Ozone Wasp V2 5m 2021
Reviews / Wings
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At A Glance
I've always been a big fan of Ozone Kites. They've been my go-to for snowkiting and kite foiling for years now, and with their pedigree in paragliding, you always knew you were getting an incredibly high-quality product. As you can imagine, I was excited to get my hands on the Wasp V2 and put it through its paces.
Out of the bag first thing you'll notice is that classic Ozone quality, as we've come to expect. Everything feels clean, crisp and well built. The styling and colours are bright but not in your face, which is something I've always been a fan of. The wing comes with a waist leash as standard and is attached to a swivel on the leading edge to stop it from getting into a twist. You can change to a wrist attachment if you prefer, but this is extra. Ozone have also built in additional 'scruff protection' to add durability and a longer lifespan to your wing.
One of the things I found interesting about the V2 is the lack of 'one pump' inflation that we often see in both kites and wings these days. This means there is a separate inflation point for both the leading edge and strut. Ozone says this makes inflation and deflation faster, as you aren't trying to move a large volume of air through a small one pump tube. They also say it makes it less likely that you will grab the tube itself accidentally. Finally, this allows you to get more pressure into the strut, which is essential as this is where the rigidity of the wing's chord comes from.
On The Water
With the wing inflated and ready to set off on the beach, I could instantly feel that this is a modern and well-thought-out second-generation wing. The leading edge has good rigidity and holds its shape under tension. This creates a beautiful sail shape that feels powerful and stable at the same time. Its lightweight feel combined with this rigidity meant that pumping up onto the foil in lulls was easy.
I was using a fast foil for the first outing and was feeling enormous lift and hang time in my jumps; it was a real thrill! It was also a pleasure to cruise downwind, catch bumps and 'freefly' the wing. It felt very stable when doing this. There is a lot of versatility and bags of performance on offer here; plenty of riders will enjoy this wing!
The Wasp V2 is a great allrounder; the canopy is rigid and stable, it's lightweight, powerful and a high-quality construction. The lack of a 'one pump' system might not be for everyone; however, it doesn't affect performance. It's a couple of moments extra when pumping, but also much quicker for deflation. I'm not sure whether I found the centre strut any stiffer compared to another wing with one pump, but I understand Ozone's design process here, and it makes sense.
With regards to the waist leash, I enjoyed giving it a try. It meant that my hands were always free to manoeuvre when doing tacks and gybes, but I did find that in some crashes, the leash got caught around my shoulders or head more than it ever had using wrist leashes. The window in the canopy was one of the first I've used to be in what I feel is the right place. Good for gauging an idea of what's around you, but I believe wingsurfers will always lift the wing over their head to be sure of what's downwind of them. I certainly do.
Overall
Wingfoiling is one of the fastest developing and quickest growing watersports in the world right now, and Ozone is right there leading the charge with the Wasp V2. It's powerful, rigid, stable and light. I had a fantastic time testing this wing and can't recommend it enough. If you're looking for an all-round wing weapon, look no further than the Wasp V2.
This review was in Issue 8 of Tonic Mag.
For more information visit OzoneRelated
By Jack Galloway
