Thank you Colas for the information. In a nutshell, it sounds like going bigger is a good bet for our needs. While we have board experience, the reality is we have no wing and no foil experience, so effectively we are completely new at this.

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coldfish said..
Thank you Colas for the information. In a nutshell, it sounds like going bigger is a good bet for our needs. While we have board experience, the reality is we have no wing and no foil experience, so effectively we are completely new at this.

Ha, I'm in the exact same boat. Looking to get into the sport from a windsurfing / kiteboarding background (no foiling) but want something I can share with my family (wife and teenage kids). I don't like the idea of going too long as I fear we may outgrow it too soon - esp me and my oldest son who are the most advanced in wind sports. Each of us are fairly athletic and coordinated. I'd really love to know just how hard would it be to start off with the HIPE 5.3 and, I'm thinking, a 5M wing? I'd like to target lighter winds as 15knot+ days are precious around here and still reserved for windsurfing. Also, we may be able to get access to regular SUPs to practice wing sailing and motor boats for learning foil surfing with a rope and tow. Any thoughts out there?

I think if you have access to flat water for learning then the 5.3 isn't too big. I'm 85kg and have windsurfed for a few years, the board was difficult but not impossible to learn on flat water. Decent chop does make it very challenging though.
Learning the wing with a SUP, or better yet a skateboard and the foil behind a boat would have shortened the learning curve a lot.

The 5'5" and especially the 6'5" are much bigger boards. There are perhaps other ones available from different manufacterers which are better choices in bigger sizes.

I am also debating between Hipe 5.3 and 5.5 to begin SUP foil in small mushy waves and non-braking swell waves and Wing foil. I usually kite foil with pocket board and foil wings between 600 and 1200cm2 depending on wind and sea conditions.
For foil I am thinking about the XL Gong Veloce. I am at 80kg.
The volume gap between 5.3 (110l) and 5.5 (145l) seems pretty large. I assume it will be easier to paddle in small waves and ge on foil with wing with the 5.5. Will I find the extra volume uncomfortable once on foil?
Any recommendations?

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morewind said..
I fear we may outgrow it too soon - esp me and my oldest son who are the most advanced in wind sports. Each of us are fairly athletic and coordinated.

It is a common misconception. Unless you have access to a place with absolutely no chop, no breaking waves to go through, and strong steady breezes, just get an easy size first. It is so easy to resell and ship them...

The Gong forum is full of people regretting this choice of taking too hard gear at first, even if some people manage it.
Granted, most people will outgrow their beginning gear in 10 to 20 sessions, but the faster progression, less frustration and danger (on each fall you have a small risk of ripping the wing on the foil or hurting yourself) is well worth the money "lost" on reselling the gear, in my opinion.

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spiru said..
I am also debating between Hipe 5.3 and 5.5 to begin SUP foil in small mushy waves and non-braking swell waves and Wing foil. I usually kite foil with pocket board and foil wings between 600 and 1200cm2 depending on wind and sea conditions.
For foil I am thinking about the XL Gong Veloce. I am at 80kg.
The volume gap between 5.3 (110l) and 5.5 (145l) seems pretty large. I assume it will be easier to paddle in small waves and ge on foil with wing with the 5.5. Will I find the extra volume uncomfortable once on foil?
Any recommendations?

From what I read, people were surprised to see little difference between the 5'3" and 5'5" in flight. Most thought that the added performance was not worth it, as the 5'5" is less tiring and allows for a lower wind range.
I guess Winging is less sensitive to board weight than SUP/Surf foiling, where pumpability is very important.

As for SUPing, you need a very good technique to use a 5'x board. I don't think I read anybody on the Gong forum using a small Hipe for SUP foiling (except the Gong team of course) so I do not have feedback to offer. I guess people SUP foil rather than surf foil for the ease to get into non-breaking waves, and a too short SUP foil board defeats the purpose.

So it seems like my size would be at least 5.5 and probably 6.5. And I should lower my expectations for SUPfoiling which was my priority because if it is windy I am happy to go kite foiling

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spiru said..
And I should lower my expectations for SUPfoiling which was my priority because if it is windy I am happy to go kite foiling

It depends on your SUP paddling technique. A 5'5" board has the row effect of a ... 5'5" board. Do you have experience with very short SUPs already?

Plus if there is wind, there is chop. Paddling a 5'5" SUP in chop is excruciatingly slow as it plows and stops all the time. If you do not have the technique to pump back to the take off zone, it will probably get old quickly. Especially if you can kite.

Finally got a working model of the HIPE 5' 3" Wind-SURF board.

