Armstrong to GoFoil

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kobo said..
Yeh , there's no perfect carbon connection atm , I used to use clear acylic on the inside of my wings to keep the joint tight before the barrel bolt came long.The Naish scalf joint as they call it seems to work well without any wear problems or the axis connection but they are both metal ( yuk )

Imo, the Sig/Uni/Lift connection looks the strongest full carbon setup atm - not sure if there have there been any wear issues with any of these?

Hilly, In a tech talk with NZ Foil Centre yesterday, Armie talked about the updated surf wings they are R&D'ing. He said they should be out mid next year. Supposedly may be updating the CF range for max glide, user friendliness, and pocket surfing characteristics.

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Piros said..They should have done that first IMHO

Agree, horse has bolted as other brands move into a space (mid aspect) that was an Armie strength.

Hilly
I have been using a few different brands of foils over the last 12mths. I have recently gone to Go Foil and back to a more medium aspect foil EZ1600 for SUP foil ,wing ding and really small prone.
My main concern is turning. I started going down the old road of more performance ,higher and higher aspect.
Some times I think we are going down the road we went with windsurfing years ago higher performance till we made it hard to ride..and cost!!!
Ok the EZ may not pump as well when trying to get 2 for or 3 for waves for one take off. But was suprised how well it does pump.
But I am doing the best turns on waves that I have done.. It has made my wing ding progression much faster.
In all its made all foiling easier (fun) with less effort.
After having other brands Go Foil is simple slide the wings on nip up screw and leave it..No corrosion super stiff mast/ fuse and new tail wing ,No shims to change all the time to make it work. There is no need to bash it with a rubber hammer any more just light tap screw and go.. first on the water..
Vote for Go Foil from me.

Works very well

Why not the Kalama board? What are the dimensions on the Armstrong board? Looking closer I see the deflated wing, no damage?

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RichJam said..
Great choice with the 1400. Glad session one was good.
Yeeeew

Amazing light wind combo 10 to 12 knots. The Kalama board works so well with GoFoil foils. Sold my Armstrong boards. The RS1000 works really well from 15 knots up

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bhc said..
Any noticeable weight difference between comparable gofoil and armstrong?

GoFoil is heavier but I did not weigh them. Way stiffer which I am struggling with, I liked the flex in the Armstrong foils.

Slightly heavier but way stronger connection point from mast to fuse. Since day 1 GoFoil have done that connection. There's 60 layers of pre preg carbon in that join. Sure if you hit the reef the gel coat cracks but never will you see it break. Iv seen 1 of the early ones but was hit on a reef full pelt and blasted the board apart. In the past 2 weeks there has been a bunch of crew escaping the rabbit hole for the simple GF plug and play.

The weight is not an issue. I have the 1400 and the 1000 both are light. The weight is in the mast and at most it is 300 or 400g heavier and that is spread through the whole mast.
The main difference is the wave riding, being able to turn at speed and have amazing glide is why I changed, happy with the decision. Some of the best turns I have ever done on waves in the last week or so, stoked

For good, prepreg, carbon construction I'd only be concerned about the weight trying to get the heaviest setup possible! More carbon, less foam please! Especially in these lower volume thinner front wings, in something like the Lift 120, the weight savings of the foam core have got to be minimal. It's really just there to save the manufacturer $$$ on carbon!

The original 24.5" tuttle and 28.5" plate masts in the 1.0 were 120mm chord and 12mm thick. All 1.5 (shiney ones) are 137mm chord and 14mm thick. The 26.5" mast is the shortest I can get for you and is 137 x 14. I teach with one. So good. Also here's 1150 weight.

Yes it's plate. If you want one please message me direct. As for the 1150 yes that's the weight. All 1.5 wings have a elongated hole as there's still customers that have 1.0 masts and gives some extra fitment room.
masts: 26.5", 29.5", 32.5", 36.5", 40.0"

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hilly said..
SUP foil transition not so easy
Take off is a challenge, huge lift compared to Armie foils, got my ass handed to me frequently riding GTS1400 in small mushy waves. 2 years of muscle memory hard to change. When up and going bucket loads of glide and pump. Probably pumped the furthest I every have which is not saying much Turns are amazing, generating heaps of speed. Looking forward to taking the RS1000 out on the sup.
Learning curve is richly rewarded, stoked

Hey Hilly,

I'm following your journey with great interest and I'm 100kg too and am in agreement with your opening post on this thread.

IMO if Armie does a HS1250V2 to address ventilation and a mid-high aspect (circa 8) wing around 1100-1200cm2 without a wide wing span and pointy tips that turns easy then there'd be no reason to consider changing, but there are no rumours that this will happen anytime soon....

The step technology looks like a game changer, and am considering the move too but am cautious...

- How has the transition been from Armie to GoFoil, any regrets?
- How does the GT1400 compare with the HS1550V2?
- Is the RS1000 a blend between the HA1125 and the HS1250?
- What is the performance like on flat water, faster than Armie HA1125?
- What is the build quality, longevity of GoFoil, tefgel required?
- Can you leave it together without corrosion like Armie gear and is it easy to assemble/disassemble without a hammer?

