At the moment I am mostly driving 'old school' Sabfoil: 1110 for light wind and 940 for strong wind. My winging location is inland lake with gusty wind which can calm down or suddenly for half an hour become very strong. Most driving power I get from wing as the waves in the lake are not powerful.
Now I am looking for one wing solution not to go to the shore and change foil when wind get up. Would Balz 969 could be optimal solution?
969 looks wide enough for gliding and thick enough for early lift.
I'm 95kg, low intermediate winger (almost all gybes successful, not tacking yet). I just recently got on the Balz 909 used for a decent price and it's quite simply excellent. Loads of accessible performance, good glide but can slow right down with control.
If I was buying new I'd consider the 969 and then look at the 869 down the road.
The Sea Devils have a huge wind range if that's what you're after, they're designed for those sort of conditions.
The freestyle ones are good, but the 909 lacks a little low end (though it's quite fast to make up for that). Not tried the 969, but I believe they brought it out as people were complaining about the low end of the 909 (which was then the biggest one).
If you are not into Freestyle and don't need the pop, try the 975 (goes earlier then the 969); amazing glide, good speed, gr8 turn with the 653k and 325 setup, and very easy to ride. For stronger wind then a size smaller, the 875 or even smaller. Yes, you need the T6 fuselage, but I never regret the move to T6 and RazorPro. I use it on the lake but also sea with smaller waves (there are people that ride it in the big once's as well but i had no chance to test it yet above 1m; hopefully I can test it in Jan in Western Australia)
If you already know what you're doing and want an easy blind reach foil, get any of the Balz 969, 909, 808 etc wings depending on your conditions and weight. these are fast foils that are still very playful due to the short span. its a well designed product. it's not for lazy or passive pumpers.just be sure the get the correct stab to pair with whichever front wing you pick. get a big razor pro if you're lazy or very recreational. regarding the 909 vs 969, remember that the number corresponds to the span, not the surface area. the 969 is a 'lower' aspect foil by modern standards, and is lower aspect than the 909. you won't exactly get loads more glide out of it, but just more raw lift due to the chord and thicker profile. by 2025 standards, i would be very happy with any of these front wings if i was already an intermediate foiler that can pump.
For very light wind I sometimes use old 1250 and it reminds me Sea Devil. I will take a look at 975.
At the moment I am using 430 stab. May be it is too big for 969 ir 975 front wings. Next steb would be 399? 325 sounds too radical for me.
I have T6 fuselage, so it is no problem for me.
Depends a bit on the style of riding you're after.
I'm pushing 50, hover around the 85 kg mark and ride strapless on a wing board or downwind sup board. Predominantly ride in a shallow coastal area with some wind generated swell.
Relating your question. I have the Leviathan Pro 1260, which is great in light wind (but a bit technical to pump without power from the wing) but can also handle some speed and therefore also useable for winging if the wind picks up. I also use it for SUP foiling, but it's a bit of span to handle and the pumping is unforgiving.
For winging, the Razor Pro 975 is my 'daily driver'. If I only could have 1 foil, the WRP 975 would be it. It's fast enough, takes off at low/moderate speed, turns well and pumps good. It's predictable and forgiving.
Disclaimer: I have not tried the Razor Pro 1075. That might even be a foil I could use for supfoiling or downwinding if my skills are up a notch.
