Ozone Enduro V3 7m 2021
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
The Enduro has been part of the Ozone line up for a while now, it’s a three strut do it all machine that is the go-to kite in their line up for riders who don’t let a particular style of riding define them. It’s designed to be able to perform at the highest levels for wave, freestyle and freeriding. Twin tips, surfboards and hydrofoils can all be friends with the Enduro V3 and so can you.
Ozone never releases a new kite until they feel they have improved on the older version; it’s a solid philosophy that has seen the kites hold their value on the second-hand market. Even better it stops riders chasing version years and only needing to update their gear when they need to. With a just in time manufacturing model and its factory that runs off solar power, the Ozone brand is arguably one of the most ecologically conscious out there.
Known for creating lightweight no-fuss kites the brand is always striving to make a kite fly better, rather than cover it in unnecessary bumpers and reinforcements. However, for this year it is worth noting the use of some new materials. Triple Ripstop Dacron from Teijin replaces the older heavier Dacron of the past; this is combined with a new triple ripstop canopy material. The Ozone Enduro V3 is the lightest it has ever been, yet it will still stand up to seasons of abuse from the harshest of riders.
A new bridle features this year, it’s short, but the big news is the bridle adjustment points are in the middle of the leading edge. As you pump the kite up, you are reminded by the graphics and diagrams that you can choose the freestyle, wave or free ride settings. In addition to this are three settings on the trailing edge to tune the bar pressure and turning speed. The build quality is of the usual exceptional high standards that we see from the Ozone factory in Vietnam, and it’s always refreshing to see their no-nonsense construction.
Sizes: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14m
In The Air
We have had a quite a lot of sessions on the Enduro now, with a kite like this it is important to try and ride it across a broad spectrum of conditions on a range of watercraft. After all, that is exactly what you will be doing with it when you buy it! Our first session was an overpowered boosting session at a local beach that doesn’t offer the best wind; it’s always gusty and a good place to test kites and see how they handle subprime conditions.
The Enduro V3 was an absolute blast to ride. In the free ride setting with a twin tip strapped on, we went after the hang time and scored some incredible jumps. The take-off is very vertical and feels like an elevator taking you straight up. It’s easy to dial into the timings; the kite is very intuitive to fly. At the apex of the jump, the hang time is good, and the kite is easy to redirect for landings.
It’s definitely not as floaty as a kite like the Edge, but if you want big air with a rocket ship take off, then it is hard to find fault here. Kite loops can be quite progressive, but equally, you can slow them down for a fuller more powerful loop. Every time the speed of the kite through the window meant we got caught.
The kite handles the gusts well too, the depower on the bar is quite short, but a small movement on the bar results in a big change in the kites angle of attack. Its fingertip control here rather than having to bend at the waist to dump power when you need to. The next session saw some waves on the west coast, and with some strong winds, we took the Enduro out in the wave setting to see how it faired.
Overall we were massively impressed, frontside onshore conditions the kite handles exceptionally well, cross offshore there is plenty of drift and hang. It’s not a Reo killer, that is for sure, but the Enduro V3 can certainly handle its own. Perhaps the only time we felt it was a bit out of its depth was in maxed out overpowered backside riding conditions. The steering under depower lacks a little, and this was arguably the only time we could find anything to grumble about. When I say overpowered I mean maxed out conditions where I’d usually be reaching for a 5m.
The freestyle setting is designed to allow you to get to grips with your first unhooked moves, it slows the kite down a little and lets you unhook for those first tricks with the confidence the kite will keep trucking in the sky. It’s great fun and will certainly keep you entertained for a good portion of your freestyle journey.
Freeride mode was where we found the Enduro most at home, it is such a hoot to fly, and the boosting capabilities are incredible. At its heart, it’s a total free ride monster than can also perform to a high level in the waves and in the freestyle arena. We’re going to be sorry to see it go from the testing line up that’s for sure.
Overall
Ozone have a kite for everything, but if you don’t fit a particular mould, then the Enduro V3 is the kite for you. If you want to boost big air with your mates one day, shred some waves the next and then pop some unhooked moves after that, then this kite has you covered. It’s a busy market; the three struts do it all machine, what Ozone have here though is arguably the lightest kite in its class with some of the best flying characteristics too. It’s a pleasure to fly the Enduro V3 no matter what board you are on, and I’m going to be sad to see it go…
Videos
This review was in Issue 84 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit OzoneRelated
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!
