Ocean Rodeo Brand Review: The Canadians Who Built the First ALUULA Kite

A Canadian brand with nineteen catalogue positions — and one of the industry's most notable technologies of recent years. Here it is.

What is in the range

• Kites: 8 items — ROAM, CRAVE, FLITE 5S, FLITE 3S, each in A-Series and Launch Edition.
• Components: 4 items — the same models in PRO Dacron.
• Kiteboards: 3 — MAKO, SURGE, TEMPEST.
• Bars: 3 — from 20 € for a Ring T Bar to 396 € for the POLARIS.
• Wing: the GLIDE A-Series — 1 226 €.

The key point: two versions of every kite

Understanding the brand starts with the fact that each model exists in two builds.

PRO Dacron — the classic material:

• ROAM PRO — 647 €, sizes 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 14 m
• CRAVE PRO — 708 €
• FLITE 5S PRO — 811 €
• FLITE 3S PRO — 949 €, sizes 12, 14.5, 17 m

A-Series — on ALUULA composite:

• ROAM A-Series — 996 €
• CRAVE A-Series — 1 166 €
• FLITE 5S A-Series — 1 243 €
• FLITE 3S A-Series — 1 702 €

A 55 to 80 % gap at identical canopy geometry. What exactly for: our A-Series article.

Four kite models

ROAM — the most affordable, sizes 4 to 14 m. A wide ladder and a low entry, logical for an all-rounder.

CRAVE — sizes 5 to 12 m.

FLITE 5S — 7 to 12 m. A five-line layout, judging by the name.

FLITE 3S — 12, 14.5 and 17 m. Large sizes only, which points straight at light wind.

How to read those ladders: a model with nothing below twelve metres is built for light wind and nothing else. We covered that logic through the Ozone Zephyr.

Note the FLITE 3S A-Series price — 1 702 €. The brand's dearest item and also its most technologically sensible: in light wind canopy weight matters more than anywhere else.

Launch Edition: what it is

Every A-Series kite has a Launch Edition version at the same price.

It is a colourway rather than a construction. A rare case where a label in the name does not mean a premium — and good that it does not.

Practical conclusion: choose by which size is available rather than by the wording.

Boards: the MAKO and its legacy

MAKO — 466 €, sizes 140×40, 150×40, 165×45 cm.

SURGE — 466 €, 133 to 145 cm.

TEMPEST — 492 €, 135 and 138 cm.

The MAKO deserves its own mention — an unusual geometry with real history in kiting, unpacked in our separate article.

Note the 165×45 size: very large by twintip standards, where 135 to 140 cm is typical. That area means light wind — and it echoes the FLITE 3S. The brand works light wind consistently.

Bars

POLARIS — 396 €, widths 46 and 52 cm.

Carbon-Matrix Wing Bar — 167 €, 94 and 110 cm. For winging.

Ring T Bar (12 pieces) — 20 €. A line consumable.

On what a bar consists of and what to look for, see our bar guide.

Who it suits

Anyone with light wind. That is what the brand does consistently: a 17-metre kite and a 165-centimetre board.

Anyone willing to pay for weight. The A-Series is about lightness, and in light wind that works hardest.

Anyone looking beyond the mainstream. A small brand with a visibly different approach.

Who it does not suit

Anyone wanting wide choice. Four kite models against fourteen at North.

Freestylers and big-air riders. No dedicated models for those disciplines in the catalogue.

Anyone on a budget. Even the Dacron version starts at 647 €.

Common questions

How does A-Series differ from PRO Dacron?

In canopy material: A-Series uses ALUULA composite, PRO uses classic Dacron. A 55 to 80 % price gap.

What does Launch Edition mean?

A colourway rather than a construction. Same price — choose by size availability.

Which kite is for light wind?

The FLITE 3S: sizes 12, 14.5 and 17 m, with nothing smaller.

Why a 165 cm board?

For light wind: more area gives you glide where an ordinary twintip stands still.

Does Ocean Rodeo make foils?

Not in our catalogue. Kites, boards, bars and one wing.

Where to look

The range is on the Ocean Rodeo page. Sections: kites and kiteboards.