another day, different winds, who knows? Frank who you've met, has a Predator 3.4 which I would say is as competitive, and is far superior to my Buster 4 mtre but the thread was Oxy v Blade so who cares:D Thanks all for opinons and advice! mick u are right a blade is blade and i love them i just need to replace my ageing 1s as mine are oldskool mk1s! but need a more stable 3m so i think the oxygen could be a option to think about and try out! Jonny Quote
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