I did the classic beginner error and got a second hand 95L foil board (@85kg) and Axis 1000 foil as thought I'd pick up winging fast as I've done a lot of windfoiling and I'm a legend in my own lunchtime
- but this set up was too small to learn on for the amount of time I have to get on the water. i.e. I was only getting out for a session every few weeks due to wind conditions, Lockdowns or family life etc. (If I was getting out a few times a week to learn I reckon the 95L board and 1000 foil would have been ok.)
So to speed up my learning curve I got a 120L board and Axis 102 wing and got up and flying easily on Fone 5.0 wing. Now after 10 sessions I am graduating to the Axis 1000 foil and loving it! I'll start trying the 95L board soon...
Select to expand quoteStev0 said..
I did the classic beginner error and got a second hand 95L foil board (@85kg) and Axis 1000 foil as thought I'd pick up winging fast as I've done a lot of windfoiling and I'm a legend in my own lunchtime - but this set up was too small to learn on for the amount of time I have to get on the water. i.e. I was only getting out for a session every few weeks due to wind conditions, Lockdowns or family life etc. (If I was getting out a few times a week to learn I reckon the 95L board and 1000 foil would have been ok.)
So to speed up my learning curve I got a 120L board and Axis 102 wing and got up and flying easily on Fone 5.0 wing. Now after 10 sessions I am graduating to the Axis 1000 foil and loving it! I'll start trying the 95L board soon...
I entirely relate to your experience.
Select to expand quotebigtone667 said..Stev0 said..
I did the classic beginner error and got a second hand 95L foil board (@85kg) and Axis 1000 foil as thought I'd pick up winging fast as I've done a lot of windfoiling and I'm a legend in my own lunchtime - but this set up was too small to learn on for the amount of time I have to get on the water. i.e. I was only getting out for a session every few weeks due to wind conditions, Lockdowns or family life etc. (If I was getting out a few times a week to learn I reckon the 95L board and 1000 foil would have been ok.)
So to speed up my learning curve I got a 120L board and Axis 102 wing and got up and flying easily on Fone 5.0 wing. Now after 10 sessions I am graduating to the Axis 1000 foil and loving it! I'll start trying the 95L board soon...
I entirely relate to your experience.
Same here, went too small too early
Funnily enough I got my 120L beginner foil board for a bargain off a dude who also made the same mistake and was selling it to get a larger volume board.
Got a 5'8" Quatro Wing drifter. 115L. Seems really easy to knee start and sail in no wind. And great in 20knots. Compact and voluminous wins.
I would also agree with the sentiment here.
I bought a 125Ltr board which was easy to learn on then sold it for a 95L board (I'm 90kg) after 10 sessions. My gybing is 100% both ways and I can ride waves all session rarely ever falling, I love the 95board is light an manouvable.
What I failed to realize is how much easier it is to continue learning all the tricks like tacking , riding back winded, sail 360 etc on a bigger board, not so much for the ride but the reduced effort getting up an going when you keep falling.
Trying to get going again on a low volume (for your weight) board takes more time and is a pain especially in under powered wind, waves and wind chop.
So what tends to happen I'm coming up to a nice wave thinking go for a heal to toe side tack onto the wave but instead take the safe gybe because I don't want to fall.
If you are starting new, go with at least +35 - 40L volume and don't rush to downsize, your progression will be much faster, don't change until you can gybe and tack with 90% success and pull off a 360 is my advice.
If you come from a prone foiling background and are used to riding boards between 4' to 5' then DONT buy a massive F/SUP to learn to wing on. If your not from a windsurfing background I found 1 or two sessions to get the hang of the wing can be done most effectively on a non-foil sup. (A kitesurfing background is useless)On the 3rd session the swing weight of a big Foil-sup up on foil I found a nightmare. Fortunately I broke my 7'5 125litre foil sup and swapped down to a 5'11 99litre. It made getting up on foil and staying up on foil significantLy easier. I found the big f-sup near impossible to balance up on foil with so much weight swinging around all I've the place. Just to be sure I then jumped in a canal and got towed behind a boat on the big f-sup with the exact same problem - basically too big compared to what I was used to ie. a 4'8 30litre foil board. I weigh 80kg and found 99 litres perfect. That said I think the length was the real problem.
I think your opportunities to get out and your rate of progression (commitment to silly acts) make a big difference.
I will relate three separate cases at my local spot.
Person 1 (105kg): started on Naish Hover 150 (8 foot) and moved down to a Naish Hover 125, then Naish Hover 110, then Naish Hover 95 and then back to Naish Hover 110. The comment made was both the Naish Hover 150 was too big, the Naish Hover 125 or 110 were perfect with the 110 having the least swing weight, but the Naish Hover 95 was doable but so much effort was wasted getting up on the board that he wasn't prepared to try things for fear of falling off. So the six foot Naish Hover 110 was the winner. So after he gained experience and balance he was able to drop down sizes but found the smaller sizes not worth the expended energy.
Person 2 (115kg): started on a Naish Hover 140 (cross over) and struggled a little to get up because of the length and width, moved up to the Naish Hover 150 (8 foot) and was fine but struggled to do gybes etc because of the swing weight. After six months, has dropped down to the 6 foot Fanatic 130L board and is working a little harder to get up, but is now gybing in both directions. So after he gained experience and balance he was able to drop down sizes.
Person 3 (65kg, the natural): started on the Naish Hover 140 as was immediately bored after one session. Made his own 60 litre rectangle (referred to as the block of soap) and was still not challenged. Made a smaller 30 litre board and was still looking for a challenge. Is now down to about 15 or 20 litres and starting to do jumps etc etc on foils designed by an interested family member. Experience was not relevant to what he wanted to do. He just made it happen.
If you have someone around who can give you a short lesson on their kit, it might help you with your first board purchases.
My initial decisions and progression were limited because I started when the first Naish wing came out ..... what I wish I knew then:
My rule for wing size is too much is better than not enough. Nothing worse than wasting all your energy trying to pump up onto the foil.
My rule for foil size is too big is boring, too small is too much hard work. I live around the 1800cm2 and 2000cm2 sizes and change the fuselage and stabilizer for added excitement.
My rules for boards is you need one for light wind (when you spend a lot of time on the water waiting for gusts) and one that doesn't exhaust you getting up on it.
