Tkb Wing Review: 2020 OZONE Wasp V1

Sizes Available: 3, 4, 5, 6m
Sizes Tested: 4, 5, 6m

Ozone Says:

We concentrated on making the WASP easy to fly and handle. The large size Leading Edge creates stability and reduces flex, it also helps develop power at low speeds to get you moving sooner. The enlarged strut provides direct angle of attack control, as flex is minimal offering a solid and controlled feeling.

With a lower aspect ratio you get a wing that has grunt and wings that are less likely to catch the water. The wing tips have a layer of scuff protection for riding on snow or land, although it is best to keep the wing off the ground!

Multiple Power Handles on the Leading Edge and Strut have been positioned to cover many options, providing maximum control and comfort while riding. The streamline De-Power Handle at the front of the Leading Edge completely de-powers the wing for total control when carving downwind in swell or when carrying the wing.

On the land or snow minimal wind is required to harness the natural energy to enjoy a different feeling of propulsion.

Visit for more info: https://ozonekites.com/products/wings/wasp-v1/

TKB Says:

The Ozone Wasp V1 was one of the first wings to launch in the first year of wingsurfing, giving the user a ton of handle options and good all-around performance that has made it really popular in the North American market. The Ozone features a larger diameter leading edge and boom with a medium camber canopy that delivers a solid mix between low-end power and good upwind ability. This wing inflates with Ozone’s large diameter Boston valve which requires a standard hose attachment that comes with most pumps. The Wasp comes with two handles on the leading edge (one on the front and one under), six handles along the center of the boom and two diagonal handles. The Wasp’s canopy has a substantial amount of dihedral in its airframe and comes with a thin webbing leash infused with a bungee and an open-ended Velcro wrist leash. Ozone also sells a waist leash which we did not test but purports to keep the leash from tangling with your hands.

The Wasp offers a solid mix between even power delivery and good range while also offering high upwind angles that help you get back up to where you need to get going. One of the first things we discovered about the Wasp was that its larger diameter leading edge and boom provide a more rigid structure that requires less attention to high inflation pressures than some of the smaller tubed wings. This means that pressure loss to cooling or cold water submersion will have a smaller effect on the Wasp and you don’t have to subject the seams to as much pressure. The build quality on the Wasp is solid, which we believe is impressive because it offers a ton of durability while keeping the airframe at a light to medium weight. Ozone skipped the see-through windows but uses a lot of dacron in the leading edge and struts while reinforcing its generous supply of handles. This all translates into the Wasp offering you a lot of durability and grab holds while staying within the bounds of a fairly lightweight package.

The Wasp doesn’t have the deepest camber profile of all the wings on the market, but its large leading edge and middle of the road profile give the Wasp reasonable low-end lift with intuitive power delivery. Flatter wings tend to feel on/off, whereas the Wasp has a nice progressive power delivery as you sheet and pump the wing. What seems to be a particularly positive trait of the Wasp is that it provides this smooth intuitive power while also feeling really efficient at upwind angles. The Wasp allows you to put your foil on angle and drive upwind without the wing stalling or backwinding which makes for faster upwind legs when you’re trying to get back to the top of the reef or mowing a big lawn. The Wasp does an excellent job of keeping the wingtip compact with a narrower span that seems to stay out of the water. When you spend less time snagging the wingtip in the water you spend a lot more time up and riding, and that is a huge feature.

The Wasp offers a ton of handle options that at first might seem excessive and confusing, but as we spent more time with the new design we began to feel the real advantages of the shotgun approach to handles. At first, we gravitated to the first of the boom handles and the third boom handle back (4m), while contemplating the removal of the rest with a pocket knife. But then, we spoke with Dave Tyburski (Ozone NA) and he cued us in on the diagonals (when Tybo talks, we listen, and so should you if you’ve ever heard the voiceover on Ozone product videos) for better upwind riding. We starting using our front hand on the lower diagonal, and indeed that did seem to establish a better balance point that might have increased both the steadiness of the wing and the upwind angle. What the diagonal handles also allow you to do is fine-tune exactly where your front hand establishes the pivot point on the wing’s angle of attack. Move your hand along the strap an inch or a quarter of a centimeter and you could find the magic spot. Shortly thereafter, we came to the real epiphany on the advantage of having multiple handles. By moving our back arm one handle back we were able to spread our arms multiple increments wider and this straightened out our back sheeting arm. This was an important ‘duh moment’ because straight arms on long tacks don’t suffer fatigue. Now, if you have a harness and there’s no load, who cares, but for those committed to strong-armed riding, multiple handles are the way to go (even if they add weight and complexity). We’d still strike the handle on the bottom of the leading edge, yet we’ve heard others say they really liked it. You can’t please everyone unless you throw the kitchen sink at it.

The most important feature for a wing is how it behaves when you let go with your back hand and take hold of the leading edge handle for hover mode. This assumes you’ve lined up a piece of swell or wind chop and now you’re focused on glide surfing whatever line it takes to juice every inch of power out of the slope. This is where the wing should disappear from your frame of thought and the fun begins. And that is exactly what the Wasp does. It feels really good in hover mode, with its neutral buoyance and lower weight helping keep the wing afloat without the rider’s support or input. The Wasp’s front handle is a little bigger which means it is easier to grab in a clutch moment, but it also means it has some extra play in it when you’re controlling the wing. The Wasp in hover mode feels really stable with its directional yaw steering feeling fairly loose and easy to control. And when you lose your glide and need power, the frantic grab game to get power is a bit easier because there’s a million places you can grab (although it might not be the right one).

On the whole, the Wasp v1 is an excellent freshman effort from a sport that just finished its first year of infancy. The Wasp does a great job of balancing durability with lightweight performance while offering a smooth intuitive power band that has both tons of range while also feeling efficient on long upwind slogs. Whether you are an aspiring beginner or an advanced level wing-aholic, the Wasp is the perfect flame to feed the wingsurfing fire.