I've been trying to crack the DW code for a few months now with mixed success. Mid length hybrid board with a foil drive mounted as high as it will go, and a variety of high aspect foils . Main issue has been getting the foil to ride high for extended periods in our most common conditions - 15 kts, gutless short period thigh high bumps with not much power. Similar disappointing ****e that happens around the whole world when the forecast doesn't kick in like it's supposed to from what I have read ! Anyway , I discovered from my GPS watch recently that my issues are largely when the swell and subsequent boardspeed is running at around 9-10kts. My regular large HA wing is fine at 11+kts of board speed , fully engaged, stable and easy to keep high on the mast but is a mission at these slower speeds. And super high span wings just won't carve like you really need them to in these conditions. So I reckon what us punters really need is glidey wings that will pump well, turn well for their size, but be fully engaged and ride high at these lower speeds - as mentioned , for me it is around 9kts. I certainly don't want to spend my whole time desperately pumping a small area super high aspect wing , trying to prevent it from stalling. I tried a Spitfire 1180 last weekend and bingo - long runs at slower speeds, and it carved pretty naturally. The Code 1300S looks good as well, slow but forgiving and manoeuvrable . And the new Armie HA's sound similar too. Hallelujah for the emerging generation of forgiving glidey wings that work for us punters in real-world ( crap) conditions at our local !!
Interested in people's thoughts.
The new Cloud9 FS1350 looks like a good fit too: www.cloud9surffoils.com.au/products/fs1350-1
Select to expand quotemikesids said..
I've been trying to crack the DW code for a few months now with mixed success. Mid length hybrid board with a foil drive mounted as high as it will go, and a variety of high aspect foils . Main issue has been getting the foil to ride high for extended periods in our most common conditions - 15 kts, gutless short period thigh high bumps with not much power. Similar disappointing ****e that happens around the whole world when the forecast doesn't kick in like it's supposed to from what I have read ! Anyway , I discovered from my GPS watch recently that my issues are largely when the swell and subsequent boardspeed is running at around 9-10kts. My regular large HA wing is fine at 11+kts of board speed , fully engaged, stable and easy to keep high on the mast but is a mission at these slower speeds. And super high span wings just won't carve like you really need them to in these conditions. So I reckon what us punters really need is glidey wings that will pump well, turn well for their size, but be fully engaged and ride high at these lower speeds - as mentioned , for me it is around 9kts. I certainly don't want to spend my whole time desperately pumping a small area super high aspect wing , trying to prevent it from stalling. I tried a Spitfire 1180 last weekend and bingo - long runs at slower speeds, and it carved pretty naturally. The Code 1300S looks good as well, slow but forgiving and manoeuvrable . And the new Armie HA's sound similar too. Hallelujah for the emerging generation of forgiving glidey wings that work for us punters in real-world ( crap) conditions at our local !!
Interested in people's thoughts.
Armstrong APF1675, the slow stall speed is ridiculous.
We have really gutless bay-run conditions unless ave. wind-speed is well over 20kn. If ave wind-speed is under 20kn it's a virtual pump fest or you need outer-worldy sensitivities to pick out any energy.
Solution: Big foils. The 1310 Axis, 1300 Axis and now AK 2050 and AK 1600 Plasma's or similar keep my 90kg floating through the gutless bumps. Fitter, better younger guys can for sure keep smaller foils going, but the bigger foils are just fast enough to stay with these bumps and for me being on foil, beats getting beat up trying to stay on foil. Another bonus is that they virtually launch by themselves (not quite).
