Hi
I'm thinking on moving from windfoiling with big wing foils and small sails to winging because of uphauling and having more possible spots to launch from.
I would learn in a flat 12-15 knots spot I'm wondering which would be the best equipment for light wind winging in terms of:
- Shlogging easily back ashore. Size of board?
- only one wing from 12 to 16 knots. Which size? 5-6 m2?
- keeping my current low aspect 1600 cm2 foil
No need to be a champion, only to learn and progress in light wind as confortable as possible. For example which are the lightest models of wings for holding the wing easily while shlogging back (w/wo boom)? Which models of wings fit that wind range better? Which is the right size of board? My weight is 70 kg
I'm thinking on a windfoiling+winging 100 litre board to leave an escape back to windfoiling if things go wrong due to my shoulders / neck.
My experience is 25 years wavesailing, 10 years supsurfing with 100 litre sup board and one year windfoiling
Thanks.
I am 75kg and learnt with 94L board and 6m in those conditions (and same size low aspect foil). You could go 5 but a 6 is nice for the bottom end.
i am a fan of the duotone slick with carbon mini boom, if you come from a windsurfing background you'll find it completely intuitive.
just don't go too long a board, they suck.
You won't go wrong with a Duotone slick. The boom avoids sore hands that many complain of sailing wings with straps. They pump well & the squared tips help recover when you dip one in the water. The 6M is obviously bigger so more of a handful to learn with. The 5 M is a good fit for your weight & should get you up on the foil in 12 knots when learning- less when you get experienced. I wouldn't bother spending the extra $$$ to save 250 grams on a carbon boom.
Chat to other wing foilers & you'll find they often have a learning board they won't mind loaning you to try. Big is fine to give you a taste.
You'll need to buy a track mount for your foil but it's v worthwhile for the ability to change the mounting position on the board. Back for control, forward for more lift.
Enjoy!
Borrow or buy a really cheap big board to start on.8 ft is ok. You may only need it for a couple of months depending how often you get out but it will make the learning process much faster and easier.
You wouldn't do too badly to pick up a starboard freewing air 6m (the blue one is the best and I am biased) and start mucking about on your current wind or SUP board to get a feel and that may well help you make the next series of decsions
Another option would be an F-one 6m2 Strike CWC. Paired with your foil it would be perfect for the described conditions. Good idea to borrow a floaty board as with your background you'll progress through boards quickly. Length matters less than volume in the beginning and you can't go wrong with 110-125 litre range to start with.
I'd say the fanatic Sky 5'6 / 105L and the Ocean Rodeo A-series Glide 5M will be a really good lightweight high performance
combination for these conditions and your weight. The only thing you might need to change is the foil once you feel the need for more.
Thanks. I think I will use my 8 feet windfoil board for the first steps and then change it if everything goes ok with my shoulders and neck. I already made install on it US box tracks for windfoiling, so I can advance the foil up to 45 cm from the tail.
Then I will buy first the wing. Which is approximately the maximum wind strength I could use the 6 m2 as a 70 kg beginner?
Select to expand quoteMucel said..
Thanks. I think I will use my 8 feet windfoil board for the first steps and then change it if everything goes ok with my shoulders and neck. I already made install on it US box tracks for windfoiling, so I can advance the foil up to 45 cm from the tail.
Then I will buy first the wing. Which is approximately the maximum wind strength I could use the 6 m2 as a 70 kg beginner?
I'm 68kgs and learnt to wing on a 95l skywing with an Ensis 4.5, the board was very easy to float back if wind died and found once I got my pumping technique sorted I could get on foil in 10knts.
I did put a lot of time into floating around in the light winds and waiting for gusts at the start , it kinda goes against what most people say for beginners but it worked for me.
At my local spot there's never a time when I'm not foiling when the bigger guys are on the 6-7m wings etc.
I Would say comfortable top end of my 4.5 is around 18knts but I'm normally on a 3.5 if I can feel a nice breeze.
Yes, 6m Strike CWC - and once you get better (or for days with more wind) you will want a smaller one at some point ...
Select to expand quoteMucel said..
Thanks. I think I will use my 8 feet windfoil board for the first steps and then change it if everything goes ok with my shoulders and neck. I already made install on it US box tracks for windfoiling, so I can advance the foil up to 45 cm from the tail.
Then I will buy first the wing. Which is approximately the maximum wind strength I could use the 6 m2 as a 70 kg beginner?
It depends on what model/brand of wing. All 6 m2 wings are not the same. I have my 6 m2 out in up to 20 knots, but then I will go down to a 5m2 or even 4.2m2 if the wind continues to pick up and stay above 20 knots. More importantly is the low end, I can start winging when the whitecaps start showing (~12 knots) combined with a large foil (1850cm2).
Going back to your original question, in 12-15 knots you will struggle with a small wing. Yes, there are always guys who claim to use a 3.5/4.5 in 12 knots, but they are not beginners.
I find that intermediate and advanced guys forget very quickly what it was like to start and how much finesse they have compared to beginners. Life will be very frustrating for you on a small wing, board and foil in the beginner stages. More power, float and lift (up to a point) is your friend in the early days.
