Reply to Stephduche -
I got the Reo for several reasons put them in the order you want:
1. Better service from my national distributor and local Ozone shop.
2. I did a good deal with my local shop, which I like to support anyway.
3. Goldilocks: the Dice felt reeeeally good but the Reo '14 felt 'just right' - it's a personal thing.
4. Look at the Reo 2014 range chart and believe it. 12k to 26k for the 12m, which I verify 100% - it's as if you get two (or 1.5 kites) for the price of one.
Reasons for buying North - questionable durability of Ozone kites. Please pick me up on this
if someone wishes to disagree, maybe I just abuse my kites too much. But my last Ozone got so full of round pinhole patches it looked like a flying dalmatian after only 150 hours flight time.
Reasons for not buying North - where I live the distributor has an appalling warranty claim record.
My guess is because too many berks have abused the system.
You have to try these kites and see what's right for you and where you kite. And you can't believe me or anyone else 100% in these reviews, I mean look at the reviews for the first 2012 Reo - nobody said it had a lousy low end or it let you down like a broken elevator when you jumped it.
And the 10m 2012 was maddening wet flannel compromise of a kite IMHO.
I like my Reo 2014, a lot. You might not.
Subjectivity test:Check out the Reo vs RRD Religion threads on Seabreeze, some say the RRD is faster others that it's slower, in the end it depends how you feel it moves more than anything else.
All reviews are limited by their authors and are highly personal: my mates love Catalysts, Best TS and BW Noise Pros, but apart from the last kite, I can't even bloody tack on those kites without getting my arse wet. But put me on a Reo and my skill level shoots up to 95% dry butt transitions and the occasional air grab spinny whotsit.
You look at the performance pie chart for the Dice - for me it's wrong. It goes upwind like a m.f. and has a sweet boost. Yet Jaime, Sky, Airton and Tom who are lightyears ahead of my caveman standards disagree - they must have put those statistics together and they got completely different vibe from the kite than I did. Maybe 'cos they were comparing to Evos and Rebels... who knows?
Maybe my arms are too long or it just works different for bald blokes?
It's a really nice kite with all the engineering North love to do and overdo. I'd try one, I'm pretty sure you'll come back to the beach with a big smile on your face, most people who I know who tried it did - and that's what it's all about.
But I still like me Reo better....