I am tossing up which size to add next. I have a 5m, and use it, well all the time right now. I love the idea of those light days and a 6m and cruising, though have been over-powered more than once with the 5m.
Better to go smaller or bigger for #2?
I am 80kg on a 105ltr Quattro Wing Drifter board. Usually use a 920 HA foil.
It really depends on your local conditions.
But i would go smaller, a 4m.
With good pumping technique a 6m gives very marginal gains over a 5m.
I got a lot better at pumping when i was left with only a 4m as"quiver", you really learn to squeeze it :)
And learning maneuvers overpowered sucks.
Should I get a 5th wing . lol. I was also hoping for 1 wing quiver but your local conditions may dictate otherwise.
Select to expand quoteSputnik11 said..
I am tossing up which size to add next. I have a 5m, and use it, well all the time right now. I love the idea of those light days and a 6m and cruising, though have been over-powered more than once with the 5m.
Better to go smaller or bigger for #2?
I am 80kg on a 105ltr Quattro Wing Drifter board. Usually use a 920 HA foil.
Really depends where you are riding (as in how many times you might end up being overpowered) ...
I would go for a 4m first and add a 7/8m later for light days.
Every time I got to use the 4m I made a lot of progress. That carried then over into my 5m sessions...
A 6m vs 5m won't make much of a difference (unless the 6m is a much better model) - e.g. on my gusty lake I prefer my 5m Strike over my 6.4m V2 Slingshot pretty much any day.
I started with a 5m Duotone Echo which I changed for a 5m Slick and then added a 4m Slick. Definite difference, not so much at the bottom end as you can work hard and pump the 4m.
Then I waited for a while and added a 7m Slick.
Didn't know if it would be a good idea but it works well in very light winds. The difference is how much pumping you have to do to get up. Not much with a 7m.
I think like windsurf sails the quiver spacing isn't linear because the aerodynamics aren't linear.
That's why I have gone 4,5,7 and not 4,5,6.
95kg on Armstrong HS foils.
They usually recommend skipping a size. 5 to 7 is def the way to go. In my case 5 to 3.5 is a super big step, i used my 4.2 a lot!!!!! I can skip the 6 easily!
Thanks for the advice. Based on this I think I should be considering the 6.5 to 7m range, but maybe after adding something around 4m.
And of course, I should really add both right now . . . . .
One more questions - pros and cons of booms (eg Duotone Echo) vs hand grips (eg Duotone Unit).
Select to expand quoteSputnik11 said..
One more questions - pros and cons of booms (eg Duotone Echo) vs hand grips (eg Duotone Unit).
Can of worms right there
. Each to their own but I prefer handles like the Smik wing. They are really comfy, stiff so you have control, pack up small and are really light for flagging out on waves. PPC come a close second. Not a fan of floppy handles or booms.
I think it depends if you like watching others foil!
better to be overpowered than watching.
I would go bigger first - the 7m slick has tonnes of power. Nothing worse than dogging around imho
boom is great imho too. Gives you heaps of leaverage over the sail and hands always in the right position can sail with one hand too. Only trade off is weight
Don't think you said which 5m wing you already have and boom or handles is a can of worms as above.
I like the boom but come from a long windsurf background.
There is something to be said for sticking with the same type of wing or at least brand because there is a wide variety of actual sizes all called 6m by different brands. Also there should be a consistent feel across one range or brand. Not so much brand maybe.
In my situation I was ready to buy another wing but backed off by being honest with myself. I'm still learning! Cannot jibe yet. But can do long runs natural & goofy footed. And finally able to go upwind a bit better, but mainly when board is on water.
I also have been overpowered in the winds where I hardly have to pump to get up on foil. So was frustrated that I didn't bring my original 4 meter Naish Wingsurfer which has a lot less power than my 6 meter Cabrinah X2. Now I bring both in case.
So would I want a bigger wing like a 7 meter? NO. Because when the wind drops its a pain to hold it up waiting for a gust. And I am happy to sail in nothing less than 15 knots.
So for me at this stage I would be getting another 4 meter Wing in version 2 or 3 which are now supposedly to have more low end power instead of getting a 5 meter.
And I found my 4 meter gets me upwind better & is surprisingly a lot easier to move or throw around after coming off the 6 meter.
So it all depends on the frustrations of the present wing you are using.
At first I hated my 4 meter because I could never get it up on foil. The 6 meter was a game changer.
I still only Wing on flat water. So it will be another thing to think about what type of wing should I have when I want to surf.
Select to expand quoteFarNorthSurfer said..
Don't think you said which 5m wing you already have and boom or handles is a can of worms as above.
I like the boom but come from a long windsurf background.
There is something to be said for sticking with the same type of wing or at least brand because there is a wide variety of actual sizes all called 6m by different brands. Also there should be a consistent feel across one range or brand. Not so much brand maybe.
I'm on the 5m Duotone Unit. I really like it, but like you, I come from decades of windsurfing. This comparing Unit with Echo, same brand, different set up (handles vs boom).
I really like the handles on the unit. The positioning feels right. That said, I am not averse to having the boom.
For me, I started with a 5m like everyone. Then I picked up a 3.5m. I personally feel like I can easily skip a size but I want a bigger wing for light days and I'm seeing the newer wings handle a pretty wide range so I think I'll end up with a 6m and a 3.5m or 4m which should cover me here in SoCal.
Everything is specific to you and your location. Basically, cover the days that you're missing. No one knows that but you. But if you're not in a solid wind zone, going bigger can open up days and if you're in Hood River a 3m will do the same.
I see that you are from Melbourne - we are generally blessed with adequate wind. Summer seabreezes usually come in at 15 - 20+ knots, so that's within the 5m range. Northerlies are more temperamental (like today), but in winter are generally pretty strong, but often with big holes. It might vary anywhere from 12 - 40 knots in the one session! But usually it is on the stronger side. So I would tend towards a smaller wing - either a 4 or 3.5m. As far as booms go, I haven't used one. But for wave riding I figure lighter is better. I like my Smik 5m and 3.5m combo. That will usually do me from about 12 - 40 knots (depending upon my foil).
I won't had a 7 on the top of the 5 to increase the low wind range. It does a bit, if you have a big front wing, the 5m vs the 7m is close together. The main advantage of a 7m, it makes you use a much more smaller front wing in less wind and that is very addictive. But you have to be very very consistant on your jibes. I would rather having a smaller 4 or 3.5 to make sure I can go in strong wind, it's super fun!!! But that's very personal and very spot specific! Good luck!
If you are going downwind for longer stretches being on the edge of underpowered can be a problem if wind drops. I have had to tenaciously pump for long periods being underpowered on my 3.5 m on a long down wind with my smaller foil. Small wind wing makes your pumping better tho, as does a small foil.
The best solution is to buy three wings. A 7m, 4m and 3m. And then investigate some different foil options (gliding vs turning vs speed).
