Ozone Flux V12 Review & Test
Wing Ozone Flux v1 5m
Test rider infos:
- Tested with 80L Takoon Glide V2 40L AppletreeSlice v2 Kujira V2 800
- No other foils tested, I am a bit addicted to the 800 as it is fast, agile, stable, and better for pumping than expected.
- Spots Wijk aan Zee, Lelystad Lathum
- Rider 52 years old 82kg weight Winging since August 2020
- Skill level I don't do jumps, just enjoy making smooth turns, tacks, 360s, and the basics. As an average Joe, I can say this is my personal experience. I can't comment on jumping and freestyle characteristics due to my lack of ability.
Out of the bag The most noticeable thing for me is that the Flux comes with a hip leash as standard. I got used to it with my Anchorman and actually prefer it to a wrist leash. It provides more freedom of movement and more options in maneuvers. Lately, I've been practicing a lot with the tack behind the back, and in that case, a hip leash is much more convenient. There's a nice swivel on the connection to the wing.
The finishing of the Flux is really impressive. The seams are super tight, and the materials are top-notch. The only thing I noticed is that the front edge of the fill panel (the piece of fabric between the strut and canopy) is simply cut straight and lacks further finishing. The materials used for the frame are a lighter type of Dacron but stiffer. The strut and LE (Leading Edge) are inflated separately with a relatively large valve. The 5m strut can be inflated up to 8 psi, and the LE up to 7 psi. That is more than enough for a wing that feels rigid. I'm a fan of the two-pump system for several reasons. It's not much slower when inflating, but it's definitely faster when packing up. There can be differences between the LE and strut, which may give the strut a stiffer feel, and it's less vulnerable. The valves work very well, the caps close easily and securely, and there's a nice cover over them. Although I like the valves on other wings like the Reedin and Takuma RS, I find their caps difficult to tighten, and they tend to go crooked. Ozone has done a good job with the Flux valves, and they haven't sacrificed the airflow.
The front handle has a slight angle and is covered with an extra rubber coating at the front to protect your board. The handles themselves are very comfortable. They are round but have a nice grippy surface and feel good in the hand. They are not as spacious as the handles of the Takuma RS, which offer a little extra in terms of quick grabbing. While riding, I noticed something else. The legs of the handles seem to be loosely housed in sleeves and are not directly connected to the strut, so there can be some small movement in them. The flag handle looks nice but could have been a bit stiffer in my opinion. It has a patch behind it, and although the material is not rough, I prefer a softer neoprene-like patch. In practice, however, it works very well.
The wing has windows made of a soft and thin material, as I have seen on Reedin wings, making folding the wing no problem. The windows are reasonably well-placed and usable. I had to hold the wing slightly lower to have a good view. There's a thin layer of extra material on the seams of the segments of the LE for protection. The trailing edge contains a total of 6 small and thin fiberglass rods. Simple and light, but perhaps a bit too simple, time will tell.
The bag is spacious enough, but you need to fold your wing neatly. Inside the bag, there's an extra compartment with a zipper containing a repair kit. I am a fan of a well-sealed extra compartment in a bag; it's very useful for carrying extra screws or a screwdriver, for example. There's also a bottle opener attached to the zipper itself, nice little detail.
In terms of weight, the wing weighs just over 2600 grams without a relatively heavy hip leash, which is very acceptable. Yes, there are lighter wings out there, but most of them are heavier.
Riding All those details are nice, but ultimately, it all comes down to one thing: how does the wing ride? The short answer? Fantastic, what an incredibly enjoyable wing!
My first session with the Flux was at Wijk aan Zee. Good wind, nice waves, sun, and great weather; it couldn't have been much better. The wing required very little adaptation and had good, but more importantly, nicely balanced power. Normally, I don't tack much on the sea, but this time I started tacking in no time, as this wing made it so easy and instilled a lot of confidence from the beginning. Paired with the Kujira v2 800, I made the surprising discovery that I was faster and could easily go higher upwind than many kite surfers. That was a new experience for me. When off the wave, the wing flagged incredibly well, incredibly stable, and felt great in the hand; you hardly feel the wing, it requires little attention but provides a lot of confidence. The flag handle performed better than expected. The transition from flag handle to front handle is not as smooth as the Takuma RS, and the slanted side of the handle is more usable on the RS, but apart from that benchmark (for me), the Flux performs very well. The Flux can still be gripped on its slanted side. The chosen material for the grip is really nice, providing a lot of grip and a comfortable diameter. What I noticed is that I started pushing myself quite quickly because the wing invites you to do so. The wing itself is nicely stable and well-balanced in the hand.
During another session at the Rotonde Spot (RS for insiders) in Lelystad, I tried the Flux in flat water and windswell. Here again, I had the same impression. Fast, very intuitive, good upwind performance, and very balanced and stable. What caught my attention there was the large sweetspot where the wing delivers power. Right after a tack or jibe, you have the full power of the wing back at your disposal.
I also rode the Flux back-to-back with the Naish ADX during another session. The ADX felt slightly better in terms of upwind performance and speed, and it was already top-notch when it came to tacking. However, the Flux feels a bit more stable, especially harmonious, and distinguishes itself by having a larger sweetspot, making it easier and faster to accelerate after a turn, which is also a benefit during tacks. I found the Flux to be smoother during jibes as well. This says a lot about the Flux because the ADX is a very fine wing.
Where I always felt that the Takuma RS (confusing, all these RS references) didn't provide enough pressure just above the water, I didn't feel that with the Flux during my test with the 40L board. I got onto the foil quickly with good power, so for me, it's a clear improvement even for sessions with the 40L board.
There's one aspect I want to highlight a bit more, which is the overall experience, especially during tacking. I noticed that with the switch into a tack, I started pushing more and tried to make the turn more radical, going harder, and at a steeper angle, coming out of the turn with more speed. The Flux is so easy/intuitive/autopilot-like that I feel more possibilities to do that. The tack itself almost happens automatically, so I feel the potential to push myself further. This applies more broadly to all riding with the wing. I noticed that I'm more daring and willing to try new things because I can rely on the wing so much. This is also evident during the 360 maneuvers. Due to the large sweetspot, I know I can generate power very quickly again.
Conclusion So far, this wing has been a great joy for me. The finishing, handles, power, riding characteristics, both in waves and, especially, during tacking. There are still more wings I haven't tried than ones I have, even though I've tried quite a few by now. However, the Flux is the most intuitive and complete wing for my level that I've ridden. It feels so familiar and challenges me to push my limits.
Kind regards, Raymond Witvoet
