Hi Folks,
New joiner but have been haunting these forums for the last couple of months picking up tips as I started into wing foiling - which have beeb great.
I see lots of posts on larger wings but am wondering about smaller ones? I have a 5m duotone wing which has a great range and which I have been using in about 14 to 20 knts - which is a lot of summer/autumn days here on west coast of Ireland. The winter is kicking in now though and we have had a lot of 20-30 knts (and windier days). This isn't the end of the world as I windsurf a bit also and bust out the small kit however I have been loving wing foiling and am wondering should I invest in a smaller wing?
Interested in what folks experiences are - looking at the gong 3m or maybe getting a duotone echo 3.3.
For reference, I'm 78kg suited and booted, ride a 95l gong board and have an XL gong foil with a 95 cm mast. Have been progressing to foiling gybes and feel reasonably comfortable riding natural/switch on foil.
Thanks
Highly recommend using a smaller wing in anything above 20knots and for down-winging and riding waves.
I'm 85kg and regularly use the Naish s25 3.6m. This wing does 20knots to 40knots for me.
I would not go any smaller than 3.5m personally, i'm typically using 1m wide high aspect foilwings.
Some other wings to consider - Fone 3.5m, Naish 3.6m, Armstrong 3.5m, Smik 3.5m.
I mainly use a 4m Airush Free-air Wing but have also tried their 2m and 3m. 2m got me going in 20-30kn on lake with 1800cm foil and 92kg luggage - it was a hoot. If you are going downwind you can get away with quite a big wing, I have used the 4m on downwinds with gusts up to 38kn, but if you are on a reach then it probably maxes out at 25-30kn. It's definitely worth looking at a smaller wing....
Way more fun and less tiring riding the right sized wing for the wind conditions. At your weight, 20+ knots is 4m to 3m wing size (depending on the stiffness/flex of the wing frame). Above 30 knots you will be able to use a 3m to 2m wing.
I've got a quiver of 6-2M BRM W1 wings and just took out the 2M (really 2.2) in 20-35mph conditions with my 1850HS Armstrong wing and 70L 5'1" FSM wingboard. (I'm around 65kgs). It was my first session on the tiny toy 2M and I put the 1850 on to make sure I'd get up and not get blown down the river with the wind helping the ebbing tide. No problem getting up at all.
Previous sessions in similar conditions I had gone 3M BRM or 3.5 Swing previously and it was a bit much, umbrella'ing everywhere and not that fun. The 2M on the other hand was pure bliss. I was hooting out loud ripping around catching bumps and ended the session with dry hair.
In short, get a tiny wing!
I was riding in a river with very short period river wind swell, so I would have gone smaller size foil if I was riding waves over waist high.
Select to expand quoteMidAtlanticFoil said..
I've got a quiver of 6-2M BRM W1 wings and just took out the 2M (really 2.2) in 20-35mph conditions with my 1850HS Armstrong wing and 70L 5'1" FSM wingboard. (I'm around 65kgs). It was my first session on the tiny toy 2M and I put the 1850 on to make sure I'd get up and not get blown down the river with the wind helping the ebbing tide. No problem getting up at all.
Previous sessions in similar conditions I had gone 3M BRM or 3.5 Swing previously and it was a bit much, umbrella'ing everywhere and not that fun. The 2M on the other hand was pure bliss. I was hooting out loud ripping around catching bumps and ended the session with dry hair.
In short, get a tiny wing!
I was riding in a river with very short period river wind swell, so I would have gone smaller size foil if I was riding waves over waist high.
65kg on the 1850 you only need an umbrella
The much maligned Naish 4m V1 wing is a great high wind option. I use it in 20-35 knots.
Its light, bullet proof and cheap as chips.
Select to expand quoterobbo1111 said..
The much maligned Naish 4m V1 wing is a great high wind option. I use it in 20-35 knots.
Its light, bullet proof and cheap as chips.
Interesting - thanks for the tip on that one
I would not recommend an Echo in small sizes. Small wing usually means big winds and swell or chop and you don't want to mess with a rigid boom in those conditions.
Select to expand quoteemmafoils said..
I would not recommend an Echo in small sizes. Small wing usually means big winds and swell or chop and you don't want to mess with a rigid boom in those conditions.
unit 3.3 gets going pretty well when it is blowing hard
