I ride Fanatic Aero Glide 1500 for starter and recently switched to SAB Onda 945 (ca 1380 area). Onda seems faster and more exciting. After a few sessions on Fanatic 5.8 I switched to Fanatic 5.0, which is still floatable for my ca 70kg body mass. The smaller Fanatic seems a lot more fun.
Trouble is I have a lot of marginal wind days on my home spot.
What is your experince with large front wings like SAB Leviathan 1350? I understand for the untimate ligh wind setup I need a dedicated DW board, which is not an option (size, limited storage). How much fun is it to ride sach a large front wing and does is it likely to give me an option to go out say 1 knot less wind?
Have no experience with the WL 1350, but do use the WL1150 and still have the WT1250. The WO945 is my 'daily driver'. I'm about 85kg.
I think with your weight the wl1350 will be pretty large for winging.
Those bigger wings are of course less nimble, less manouverable and slower than the WO945. Because of their size and wingspan they're more sensitive to wave energy. If you ride confused, choppy waters like we have often you also will be thrown sideways more when riding. A large wing is large in everything ;-). Turning is more a carve where you follow your foil.
I bought the 1250 and later 1150 mainly for SUP-foiling. For winging the 1250 feels very large and has low(er) top speed. The WL1150 lifts at about the same speed but has a broader range and slightly higher natural/cruising speed. I like that more for winging than the 1250.
I think the WL1350 will be more like the WT1250, with even lower lift speed. With your weight both 1250 and 1350 are probably to large for winging, but if you want to do dockstarts or flat water paddle ups they could serve a double purpose and save a session at minimal conditions.
Compared to a 945 you gain some at both lifting speed and stall speed. In gusty or minimal conditions the latter is way more important to have a fun session. The pumping is also better so you can travel larger windless patches.
I have the 1350 Levethian for DW sup and tried it saturday in virt no wind with a 5.5.The DW boards helps because you get quicker in a gliding phase and i pumped it on the foil in maybe 5knots of wind.The 1350 has an amazing lift and almost no stall speed but is very slllllloooooooowwww.
Hard to turn due its size so you win low end but you lose everything else that is fun.
For me a North SF 1230 makes more sense, it is a surfy wing with the low end of other bigger wings but way more man Manoeuvrability for lightwind winging and you can easy dockstart it.
I believe you have the Aero HA 1500? I have ridden the 1250, 1500, and 1750 HA front wings from Fanatic, and my daily driver is the Aero Free 1000, but also have time on the Free 800, Glide 725, and Carve 900. I also have the SAB W940, W799, W1000 and lots of days on those.
I've ridden the Leviathan 1350 three times on a ~7'0" downwind board and once on my Sky Style 4'11" 75l. I'm about 87kg.
I was surprised that it actually works pretty well with the smaller board in light wind. although the board still sinks on me, any forward movement and the foil starts working and brings the board to the surface unlike the smaller front wings. I would say it takes some skill to slog but if you have good pumping skills, then this wing will get you going in light wind even w/ a smaller board. with the downwind board, it's a lot easier.... slogs really great in almost no wind, and you're always ready to go when the puff hits.
big ass foil doesn't turn great and you have to be careful w/ your movements but it's actually more fun than I was anticipating. Have used w/ 3.5 and 5.0 D/LABs
I top out at about 16 or 17kt according to waterspeed, but on really light days the top speed is closer to 13kt. Aero Glide 725 or Aero Free can go much faster like 24kt.
YMMV
Hi KKE,
I mostly use the Leviathan 1150 but sometimes use the 1350. I mostly downwind but also enjoy waves from time to time location depending. I weigh in at around 93 kilos and find the 1150 is brilliant for all but the lightest winds. I don't use wings larger than 5.2m and ride an 80 litre board. In anything above 15 knots of wind I use a 3.5m Flysurfer Mojo wing.
The 1350 is quite the beast and is a pumping machine, it loses scarcely any height when gliding and has a low stall speed you have to experience to fully understand. It's great for straight line downwinding and will turn in graceful carves but it is not an agile wing, don't expect to be cranking tight turns even with a small tail and short fuse. For light winds it only takes one good single pump up and you are away, it extracts every bit of wave energy from even the smallest bumps (you'll notice I don't call them waves) and in the absence of bumps or waves, you can pump effortlessly through flat sections. It's a little technical to master the attributes of these wings when you come from any other foil as it's not like any other wing I've used, but it pays dividends in spades if you need what it offers.
At 70 kilo's I'd say you don't need a 1350, the 1150 has most of the properties of the 1350 but is more agile and a bit quicker. I've had all of my best glides on the 1150. I would still use the 1350 for pumping, dock start and SUP foiling.
I have fairly decent experience with most of the SABFoil wings if you need more info. You can also ask questions on the SABFoil FB groups, lots of European riders using all the wings for freestyle, pump, dock start and DW.
DM ![]()
Thank you for your kind and insightful comments. It is greatly appreciated. I am new to the forum and I am very impressed with such a feedback.
How does wing like WL1350 or WL1150 work for learning all kinds of duck jibes etc? Or learning to wing foil for a begginer (which could be my wife)? I noted Baltz Muller listed WL1350 as one of top 3 begginer's wings alongside the largest WO and WM spiecies.
Thank you for your kind and insightful comments. It is greatly appreciated. I am new to the forum and I am very impressed with such a feedback.
How does wing like WL1350 or WL1150 work for learning all kinds of duck jibes etc? Or learning to wing foil for a begginer (which could be my wife)? I noted Baltz Muller listed WL1350 as one of top 3 begginer's wings alongside the largest WO and WM spiecies.
Gybing and tacking on an 1150 is easy as you have a serious amount of glide time through the transition. For a beginner I'm not sure the Levi series would be ideal for anyone other than a confident rider. The water start is a little more technical due to the insane low stall speed. Even at mad high angles of attack, it just climbs instead of stalling and dropping you down. This takes a bit of effort to master as it takes the smallest input to get the board out of the water without overcooking it on take off. Need to be very gentle getting it up on foil. Once you know how to do it, there is no wing easier.
DM ![]()
I don't think the 1350 is suitable for beginners safety wise. Huge span and sharp tips is not your beginner friendly setup.
It might be effective tool to learn to gybe though as it really slow things down but keeps you up on foil.
See clip from my first out on that foil. it's a 5'3x23 75L sinker board on a 10knot day. Very easy to get going
I only had the 5.5M with me but could have used a 3M easily.
www.instagram.com/p/Cw-Qh2dLKCh/
I don't think the 1350 is suitable for beginners safety wise. Huge span and sharp tips is not your beginner friendly setup.
It might be effective tool to learn to gybe though as it really slow things down but keeps you up on foil.
See clip from my first out on that foil. it's a 5'3x23 75L sinker board on a 10knot day. Very easy to get going
I only had the 5.5M with me but could have used a 3M easily.
www.instagram.com/p/Cw-Qh2dLKCh/
Now you tell me!...I just have the 1150 and have taken a few good ones...that much more so when using these guys to learn to dockstart (=lots of falling, often on/near the board/foil)