Ozone Apex V1 MA 1250 & 1500 2022
Reviews / Hydrofoils
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At A Glance
When I first heard that Ozone was entering the foil market it had me super excited. As I have no doubt I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been riding Ozone kites for 10-plus years and have always been a fan of their exceptionally high-quality gear. That being said, working with carbon is very different to materials in kites & wings. With that in mind, when the Apex arrived on my doorstep I was very interested to put it to the test and see if Ozone could replicate its success.
The Apex V1 MA has been designed with wing foiling in mind, although Ozone claim it is equally well suited to kite, prone, tow, and wake foiling. MA stands for medium aspect, this sits right in the middle when it comes to gliding and turning ability. The foil is constructed with a combination of high-density PVC or EPS foam core and 100% carbon laminate. All laminations are comprised of a Quadraxial Carbon fibre matrix with high-modulus epoxy resin, this is designed to create superior rigidity in flex and torsion. The foil is then finished with a high-quality performance surface coating to increase efficiency and protect it.
Ozone has clearly put a lot of attention to detail in this product. All hardware is titanium, yes you heard that right. All screws and barrel nuts are CNC machined from GR5 Titanium with a Torx head fitting. What titanium does is provide incredible strength and make corrosion impossible - in fact, Ozone guarantees zero corrosion. That makes a huge difference when you no longer have to worry about washing your foil or taking it apart and greasing it every month. Essential if you ask me.
The Apex foils are fully modular. With masts ranging from 45cm to 90cm, two fuses, two rear wings, and 5 front wings from 950cm2 to 1800cm2. That gives you plenty of options to mix and match, or start big and progress down as you improve. On this test, I rode the MA1250 & MA1500, with the M75 & M90 masts, the F78 fuse, and the MA210 stab. For clarity, in the video, it’s the MA1250 & M75.
On The Water
The first thing to note when rigging up is the bolt slots on the mast plate, this means you can slide your bolts along your track into the base plate. It is so quick and so much easier than trying to match up fiddly nuts and bolts in a gale or driving rain. That’s an instant win in my books.
The rest of the foil fits together nicely, the whole setup feels well thought out and hydro-dynamic. The mast has a slight taper from the base plate down to the fuse, only adding to that hydro-dynamic speed. The front wing has a slight anhedral and tapered wing tips that make for a real performance look.
This is one of those foils that is just a joy to set up on the beach. It looks and feels awesome. The full carbon means it’s exceptionally light. I was fortunate enough to ride the Apex V1 on a number of decent wing days, mostly with a fair bit of wind. I have to say that I was initially concerned by the 78cm fuse, I usually ride around 60cm fuses and I thought the extra length would make it feel sluggish. Fortunately, it surprised me! The Apex is super playful, the 1500, and particularly the 1250 were easy to turn. I put this down to a few things, mainly the medium-aspect wing, allowing the foil to roll & bank much quicker than a high-aspect wing. But also the stiffness in the mast, that stiffness adds to the control and response in the turn. I was also able to release the wing and pump a considerable distance. The fuse length and stiffness in the setup simply added to stability and control. That pumping ability meant riding waves or downwind bumps an absolute joy. It is worth noting that a 60cm fuse is also available for those who are sure they want to go shorter.
Something the Apex did for me out on the water was provide confidence, I was happy to jump as high as my ability would allow me and know that nothing was going to snap or fall off on landing. The foil felt so strong, not only when rigging but also on the water. The medium aspect shape means you can bank over and pop really hard for your jumps, the 90cm mast helped with that even more. Once your lofty jump is complete, landings are great with the Apex. The shape of the foil means it drops back into the water and doesn’t try to buck you straight off, that gives you time to compose yourself, angle the wing correctly and get back up to speed.
So who’s this foil for? I’ll tell you what it isn’t, it isn’t a high-aspect speed machine with insanely fast stall speeds, technical pumping, and difficult turning. This foil is user-friendly, it has a low stall speed that makes it easy to get on foil, it turns really well, is stable yet fast, and just makes you feel comfortable on foil. The larger MA1800 would work for a beginner nicely, while the rest of the range is perfect for intermediate riders looking to have fun on the water and progress. I also have no doubt that in the right conditions, the MA950 would be a great choice for advanced riders.
Overall
Recently, I’ve been spending the majority of my time prone foiling. Getting the opportunity to go wingfoiling on the Apex V1 MA reminded me just how insanely fun this sport is. Aren’t we lucky? Ozone has lived up to its name and created a high-quality product here. I highly recommend it.
Videos
This review was in Issue 14 of Tonic Mag.
For more information visit OzoneRelated
By Jack Galloway