The GoFoil mast is thin at 14mm, and you said that it does not flex? Must be fast ride with the mast being so thin.

One negative I see is travelling with the mast/fuselage as one unit as quite bulky.

It'd be great to demo in Sydney if there are any dealers reading this.

Thanks

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north_kiter said..

hilly said..
SUP foil transition not so easy
Take off is a challenge, huge lift compared to Armie foils, got my ass handed to me frequently riding GTS1400 in small mushy waves. 2 years of muscle memory hard to change. When up and going bucket loads of glide and pump. Probably pumped the furthest I every have which is not saying much Turns are amazing, generating heaps of speed. Looking forward to taking the RS1000 out on the sup.
Learning curve is richly rewarded, stoked

Hey Hilly,

I'm following your journey with great interest and I'm 100kg too and am in agreement with your opening post on this thread.

IMO if Armie does a HS1250V2 to address ventilation and a mid-high aspect (circa 8) wing around 1100-1200cm2 without a wide wing span and pointy tips that turns easy then there'd be no reason to consider changing, but there are no rumours that this will happen anytime soon....

The step technology looks like a game changer, and am considering the move too but am cautious...

- How has the transition been from Armie to GoFoil, any regrets?
- How does the GT1400 compare with the HS1550V2?
- Is the RS1000 a blend between the HA1125 and the HS1250?
- What is the performance like on flat water, faster than Armie HA1125?
- What is the build quality, longevity of GoFoil, tefgel required?
- Can you leave it together without corrosion like Armie gear and is it easy to assemble/disassemble without a hammer?

The GoFoil mast is thin at 14mm, and you said that it does not flex? Must be fast ride with the mast being so thin.

One negative I see is travelling with the mast/fuselage as one unit as quite bulky.

It'd be great to demo in Sydney if there are any dealers reading this.

Thanks

Just a couple of questions

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I'm following your journey with great interest and I'm 100kg too and am in agreement with your opening post on this thread.
IMO if Armie does a HS1250V2 to address ventilation and a mid-high aspect (circa 8) wing around 1100-1200cm2 without a wide wing span and pointy tips that turns easy then there'd be no reason to consider changing, but there are no rumours that this will happen anytime soon....

A couple of years ago Armie was ahead of the game in surf foils that worked for larger foilers with the 1050 and 1200 but has focussed on distinctive characteristics since which has gone away from that free turning feel. The 1250 and 1550V2 had a locked in feeling at speed which required cutting to fix, but was still there. I am sure he will bring something out next year.

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The step technology looks like a game changer, and am considering the move too but am cautious...

Works well for me, turn, pump, glide and no ventilation issues. The tail helps too, FTS is a great tail with no shims

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- How has the transition been from Armie to GoFoil, any regrets?

I miss the high-quality finish and fittings, lightness and flex

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- How does the GT1400 compare with the HS1550V2?

Better in every way. I rate the 1400 very highly.

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- Is the RS1000 a blend between the HA1125 and the HS1250?

More like a 925 that has more lift and glide with no HA wobble on transition from side to side. I found the 925 was so thin I could push through it, no way I can push through the RS1000.

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- What is the performance like on flat water, faster than Armie HA1125?

My average speeds are higher on the RS1000, pretty flat ocean yesterday; average - 22.1km/h highest - 49.7km/h (With a pinch of salt Strava on Apple Watch); I was overtaking windsurfers on wave slalom gear. My average speeds are 3km/h faster than 1250/1550 or 1125(which was not faster for me than chopped 1250 in the ocean??)

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- What is the build quality, longevity of GoFoil, tefgel required?

Does not have the flash covers and fittings of Armie gear but excellent quality finish. Very robust mast but the wings are not as bullet proof as the Armie foils, the paint finish should be easy to fix.

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- Can you leave it together without corrosion like Armie gear and is it easy to assemble/disassemble without a hammer?

See answer above, I leave assembled no dramas. Hate tefgel I can assemble with no hammer, but the foil requires a few light taps to remove. Price you pay for a super stiff connection. They give you a hammer.

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The GoFoil mast is thin at 14mm, and you said that it does not flex? Must be fast ride with the mast being so thin.

Yes, straight line speed, glide and pump are impressive.

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One negative I see is travelling with the mast/fuselage as one unit as quite bulky.

Agree but not a deal breaker.

Both brands are quality foils I changed for a particular ride characteristic that the latest Armie foils did not have for a heavier rider and that was to get a foil that would roll into a turn nicely at speed dropping down a swell and still have good glide/pump. The HA foils in the smaller sizes offer this but over 725cm2 Armie foils get locked in.

When you demo be aware you will find the front foot pressure different and difficult to control initially. Mast back and focus on foot movement especially SUP foiling. My muscle memory moves my weight back for Armie foils on take-off which results in some spectacular dismounts.

Overall happy with the change and love the one screw to change the foil. Game changer? Not really, just an exceptionally good set up that has the feel I was after which makes foiling super fun again.