Flow V2 Ultra X
I’ve been wing foiling now since the conception of the sport and really enjoy all aspects of it. I find myself at home in Squamish commonly working on my flat water game, practising different tacks, jibes, and tricks such as around the worlds or riding with the wing back winded. Squamish has great wind but unfortunately not a huge amount of swell. Any chance I get for a trip to somewhere with swell, I’m always stoked for it. I personally enjoy utilizing the wing to get myself into swell on the foil, and don’t generally take part in freestyle or racing while wing foiling. I find freestyle is hard on the body and gear! Racing is awesome but it’s a completely different quiver of gear and somewhat elitist. I guess the best way to sum up my riding style is free ride, combining flat water, down winding, and wave riding.
The past 7 months I’ve been riding the Ozone Flow V2 wing and its’s been awesome. It’s great for my style and really does everything I want it to. It’s plug and play, stable, and has great range. We first received the Flow V2 Ultra X and I didn’t know what to expect. I knew that it was in the Ultra X construction and would include Aluula in the materials list, which commonly makes the sail stiffer, lighter, but also more expensive. With these composite light weight material I always wonder is the juice worth the squeeze? Is the extra costs of the Ultra X worth it in gained performance? Well, after many sessions now on the Flow V2 Ultra X, I can confirm that the Ultra X construction is a notable performance upgrade.
Overview
The Flow V2 Ultra X is an excellent all around wing. It has great range, stability, and drift while down winding. The wing features a 1 piece full length carbon boom with a pistol grip for added comfort while holding the wing while riding. The Ultra X comes with some added goodies as well: 1) the waist leash comes with the padded wing belt equipped with a harness hook instead of the standard webbing belt; 2) a single point harness line is included to go on the boom, and 3) there’s a sand bag used to weigh down your wing on beach.
Highlights
The stand out characteristics for us on the Flow V2 Ultra X were the following: super light weight, rigid, responsive, and easy to use.
The Ultra X construction featured Aluula composite material on the full strut and the centre third of the the leading edge. In combination with the Aluula, a light weight performance Dacron was used on the wing tips of the wing to allow flexibility and to reduce weight. With the integration of these performance materials, the Flow V2 Ultra X has an average 14% weight reduction across the range in comparison to the standard construction for the Flow V2. This weight reduction is very noticeable while riding the wing. When down winding or riding swell with the wing in front of you the wing drifts effortlessly and doesn’t lull and drag. Instead it floats, making it one less thing to worry about while down winding or riding swell. The overall weight reductions greatly improves the handling while performing tacks and jibes, and when passing the wing from hand to hand overhead. It floats and doesn’t get hung up, power up, or fly around.
The combination of the performance materials and the 1 piece full length carbon boom with the fixed boom to strut connection makes the wing ultra responsive to input. An example of this is while pumping the wing to generate power; the rigid construction is efficient and creates apparent wind. Its a similar feeling to peddling a super stiff road bike in comparison to peddling a full suspension mountain bike. Each pump on the wing is highly efficient and generates power. This gives the wing an overall larger range.
Although this wing is packed with performance materials and added features it’s such an easy wing to jump on and feel right at home. It’s plug and play performance. There isn’t a learning curve to the wing; it’s intuitive and easy to use the first session.
Comparing the Flow V2 to the Flow V2 Ultra X.
It’s probably the most asked question “How does the Flow V2 Ultra X compare to the Flow V2”The added cost of the Ultra X is worth the investment for a few reasons: 1) you get some nice added items including the padded waist belt with harness hook, single point fixed harness line, and sand bag; 2) the performance construction materials used including Aluula and the performance dacron, which make a huge weight reduction in the Flow V2 Ultra X’s overall weight and add to the wings wind range allowing it to have increased low-end and hold it’s shape when overpowered. While these features add value, the Flow V2 in standard construction is still a great wing. If the Ultra X isn’t in you’re budget the standard Flow V2 is a great wing as it’s plug and play and an absolute work horse. The best analogy for me when comparing the Flow V2 and Flow V2 Ultra X is the Ultra X is like adding a turbo charger. They both have similar handling and flying characteristics but the Ultra X has that much more of the woo factor.
Check them out here: https://www.westcoastwindsports.com/products/ozone-flux-v2-ultra-x?variant=50526746476632