Listen to the Foil Rat interview they cover most everything…and hint that some of the developments could make it into the next version of the PR…
It will definitely be interesting to see what they do to the PR. There are clearly improvements that they could take from the PP and apply to the PR, but they still need to differentiate the models. If they applied the PP bridle / bar system to the PR, I think that would be a holy grail parawing for 90% of users, but they would cannibalize the PP sales.
That said - based on their cadence of releasing other gear (like wings), they don’t do annual releases and they stagger the release of different models. I don’t have any intel on a PR v2, but I would guess we wouldn’t see it any time before summer.
Pwing:wing / PP:Flow / PR:Flux
I agree, surprised they went this route, and that 777 made their udw. If you’re going downwind packing is less of an issue vs doing laps where you collapse multiple times a session. Collapsing seems to be mostly a technique thing anyways.
that said a short bar is welcomed
the thicker and stiffer line material is going to be a very nice improvement vs. PR. but expect line burn.
He said in the foilrat podcast that PR v2 is being released in April!
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But the “advertised” range on these are nuts … low-end specifically
Looks nice! Is this Ozone’s take on the Ka’a?
…or Ozone’s take on the PT Skin?
It rivals the new UDW, not the PT skin.
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Just received my 3M, 3.6M and 4.3M power packs. I haven’t yet had conditions to actually use them, so this is just my impressions following the unboxing:
- Waxier/thicker leader lines. It’s hard to get a good read on diameter with calipers given the slightly worn, but untreated v1 PocketRocket lines. It seemed like the old lines are about 1.0mm and the new lines are more like 1.5mm, which should help with the loop based knots
- Thicker leading edge battens. the LE battens that are sewn in are now closer to 3mm from 2mm approximately. I didn’t want to crank down too hard on the cloth with steel calipers. The outermost rib no longer has the 24”+ batten that goes around the perimeter edges of the parawing from LE to TE.
- Deeper LE section. Much more structure and depth when laid on the floor (or in use on the water). There is a deeper section which should provide more lift, at some tradeoff for efficiency and speed. Compared to the Pocket Rocket they just have a lot more latent structure to keep the wing fluffed up, and organized for a redeploy.
- As advertised … Much squarer aspect ratio, shorter bar, ‘bowline’ clean bar. Much shorter lines.
- Other delighters: Ozone calendars! Also, the bag now has a chest strap for potential use on the water for a backup wing, a guide, and color matched canopy cloth for repairs (although I tend to just use sail tape). I’m really impressed by all of the neat splicing that goes into the lines, and in particular - the simplified A/red lines (Center lines grouped, no splice in the center of the line) - makes it easy to collapse - I hope!
- Same canopy material as before.
Overall, really excited to try this out, and plan to use it primarily for sessioning in place where I want a clearer calculus on “is it worth it to stow - or not.” I have gone on some major journeys on my parawings, but being a strong SUP downwinder am actually pretty bad at having a reliable stow and redeploy method. With the Power Pack I hope to refine that method, and also practice some of the fancier transitions first with the shorter PP, before then trying it again on the PR.
I’m pretty much in love with my 3m and 4.3m -
Vs my pocket rockets (same size) this would be my pros & cons
Definetly way easier packing, easier to stash, would even say fewer steps are required since the thicker battens makes packing way easier. Low end is better, transitions response are quicker, so less error during gybes or any other kind of transition in my case (wave riding and DW). It more quiet to ride, flaps way less than PR. Bar makes life easier for stashing. Depowering and colapsing the PW no matter how powered up you are it always possible and easier.
Cons vs the PR, basically the PR can hold better in overpowered conditions, much more controllable or at least you can survive the really strong gusts when you should be riding a size or two smaller PW, with the PP I just went catapulting more than once on my 3m and 30 to 35 knots gusts kinda making me remember my windsurfing days! Also as obviously stated by Ozone, the upwind is way better, but for what I’m using the PW atm it’s pretty good or at least enough at upwind.
Remarkably, even in super strong conditions and super overpowered, I was still able to pack down easily the PW, with the PR in super strong winds it isn’t as easy to colapse and pack while going down the face of a wave. Also not once in that super overpowered sesh I had any entangle of lines with the PP.
For the people doing upwind long rides to do just a one good downwind lap - and not packing and unpacking too much, I would keep the PR until perhaps a v2 with some of the PP advantages.
For wave riding the PP checks all boxes.
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How does this compare to the PT skin? If the PT skin is the best standard then every wing that comes out needs to be compared to thst. I’ve been on the 5.4 and it’s just been amazing. I’m glad I went with the advice of people here and the FB group to go with the pt skin.
For anyone with time on v2 BRM gear - how does the upwind of the Power Pack compare to Kanaha and/or Ka’a?
If I could get the overall joy, material feel, and packability of the BRM gear, with improved upwind to quickly repeat especially good sections of a downwind run, I’d be all about it.
Slightly less packable. Slightly better upwind.
Better low end
Slightly Easier redeploy
Way more stable
Way better for really small board sinker starts - better than maliko v1 which was my favorite for small boards until now
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and that is compare to the ka’a or kanaha ?
I come from the BRM Kanaha and I’ve switched to the Powerpack as soon as they were available. The powerpack does everything the Kanaha does but in a more intuitive and accessible manner. It packs as easy as the BRM, goes upwind better and both the lower and upper range are better.
I loved many things about the BRM especially the way they turned and they retract/deploy. However, when outside the upper range the Kanaha was very hard to manage, particularly when not using a harness. Everybody knows how uncomfortable it was to hold the Kanaha with one hand after turning when jibing in very powered conditions. The depower on the Ozone is way more accessible in those very powered conditions.
When it comes to the low range, the Ozone has a stiffer structure, and therefore facilitates takeoffs. Furthermore, due to the bridle configuration, it allows to effectively use the back C lines when jibing in low wind conditions; pull the C lines and the wing will turn on the spot. This was something I used to do with the original pocket rocket which I stopped doing when I got the Kanahas.
I would not go back to the BRM now that I tried the PP.
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this is a bummer, my PR 4.3 turns to jelly when lit up
I think I know what you mean, and precisely that’s why I think it better at super overpowered conditions. I still take into consideration parawings have a narrower range of wind.
When the PR goes “jelly” as you mention, it depowers a lot and it’s not throwing you downwind, worst case it goes super upwind and you crash a little bit easier 
.
Either way, I’m talking about ranges where parawing sizing it’s just not supposed to be used - not throwing any trash on the products - the PP just moves it’s range a bit more to the lower end.
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Ok I see, it isn’t controllable on toeside when it does that, but yes I can imagine the opposite just pulling like a truck downwind.
Anyone tried the small PP’s, I need something between my 2.9 and 2mtr para. Tried the PP 4.3, worked well but does this transfer to the smaller sizes? The 2.4 looks like a good size, but not many in stock anywhere in Oz.