Nathan Ducker & Darren Marshall Review
The protos were awesome. We think experienced wave kiters will agree that the design team have got this one just right. From our perspective they clearly outperform every reputable wave kite on the market. For us, the Reo ticked all the boxes and then a few more that we didn’t think possible to tick.
The kites:
- Can be ridden comfortably hooked or unhooked without needing to adjust de-power settings
- Can be efficiently cranked to power through turns or parked to surf the power from the wave
- Drift down the line handling fast sections, staying high in the air
- Have light bar pressure with options to increase or decrease
- Have direct steering that is smooth and precise with enough pressure to prevent accidental input on a wave or if getting worked
- Have low end grunt and an excellent wind range
- Can instantly dump all power for snappy top turns even in cross/offshore conditions
- When sheeting in, provide a smooth, progressive and direct increase in power (combined with instant depower makes them ideal for riding unstrapped)
- Smooth out the gusts and hold solid in the air
- Relaunch easily and quickly
- Have one pump, high flow valves and sturdy construction
- Have a clean four-line setup without pulleys
- Are of the highest quality materials and workmanship
- Look great
We had perfect conditions for testing yet struggled to come up with constructive feedback to improve these kites. The best we could come up with (and we tried very hard) related to a fine adjustment of the de-power setting for optimum performance which is a very minor adjustment that Rob would always make toward the end of the development stage anyway.
The Reo will work well for all styles of wave riding. They were designed based on suggestions from team riders and other experienced wave riders (including comments made via online discussion threads to get a broader perspective). Between the few in our test team we had most wave riding styles covered and all of us are extremely ‘particular’ in our kite selection. It was very interesting to see everyone in our test team come in with equally big smiles having ridden the Reo.
On a wave, they easily outperform every other kite ever tested by our team – which includes most reputable wave kites available in Australia. Basically the Reo seems so suited to riding waves that it feels like it’s part of you. On a wave, it is so balanced, smooth and responsive that you find yourself concentrating more on riding the wave than ever before, significantly improving the experience. This kite will likely develop its own reputation as a wave specific kite suitable for all conditions and styles of wave riding. Apparently everyone who tries them wants to own them and we’re sure most dedicated wave kiters who get a chance to demo the new Reo will agree.
Nathan Ducker
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