Review Ocean Rodeo Flite Gen4 2016

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Riding type: Freeride/Allround
Year: 2016
Brand: Ocean Rodeo
Size: 08m, 10m, 12m, 14.5m, 17m
Type: SLE
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Rider Profile

Light wind, Hydrofoiling or big air riders

Designers goals (manufacturer text)

FLITE High Performance, Light Wind Kite

Over the years the Flite has achieved elite status in the world of light wind kiteboarding. Along the way it has helped redefine the entire genre into a new, more robust and exciting discipline challenging conventional ideas of what light wind sessions offer.
Glassy waters beckon, smooth wave faces cry out to be carved. The Flite delivers on these promises with a tight, snappy kite that defies conventional wisdom that high performance and light wind are mutually exclusive.

At the heart of this new revolution is a unique combination of Ocean Rodeo's near 2 decades of kite design experience and an ever evolving focus on weight reduction and redistribution. This year we tore each size apart in an effort to surgically remove as much weight as possible without affecting our industry leading reputation for design quality and durability. The result is a uniquely tuned kite for each size. A kite designed to perform when others hope to simply stay aloft. Larger sizes loop easily and maintain forward flight through the lightest of lulls. The smaller sizes deliver fantastic x-over freeride performance with tight, snappy loops and big lofty jumps.

The Flite will get you off the beach sooner than any other kite. Put down the Frisbee my friend, the water is calling you.

Control bar

Details:

Riding type: Freeride/Allround
Year: 2016
Brand: Ocean Rodeo
Size: 08m, 10m, 12m, 14.5m, 17m
Type: SLE
One pump: Yes
Bridles: Yes
Number of struts: Depends on size
Colours: Various
Line length: 22m
Bar length: 52cm
Bar: 4 lines
Depower: Clamcleat
Safety: Push
Swivel: Yes
Variable bar length: No
Oh shit handles: No

There are 1 reviews on this product:

Ocean Rodeo Flite Gen4 2016 12m
Name:
Smith 
Weight:
178 
Riding style:
allround, wave, big-air  
Years of experience:
Personal page:
Water conditions:
flat, chop, small-waves  
Tested Wind Conditions:
From 10 knots up to 20
Number of test sessions:
Kite size:
12m 
Most remarkable characteristics:
up wind
 
HardEasy
slack line steering
 
SlowQuick
kite stability
 
UnstableStable
high end
 
Small rangeLarge range
kite feedback
 
MinimalGreat
boost
 
SoftStrong
drift
 
HardSoft
lift
 
GradualExplosive
kitefinder.com - 08.06.2017 at 20:28 hour
Comments:

The low end is astounding, and the high end excellent!- widest comfortable windrange of any kite Ive been on, and Ive owned Rally, Kahoona, Solo, so thats saying something. Flite is not oversized, its just super agile, so you can dance it around the power zone to get going in really light wind. The depower at the high end seems endless and you can also very easily edge it forward in the window as well.
This kite reacts very fast to input. It hangs at zenith forever without input, while I mess with foilboard etc, then reacts super fast to bar input. For a 12 this kite turns, and loops very fast if you ask it to, however I do not find it twitchy, just the opposite, stays where you put it until you direct it.
I can ride upwind no problem with this 12m Flite and an all-purpose 142 size twin tip in 10 knots! Same board and still totally comfortable at 20 gusting to 25kt. So yeah, huge windrange. Boosts big with long hang time. Drift is also very adequate considering this is such a forward flying kite.
I would say the focus on lightweight construction makes a big difference in overall performance, and the design of this kite seems spot on for my wants- windrange, upwind performance even in light wind, big boosting, enough drift and plenty of agility for wave riding.
I dont crash much anymore so a kite with tons of heavy reinforcements seems silly, especially after flying this. 
11 kudos - +

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