The NEED: Winging is OK...But I want an Multi Use Board to Windfoil and Wingfoil
The CHALLENGE: How to get the mast track on the deck. I consider a bolt-on tray, but it would be too big and heavy. Straps can't handle the forces. Glue-On was the answer.
The FORCES: I came across this great piece of work by Dietruch Hanke. docplayer.org/132854945-Windsurfmechanik-grundlagen-zur-berechnung-der-fahrleistungen-dietrich-hanke.html . Great engineering analysis. A 6.5m sail and mast exerts 500N of force (112 lbs.) on the board. Where as, small glue on anchor points for inflatable boats are rated at 50 lbs of force. These anchor points are 17 sq. in. (or 6.47lbs/sq in.) My "mast track anchor point" is 70 sq. in on the deck. So basically this FRANKEN-MOD can handle (70sq. in x 6.47lbs) 453 lbs of force. My biggest foil sail is a 5.5m, so I should be OK
The GLUE: No need to skimp. The best stuff seems to be H-66 Vinyl Cement. Video demo's show the underlining material will fail before the glue joint does. So any failure = sinking HIPE. Used MEK Cleaner and 3 coats of glue with 3-5 min. drying between coats. Its on tight. Other iSUP vendors have glued on mast bases in the past, so it should work.
The MAST BASE: Basic 10" windsurf unvented mast track. Could of went shorter but wanted the mast base travel to balance the foil.
The MOUNT: 2 Scotty Glue On Mounts. www.amazon.com/Scotty-341-BK-Glue-Inflatable-Boats/dp/B0793PLQL5. Needed 8- 1.75" Stainless machine screws to secure the track to the Mount. Basically mount it as far forward as possible given the length of the board. With a 10" mast track, the sail is 39" (at midpoint) from the front bolt on the foil mast...same as my Slingshot Wizard 105. Some Dremel work was needed but the mast tray fits snug in the Scotty mounts. FYI, My son and I designed a custom mount in CAD and attempted a 3D Print, but the part was 30hrs print to would be to heavy. 3rd party printer wanted $150 to print it. The Scotty Mounts are cheaper and "glue-able".
The ASSEMBLY: With the mast track is "snug but floating". A 12" ABS 1/8" plastic sheet was cut down as a cap to hold the mast track in place. The sides are ABS plastic as well and glued to the cap with JB Weld and wrapped with FiberTape (basically a carbon fiber duct tape), it really strong. www.amazon.com/FiberFix-38201-Repair-Wrap-Tape/dp/B00B297WDG. At 175lbs I can stand it on with no flex.
The PLAN: Will leave the mast track tray on the board since it still folds nicely (See below). Waiting for the ICE TO MELT and warmer weather, then take it out and Sail it. Will most likely mount new front foot straps (current straps are too far fwd), and possibly rear straps using glue on anchors.

THX GONG!

allesad this is fantastic, let us know how it goes!

Whoa, impressive!

HIPE is a good board. Plate is off by a couple/few degrees, have to shim mast plate to get a neutral (flat) flying angle. Bag that is supplied is awkward at best, and of very cheap construction. Going to travel with it in a Patagonia duffel bag - way more durable. To get it fit please see the photo below

It gets small

Is there any worry of extra wear or creasing with it wrapped that tight? I usually just stuff it into its bag along with the wing. If I folded it like that I could get a 2nd wing in there or maybe even the foil.

Speaking of foils I'm finding that the 5'3" hipe needs the foil quite forward of center in the track using the Curve XL. Is there a foil out there which would actually use the back of the track?

I am using the a Moses windsurf fuselage (F900), and it puts my foil (Moses W1100) pretty far forward. I am considering a shorter fuse.
Given the short board length, my foil mast is in the rear most location on the Hipe 5'3".
This helps the maintain a workable windsurf sail mast-to-foil COE distance.

The WindSurf HiPe with its 12"(Sail) mast track combined with the HiPe (Foil) mast track should provide enough range to get dial in, between my sail and foil combo's. Sail quiver is 3.9m, 4.6m, 5.5m. Foil quiver is W1100, W790, W683. Lot's of combo's for low ->hi wind.

Currently, Too cold to sail, but I'm using the time to create beefy 3D printed custom glue-on footstrap mounting anchors for the WindSurf HiPe, which will be mount 6" aft of the current anchors and 3" outboard of the centerline. Rear strap is still TBD, since the kick pad looks and feels right.

Just to add my thoughts.. I've had the 5'1 Hipe 85L for a few months and have clocked around 40 sessions.

I had a big hard board for 20 sessions to learn on and the Hipe has taken me to a competent intermediate which is what it's designed to be. Some of the comments on this thread I find unreal, quality of bag, no back strap etc.. Make no mistake this is the most fun 599 euros can buy. I think it's phenomenal bit of kit. I'm nothing to with Gong but I've always rated their board design. I throw the board in the van inflated, drag it up the beach, bash it into pebbles occasionally...basically I don't have to worry about it. When I sold my hardboard I had several dings!! An added advantage I never invisaged..when u learn u spend alot of time on your knees...as you progress less time falling in...when u try gybing on foil you again start spending more time in the drink.. The soft pad and inflatable construction make it very comfy and easy going on your knees. I don't agree also with the rail release thing to get on foil, this board flys soooo easy in any wind..

Best wishes all...

