Review: Ocean Rodeo’s EZ-Stopper Kit
A review by Brian "Mossman" Teichgraber
Ocean Rodeo EZ-Stopper conversion kit comes complete with everything you need to upgrade your bar to a new 2007 model. I received my EZ stopper from Ocean Rodeo and within fifteen minutes it was installed.
The kit includes instructions, a new trim line (with a cut off mark for the earlier 2007 bar model), one EZ–Stopper, some tape, and an additional leash attachment pigtail, which will enable you to use your 2006 leash. The leash attachment point is now at the chicken loop which makes for a clean, user friendly set-up … no more funny stoppers with a weed eater line connecting them together … everything is simple, effective and very clean.
Depending on how much you have used your 2006/early 2007 bar you may have some trouble undoing the knots. I used some warm water and two small steal knitting needles to pry them loose (the same method used to get knots out of your kite lines).
The instructions are not entirely clear on how to disassemble your gear. Step one simply states “Remove old trim line”. The first step for me was to unwrap the lines to a fixed point, after which I removed the safety leash and the bungee part of the leash. Once this was done I removed the main emergency velcro eject from the trim line at the chicken loop exposing the factory clove hitch knot. This is where you will need the knitting needles to pry the knots loose. Unfortunately, this is the most time consuming and frustrating part of the upgrade (my knots seemed to be welded together) and would recommend indulging in a cold beverage at this point.
Remember to keep the lower stopper ball … pull hard to free the old trim line through the stoppers as it has a line plug, and then pull the trim line through the pulley bottom stopper ball and trim cleat, put the old trim line away (it will not work with the new system because of the line plug).
If you are upgrading the early 2007 bar, you will need to:
- trim your line to the indication tab and then rewrap the end with the supplied tape. Make sure to leave the extra tape on the end.
For 2006 bars these steps should help:
- pull the new trim line through the trim cleat on the chicken loop and through the black spacer (where the safety Velcro release would go) and then through one of the holes in your bottom stopper ball.
- from there, go through the bar up through the EZ-Stopper, making sure the oval holes are pointed towards the pulley and not the bar, and around the pulley back through the EZ-Stopper and back through the bar.
- proceed through the bottom stopper and to your chicken loop attachment point.
- at that point I checked my line lengths and determined where I would tie my knot, which is very close to the new trim line length (but it is best to check it).
- finish off the line with a clove hitch knot … make it neat and tidy so that it does not have extra line hanging out … cut the remaining tape off.
- attach the 2006 leash connector to your trim line loop and then with a larks head attach your leash.
- reinstall the velcro safety release and your done.
I have used the 06 One EZ-Stopper upgraded bar on my OR Rise and felt no difference from the 07 OR Rise bar to my 2006 OR One bar with the upgrade kit (a good thing). When I had to eject the kite, the new system depowered the kite 100%. I found that it was way easier to get the bar back and reset and re-launch. The old 2006 system would flag the kite out (attached at the pulley) and you would have a line issue when trying to get the bar back to reset. The stopper took a little getting used to as far as pushing past or through it, but it can be done by using a hand or finger as well as the bar.
What I did notice with the EZ-Stopper Upgrade is that the whole system is cleaner, easier to use, and simply makes more sense than the old system … plus I have a neat little resting place for my bar as I am cruising with no bar pressure whatsoever. For the price it is well worth making the upgrade to your old OR 2006/07 bar.
Simple, effective and very clean, the Ocean Rodeo EZ-Stopper system works well.
Source: Skypilot 'Mossman'
Ocean Rodeo EZ-Stopper conversion kit comes complete with everything you need to upgrade your bar to a new 2007 model. I received my EZ stopper from Ocean Rodeo and within fifteen minutes it was installed.
The kit includes instructions, a new trim line (with a cut off mark for the earlier 2007 bar model), one EZ–Stopper, some tape, and an additional leash attachment pigtail, which will enable you to use your 2006 leash. The leash attachment point is now at the chicken loop which makes for a clean, user friendly set-up … no more funny stoppers with a weed eater line connecting them together … everything is simple, effective and very clean.
Depending on how much you have used your 2006/early 2007 bar you may have some trouble undoing the knots. I used some warm water and two small steal knitting needles to pry them loose (the same method used to get knots out of your kite lines).
The instructions are not entirely clear on how to disassemble your gear. Step one simply states “Remove old trim line”. The first step for me was to unwrap the lines to a fixed point, after which I removed the safety leash and the bungee part of the leash. Once this was done I removed the main emergency velcro eject from the trim line at the chicken loop exposing the factory clove hitch knot. This is where you will need the knitting needles to pry the knots loose. Unfortunately, this is the most time consuming and frustrating part of the upgrade (my knots seemed to be welded together) and would recommend indulging in a cold beverage at this point.
Remember to keep the lower stopper ball … pull hard to free the old trim line through the stoppers as it has a line plug, and then pull the trim line through the pulley bottom stopper ball and trim cleat, put the old trim line away (it will not work with the new system because of the line plug).
If you are upgrading the early 2007 bar, you will need to:
- trim your line to the indication tab and then rewrap the end with the supplied tape. Make sure to leave the extra tape on the end.
For 2006 bars these steps should help:
- pull the new trim line through the trim cleat on the chicken loop and through the black spacer (where the safety Velcro release would go) and then through one of the holes in your bottom stopper ball.
- from there, go through the bar up through the EZ-Stopper, making sure the oval holes are pointed towards the pulley and not the bar, and around the pulley back through the EZ-Stopper and back through the bar.
- proceed through the bottom stopper and to your chicken loop attachment point.
- at that point I checked my line lengths and determined where I would tie my knot, which is very close to the new trim line length (but it is best to check it).
- finish off the line with a clove hitch knot … make it neat and tidy so that it does not have extra line hanging out … cut the remaining tape off.
- attach the 2006 leash connector to your trim line loop and then with a larks head attach your leash.
- reinstall the velcro safety release and your done.
I have used the 06 One EZ-Stopper upgraded bar on my OR Rise and felt no difference from the 07 OR Rise bar to my 2006 OR One bar with the upgrade kit (a good thing). When I had to eject the kite, the new system depowered the kite 100%. I found that it was way easier to get the bar back and reset and re-launch. The old 2006 system would flag the kite out (attached at the pulley) and you would have a line issue when trying to get the bar back to reset. The stopper took a little getting used to as far as pushing past or through it, but it can be done by using a hand or finger as well as the bar.
What I did notice with the EZ-Stopper Upgrade is that the whole system is cleaner, easier to use, and simply makes more sense than the old system … plus I have a neat little resting place for my bar as I am cruising with no bar pressure whatsoever. For the price it is well worth making the upgrade to your old OR 2006/07 bar.
Simple, effective and very clean, the Ocean Rodeo EZ-Stopper system works well.
Source: Skypilot 'Mossman'
Labels: ocean rodeo, product, review
4 Comments:
Great review !
Thanks,
Peter
Thumbs up
Thanks for the review, looks like a smart and cheap bar upgrade.
Nice work. Just what I needed. I love my 2006 one but was not huge on the bar set up. This looks like it may be the ticket.
Post a Comment
<< Home