I am trying to decide which board might be a better fit for me (2021 Armstrong FG 5.8-88L & 5.11-99L or 2021 Naish S26 95L board;-?
I know that they are both great similar boards but I am hoping that some people with experience & knowledge can maybe comment on any positive or negative things that they like or dislike about them?:-)
Both boards will work. The naish will be cheaper and more readily available.
I have a Armstrong 5'8 99l FG board recently into my hot hands and can give some limited advice. These boards cost more, may have a waiting time (4 months for me) but are completely different to most boards on the market now and maybe most suited to Armstrong foils. The fin boxes are longer and further forward, maybe bigger and thinner than most current boards but gives the impression of riding a smaller board. It also means that you may have to play around more finding the correct mast position more.
My other board is 5'2 and I was thinking of keeping it. But now don't see the point as the Armstrong goes really well. Light, very quick to plane and well balanced.
Good luck.
Select to expand quotejohndg said..
Both boards will work. The naish will be cheaper and more readily available.
I have a Armstrong 5'8 99l FG board recently into my hot hands and can give some limited advice. These boards cost more, may have a waiting time (4 months for me) but are completely different to most boards on the market now and maybe most suited to Armstrong foils. The fin boxes are longer and further forward, maybe bigger and thinner than most current boards but gives the impression of riding a smaller board. It also means that you may have to play around more finding the correct mast position more.
My other board is 5'2 and I was thinking of keeping it. But now don't see the point as the Armstrong goes really well. Light, very quick to plane and well balanced.
Good luck.
Ok thanks johndg I know that I can save about $1000 if I buy a Naish instead of the Armstrong but is it worth it?:-)
John. You would want to check how well your FOildrive unit fits in the back of the armie with its concave deck and recessed rails. They look like a good choice otherwise. The only other production board for sup surf I personally like is the new Kalama performance shapes. I think they don't really have any stock sub 100L in Oz though and probably more setup for GOFoil (Foil back) vs Armstrong (forward Geometry). I've used a FOildrive on my Sunova Avaitor 115L at 85kg and like a little extra stability and volume. I wouldn't go much smaller at my size. Demo before you buy would be the best way to go if available.
Hi johndesu,
I have the 88litre Armstrong FG and a 110 liter naish S25. Both are fantastic. The naish is flatter deck and the deck pad extends closer to the edges. Asa beginner I found this super helpful. The Armstrong seems to have quite slippery rails and so is a bit more challenging to get up quickly in waves etc. I think the Armstrong will be a good progression and is/feels much smaller/quicker to turn but glad I had the naish to start on. The Armstrong is not noticeably slower to get going on which impressed me. Guess choice depends on your level/time to get on the water.
Hi John,
both super boards! Armstrong foils are very very good. The Armstrong drawback is IMO the track system all the way in front, which limits your choice of foil manufacturer. The NAISH hover track system position is more central and much better for many other foil manufacturers, means more more flexible
Track system position IMO.
FRONT: Ak, Armstrong, F-One, JP, Starboard, Signature
NEUTRAL: Slingshot, Naish
BACK: Axis, Fanatic, Indiana, Takuma
Example: don't mix a F-One foil with a Fanatic board. It doesn't work.
I had a Fanatic board and tested it with a Naish foil. The track system of the Fanatic was " too short" in the front. You can't move the foil far enough forward.
Are there other experiences?
I used the Naish s26 125l board as my learner board (95kg +30l). Used it with the Armstrong 2400 foil and then added the 1550v2. Had the mast in the middle or about 2/3 the way forward, so plenty of adjustment for me. Next board coming in a month is the 99l Armstrong FG.
I was also thinking of the Naish 95l but decided spending extra $s on foiling is a better mid-life crisis purchase than a tesla or porsche
Hi Kiwiupover
thx!
I have a Naish hover 110 (95kg)and a HA2140, which is fine. I am thinking about the Armstrong 1550V2, the Naish MA1600 or Naish HA1400 as my next foil for my Naish hover. How does the Armstrong 1550V2 work on the NAISH in higher wind? How large is the wind spectrum? I have heard it's big.
I have the 1550v2 in the same track position as the 2400. Use it when the winds are above 15mph and have been up to about 30mph, and its a lot of fun - faster feeling in all ways. Quite different from the 2400 which feels like a 747 jumbo jet... smooth and comfortable, but in stronger conditions it gets a bit of turbulence.
As a bigger guy, i tend to go out with a bigger wing to give me more power to get up on foil. The 2 foils also pump up differently onto foil so its nice having some extra power in the wing to get up via speed alone vs. pumping.
End of the day, i think both the armstrong and naish boards and foils (not that i've used the naish foils or the Armstrong board yet, but lots others do) are all great and you'll have a lot of fun on either (whether its the board or the foils).
I've used both, Armstrong board would be my choice for superior stiffness, long carbon tracks (any mast/wing combo will work), uniformly distributed buoyancy (i.e. no "hot spots", like nose up and such), it comes with a nice bag too. The only negative thing is the handle, it's too narrow for any practical use but you'll learn to live with it.
