Matt Nuzzo: The angle of attack on this thing is crazy. It just flies up wind.
What's up everybody? Matt Nuzzo hanging out here at beautiful Wing Hole and today we're going to try the back-to-back Pocket Rocket and Power Pack. These are two very different parawings from Ozone. I want to kind of figure it out myself. I've ridden them both, but until you ride them in the same conditions back to back, you can't tell. So, I'm going to stick one in the pouch, ride one, take one out, and just go back and forth to do a couple laps upwind and downwind to tell you guys what's happening. I am riding the PMX 725, a mid-length 75, a 180 tail, and the UHA 970 on the front.
All right, so let's start with the Power Pack. I've ridden this one the most. Both wings have a really cool new bow line that brought all the lines off the bar. The lines come through the bar end, which gives you a lot of control and feel. Both have this really nice material they designed. It feels like kite line that has a heavy coating on it so it doesn't rip your hands. A lot of times you sheet the thing and it just freaking trashes your hands, and most brands just have not gotten that part right. Ozone has done a really good job updating their bridle lines. This bow line here gets all the lines off and does something funky to the bridle to make it work. The Power Pack has a super simple bridle, and they brought some of that technology over to the Pocket Rocket. The Pocket Rocket has actually been quite easy to stow. It has a pretty basic bar, but it does work well, and it flies off the bar end pretty easily. The Power Pack is a lower aspect wing that has a very easy pull and actually goes upwind pretty well. I was kind of surprised by it because most other downwind-oriented wings just collapse, but this one holds up nice. The Pocket Rocket has a flatter profile, more power per size, and more upwind performance. That's some of the basics, but let's get on the water and talk about the feel and how these things work. Wing number one is loaded, wing number two is ready to go, and we are on the UHA 970 Performance X made for pumping and gliding. Speed 180, mid-length 75. Time to get out there.
I'm not sure it's going to be windy enough in the hole today, but it's blowing like 12 to 20 maybe. We'll see if it's windy enough. I'm going to give a little upwind action to see if we have enough to get going here. The Power Pack has an incredibly simple bridle. It is really nice how they put these lines right here to sheet and deploy. I'm not sure this thing is going to have enough juice, but we're going to try it out. Look, I'm winging. I'm parawinging. Here comes the gust.
The Power Pack is really stable. It doesn't back stall like a lot of wings. It just stays in that right spot to get you enough speed to get up and get going. It is pretty easy to jibe—responsive, but not too responsive. Here, I'm pretty powered up and I can still one-hand it. I'm not cranking upwind, but on toeside, I'm making decent range upwind. All right, let's try a little pack and play here. Grab the center. Look at that thing, it sheets down tiny. It is so easy to pack up. Time to pack up the Power Pack and try the Pocket Rocket.
This thing cooks upwind. The angle of attack on this thing is crazy. It just flies upwind. It has a pretty similar amount of power, maybe a little more on this thing. Woo, here comes a gust.
Okay, right off the bat, you notice the Pocket Rocket is much better upwind. The Power Pack is a little easier to get started because it just sits there and pulls, and that bridle system is just so simple and easy. Once you get going on the Pocket Rocket, the thing definitely pulls pretty hard for its size. It pulls harder, has more drive upwind, and it is more responsive too. It seems more responsive to steering input. I tell you what, Ozone has nailed it with these new wings.
It is so cool to ride these things back to back because you can really feel the difference. The biggest difference that I'm noticing is that the Power Pack is just so easy. It doesn't back stall and doesn't jump around. It is just very, very user-friendly. Whereas the Pocket Rocket is more responsive and has more drive upwind. It definitely feels like a little bit spicier of a wing. Okay, let's try and see how this thing packs up.
It definitely doesn't pack up or wad up quite as small. I would have a stash belt normally, but it does pack down easily because of how they designed that bridle, taking what they learned from the Power Pack. All right, Pocket Rocket V2. This is what we like: a big usable wind range, a really solid canopy, and a whole new bridle system. The bridles themselves are freaking incredible. This all came from the Power Pack, and they've done a great job making these things work. It is a little more sensitive to steering input, more sensitive steering, and more sensitive to backline turning and backline tension. Overall, this is an amazing all-around parawing that does upwind, downwinders, pack and deploy, and all that stuff with a big usable wind range. It is maybe a little more technical than the Power Pack.
Switching back to the Power Pack for the final edit here. This is literally one of the easiest parawings on the market to use. The bridle and the pack down are so simple. When you pack it up, it's tiny, too. It is really easy to stow and go. People who are downwind focused only should absolutely be on the Power Pack. The surprising thing is beginners; they will want to learn on this simple bridle that is easy to pack down.
Well, thanks for joining us on our little Wing Hole sunset session. It is so fun to ride these things back to back. You really get a great feel for how the wings are working, what the positives and negatives are about both wings, and where they really excel. Simply put, this Power Pack is amazing for beginners because it's just so easy to control. It's not overly sensitive and doesn't do any crazy things. It just gets up, gets you going, parks, and rides. You can go upwind on this, too. It also packs down so simply, and stowing it is tiny compared to the Pocket Rocket. It's amazing that the same size wing can actually pack up so much smaller.
The Pocket Rocket V2 is just really, really all-around amazing. It rips upwind, has lots of power for its size, and lots of drive upwind. It still packs up really well with that new bridle system and the new bow line system they took off the Power Pack. It is a little bit more of an advanced wing. Beginners can definitely ride that Pocket Rocket if they want to have that upwind and downwind capability, but it's not going to pack up quite as easily as the Power Pack. Those are two amazing wings from Ozone, and we're really fired up with this line. If you have more questions, want to find out what parawing is right for you, or want to come and see sunsets like that, give us a call at the shop at 252-987-6000 or reach out online at realwatersports.com. See you guys on the water next time.
