I recently brought a new and unused Ozone Instinct light (2008) edition. I have used the kite on four occasions and as soon as I am up and riding the chicken loop comes loose and the bar flies off into the distance. I have ensured that I am correctly hooked in but the problem remains. I find this frustrating and it's ruining my ride. I use the same harness with an 11 metre Ozone Frenzy with no such issues. Any forum members with a similar experience or tips?

ill help you get it sorted, i owe you one at least
and a plaster. send me some photos of the setup locked in so we can nut it out.

Think I may have resolved it but need to go kiting to test the hypothesis. As a left hander I have been hooking in with the release handle on the left hand side, which is actually upside down. It is evident from the design that is made for the release to go on the right side, although i’m not sure if it would cause the issue because I hook in this way with my Frenzy! - ps your dog is a bitch!

yes she is.

Elly is none of the sort!

Assuming your inserting the retainer right...

Is it the new style megatron chickenloop or the older pull-pin style? Actually the hook on the bar makes a bit of difference. Make sure the chickenloop is right in the apex or crook of the hook when it powers up.

I've been caught out once or twice when the loop falls down the bottom of the hook and sits on the edge - held on by the retainer(donkey dick). Moment the kite powers up the loop pulls over the edge until the retainer bends out of the way and you loose the kite.

The spreader bar hook geometry should be so that the apex is the furthest forward... some were made wrong or may have bent open over time so that the apex sits high and the bottom of the hook sits too far forward.

it's the Megatron version, I have ensured that i'm correctly hooked in. Your previous issues sound very similar to what has happened and i'll take note and ensure that the retainer is tight in the the hook. Thanks Guster

i've never had a problem and run have run the chicken loop left and right hand style.

my only advice is make sure the donkey dick is in there properly and ensure that it hasn't kinked! unless your doing lots of inverted tricks you should be sweet.

The problem is a dodgy donkey dick design, (or a pre used bar) which is too soft and not hard enough for the job. I felt a bit of an ass for starting this thread because some people love to ride unhooked but, at the start of my water kite boarding journey, this is a real buzz killer. I know I should stiffen up and get to grips with riding unhooked and I will in time. Uber kite repair technician Perrin, from kite works, identified the problem immediately and prescribed a cable tie solution. However, when buying a new kite one would expect a fully functioning product. Nice one Perrin you is da man!

good to hear its sorted , i thought it was some how safety deploying , but its just a floppy dick. Ellie is a girl dog so .. yes shes called a bitch, its no insult to a dog its the corect term, just a human should be offended the cable tie would hold even better if it were inside the hook.

wrong image uploaded but now re-edited, in future i won't buy any products from the retailer who sold the kite on trademe "as new"! - someone once told me that this retailer was renting out new kites at 80 bucks a time. I now wonder if some parts of the product have been recycled. I will steeer clear and advise all and sundry to do the same.

Your spreader bar hook also looks very shallow(like what I described)

If the chickenloop hangs at an angle in the hook it slips onto the edge of the hook and it only takes a little tug to get it off even with the donkey dick in place. Won't come off now though.

I've seen a few like this the have a greater propensity for this sort of problem. There used to be a difference between Naish windsurf and kitesurf spreaderbars to prevent this. Some Dakine ones from a shipment in the the 08 or 09 season were a little softer and bent open over time if you are heavy enough to bend things like this!

yes but I mostly fly an Ozone frenzy 11 metre in winds upto 20 knots, many of hours flying time and never had this problem! and the donkey dick is noticably bent and out of shape.! the frenzy is at the bottom

may sound a bit dumb, but maybe drop the donkey appendage in boiling water and then hold it flat as it cools down , or over bend it . gloves required

The retailer in question responded positively when I emailed him about my concerns and the kite is boxed and ready to be couriered to his place of business for him to evaluate the problem.

A new bar and line set was delivered today and it's now evident that the chicken loop on the previous set was not in a new condition. No apology from the retailer about selling unfit goods. It wasted hours of my time and nearly killed my enthusiasm. The bottom of the chicken loop was worn and out of shape from extended use. The kite was sold to me as a new unit

Usually i would have gone to Perrin at Kiteworks because of my repeated positive personal experiences in shopping there. However, because he does not currently stock Ozone products, I was obliged to visit retailers outside of the Auckland area. The lesson is that in future I will consider other brands and will probably try a Peter Lynn Charger twin skin. I know it’s not the Ozone brand that’s remiss but those selling their products can and should be considered to be ambassadors for the company.

this is the original chicken loop, spot the difference!

Um yeah bad service, there is another ozone dealer in Auckland though, the NZboardstore. shame you went elsewhere this would never have happened with them.

I've not heard of NZboardstore, where are they based?

pt chev auckland

google will tell you the rest or click on the add at the top of the screen. been around since 1980s so a little bit of know how etc.

www.nzboardstore.co.nz