Hipe WINDSURF Mod UPDATE

FYI, Still cold and frozen in the Midwest USA so, no time yet to test out the HiPe.

BUT, 2 issues are still on my mind. Given I got all winter, here is what i did.

1) Failure of the Windsurf Mast glue on mount = SINKING. Hard to swim back a sail rig + foil kit.
So given that, I came up with a survival and prevention add-on. Basically 2 solid nose protection pool noodles and a mast deviator as means to prevent the mast from over torqueing and tearing the base off the deck. The noodles provide additional flotation as well...probably 20 Liters of Vol. Helping for uphauling and potential swim back. The noodles are mounted via zip ties to small anchor plates that are bonded to the board with 3M double back VHB (Very High Bond) Tape. If all goes well, it will be easy to remove.



www.seabreeze.com.au/img/photos/stand_up_paddle/17316973.jpg' />


2)The stock foot strap location is great for Winging but too far forward for Windsurfing. Using the NSI glue-on strap bases, i added another set of mounting points about 6 inches back. Could do a rear straps as well, but i typically sail the back foot, strapless.

Hi allesad,greatwork on tour hipe!
I want to out rear strap lik? you,Can you tell me where do you get strap bases,please?

I just have to put some PVC glue and glu it?

Thanks

I got my mounts on Amazon.

smile.amazon.com/Surface-Kiteboarding-Windsurfing-Bindings-Attachments/dp/B07ZWGZXHC/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2HQ33W9O3C16J&dchild=1&keywords=nsi%2Bstraps&qid=1613411424&sprefix=nsi%2Caps%2C185&sr=8-4&th=1&psc=1

You need a heat glue to soften and remove a portion of you deck pad. Clean it got with MEK or rubbing alcohol. Glue, let it cure.

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Leighbreeze said..

broVan said..
I received my much frothed over Gong Inflatable HIPE 5'3" 110L. It was delivered to my door 6 days after Gong received shipment to France. $833US delivered. I have had 2 sessions on it thus far. I have my Slingshot I84 with 48" stab and 29" mast in "b"position. Both sessions were on the lighter side. Bottom line- STOKED!!!! It is only 10 L less than my previous main ride the Outwit 6'6" but it is 16" shorter. The weight is roughly the same around 16lbs. Here is the big difference- swing weight. The HIPE carries her main weight in the carbon foil mount area. The rest of the board feels really light. The swing weight is considerably lower. It is really easy to initiate the yah on turns. The touchdowns don't seem to be a problem which is interesting because this board doesn't have any of the fancy shapes of other wing boards; chines, double concave, weird tail chit. It is basically just a short, fat SUP with a touch of rocker. It is easier to get up to foil in light wind than my Outwit. I am still strapless on it but am keen to put on the front strap.

One gripe is that the deck pad seems slippery to bare feet. I wander if they designed it for booty riding.
I left it inflated to the recommended 15-20 psi in the truck in hottish weather for a couple of days and no problem. I was worried about this being the buzzkill of dealing with inflatables.
Oh, and it has crashed into me a couple of times and it just bounced off and I chuckled. I am really stoked to be done with ding repair.
I highly recommend this board to anyone for winging. Haven't had it for a sup foil yet but bet it will crush it.
I am stoked on Gong and their customer service and their products. I know there is a lot of chit talk on the Zone but I have only had good interactions.

Send It!!!!!!

Cheers for the frothing review.
How many kgs are you.?
Just interested in regards to the 5'3"110 ltrs
I have a Hipe 5'5" 125ltrs due soon.
Thought it may suit my 103kgs

125 liters?? you mean as stated on the Gong site 145 liters. I also think the difference between the 5.3 and 5.5 is a bit big, I hope you're right,??

Anyone know the weights of the Hipes? I'm seriously considering an inflatable for traveling purposes but would like to know how the sizes compare with hard boards in terms of weight.

Although I have not weighed mine, the weight for each size is on the GONG website. You have to select a particular size and then scroll down to the specs to see the listed weight for that size. It's not the lightest board out there, but not noticeably heavy on water. The lack of a carry handle makes handling on land a bit cumbersome - hopefully they are working on a V2 that will address this drawback. Great board overall!

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FoilColorado said..
Although I have not weighed mine, the weight for each size is on the GONG website. You have to select a particular size and then scroll down to the specs to see the listed weight for that size. It's not the lightest board out there, but not noticeably heavy on water. The lack of a carry handle makes handling on land a bit cumbersome - hopefully they are working on a V2 that will address this drawback. Great board overall!

Got it - thanks

Today Gong is teasing the arrival of a new Hipe for more advanced riders, with a rear strap. I don't know more that we can see on the clip:

Edit: and it is now announced, on the Gong site. Mains changes are the rear footstrap inserts, and the hull handle

Hopefully they repositioned the front straps to have the backs be closer together.
Also I see they didn't add a sharp rail on the back which would have been a good idea.

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Grantmac said..
Also I see they didn't add a sharp rail on the back which would have been a good idea.

Maybe on the v3 ? :-)