Ocean Rodeo Rise LW 15m 2011
Reviews / Kites
36,805
At A Glance
The 15m Rise from Ocean Rodeo is a light wind version of their very popular Rise Freeride kite. This time though they have slimmed down on the weight, using just 4 struts rather than the usual 6. The kite also has a deeper profile and a narrower arc to enable it to remain stable and powerful in light winds. It features the Venturi vented kite technology, in layman’s terms this allows the kite to exhaust air and reduces drag and improves airflow. The kite features One Pump as standard and there are plenty of Kevlar wear patches to protect it when it is on the beach. It is interesting to note these patches are very expensive and we are seeing less of them on some brands. Reasuring to know this kite is still well protected! The bridle is fairly simple and the kite flies on the 4 line freeride bar. This features O’Shit handles, below the bar depower and a movable stopper ball so you can adjust your depower throw to completely kill all the power in the kite should you wish.
In the Air
On first impressions we found that the Rise LW likes to be flown on the front lines, certainly more than some kites out there. The kite comes with adjustment points on the pigtails and we would suggest setting it up to fly on the longest setting on the rear pigtail in the kite. In the air the Rise LW is very solid and stable, the turning speed, for a 15m kite, is very impressive and this shouldn’t be thought of as just a light wind cruising machine. It is quick enough to be thrown around the wind window and can actually deliver some decent jumps and loops when the wind gets up. The bar pressure is solid and it gives you a decent amount of feedback to ensure you know where the kite is at all times. When the wind gets up the range is excellent and while you shouldn’t be putting this kite up when it’s windy, if conditions change while you are on the water it is reassuring to know you won’t get flogged when trying to get back in to change down.
For
Solid construction, excellent in light airs, fun to fly with good feel at the bar. Great wind range and good turning speed make it a real option for the larger rider, or guys who want a light wind kite with some range.
Against
Likes to be flown off the front lines, this can take a few minutes to get used to. It’s not a problem but it could catch the less experienced rider out.
Overall
An excellent light wind machine from Ocean Rodeo, it isn’t as extreme as some of the light wind beasts out there, but it has a much more user-friendly wind range and is great fun to fly around the window. Responsive and fast, two words that don’t normally go with the phrase “big kite”.
This review was in Issue 27 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit Ocean RodeoRelated
By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!
