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wseibert
Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 34
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Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2020 11:56 am Post subject: Dedicated foilboard opinions sought |
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Hey everyone,
I took up foiling this summer after Andy Brandt introduced me to it in June. I have a Slingshot 76" foil, 61cm mast, that I've been using with a powerplate adapter on my Angulo Release 145 liter board (about 4 sessions). Unfortunately, the adapter cracked the bottom deck of my board (without running aground), so this setup is out. I'm 200 lbs, which could explain the damage.
So I'm looking for a dedicated foilboard. I considered a board that could double as a fin windsurfing board, but I think differences in footstrap placement make that a difficult option. So i'm seeking a dedicated windfoiling board.
I've been thinking that the Slingshot Levitator 150L is the way to go, as it has the lightwind float for my 200 lbs and is a similar volume to what I've been using.
However, I've been looking at the multi-purpose boards like the Slingshot Shred Sled (143L) and the Goya Air Bolt (155L), as those could also move me into winging and sup foiling down the road.
Do you have any opinions about the Levitator vs. a multi-use board? On the hull design differences (the multi-use boards have those very different rails), my only concern is getting up onto the foil. Is the Levitator is significantly significantly better at planing up onto the foil than the multi-use type? I'm not sure many people have experience with both at this point, but I thought I'd ask.
Thanks,
Will |
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H2OJoe
Joined: 20 Aug 2002 Posts: 112
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Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 10:17 am Post subject: |
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All good boards and the new Wizard 130 would be a good choice. If you want to get up on the foil quicker going to the Slingshot Infinity 99 wing is the call. You can still save your 76 for when you improve and are looking for higher wind performance. Just my 2 cents worth. Aloha |
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exgolfer
Joined: 11 Jun 2012 Posts: 42
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Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 3:50 pm Post subject: dedicated foil board |
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I'm 220 and the Levitator 150 served me well as I progressed moving from the SS hoverglide 84 to the 76. I can uphaul it even in chop and windswell, where I struggled up hauling with my girth on the wizard 125. in my progression, as I sailed faster and more fully powered, I found that the 84 became too much lift and drag and had a lower top end. So the 76 became my foil of choice even on lighter wind days. and I found it zero problem to ditch the 60 and 71 cm mast and use the 90cm..no problem in adapting and much easier to avoid rising too high and stalling out at the surface. wish I had moved to the 90 the first summer! I also transitioned to the wizard 125 this summer and now water start most of the time but I can manage an uphaul as needed Fortunately I began to make more jibes so don't need to uphaul as much. I then transitioned to the all carbon moses foil branded as slingshot and adapted to the wizard 125 mid deep tuttle box: specifiacally the 683 front wing 101 cm mast This has worked great in 15-20+. Demo'd and now having made a North Pacific Customer Carbon 135l foil board, to go with the newest Moses foils: 105 mast with the 679 and 790 front wings with the new longer fuselage. Note that Moses foils require a true deep tuttle board connection and must be adapted to slingshot tuttle boxes and don't work with mast tracks like the levitator. this progression outlined above took place of the last summer and a half and over 60 sessions. having foil dedicated boards seemed an essential part of this as I have seen a lot of non dedicated boards not holding up to the forces. I lost my first LP foil two summers ago on my second time trying the foil when the foil mast bolts pulled right through board and was lost the columbian depths.
bottom line SS levitator and 76 wing can take you a long way and be your light wind set up perhaps for a long time. the other good thing about the levitator if you want the 84 for the light wind set up, you can easily switch back and forth from the 84 to the 76 wing with the fuselage set in the b position by simply moving the mast track nearly all the way forward for the 84 and all the way back for the 76, rather than switching form fuse b with the 76 to fuse c with the 84 which requires completely disassembling the entire foil. As for the moses and North Pacific stuff, as we also needed more gear to share with our kids who are in the progression too, they get the hand me downs, I get the new stuff. hope this helps. |
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gorky
Joined: 07 Aug 2003 Posts: 23
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2020 9:06 am Post subject: |
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I would avoid getting a SUP/winger board, as these boards do not pump onto the foil well, especially in lighter winds, when using a windsurf rig. |
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wseibert
Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 34
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2020 5:42 pm Post subject: Dedicated foilboard opinions sought |
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Thank you for your experiences and recommendations. I've decided that a dedicated foil board is the way to go, and that the 150 liter range is right for me to use in light wind. As the wind comes up, I'm happy to switch over to fin windsurfing.
Only problem is that now I'm in need of a trailer or a van for all this gear!
Will |
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NOVAAN
Joined: 28 Sep 1994 Posts: 1549
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Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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You only need a board large enough to up haul. Once up you ride the foil not the board. The front foil wing has more effect on early flying in lite wind than anything else. Its a weight vs. lift and the amount of speed you need to take off. The main thing for a board is adjustable foil track. They make it much easier to get everything balanced for a level controlled flight. Check Naish foil sale online for pretty good deals on the 2020 131 micro hover and the 142 windfoil board both less than $1500. shred sled looks interesting. |
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grantmac017
Joined: 04 Aug 2016 Posts: 946
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2020 12:15 pm Post subject: |
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I'm 200# and use a 120L board for all my foiling, I'm not particularly good at uphauling either. I'm foiling with a 1700cm2 wing in about 10kts with a 6.3m, I'd pick a larger and higher aspect foil before a bigger board.
What sail size are you using for light wind? |
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H2OJoe
Joined: 20 Aug 2002 Posts: 112
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Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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I have a Fanatic Sting Ray 125 for sale if you're interested. Only used once. I'm 6'1, 200lbs and can uphaul it in swell with no problem. PM me if interested. |
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ittiandro
Joined: 22 Nov 2009 Posts: 294
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 5:32 pm Post subject: Re: Dedicated foilboard opinions sought |
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wseibert wrote: | Hey everyone,
Unfortunately, the adapter cracked the bottom deck of my board (without running aground), so this setup is out. I'm 200 lbs, which could explain the damage.
Will |
I sympathize with your mishap. I think, though, that your weak link in the chain was less, if at all, the non-dedicated board than the adapter plate. Or maybe it was a board ill suited for foiling because of its design. There are still many older boards, excellent performers, but the manufacturers have too much sacrificed strength for light weight...,
Probably , if you had a Deep Tuttle finbox, it wouldn't have happened.
With a Deep Tuttle, the stress forces generated by the foil are discharged well within the inner hull, which is thickest at that point.
With an adapter plate, these forces are instead discharged from the plate mostly to the bottom hull, which, depending on the board model, may be dangerously thin.
I am planning, too, to start foiling, but I am on a budget. Dedicated boards may well allow for superior performance and optimal balance of the foil forces, but you pay dearly for these design modifications and I am not sure they are really necessary, unless you are a performance buff and you can appreciate all the subtle ( and to the common of the mortals) invisible differences.
In fact, many still happily use older non-dedicated boards for foiling, totally immune to the manufacturer's advertising gimmicks about dedicated boards. They often seem to reinvent the wheel ( and charge for it) with unnecessary and sometimes very minor modifications in the design..
Any way, this is my take. May be somebody immune to the ...herd instinct will agree with me...
Ittiandro |
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grantmac017
Joined: 04 Aug 2016 Posts: 946
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Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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Dedicated foil boards are cheap used now, no reason to gamble on whether your board will hold together using various adapters. |
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